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1
Yan, Chang, Guangming Shi, and Fumo Yang. "The rationality of PM2.5 monitoring sites’ locations based on exposure level across eastern China." Environmental Research Communications 4, no. 1 (2022): 011001. http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ac4641.
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Abstract Due to the heterogeneity of PM2.5 and population distribution, the representativeness of existing monitoring sites is questionable when the monitored data were used to assess the population exposure. By comparing the PM2.5 concentration from a satellite-based dataset named the China High Air Pollutants (CHAP), population and exposure level in urban areas with monitoring stations (UWS) and without monitoring stations (UNS), we discussed the rationality of the current spatial coverage of monitoring stations in eastern China. Through an analysis of air pollution in all urban areas of 256 prefectural-level municipalities in eastern China, we found that the average PM2.5 concentration in UNS in 2015 and 2018 were 52.26 μg m−3 and 41.32 μg m−3, respectively, which were slightly lower than that in UWS (52.98 μg m−3 and 41.48 μg m−3). About 12.1% of the prefectural-level municipalities had higher exposure levels in certain UNS than those in UWS. With the faster growth of UNS population, the gap between exposure levels of UNS and UWS were narrowing. Hence, currently prevalent administration-based principle of site location selection might have higher risk of missing the non-capital urban areas with relatively higher PM2.5 exposure level in the future.
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Basser, Preeti, Hemlata Sharma, Amit Dadheech, et al. "Assessing the Stability of Root Yield and Biochemical Traits in Ashwagandha [Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal]." Ecology, Environment and Conservation 30, Suppl (2024): S249—S253. http://dx.doi.org/10.53550/eec.2024.v30i06s.038.
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This study investigates the genetic diversity and stability of ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) crosses through field trials conducted across three diverse environments. A comprehensive evaluation of four traits was performed where 60 crosses were studied, certain combinations exhibited exceptional stability and performance, particularly in dry root yield and total alkaloid content. Crosses such as UWS-92 x UWS10, UWS-100 x UWS-10, UWS-104 x UWS-10 and GP-51 x UWS-10 consistently demonstrated regression coefficients below unity (bI <1) for dry root yield, indicating superior stability and productivity under adverse conditions. Similarly, crosses like UWS-131 x UWS-60 and UWS-92 x UWS-10 exhibited outstanding stability with total alkaloid content, surpassing the average mean of all crosses. These findings highlight the potential of specific cross combinations to enhance ashwagandha cultivation resilience and optimize key economic traits. The study underscores the significance of stable crosses for improving dry root yield and alkaloid content, contributing to the sustainability and profitability of ashwagandha cultivation.
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Sowińska-Świerkosz, Barbara, Julia Wójcik-Madej, and Malwina Michalik-Śnieżek. "An Assessment of the Ecological Landscape Quality (ELQ) of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) Based on Existing Elements of Green and Blue Infrastructure (GBI)." Sustainability 13, no. 21 (2021): 11674. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su132111674.
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Nature-based solutions (NBS) positively impact ecological landscape quality (ELQ) by providing multiple benefits, including enhancing natural capital, promoting biodiversity, mitigating water runoff, increasing water retention, and contributing to climate change adaptations and carbon sequestration. To analyze the specific contribution of different NBS types, this study assessed 14 ELQ indicators based on the application of spatial data. Five NBS based on existing elements of green and blue infrastructure (GBI) were analyzed at the city level (Lublin, Poland), including parks (UPs), forests (UFs), water bodies (UWs), allotment gardens (AGs), and woods (Ws). The analysis revealed that different NBS contribute in contrasting ways to the improvement of various dimensions of ELQ. UFs made the biggest contribution to the maintenance of ecological processes and stability, as well as to aesthetic values. Ws together with AGs were crucial to maintaining a high level of diversity at the landscape scale and also contributed to preserving the ecological structure. UWs and UPs had no outstanding impact on ELQ, mainly due to their high level of anthropogenic transformation. The application of spatial indicators proved useful in providing approximate information on the ecological values of different types of NBS when other data types were either unavailable or were only available at a high cost and with considerable time and effort.
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Anning, Berice. "Embedding an Indigenous Graduate Attribute into University of Western Sydney's Courses." Australian Journal of Indigenous Education 39, S1 (2010): 40–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.1375/s1326011100001125.
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AbstractThe paper reports on embedding an Indigenous graduate attribute into courses at the University of Western Sydney (UWS), providing the background to the development and implementation of a holistic and individual Indigenous graduate attribute. It details the approach taken by the Badanami Centre for Indigenous Education in advising the UWS staff on the process for endorsement of the Indigenous graduate attribute. The UWS's recognition of its moral purpose and social responsibility to Indigenous people in Greater Western Sydney has led to the successful re-establishment of Indigenous education at UWS. The paper outlines the unique and innovative approach taken to implement the Indigenous graduate attribute, including: consultation across the Schools at UWS; developing and establishing relationships through the respect of disciplinary culture and tradition; the UWS-wide reform of the traditional discipline approach and the first step towards recognition of the domain of Indigenous knowledge in teaching and research; establishing a team of Indigenous academics; developing a learning and teaching framework for Indigenous knowledge and Indigenous studies; and integrating Indigenous content into curricula at UWS. The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations funded UWS to develop the Indigenous graduate attribute and implement it by embedding cultural competency and professional capacity into UWS courses.
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Ahmed, Iqbal, Rajendra Babu Dubey, Devendra Jain, Mohamed A. El-Sheikh, and Prashant Kaushik. "Heterosis Studies for Root-Yield-Attributing Characters and Total Alkaloid Content over Different Environments in Withania somnifera L." Agriculture 13, no. 5 (2023): 1025. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13051025.
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Ashwagandha is an important, medicinal, less exploited crop and most of its cultivated varieties are local cultivars. Information related to ashwagandha’s genetic diversity is very limited. Hybrid vigor exploitation may be useful in breaking its yield barrier at a commercial scale. A total of 45 F1 crosses were produced during Kharif 2017-18 by using a line x tester matting design, which included three testers along with 15 lines. A total of 65 genotypes were grown in an RBD design, with three replications in three different environments during Kharif 2018-19, and observations were recorded for 11 different yield-attributing traits that were responsible for the estimation of the magnitude of the heterosis. An analysis of variance showed that a valuable amount of diversity existed in the breeding material. Based on the study, three promising crosses viz., UWS-305 × UWS-10, UWS-305 × RVA-100, and UWS-301 × RVA-100 were identified as superior heterotic materials for the root yield at harvest, whereas for the total alkaloid content, three excellent hybrids viz., UWS-309 × RVA-100, UWS-305 × RVA-100, and UWS-314 × RVA-100 were reported. Out of the above crosses, the cross-combination of UWS-305 × RVA-100 showed a significantly positive and useful heterosis on a pooled basis. Hence, the above crosses may be gainfully utilized in breeding programs for ashwagandha.
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Sebastian, Agata, Patryk Woytala, Marta Madej, et al. "Is it possible to not perform salivary gland biopsy in targeted patients according to unstimulated salivary flow results in patients with suspected Sjögren's syndrome?" Rheumatology International 41, no. 6 (2021): 1125–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00296-021-04840-4.
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Abstract Introduction/objective Xerostomia is one of the main symptoms of primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). The unstimulated salivary flow (UWS) test is one of the objective Sjögren's syndrome classification criteria used to assess xerostomia's severity. The study’s objective was to evaluate UWS rate measurements (with a threshold rate of 0.1 mL/min) in the screening of patients suspected with pSS, presenting with xerostomia in whom labial salivary gland biopsy (LSGB) should be performed. We will try to answer whether it is possible not to perform LSGB in targeted patients according to UWS results? We analyze the correlation between UWS value and focus score (FS) and anti-SSA antibodies. Methods The study group consisted of subjects above 18 years of age with a subjective feeling of oral dryness. Results A total of 105 subjects were qualified for the study. The final diagnosis of pSS was made in 44 patients according to the classification criteria from 2016. No age differences were identified between pSS patients and control group subjects (patients with dry mouth without autoimmune background). UWS rates were significantly lower in pSS patients than in the control group. No association was identified between UWS and focus score (FS) ≥ 1 in LSGB. No differences were observed between anti-SSA-positive and anti-SSA-negative patients in terms of age, UWS rates, FS. Conclusion LSGB should be performed in all suspected pSS cases regardless of the UWS rate value, particularly in subjects without specific anti-SSA antibodies. In patients with suspected pSS, only less than one-half of the UWS measurements are below the value of 0.1 mL/min adopted as the threshold in the classification criteria for pSS.
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Van Der Burg, Michael P. M., Onno R. Guicherit, Marijke Frölich, Frans A. Prins, Jan Anthonie Bruijn, and Hein G. Gooszen. "Cell Preservation in University of Wisconsin Solution during Isolation of Canine Islets of Langerhans." Cell Transplantation 3, no. 4 (1994): 315–24. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/096368979400300408.
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Allogeneic islet transplantation in Type I diabetic patients is considerably hampered by the variable outcome of islet isolation and purification. After collagenase digestion of the pancreas, islet isolation is traditionally performed under hypothermic conditions in physiological solutions such as Hanks and RPMI. The University of Wisconsin solution (UWS) has been shown superior for hypothermic preservation of the pancreas. We, therefore, compared the UWS and RPMI for canine islet isolation and subsequent purification in either a conventional hyperosmotic density gradient of dextran in Hanks, or a novel normosmotic density gradient of Percoll in UWS. The isolation solution did not affect islet yield before purification (51% of the native islet mass). Loss of amylase (30%) and swelling of the acinar cells were observed in RPMI. In contrast, no loss of amylase and slight shrinkage of the acinar cells were observed in the UWS. Cell swelling affected the density separation and viability of the cells. Dextran density separation resulted in a 15% purity and 41% recovery of the islets isolated in RPMI, as compared to a 93% purity and 52% recovery of islets isolated in UWS. Percoll density separation improved the purity (99%) and recovery (74%) of islets isolated in UWS. Islets isolated in UWS demonstrated a superior basal and glucose stimulated insulin release during perifusion. Electron microscopy demonstrated a well-preserved islet ultrastructure after isolation in both solutions — except for slightly swollen mitochondria after isolation in RPMI. Autotransplantation of islets in pancreatectomised dogs was successful both after isolation in UWS and RPMI. We conclude that prevention of cell swelling during isolation and purification in the UWS resulted in an improved yield of viable and consistent virtually pure islets. Prevention of cell swelling during islet isolation should facilitate the analysis and control of other factors affecting outcome in man.
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Liu, Heyuan. "The form of consciousness in brain & pathology and treatment of UWS." Theoretical and Natural Science 45, no. 1 (2024): 326–32. http://dx.doi.org/10.54254/2753-8818/45/20240575.
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The study of consciousness, a fundamental aspect of human existence, spans neurobiology, brain science, and psychology. In nested hierarchies in the brain, consciousness is a confluence of wakefulness, arousal, and awareness. Disorders of consciousness, such as the Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome (UWS), present profound challenges in the medical domain. UWS patients experience severe disturbances in awareness and reactivity, often due to traumatic or non-traumatic brain injuries. Central to the debate on consciousness is the thalamus, a neural relay pivotal to cognitive function. Recent research emphasizes the thalamuss role in disorders like UWS, particularly when stemming from thalamic injuries. Novel thalamic interventions, like Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) and Stereotactic Thalamotomy, have been explored for therapeutic potential, showing varying outcomes. The transition towards targeted thalamic treatments, underscored by advanced imaging insights, marks a shift in UWS therapeutic strategies. However, the intricacies of the thalamus and the heterogeneity of UWS necessitate a comprehensive and individualized approach. As researchers delve deeper, the thalamus stands central to potential breakthroughs in restoring consciousness in UWS patients.
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Behzadian, K., Z. Kapelan, G. Venkatesh, H. Brattebø, and S. Sægrov. "WaterMet2: a tool for integrated analysis of sustainability-based performance of urban water systems." Drinking Water Engineering and Science 7, no. 1 (2014): 63–72. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/dwes-7-63-2014.
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Abstract. This paper presents the "WaterMet2" model for long-term assessment of urban water system (UWS) performance which will be used for strategic planning of the integrated UWS. WaterMet2 quantifies the principal water-related flows and other metabolism-based fluxes in the UWS such as materials, chemicals, energy and greenhouse gas emissions. The suggested model is demonstrated through sustainability-based assessment of an integrated real-life UWS for a daily time-step over a 30-year planning horizon. The integrated UWS modelled by WaterMet2 includes both water supply and wastewater systems. Given a rapid population growth, WaterMet2 calculates six quantitative sustainability-based indicators of the UWS. The result of the water supply reliability (94%) shows the need for appropriate intervention options over the planning horizon. Five intervention strategies are analysed in WaterMet2 and their quantified performance is compared with respect to the criteria. Multi-criteria decision analysis is then used to rank the intervention strategies based on different weights from the involved stakeholders' perspectives. The results demonstrate that the best and robust strategies are those which improve the performance of both water supply and wastewater systems.
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Behzadian, K., Z. Kapelan, G. Venkatesh, H. Brattebø, and S. Sægrov. "WaterMet2: a tool for integrated analysis of sustainability-based performance of urban water systems." Drinking Water Engineering and Science Discussions 7, no. 1 (2014): 1–26. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/dwesd-7-1-2014.
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Abstract. This paper presents the new "WaterMet2" model for long-term assessment of urban water system (UWS) performance which will be used for strategic planning of the integrated UWS. WaterMet2 quantifies the principal water-related flows and other metabolism-based fluxes in the UWS such as materials, chemicals, energy, greenhouse gas emissions. The suggested model is demonstrated through sustainability-based assessment of an integrated UWS of Oslo city for daily time step over a 30 yr planning horizon. The integrated UWS modelled by WaterMet2 includes both water supply and wastewater systems. Given a fast population growth, WaterMet2 calculates six quantitative sustainability-based indicators of the UWS. The result of the water supply reliability (94%) shows the need for appropriate intervention options over the planning horizon. Five intervention strategies are analysed in WaterMet2 and their quantified performance are compared with respect to the criteria. Multi-criteria decision analysis is then used to rank the intervention strategies based on different weights from the involved stakeholders' perspectives. The results demonstrate the best and robust strategies are those which improve the performance of both water supply and wastewater systems.
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Dugonjic, Sanja, Boris Ajdinovic, Dusan Stefanovic, and Ljiljana Jaukovic. "Diagnostic validity of dynamic salivary gland scintigraphy with ascorbic acid stimulation in patients with Sjögren's syndrome: Comparation with unstimulated whole sialometry." Vojnosanitetski pregled 65, no. 1 (2008): 41–46. http://dx.doi.org/10.2298/vsp0801041d.
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Background/Aim. Beside many actual groups of classification criteria, uniform classification criteria for Sj?gren?s syndrome (SS) are still missing. The ophtalmic component of SS is well defined. Criteria for classifying its oral component remain controversial. The fifth item of the European Union and the United States of America (EU-US) revised diagnostic classification criteria in 2002, is an objective evidence of xerostomia, diagnosed by one of the tests: unstimulated whole sialometry (UWS), parotid sialography, and dynamic salivary gland scintigraphy (DSGS). The aim of this study was to evaluate senstitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value and accuracy of DSGS with ascorbic acid stimulation in detecting xerostomia in SS patients and to compare DSGS findings with UWS values. Methods. Tests DSGS and UWS were done in 20 patients with SS and in 10 of the control subjects. The findings of DSGS were graded from 1 to 4 scintigraphie (SCT) grade 1 - normal finding; SCT grade 2 - moderate function damage; SCT grade 3 - serious function damage, SCT grade 4 - very serious function damage. UWS measured 1.5 hour after the breakfast lasted 15 minutes. UWS bellow 2.5 ml/15min min. considered pathological. Results. All SS patients had pathological SCT findings. Comparing SCT grade between the patients and the control group, high statistical significance was found (p < 0.001). The estimated sensitivity of DSGS was 100%, specificity 80%, positive predictive value 91%, negative predictive value 100% and accuracy 93%. The calculated sensitivity of UWS was 75%. Salivary function damage detected by scintigraphy was in positive correlation with UWS findings. Conclusion. DSGS is a diagnostic test with high sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and positive and negative predictive values in detecting salivary function damage in SS patients. DSGS and UWS are very sensitive diagnostic tests for objective evidence of xerostomia, and have to be ones of the earliest investigations which should be performed in subjects suspected of SS. Test DSGS is more sensitive, and seems to better reflect symptoms of dry mouth than UWS.
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Oosting, S. J., P. J. M. Vlemmix, and J. Van Bruchem. "Effect of ammonia treatment of wheat straw with or without supplementation of potato protein on intake, digestion and kinetics of comminution, rumen degradation and passage in steers." British Journal of Nutrition 72, no. 1 (1994): 147–65. http://dx.doi.org/10.1079/bjn19940016.
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Untreated wheat straw (UWS) or ammoniated wheat straw without (AWS) or with (AWSP) a supplement of potato protein of a low rumen degradability was fed to three steers according to a 3 × 3 Latin square design. All rations were supplemented with sugar-beet pulp and minerals. Voluntary organic matter intake (OMI, g/kg0.75 per d) was 67.8, 76.0 and 80.1 for whole rations (51.1, 59.7 and 59.2 for straw) for UWS, AWS and AWSP respectively, which was significantly higher for AWS and AWSP than for UWS. Organic matter digestibility (OMD, g/kg) was 561, 596 and 625 for the respective rations UWS, AWS and AWSP, also significantly higher for AWS and AWSP than for UWS. The increased voluntary intake and digestion of ammoniated wheat-straw-based rations were associated with a significantly higher potentially degradable fraction (D) of neutral detergent fibre (NDF) in offered straw (556 and 661 g/kg for untreated and ammoniated wheat straw respectively) and in the rumen pool (469, 555 and 554 g/kg for UWS, AWS and AWSP respectively). Isolated small rumen particles (retained on sieves with a pore size < 1.25 and > 0.041 mm) had a significantly lower D of NDF (average 588 g/kg) than isolated large rumen particles (average 663 g/kg). Fractional rates of degradation of NDF did not differ significantly either between untreated and ammonia-treated wheat straw offered (2.9 and 2.6%/h respectively) or between rumen pools (1.8, 1.7 and 2.1 %/h for UWS, AWS and AWSP respectively). Rations based on ammoniated wheat straw had a significantly higher rumen NH3-N concentration than UWS. Although the rumen pool size of total contents differed significantly between treatments, those of dry and organic matter and of cell wall constituents were not significantly different. The proportion of rumen dry matter passing through a sieve with a pore size of 1.25 mm averaged 0.684 over rations (not significantly different between rations). Daily rumination (96 min) and eating (52 min) times/kg NDF ingested did not differ between rations. The rate of comminution of large particles estimated from the disappearance of indigestible NDF in large rumen particles from the rumen of animals without access to feed was 4.1, 6.3 and 7.1 %/h for UWS, AWS and AWSP respectively. These values were not significantly different. The fractional rate of passage estimated from the faecal excretion of Cr-NDF was 5.4, 6.1 and 6.3%/h for UWS, AWS and AWSP respectively (significantly higher for AWS and AWSP than for UWS) but the turnover rate of indigestible NDF did not differ between treatments.
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Koegst, T., J. Tränckner, F. Blumensaat, J. Eichhorn, and V. Mayer-Eichberger. "On the use of an ontology for the identification of degrees of freedom in urban wastewater systems." Water Science and Technology 55, no. 4 (2007): 155–63. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wst.2007.105.
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The management of Urban Wastewater Systems (UWS) requires a comprehensive understanding of the interactions of processes and substances in the system. This leads to complex numerical models which can be applied to predict management actions or understand misconduction of the system. Nevertheless, for the communication between stakeholders in the process of optimizing a UWS these models are far too sophisticated. In this paper the use of an ontology is described serving as a conceptual model of the UWS which can be used for dissemination or as a preliminary stage to numerical models. The ontology therefore is part of a dissemination tool describing potential measures which can be applied to optimize a UWS.
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Stender, Johan, Ron Kupers, Anders Rodell, et al. "Quantitative Rates of Brain Glucose Metabolism Distinguish Minimally Conscious from Vegetative State Patients." Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism 35, no. 1 (2014): 58–65. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/jcbfm.2014.169.
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The differentiation of the vegetative or unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (VS/UWS) from the minimally conscious state (MCS) is an important clinical issue. The cerebral metabolic rate of glucose (CMRglc) declines when consciousness is lost, and may reveal the residual cognitive function of these patients. However, no quantitative comparisons of cerebral glucose metabolism in VS/UWS and MCS have yet been reported. We calculated the regional and whole-brain CMRglc of 41 patients in the states of VS/UWS ( n=14), MCS ( n=21) or emergence from MCS (EMCS, n=6), and healthy volunteers ( n=29). Global cortical CMRglc in VS/UWS and MCS averaged 42% and 55% of normal, respectively. Differences between VS/UWS and MCS were most pronounced in the frontoparietal cortex, at 42% and 60% of normal. In brainstem and thalamus, metabolism declined equally in the two conditions. In EMCS, metabolic rates were indistinguishable from those of MCS. Ordinal logistic regression predicted that patients are likely to emerge into MCS at CMRglc above 45% of normal. Receiver-operating characteristics showed that patients in MCS and VS/UWS can be differentiated with 82% accuracy, based on cortical metabolism. Together these results reveal a significant correlation between whole-brain energy metabolism and level of consciousness, suggesting that quantitative values of CMRglc reveal consciousness in severely brain-injured patients.
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Ihalainen, Riku, Jitka Annen, Olivia Gosseries, et al. "Lateral frontoparietal effective connectivity differentiates and predicts state of consciousness in a cohort of patients with traumatic disorders of consciousness." PLOS ONE 19, no. 7 (2024): e0298110. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0298110.
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Neuroimaging studies have suggested an important role for the default mode network (DMN) in disorders of consciousness (DoC). However, the extent to which DMN connectivity can discriminate DoC states–unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) and minimally conscious state (MCS)–is less evident. Particularly, it is unclear whether effective DMN connectivity, as measured indirectly with dynamic causal modelling (DCM) of resting EEG can disentangle UWS from healthy controls and from patients considered conscious (MCS+). Crucially, this extends to UWS patients with potentially “covert” awareness (minimally conscious star, MCS*) indexed by voluntary brain activity in conjunction with partially preserved frontoparietal metabolism as measured with positron emission tomography (PET+ diagnosis; in contrast to PET- diagnosis with complete frontoparietal hypometabolism). Here, we address this gap by using DCM of EEG data acquired from patients with traumatic brain injury in 11 UWS (6 PET- and 5 PET+) and in 12 MCS+ (11 PET+ and 1 PET-), alongside with 11 healthy controls. We provide evidence for a key difference in left frontoparietal connectivity when contrasting UWS PET- with MCS+ patients and healthy controls. Next, in a leave-one-subject-out cross-validation, we tested the classification performance of the DCM models demonstrating that connectivity between medial prefrontal and left parietal sources reliably discriminates UWS PET- from MCS+ patients and controls. Finally, we illustrate that these models generalize to an unseen dataset: models trained to discriminate UWS PET- from MCS+ and controls, classify MCS* patients as conscious subjects with high posterior probability (pp > .92). These results identify specific alterations in the DMN after severe brain injury and highlight the clinical utility of EEG-based effective connectivity for identifying patients with potential covert awareness.
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Li, Yuanhong, Qing Han, Dianxiu Xia, et al. "Study of the Thermal Insulation and Flow Field of Vehicle Front Exhaust Pipe." Energies 15, no. 11 (2022): 3912. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/en15113912.
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Exhaust is generated by engine flows through a turbocharger, front exhaust pipe, and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) post-treatment device. The structure of the front exhaust pipe affects the temperature, velocity, and turbulent kinetic energy of exhaust and the Sauter Mean Diameter (SMD) of urea water solution (UWS). A high temperature and turbulent kinetic energy in the exhaust will promote the decomposition of UWS, and further accelerate the evaporation and atomization effect of the UWS droplets. Therefore, in order for the exhaust to reach a high temperature and turbulent kinetic energy, a double-layered pipe structure with air insulation was designed. The flow field and the atomization of UWS in the double-layered pipe based on hydroforming processing was investigated through numerical simulation. The thermal insulation simulation was verified by the temperature measurement system and the temperature drops between the double-layered pipe and the volcanic rock-wrapped pipe were also compared. The results indicate that the temperature at the outlet of the designed double-layered pipe was 3.5% higher than that of a single-layered pipe with the same structure, and the velocity at the outlet of the exhaust of the double-layered pipe was 16.1% higher than that of a single-layered pipe. The maximum turbulent kinetic energy in the double-layered pipe was 71 times that of the single-layered pipe. The design is not only conducive to the mixing of UWS and exhaust, but can also improve the atomization performance of UWS.
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Apablaza-Yevenes, David E., María Corsi-Cabrera, Antonieta Martinez-Guerrero, et al. "Stationary stable cross-correlation pattern and task specific deviations in unresponsive wakefulness syndrome as well as clinically healthy subjects." PLOS ONE 19, no. 3 (2024): e0300075. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0300075.
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Brain dynamics is highly non-stationary, permanently subject to ever-changing external conditions and continuously monitoring and adjusting internal control mechanisms. Finding stationary structures in this system, as has been done recently, is therefore of great importance for understanding fundamental dynamic trade relationships. Here we analyse electroencephalographic recordings (EEG) of 13 subjects with unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) during rest and while being influenced by different acoustic stimuli. We compare the results with a control group under the same experimental conditions and with clinically healthy subjects during overnight sleep. The main objective of this study is to investigate whether a stationary correlation pattern is also present in the UWS group, and if so, to what extent this structure resembles the one found in healthy subjects. Furthermore, we extract transient dynamical features via specific deviations from the stationary interrelation pattern. We find that (i) the UWS group is more heterogeneous than the two groups of healthy subjects, (ii) also the EEGs of the UWS group contain a stationary cross-correlation pattern, although it is less pronounced and shows less similarity to that found for healthy subjects and (iii) deviations from the stationary pattern are notably larger for the UWS than for the two groups of healthy subjects. The results suggest that the nervous system of subjects with UWS receive external stimuli but show an overreaching reaction to them, which may disturb opportune information processing.
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Abtahi, Seyed-Mojtaba, Farzan Kianersi, Mohammad-Ali Abtahi, et al. "Urbach-Wiethe Syndrome and the Ophthalmologist: Review of the Literature and Introduction of the First Instance of Bilateral Uveitis." Case Reports in Medicine 2012 (2012): 1–7. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/281516.
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Patients suffering from Urbach-Wiethe syndrome (UWS), also known as lipoid proteinosis or hyalinosis cutis et mucosae, may have an ophthalmologist involved in the diagnosis and management of their disease. Along with moniliform blepharosis as a pathognomonic feature of the disease, an ophthalmologist may encounter other manifestations of UWS in any part of the eye such as cornea; conjunctiva; sclera; trabecular meshwork; iris/pupil; lens and zonular fibers; retina; nasolacrimal duct. This paper provides a review on the pathogenesis and the diverse ocular manifestations seen in UWS patients. Uncommon complications are discussed in this paper (glaucoma; dry eye and epiphora; complications of lens, retina, cornea; iris/pupil and conjunctiva). Moreover, a 27-year-old male UWS patient is described with bilateral diffuse anterior stromal iris atrophy, diffuse keratic precipitates; posterior subcapsular cataract; 1 + vitreous cell in anterior vitreous examination. This case was thought to be the first instance of bilateral uveitis associated with UWS. Overall, ophthalmologists may encounter diverse ocular complications accompanying this syndrome. They should be familiar with well-established ophthalmologic manifestations leading them to cooperate with other specialists in diagnosis and management of the disease.
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Venugopal, Vidhya, Sri Ramachandra, Rekha Shanmugam, Sri Ramachandra, and Jane Elizabeth. "O-322 RISK OF ADVERSE PREGNANCY OUTCOMES AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN IN UNORGANIZED OR ORGANIZED WORKPLACES - WHO IS MORE SUSCEPTIBLE?" Occupational Medicine 74, Supplement_1 (2024): 0. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqae023.1228.
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Abstract Introduction Most affected by climate change-induced heat in developing countries are pregnant women who work in environments with limited access to heat mitigation strategies. Methodology In Tamilnadu, India, 230 expectant women from unorganized workplaces (UWs) and 384 from organized workplaces (OWs) participated in an observational prospective cohort study. In addition to the pre-and post-shift measurements of Core Body Temperature (CBT) and Urine Specific Gravity (USG), the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT°C) was measured, and a validated questionnaire was used to collect self-reported heat-related symptoms. Postpartum interviews uncovered Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes (APOs). SPSS 16.0 modeled univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Results OWs’ WBGT°C values ranged from 24.1-28.5°C in OWs while in UWs’ it ranged from 24.1-30.2°C. Half of UW women exceeded the Threshold Limit Values (TLVs). Exposures to WBGT&gt;27.5°C increased APO risk for women in UWs by 1.9-fold, and 44.3% of expectant UWs had chronic dehydration. The risk of spontaneous abortion/miscarriage was 2.3 times greater and adverse birth outcomes were doubled (95%CI: 1.1-5.2) among pregnant women working in UWs. Discussion Our study indicates that exposures to WBGT in excess of TLVs during all three trimesters of pregnancy, in conjunction with poor welfare and working conditions for women in UWs, could lead to fetal heat stress and an increased risk of APOs. Conclusion To safeguard pregnant women from the negative effects of occupational heat stress, it is necessary to implement protective labor policies and improve workplace welfare facilities.
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Jalali, A., A. Amiri Delouei, M. R. Zaertaraghi, and S. Amiri Tavasoli. "Experimental Investigation on Active Heat Transfer Improvement in Double-Pipe Heat Exchangers." Processes 12, no. 7 (2024): 1333. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/pr12071333.
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In this research, the effect of ultrasonic waves (UWs) on the heat transfer rate of a water-to-water double-pipe heat exchanger (DPHX) was investigated. To conduct the experiments, four ultrasonic transducers with similar sound frequencies of 40 kHz and a maximum power of 60 W were utilized. All the transducers were placed on the outer shell of the DPHX. The effects of the hot water flow rate and the temperature level of the hot water inlet, ranging from 40 to 60 °C in the central pipe, both in the absence and presence of UWs, were measured under UWs at different powers from 0 to 240 W. The performed experiments show that UWs increase the heat transfer rate, while the highest heat transfer rate improvement of 104% occurs at an inlet temperature of 60 °C and ultrasonic power level of 240 W. Given the scarcity of information regarding heat transfer behavior in ultrasonic-assisted DPHXs, these findings could illuminate the path for designing such heat exchangers.
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Van der Burg, Michael P. M., and John M. Graham. "Iodixanol Density Gradient Preparation in University of Wisconsin Solution for Porcine Islet Purification." Scientific World JOURNAL 3 (2003): 1154–59. http://dx.doi.org/10.1100/tsw.2003.107.
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Previously published as Graham, J.M. (2002) Purification of Islets of Langerhans from porcine pancreas. TheScientificWorldJOURNAL 2, 1657–1661. ISSN 1537-744X; DOI 10.1100/tsw.2002.847.Generally, prior to the purification of isolated pancreatic islets, the collagenase-digested tissue is incubated in the University of Wisconsin solution (UWS; ~320 mOsm) for osmotic stabilization to preserve or improve the density differences between islets and acinar fragments. The adverse effects arising from the subsequent pelleting and resuspension of the islets in a second, different (often highly hyperosmotic) purification solution are avoided in the protocol described here; preparation of the purification medium is simply achieved by mixing the UWS preincubated islets with a second UWS containing the inert impermeant iodixanol. Flotation of the islets isolated from juvenile porcine pancreases through this mildly hypertonic (~380 mOsm) gradient of iodixanol-UWS achieves a much higher recovery of islets of an improved viability than the customary method using a Ficoll gradient. The method has been extended to human islet purification.
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Landa-Cansigno, Oriana, Kourosh Behzadian, Diego I. Davila-Cano, and Luiza C. Campos. "Performance assessment of water reuse strategies using integrated framework of urban water metabolism and water-energy-pollution nexus." Environmental Science and Pollution Research 27, no. 5 (2019): 4582–97. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-05465-8.
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Abstract This paper evaluates the metabolism-based performance of a number of centralised and decentralised water reuse strategies and their impact on integrated urban water systems (UWS) based on the nexus of water-energy-pollution. The performance assessment is based on a comprehensive and quantitative framework of urban water metabolism developed for integrated UWS over a long-term planning horizon. UWS performance is quantified based on the tracking down of mass balance flows/fluxes of water, energy, materials, costs, pollutants, and other environmental impacts using the WaterMet2 tool. The assessment framework is defined as a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) within the context of the water-energy-pollution nexus. The strategies comprise six decentralised water reuse configurations (greywater or domestic wastewater) and three centralised ones, all within three proportions of adoption by domestic users (i.e. 20, 50, and 100%). This methodology was demonstrated in the real-world case study of San Francisco del Rincon and Purisima del Rincon cities in Mexico. The results indicate that decentralised water reuse strategies using domestic wastewater can provide the best performance in the UWS with respect to water conservation, green house gas (GHG) emissions, and eutrophication indicators, while energy saving is almost negligible. On the other hand, centralised strategies can achieve the best performance for energy saving among the water reuse strategies. The results also show metabolism performance assessment in a complex system such as integrated UWS can reveal the magnitude of the interactions between the nexus elements (i.e. water, energy, and pollution). In addition, it can also reveal any unexpected influences of these elements that might exist between the UWS components and overall system.
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Cacciola, Alberto, Antonino Naro, Demetrio Milardi, et al. "Functional Brain Network Topology Discriminates between Patients with Minimally Conscious State and Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome." Journal of Clinical Medicine 8, no. 3 (2019): 306. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/jcm8030306.
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Consciousness arises from the functional interaction of multiple brain structures and their ability to integrate different complex patterns of internal communication. Although several studies demonstrated that the fronto-parietal and functional default mode networks play a key role in conscious processes, it is still not clear which topological network measures (that quantifies different features of whole-brain functional network organization) are altered in patients with disorders of consciousness. Herein, we investigate the functional connectivity of unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) and minimally conscious state (MCS) patients from a topological network perspective, by using resting-state EEG recording. Network-based statistical analysis reveals a subnetwork of decreased functional connectivity in UWS compared to in the MCS patients, mainly involving the interhemispheric fronto-parietal connectivity patterns. Network topological analysis reveals increased values of local-community-paradigm correlation, as well as higher clustering coefficient and local efficiency in UWS patients compared to in MCS patients. At the nodal level, the UWS patients showed altered functional topology in several limbic and temporo-parieto-occipital regions. Taken together, our results highlight (i) the involvement of the interhemispheric fronto-parietal functional connectivity in the pathophysiology of consciousness disorders and (ii) an aberrant connectome organization both at the network topology level and at the nodal level in UWS patients compared to in the MCS patients.
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Leboutte, Francois, Christian Engesser, Leutrim Zahiti, et al. "Prevalence of Unfavorable Video-Urodynamic Findings and Clinical Implications in Patients with Minimally Conscious State/Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome: A Retrospective Descriptive Analysis." Biomedicines 11, no. 9 (2023): 2432. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines11092432.
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The aim of this retrospective exploratory study was to investigate the prevalence of unfavorable findings during video-urodynamic studies (VUDS) in patients with minimally conscious state (MCS)/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) and whether management of the lower urinary tract (LUT) was adjusted accordingly. A retrospective chart review was conducted to screen for patients diagnosed with MCS/UWS at our rehabilitation center between 2011 and 2020. Patients 18 years or older were included and underwent baseline VUDS after being diagnosed with MCS/UWS. We analyzed urodynamic parameters and subsequent changes in LUT management in this cohort. In total, 32 patients (7 females, 25 males, median age 37 years) with MCS/UWS were included for analysis. While at least one unfavorable VUDS finding (i.e., neurogenic detrusor overactivity [NDO], detrusor sphincter dyssynergia {DSD, high maximum detrusor pressure during storage phase [>40 cmH2O], low-compliance bladder [<20 mL/cmH2O], and vesico–uretero–renal reflux [VUR]) was found in each patient, NDO (78.1%, 25/32) and DSD (68.8%, 22/32) were the two most frequent unfavorable VUDS findings. Following baseline VUDS, new LUT treatment options were established in 56.3% (18/32) of all patients. In addition, bladder-emptying methods were changed in 46.9% (15/32) of all patients, resulting in fewer patients relying on indwelling catheters. Our retrospective exploratory study revealed a high prevalence of NDO and DSD in patients with MCS/UWS, illustrating the importance of VUDS to adapt LUT management in this cohort accordingly.
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Nikolopoulos, Dionysios, Panagiotis Kossieris, Ioannis Tsoukalas, and Christos Makropoulos. "Stress-Testing Framework for Urban Water Systems: A Source to Tap Approach for Stochastic Resilience Assessment." Water 14, no. 2 (2022): 154. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/w14020154.
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Optimizing the design and operation of an Urban Water System (UWS) faces significant challenges over its lifespan to account for the uncertainties of important stressors that arise from population growth rates, climate change factors, or shifting demand patterns. The analysis of a UWS’s performance across interdependent subsystems benefits from a multi-model approach where different designs are tested against a variety of metrics and in different times scales for each subsystem. In this work, we present a stress-testing framework for UWSs that assesses the system’s resilience, i.e., the degree to which a UWS continues to perform under progressively increasing disturbance (deviation from normal operating conditions). The framework is underpinned by a modeling chain that covers the entire water cycle, in a source-to-tap manner, coupling a water resources management model, a hydraulic water distribution model, and a water demand generation model. An additional stochastic simulation module enables the representation and modeling of uncertainty throughout the water cycle. We demonstrate the framework by “stress-testing” a synthetic UWS case study with an ensemble of scenarios whose parameters are stochastically changing within the UWS simulation timeframe and quantify the uncertainty in the estimation of the system’s resilience.
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Abishek, J. R., and K. Vadivelan. "Ab. No. 101 A Conceptual Model of a Unified Wrist Sensor (UWS) for Non-Invasive Real-Time Preterm Infant Monitoring at NICU." Journal of Society of Indian Physiotherapists 8, no. 1 (2024): 72. http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/jsip.jsip_abstract_54.
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Introduction: This study introduces a groundbreaking conceptual model for a Unified Wrist Sensor (UWS) designed to revolutionize non-invasive real-time monitoring of preterm infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Current pain, sleep, and stress assessments in NICU settings are fraught with subjectivity and time constraints. The proposed UWS addresses these challenges by integrating multiple sensors into a single, non-restrictive wristband. Methods: The conceptual model employs a systematic approach, encompassing pre-processing, feature extraction, optimization, and learning models. Deep learning and machine learning techniques are harnessed to enhance accuracy in processing diverse physiological data. Standardization methods such as linear scaling, log scaling, or z-score are strategically applied to reduce variability, ensuring reliable outcomes across different individuals. Result: The discussion underscores the critical need for intelligent fusion structures that incorporate multiple sensor data and rich contextual information. The UWS aims to strike a balance between clinical utility and practicality, offering complementary, robust, and reliable multimodal sensor data. This approach provides a comprehensive understanding of pain, sleep, and stress patterns in preterm infants, paving the way for personalized treatment protocols. Conclusion: In conclusion, the proposed UWS emerges as a potential game-changer, appropriately reweighting data and enabling real-time monitoring of pain, stress, and sleep in NICU infants. The implications of this research are far-reaching, as the UWS can monitor physiological changes using multiple modalities, assess real-time patient outcomes, and dynamically adjust treatment protocols. Implication: This study contributes significantly to the field of neonatal care and introduces the prospect of seamlessly integrating advanced sensor technology into routine NICU practices.
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Jiang, Guiping, and Xueping Wu. "Slower maximal walking speed is associated with poorer global cognitive function among older adults residing in China." PeerJ 10 (July 26, 2022): e13809. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13809.
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Background Maintaining both walking speed and cognitive function is essential for active, healthy aging. This study investigated age-related differences in walking speed and global cognitive function with aging and the association between them among older adults residing in the developing country of China. Methods This cross-sectional study measured usual (UWS) and maximal walking speed (MWS) of participants for six meters. The Chinese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment was used to evaluate global cognition through in-person interviews. Analyses of variance were used to compare the differences in UWS, MWS, and global cognition between genders and age groups. Multiple linear regression models were used to determine the association between walking speed and global cognitive function. Results In total, 791 Chinese adults (252 men and 539 women) aged 60–89 years were included in this study. Markedly slowed UWS and worse global cognitive function scores were observed for both genders among adults ≥80 years of age. MWS slowed considerably in men ≥85 years of age and in women ≥80 years of age. There was a significant gender difference in MWS—with men walking faster than women—but not in UWS. Linear regression analysis adjusted for the confounding factors of gender, height, weight, years of education, and chronic disease indicated that MWS, but not UWS, was significantly associated with global cognitive function (β = 0.086, [0.177, 1.657], P = 0.015) such that slower maximal walking speed was associated with poorer cognitive performance. This association was statistically significant only for adults aged 75-79 years (β = 0.261 [0.647, 4.592], P = 0.010). Conclusion Walking speed was slower in the older age groups. Global cognitive function deteriorated markedly after 80 years of age. After controlling for confounding variables, slower MWS, but not UWS, was associated with poorer global cognitive function. MWS may serve as a potential indicator for earlier identification of poor cognition and motoric cognitive risk syndrome in an older Chinese population.
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Kapusta, Łukasz Jan, Marek Sutkowski, Rafał Rogóż, Mohamed Zommara, and Andrzej Teodorczyk. "Characteristics of Water and Urea–Water Solution Sprays." Catalysts 9, no. 9 (2019): 750. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/catal9090750.
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In spray studies related to selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems a common approach is to replace the urea–water solution (UWS) with pure water, even though there is very limited detailed information on the spray properties for these two liquids obtained under the same conditions using the same experimental equipment. Neither is it known how the possible differences in spray properties influence computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. In this study, besides the flow characteristics, we compare both global and local spray parameters measured for UWS and pure water in the same conditions. To our knowledge, this is the first study which examines the influence on the injection process of replacing UWS with water over such a wide range. Moreover, the influence of different spray properties on CFD simulations is also examined. The experimental studies showed differences in almost all considered spray parameters. Moreover, different spray behaviour was noticed in terms of primary break-up. One important finding is that water and UWS sprays do have a similar Sauter mean diameter, but at the same time the droplet size distribution is considerably different. The simulation results indicated noticeable differences in terms of wall film formation; nevertheless, the overall mixing performance was not significantly affected.
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Sinitsyn, Dmitry O., Alexandra G. Poydasheva, Ilya S. Bakulin, et al. "Detecting the Potential for Consciousness in Unresponsive Patients Using the Perturbational Complexity Index." Brain Sciences 10, no. 12 (2020): 917. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/brainsci10120917.
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The difficulties of behavioral evaluation of prolonged disorders of consciousness (DOC) motivate the development of brain-based diagnostic approaches. The perturbational complexity index (PCI), which measures the complexity of electroencephalographic (EEG) responses to transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), showed a remarkable sensitivity in detecting minimal signs of consciousness in previous studies. Here, we tested the reliability of PCI in an independently collected sample of 24 severely brain-injured patients, including 11 unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS), 12 minimally conscious state (MCS) patients, and 1 emergence from MCS patient. We found that the individual maximum PCI value across stimulation sites fell within the consciousness range (i.e., was higher than PCI*, which is an empirical cutoff previously validated on a benchmark population) in 11 MCS patients, yielding a sensitivity of 92% that surpassed qualitative evaluation of resting EEG. Most UWS patients (n = 7, 64%) showed a slow and stereotypical TMS-EEG response, associated with low-complexity PCI values (i.e., ≤PCI*). Four UWS patients (36%) provided high-complexity PCI values, which might suggest a covert capacity for consciousness. In conclusion, this study successfully replicated the performance of PCI in discriminating between UWS and MCS patients, further motivating the application of TMS-EEG in the workflow of DOC evaluation.
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Lu, Yuanxiang, Zeyi Jiang, Xinru Zhang, Jingsong Wang, and Xinxin Zhang. "Vertical Section Observation of the Solid Flow in a Blast Furnace with a Cutting Method." Metals 9, no. 2 (2019): 127. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/met9020127.
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The solid flow plays an important role in blast furnace (BF) ironmaking. In the paper, the descending behavior of solid flow in BFs was investigated by a cold experimental BF model and numerical simulation via the discrete element method (DEM). To eliminate the flat wall effect on the structure of solid flow in lab observations, a cutting method was developed to observe the vertical section of the solid flow by inserting a transparent plate into the experimental BF model. Both the experimental and numerical results indicated that plug flow is the main solid flow pattern in the upper and middle zones of BFs during burden descending. Meanwhile, a slight convergence flow and a deadman zone form at the lower part of the bosh. In addition, the boundary between the plug flow and convergence flow in BFs was determined by analyzing the velocity of the burden in vertical directions and the Wilcox–Swailes coefficient (Uws). The results indicated that the Uws can be defined as a critical value to determine the solid flow patterns. When Uws ≥ 0.65, the plug flow is dominant. When Uws < 0.65, the convergence flow is dominant. The findings may have important implications to understand the structure of the solid flow in BFs.
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Daia, Cristina, Cristian Scheau, Aura Spinu, et al. "Modulated Neuroprotection in Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome after Severe Traumatic Brain Injury." Brain Sciences 11, no. 8 (2021): 1044. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11081044.
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Background: We aimed to assess the effects of modulated neuroprotection with intermittent administration in patients with unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods: Retrospective analysis of 60 patients divided into two groups, with and without neuroprotective treatment with Actovegin, Cerebrolysin, pyritinol, L-phosphothreonine, L-glutamine, hydroxocobalamin, alpha-lipoic acid, carotene, DL-α-tocopherol, ascorbic acid, thiamine, pyridoxine, cyanocobalamin, Q 10 coenzyme, and L-carnitine alongside standard treatment. Main outcome measures: Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) after TBI, Extended Glasgow Coma Scale (GOS E), Disability Rankin Scale (DRS), Functional Independence Measurement (FIM), and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA), all assessed at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after TBI. Results: Patients receiving neuroprotective treatment recovered more rapidly from UWS than controls (p = 0.007) passing through a state of minimal consciousness and gradually progressing until the final evaluation (p = 0.000), towards a high cognitive level MOCA = 22 ± 6 points, upper moderate disability GOS-E = 6 ± 1, DRS = 6 ± 4, and an assisted gait, FIM =101 ± 25. The improvement in cognitive and physical functioning was strongly correlated with lower UWS duration (−0.8532) and higher GCS score (0.9803). Conclusion: Modulated long-term neuroprotection may be the therapeutic key for patients to overcome UWS after severe TBI.
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Hakiki, Bahia, Francesca Cecchi, Silvia Pancani, et al. "Critical Illness Polyneuropathy and Myopathy and Clinical Detection of the Recovery of Consciousness in Severe Acquired Brain Injury Patients with Disorders of Consciousness after Rehabilitation." Diagnostics 12, no. 2 (2022): 516. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics12020516.
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Background: Disorders of consciousness (DoCs) include unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) and minimally conscious state (MCS). Critical illness polyneuropathy and myopathy (CIPNM) is frequent in severe acquired brain injuries and impacts functional outcomes at discharge from the intensive rehabilitation unit (IRU). We investigated the prevalence of CIPNM in DoCs and its relationship with the consciousness assessment. Methods: Patients with DoCs were retrospectively selected from the database including patients admitted to the IRU of the IRCCS Don Gnocchi Foundation, Florence, from August 2012 to May 2020. Electroneurography/electromyography was performed at admission. Consciousness was assessed using the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R) at admission and discharge. Patients transitioning from a lower consciousness state to a higher one were classified as improved responsiveness (IR). Results: A total of 177 patients were included (UWS: 81 (45.8%); MCS: 96 (54.2%); 78 (44.1%) women; 67 years (IQR: 20). At admission, 108 (61.0%) patients had CIPNM. At discharge, 117 (66.1%) patients presented an IR. In the multivariate analysis, CRS-R at admission (p = 0.006; OR: 1.462) and CIPNM (p = 0.039; OR: −1.252) remained significantly associated with IR only for the UWS patients. Conclusions: CIPNM is frequent in DoCs and needs to be considered during the clinical consciousness assessment, especially in patients with UWS.
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Nekrasova, Julia, Mikhail Kanarskii, Ilya Borisov, et al. "One-Year Demographical and Clinical Indices of Patients with Chronic Disorders of Consciousness." Brain Sciences 11, no. 5 (2021): 651. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11050651.
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This work aims to evaluate the prognostic value of the demographical and clinical data on long-term outcomes (up to 12 months) in patients with severe acquired brain injury with vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (VS/UWS/UWS) or a minimally conscious state (MCS). Patients (n = 211) with VS/UWS/UWS (n = 123) and MCS (n = 88) were admitted to the Federal Research and Clinical Center of Intensive Care Medicine and Rehabilitology after anoxic brain injury (n = 53), vascular lesions (n = 59), traumatic brain injury (n = 93), and other causes (n = 6). At the beginning of the 12-month study, younger age and a higher score by the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R) predicted a survival. However, no reliable markers of significant positive dynamics of consciousness were found. Based on the etiology, anoxic brain injury has the most unfavorable prognosis. For patients with vascular lesions, the first three months after injury have the most important prognostic value. No correlations were found between survival, increased consciousness, and gender. The demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with chronic DOC can be used to predict long-term mortality in patients with chronic disorders of consciousness. Further research should be devoted to finding reliable predictors of recovery of consciousness.
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Loureiro, Dália, Catarina Silva, Maria Adriana Cardoso, Aisha Mamade, Helena Alegre, and Maria João Rosa. "The Development of a Framework for Assessing the Energy Efficiency in Urban Water Systems and Its Demonstration in the Portuguese Water Sector." Water 12, no. 1 (2020): 134. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/w12010134.
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Urban water systems (UWSs) are energy-intensive worldwide, particularly for drinking-water pumping and aeration in wastewater treatment. Usual approaches to improve energy efficiency focus only on equipment and disregard the UWS as a continuum of stages from source-to-tap-to-source (abstraction/transport—treatment—drinking water transport/distribution—wastewater and stormwater collection/transport—treatment—discharge/reuse). We propose a framework for a comprehensive assessment of UWS energy efficiency and a four-level approach to enforce it: overall UWS (level 1), stage (level 2), infrastructure component (level 3) and processes/equipment (level 4). The framework is structured by efficiency and effectiveness criteria (an efficient but ineffective infrastructure is useless), earlier and newly developed performance indicators and reference values. The framework and the approach are the basis for a sound diagnosis and intervention prioritising, and are being tested in a peer-to-peer innovation project involving 13 water utilities (representing 17% of the energy consumption by the Portuguese water sector in 2017). Results of levels 1–3 of analysis herein illustrated for a water utility demonstrate the framework and approach potential to assess UWS effectiveness and energy efficiency, and to select the stages and infrastructures for improvement and deeper diagnosis.
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Naro, Antonino, Loris Pignolo, Lucia Francesca Lucca, and Rocco Salvatore Calabrò. "An action-observation/motor-imagery based approach to differentiate disorders of consciousness: what is beneath the tip of the iceberg?" Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience 39, no. 3 (2021): 181–97. http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/rnn-201130.
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Background: The evaluation of motor imagery in persons with prolonged Disorders of Consciousness (pDOC) is a practical approach to differentiate between patients with Minimally Conscious State (MCS) and Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome (UWS) and to identify residual awareness even in individuals with UWS. Investigating the influence of motor observation on motor imagery could be helpful in this regard. Objective: In order to corroborate the clinical diagnosis and identify misdiagnosed individuals, we used EEG recordings, to assess the influence of the low-level perceptual and motoric mechanisms on motor observation on motor imagery, taking into account the role of the high-level cognitive mechanisms in patients with pDOC. Methods: We assessed the influence of motor observation of walking in first-person or third-person view (by a video provision) on motor imagery of walking in the first-person view on the visual N190 (expression of motor observation processing), the readiness potential (RP) (expressing motor preparation), and the P3 component (high-level cognitive processes) in a sample of 10 persons with MCS, 10 with UWS, and 10 healthy controls (CG). Specifically, the video showed a first-view or third-view walk down the street while the participants were asked to imagine a first-view walking down the street. Results: CG showed greater N190 response (low-level sensorimotor processing) in the non-matching than in the matching condition. Conversely, the P3 and RP responses (high-level sensorimotor processing) were greater in the matching than in the non-matching condition. Remarkably, 6 out of 10 patients with MCS showed the preservation of both high- and low-level sensorimotor processing. One UWS patient showed responses similar to those six patients, suggesting a preservation of cognitively-mediated sensorimotor processing despite a detrimental motor preparation process. The remaining patients with MCS did not show diversified EEG responses, suggesting limited cognitive functioning. Conclusions: Our study suggests that identifying the low-level visual and high-level motor preparation processes in response to a simple influence of motor observation of motor imagery tasks potentially supports the clinical differential diagnosis of with MCS and UWS. This might help identify UWS patients which were misdiagnosed and who deserve more sophisticated diagnoses.
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Calabrò, Rocco Salvatore, Loris Pignolo, Claudia Müller-Eising, and Antonino Naro. "Pain Perception in Disorder of Consciousness: A Scoping Review on Current Knowledge, Clinical Applications, and Future Perspective." Brain Sciences 11, no. 5 (2021): 665. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11050665.
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Pain perception in individuals with prolonged disorders of consciousness (PDOC) is still a matter of debate. Advanced neuroimaging studies suggest some cortical activations even in patients with unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) compared to those with a minimally conscious state (MCS). Therefore, pain perception has to be considered even in individuals with UWS. However, advanced neuroimaging assessment can be challenging to conduct, and its findings are sometimes difficult to be interpreted. Conversely, multichannel electroencephalography (EEG) and laser-evoked potentials (LEPs) can be carried out quickly and are more adaptable to the clinical needs. In this scoping review, we dealt with the neurophysiological basis underpinning pain in PDOC, pointing out how pain perception assessment in these individuals might help in reducing the misdiagnosis rate. The available literature data suggest that patients with UWS show a more severe functional connectivity breakdown among the pain-related brain areas compared to individuals in MCS, pointing out that pain perception increases with the level of consciousness. However, there are noteworthy exceptions, because some UWS patients show pain-related cortical activations that partially overlap those observed in MCS individuals. This suggests that some patients with UWS may have residual brain functional connectivity supporting the somatosensory, affective, and cognitive aspects of pain processing (i.e., a conscious experience of the unpleasantness of pain), rather than only being able to show autonomic responses to potentially harmful stimuli. Therefore, the significance of the neurophysiological approach to pain perception in PDOC seems to be clear, and despite some methodological caveats (including intensity of stimulation, multimodal paradigms, and active vs. passive stimulation protocols), remain to be solved. To summarize, an accurate clinical and neurophysiological assessment should always be performed for a better understanding of pain perception neurophysiological underpinnings, a more precise differential diagnosis at the level of individual cases as well as group comparisons, and patient-tailored management.
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Li, Jingcong, Biao Huang, Fei Wang, et al. "A Potential Prognosis Indicator Based on P300 Brain–Computer Interface for Patients with Disorder of Consciousness." Brain Sciences 12, no. 11 (2022): 1556. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12111556.
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For patients with disorders of consciousness, such as unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) patients and minimally conscious state (MCS) patients, their long treatment cycle and high cost commonly put a heavy burden on the patient’s family and society. Therefore, it is vital to accurately diagnose and predict consciousness recovery for such patients. In this paper, we explored the role of the P300 signal based on an audiovisual BCI in the classification and prognosis prediction of patients with disorders of consciousness. This experiment included 18 patients: 10 UWS patients and 8 MCS- patients. At the three-month follow-up, we defined patients with an improved prognosis (from UWS to MCS-, from UWS to MCS+, or from MCS- to MCS+) as “improved patients” and those who stayed in UWS/MCS as “not improved patients”. First, we compared and analyzed different types of patients, and the results showed that the P300 detection accuracy rate of “improved” patients was significantly higher than that of “not improved” patients. Furthermore, the P300 detection accuracy of traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients was significantly higher than that of non-traumatic brain injury (NTBI, including acquired brain injury and cerebrovascular disease) patients. We also found that there was a positive linear correlation between P300 detection accuracy and CRS-R score, and patients with higher P300 detection accuracy were likely to achieve higher CRS-R scores. In addition, we found that the patients with higher P300 detection accuracies tend to have better prognosis in this audiovisual BCI. These findings indicate that the detection accuracy of P300 is significantly correlated with the level of consciousness, etiology, and prognosis of patients. P300 can be used to represent the preservation level of consciousness in clinical neurophysiology and predict the possibility of recovery in patients with disorders of consciousness.
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Baric, Ivona, Antonija Tadin, and Ana Glavina. "Usefulness of Unstimulated and Stimulated Whole Saliva, Accuracy of Minor Labial Salivary Gland Biopsy in the Diagnosis of Primary Sjögren's Disease: A Croatian Single-Center, Cross-Sectional Study." Galician Medical Journal 30, no. 3 (2023): E202334. http://dx.doi.org/10.21802/gmj.2023.3.4.
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The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the accuracy of minor labial salivary gland (MLSG) biopsy in the diagnosis of primary Sjögren' s disease (pSD); to study the correlation between the focus score (FS) and anti-SSA/Ro, anti-SSB/La, anti-SSA and -SSB antibodies, unstimulated whole saliva (UWS) and stimulated whole saliva (SWS); to determine the role of UWS and SWS in the clinical evaluation of pSD patients and patients with sicca symptoms.
 Methods. A total of 37 subjects were enrolled in the study and divided into two groups: the test group consisted of 15 patients diagnosed with pSD; the control group consisted of 22 patients who had sicca symptoms but did not meet the 2016 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) diagnostic criteria. Clinical and laboratory tests, including saliva collection, MLSG biopsy, autoantibody titers, were performed in all patients.
 Results. The median of the FS was 1.00 [IQR=1.00-1.50] in the test group, whereas in the control group, it was 0.00 [IQR=0.00-0.00] (p< 0.001). The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of MLSG biopsy were 86.7%, 100.0%, and 94.6%, respectively. The results showed a correlation between the FS and antinuclear antibodies (ANA) (p=0.002). In addition, Pearson’s correlation showed a weak negative correlation between UWS (r=-0.058, p=0.73) and SWS (r=-0.022, p=0.90) and the FS. In the test group, 73.3% of patients had abnormal UWS values, while 86.7% had abnormal SWS values; among them, values of 0.00 ml/min for UWS and SWS were found in 60.0% and 26.7% of patients, respectively.
 Conclusions. Although MLSG biopsy has great diagnostic value and accuracy in diagnosing pSD, it is not always definitive. Our study found a statistically significant association between the FS and ANA, and the greater utility of SWS in diagnosing pSS.
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van Leeuwen, S. J. M., G. B. Proctor, A. M. G. A. Laheij, et al. "Significant salivary changes in relation to oral mucositis following autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation." Bone Marrow Transplantation 56, no. 6 (2021): 1381–90. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41409-020-01185-7.
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AbstractThe aim of this multicentre, longitudinal study was to determine salivary changes in relation to oral mucositis (OM) in multiple myeloma patients following high-dose melphalan and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Unstimulated and stimulated whole-mouth saliva samples (UWS and SWS) were collected before ASCT, 1×/wk during the hospitalisation phase, and 3 and 12 months post-ASCT. During the hospitalisation period OM was scored 3×/wk (WHO system). Flow rate, pH, total protein concentration (Nanodrop), albumin, lactoferrin, neutrophil defensin-1 (HNP1), total IgA and S100A8/A9 (ELISA) were determined. Mixed models were used to evaluate differences between ulcerative (u)OM (≥2 WHO, n = 20) and non-uOM (n = 31) groups. Until 18 days after ASCT, flow rate, pH, total IgA and HNP1 levels decreased in UWS and/or SWS, while log lactoferrin levels were significantly increased (UWS: p = 0.016 95% CI [0.36, 3.58], SWS: p < 0.001 95% CI [1.14, 3.29]). Twelve months post-ASCT, salivary protein levels were similar to baseline except for log total IgA, which was higher (UWS: p < 0.001 95% CI [0.49, 1.29], SWS: p < 0.001 95% CI [0.72, 1.45]). No differences between uOM and non-uOM groups were observed. Changes in salivary proteins indicated an inflammatory reaction in salivary glands coinciding with mucosal and systemic reactions in response to high-dose melphalan.
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Häck, M., and J. Wiese. "Trends in instrumentation, control and automation and the consequences on urban water systems." Water Science and Technology 54, no. 11-12 (2006): 265–72. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wst.2006.797.
Full textAbstract:
In recent years more and more on-line sensors have been used on different structures of urban water systems (UWS, i.e. wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), waterworks (WW), sewer systems). This development is influenced and driven by numerous trends, which will be discussed in this paper. For a better understanding, the discussion is illustrated with a factual example. The new possibilities of on-line measurement and automation technologies will also change the way as UWS will be planned, built and operated.
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Morley, M. S., D. Vitorino, K. Behzadian, et al. "Decision support system for the long-term city metabolism planning problem." Water Supply 16, no. 2 (2015): 542–50. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/ws.2015.167.
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A decision support system (DSS) tool for the assessment of intervention strategies (Alternatives) in an urban water system (UWS) with an integral simulation model called ‘WaterMet2’ is presented. The DSS permits the user to identify one or more optimal Alternatives over a fixed long-term planning horizon using performance metrics mapped to the TRUST sustainability criteria. The DSS exposes lists of in-built intervention options and system performance metrics for the user to compose new Alternatives. The quantitative metrics are calculated by the WaterMet2 model, and further qualitative or user-defined metrics may be specified by the user or by external tools feeding into the DSS. A multi-criteria decision analysis approach is employed within the DSS to compare the defined Alternatives and to rank them with respect to a pre-specified weighting scheme for different Scenarios. Two rich, interactive graphical user interfaces, one desktop and one web-based, are employed to assist with guiding the end user through the stages of defining the problem, evaluating and ranking Alternatives. This mechanism provides a useful tool for decision makers to compare different strategies for the planning of UWS with respect to multiple Scenarios. The efficacy of the DSS is demonstrated on a northern European case study inspired by a real-life UWS for a mixture of quantitative and qualitative criteria. The results demonstrate how the DSS, integrated with an UWS modelling approach, can be used to assist planners in meeting their long-term, strategic-level sustainability objectives.
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Alamer, A., and B. Soh. "Design and Implementation of a Statistical Testing Framework for a Lightweight Stream Cipher." Engineering, Technology & Applied Science Research 10, no. 1 (2020): 5132–41. http://dx.doi.org/10.48084/etasr.3250.
Full textAbstract:
The Shrinking Generator (SG) is a popular synchronous, lightweight stream cipher that uses minimal computing power. However, its strengths and weaknesses have not been studied in detail. This paper proposes a statistical testing framework to assess attacks on the SG. The framework consists of a d-monomial test that is adapted to SG by applying the algebraic normal form (ANF) representation of Boolean functions, a test that uses the maximal degree monomial test to determine whether the ANF follows the proper mixing of bit values, and a proposed unique window size (UWS) scheme to test the randomness properties of the keystream. The proposed framework shows significant weaknesses in the SG output in terms of dependence between the controlling linear-feedback shift register (LFSR) and non-linearity of the resulting keystream. The maximal degree monomial test provides a better understanding of the optimal points of SG, demonstrating when it is at its best and worst according to the first couple of results. This paper uses UWS to illustrate the effect of the LFSR choice on possibly distinguishing attacks on the SG. The results confirm that the proposed UWS scheme is a viable measure of the cryptographic strength of a stream cipher. Due to the importance of predictability and effective tools, we used neural network models to simulate the input data for the pseudo-random binary sequences. Through the calculation of UWS, we obtained solid results for the predictions.
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Singh, Mandeep, Dolapo T. Odeniyi, Eugene O. Apostolov, et al. "Protective effect of zinc-N-acetylcysteine on the rat kidney during cold storage." American Journal of Physiology-Renal Physiology 305, no. 7 (2013): F1022—F1030. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/ajprenal.00532.2012.
Full textAbstract:
Cold storage of kidneys before transplantation is problematic because of the limited survival time of the allografts. In this study, zinc- N-acetylcysteine (ZnNAC) was shown to be a potent endonuclease inhibitor and antioxidant, and it was tested as a potential additive to a cold storage solution for kidney preservation. Exposure of normal rat kidney NRK-52E cells to ZnNAC resulted in zinc delivery to the cells as determined by TFL-Zn fluorophore and partial protection of the cells against injury by cold storage in University of Wisconsin solution (UWS) as measured by propidium iodide assay. Ex vivo, rat kidneys demonstrated time- and temperature-dependent DNA fragmentation as assessed by TUNEL assay, indicating irreversible cell death. DNA fragmentation was faster in the medulla than in the cortex, and tubules were affected more than glomeruli. Perfusion of rat kidneys with cold ZnNAC solution in UWS significantly inhibited cell death both in the cortex and medulla at concentrations of 0.3–30 mM compared with UWS alone, with a maximum effect at 1–10 mM ZnNAC. Cold storage of the kidney significantly increased quantities of cleaved caspase-3 and endonuclease G (EndoG) in the tissue, which were abolished by 10 mM ZnNAC, indicating its ability to suppress both caspase-dependent and -independent cell death. Therefore, supplementation of UWS with ZnNAC can decrease DNA fragmentation and protect kidney allografts from cell death due to cold storage.
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Formaggio, Emanuela, Alessandra Del Felice, Marianna Cavinato, et al. "EEG to Identify Attempted Movement in Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome." Clinical EEG and Neuroscience 51, no. 5 (2020): 339–47. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1550059420911525.
Full textAbstract:
Assessment of consciousness following severe brain-injury is challenging. Our hypothesis is that electroencephalography (EEG) can provide information on awareness, in terms of oscillatory activity and network task–related modifications, in people with disorders of consciousness. Similar results were obtained with neuroimaging techniques; we aim at demonstrating the use of EEG, which is low cost and routinely implemented, to the same goal. Nineteen-channel EEG was recorded in 7 persons with unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) and in 10 healthy subjects during the execution of active (attempted movement) and passive motor tasks as well as 2 mental imagery tasks. Event-related synchronization/desynchronization (ERS/ERD), coherence and network parameters were calculated in delta (1-4 Hz), theta (4-8 Hz), alpha1 (8-10 Hz), alpha2 (10-12 Hz), and beta (13-30 Hz) ranges. In UWS subjects, passive movement induced a weak alpha2 ERD over contralateral sensorimotor area. During motor imagery, ERD was detected over the frontal and motor contralateral brain areas; during spatial imagery, ERS in lower alpha band over the right temporo-parietal regions was missing. In UWS, functional connectivity provided evidence of network disruption and isolation of the motor areas, which cannot dialog with adjacent network nodes, likely suggesting a diffuse structural alteration. Our findings suggest that people with a clinical diagnosis of UWS were able to modulate their brain activity when prompted to perform movement tasks and thus suggest EEG as a potential tool to support diagnosis of disorders of consciousness.
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Alamer, A., and B. Soh. "Design and Implementation of a Statistical Testing Framework for a Lightweight Stream Cipher." Engineering, Technology & Applied Science Research 10, no. 1 (2020): 5132–41. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3659505.
Full textAbstract:
The Shrinking Generator (SG) is a popular synchronous, lightweight stream cipher that uses minimal computing power. However, its strengths and weaknesses have not been studied in detail. This paper proposes a statistical testing framework to assess attacks on the SG. The framework consists of a d-monomial test that is adapted to SG by applying the algebraic normal form (ANF) representation of Boolean functions, a test that uses the maximal degree monomial test to determine whether the ANF follows the proper mixing of bit values, and a proposed unique window size (UWS) scheme to test the randomness properties of the keystream. The proposed framework shows significant weaknesses in the SG output in terms of dependence between the controlling linear-feedback shift register (LFSR) and non-linearity of the resulting keystream. The maximal degree monomial test provides a better understanding of the optimal points of SG, demonstrating when it is at its best and worst according to the first couple of results. This paper uses UWS to illustrate the effect of the LFSR choice on possibly distinguishing attacks on the SG. The results confirm that the proposed UWS scheme is a viable measure of the cryptographic strength of a stream cipher. Due to the importance of predictability and effective tools, we used neural network models to simulate the input data for the pseudo-random binary sequences. Through the calculation of UWS, we obtained solid results for the predictions.
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Pedersen, Agnethe N., Morten Borup, Annette Brink-Kjær, Lasse E. Christiansen, and Peter S. Mikkelsen. "Living and Prototyping Digital Twins for Urban Water Systems: Towards Multi-Purpose Value Creation Using Models and Sensors." Water 13, no. 5 (2021): 592. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/w13050592.
Full textAbstract:
In this paper, we review the emerging concept of digital twins (DTs) for urban water systems (UWS) based on the literature, stakeholder interviews and analyzing the current DT implementation process in the utility company VCS Denmark (VCS). Here, DTs for UWS are placed in the context of DTs at the component, unit process/operation or hydraulic structure, treatment plant, system, city, and societal levels. A UWS DT is characterized as a systematic virtual representation of the elements and dynamics of the physical system, organized in a star-structure with a set of features connected by data links that are based on standards for open data. This allows the overall functionality to be broken down into smaller, tangible units (features), enabling microservices that communicate via data links to emerge (the most central feature), facilitated by application programing interfaces (APIs). Coupled to the physical system, simulation models and advanced analytics are among the most important features. We propose distinguishing between living and prototyping DTs, where the term “living” refers to coupling observations from an ever-changing physical twin (which may change with, e.g., urban growth) with a simulation model, through a data link connecting the two. A living DT is thus a near real-time representation of an UWS and can be used for operational and control purposes. A prototyping DT represents a scenario for the system without direct coupling to real-time observations, which can be used for design or planning. By acknowledging that different DTs exist, it is possible to identify the value-creation from DTs achieved by different end-users inside and outside a utility organization. Analyzing the DT workflow in VCS shows that a DT must be multifunctional, updateable, and adjustable to support potential value creation across the utility company. This study helps clarify key DT terminology for UWS and identifies steps to create a DT by building upon digital ecosystems (DEs) and open standards for data.
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Naro, Antonino, and Rocco Salvatore Calabrò. "Towards New Diagnostic Approaches in Disorders of Consciousness: A Proof of Concept Study on the Promising Use of Imagery Visuomotor Task." Brain Sciences 10, no. 10 (2020): 746. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/brainsci10100746.
Full textAbstract:
Background: advanced paraclinical approaches using functional neuroimaging and electroencephalography (EEG) allow identifying patients who are covertly aware despite being diagnosed as unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS). Bedside detection of covert awareness employing motor imagery tasks (MI), which is a universally accepted clinical indicator of awareness in the absence of overt behavior, may miss some of these patients, as they could still have a certain level of awareness. We aimed at assessing covert awareness in patients with UWS using a visuomotor-guided motor imagery task (VMI) during EEG recording. Methods: nine patients in a minimally conscious state (MCS), 11 patients in a UWS, and 15 healthy individuals (control group—CG) were provided with an VMI (imagine dancing while watching a group dance video to command), a simple-MI (imagine squeezing their right hand to command), and an advanced-MI (imagine dancing without watching a group dance video to command) to detect command-following. We analyzed the command-specific EEG responses (event-related synchronization/desynchronization—ERS/ERD) of each patient, assessing whether these responses were appropriate, consistent, and statistically similar to those elicited in the CG, as reliable markers of motor imagery. Results: All patients in MCS, all healthy individuals and one patient in UWS repeatedly and reliably generated appropriate EEG responses to distinct commands of motor imagery with a classification accuracy of 60–80%. Conclusions: VMI outperformed significantly MI tasks. Therefore, patients in UWS may be still misdiagnosed despite a rigorous clinical assessment and an appropriate MI assessment. It is thus possible to suggest that motor imagery tasks should be delivered to patients with chronic disorders of consciousness in visuomotor-aided modality (also in the rehabilitation setting) to greatly entrain patient’s participation. In this regard, the EEG approach we described has the clear advantage of being cheap, portable, widely available, and objective. It may be thus considered as, at least, a screening tool to identify the patients who deserve further, advanced paraclinical approaches.
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Oosting, S. J., H. A. Boekholt, M. J. N. Los, and C. P. Leffering. "Intake and utilization of energy from ammonia-treated and untreated wheat straw by steers and wether sheep given a basal diet of grass pellets and hay." Animal Science 57, no. 2 (1993): 227–36. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0003356100006838.
Full textAbstract:
AbstractTwo experiments, experiment 1 with six steers in a 3 × 3 Latin-square design and experiment 2 with four wether sheep in a cross-over design, were conducted to study the effect of species and ammonia treatment on intake and utilization of the energy of untreated wheat straw. Treatments were: (1) untreated wheat straw offered ad libitum on top of a basal diet (B) consisting of hay (0·25) and grass pellets (0·75) (UWS), (2) ammoniated wheat straw offered ad libitum plus B (AWS) and (3) ammoniated wheat straw offered at a restricted level plus B (AWS-). B was offered as a maintenance diet for both species and AWS- was only studied in steers. Voluntary intake of AWS zvas higher than that of UWS. No significant differences emerged between whole rations UWS and AWS with regard to energy digestion (ED), energy metabolizability (ρ = metabolizable energy (ME) I gross energy (GE)) and losses of digestible energy (DE) in urine and methane (average 187 J/KJ DE), but the efficiency of utilization of ME for growth (kg) was significantly higher for AWS than for UWS. ED and ρ of the straw part of the ration was significantly higher for AWS than for UWS. AWS- and AWS did not differ significantly with regard to ED, ρ and DE losses in methane and urine. Steers had a higher intake per kg0·75 per day than wether sheep. Across species, digestible energy intake (DEI) of the whole ad libitum fed diets was related to live weight (M)0·946 (s.e. of exponent 0·0152). ED and ρ of the straw part of the rations did not differ significantly between species, but steers had a significantly higher ED and ρ of β than wether sheep. Steers excreted a significantly lower proportion of DE in urine and a significantly higher proportion of DE in methane than did wethers. Total energy losses in urine and methane, however, did not differ between species.
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Nagaraj, Nayak S., N. Kapilan, and Prabhu S. Sadashiva. "Modeling of Urea-Water Solution Injection Spray in SCR System." Applied Mechanics and Materials 232 (November 2012): 583–87. http://dx.doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.232.583.
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To control the emissions from the diesel engines of modern automobiles, it requires the development of adequate and advanced exhaust gas aftertreatment devices. Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) is a method that can be used in mobile diesel engine aftertreatment systems to reduce harmful NOx emissions. Due to the toxicity and handling problems of ammonia, currently injection of a liquid Urea-Water Solution (UWS) into the exhaust stream approach is used. The water evaporates and the urea undergoes thermal decomposition producing ammonia that reacts with the NOx in the exhaust gas inside a SCR catalyst to produce nitrogen and water vapor. This work presents the study of UWS injection spray using commercial available CFD code, Fire v8.3. The evaporation of water from a single droplet of UWS is investigated theoretically and droplets are treated with Lagrangian particle tracking. Simulation study at different exhaust gas temperatures and injector locations is carried out and compared with experimental values. Thus, the present study results predict the local distribution and the conversion of the reducing agent.
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Prat, Pau, Lorenzo Benedetti, Lluís Corominas, Joaquim Comas, and Manel Poch. "Model-based knowledge acquisition in environmental decision support system for wastewater integrated management." Water Science and Technology 65, no. 6 (2012): 1123–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wst.2012.759.
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The main goal of the Water Framework Directive is to achieve good chemical and ecological status of water bodies by 2015. The implementation of integrated river basin management, including sewer systems, wastewater treatment plants and receiving water bodies, is essential to accomplishing this objective. Integrated management is complex and therefore the implementation of control systems and the development of decision support systems are needed to facilitate the work of urban wastewater system (UWS) managers. Within this context, the objective of this paper is to apply integrated modelling of an UWS to simulate and analyse the behaviour of the ‘Congost’ UWS in Spain, and to optimize its performance against different types of perturbations. This analysis results in optimal operating set-points for each perturbation, improves river water quality, minimizes combined sewer overflows and optimizes flow lamination from storm water tanks. This is achieved by running Monte Carlo simulations and applying global sensitivity analysis. The set-points will become part of the knowledge base composed of a set of IF-THEN rules of the environmental decision support system being developed for this case study.