Advantage In Regards Research Articles

Optimal Deployment of Wireless Charging Infrastructure for Electric Tram with Dual Operation Policy

The wireless charging electric tram system is presently receiving attention as an eco-friendly means of transportation. The conventional electric tram system has a similar advantage in regards to environmental pollution, but it has several problems that are caused by the overhead power supply line. The battery-type electric tram system should be considered carefully, because the battery itself is an environmentally harmful material. Therefore, the wireless charging electric tram system is regarded as an alternative means of transportation. The adequate battery capacity and the location of the wireless charging infrastructure are investigated in this study, which consider the dual operation policy, and the objective is to minimize the total investment cost. The variation of the battery capacity and the location of the wireless charging infrastructure are examined that compare Case 1, which involves the electric trams operating only in normal operations, and Case 2, which includes the electric trams operating in normal and express operations.

FSI ANALYSIS WITH CONTINUOUS FLUID FLOW USING FEM AND SPH METHODS IN LS-DYNA

The purpose of this research was to investigate the prospect of continuous flow modelling in LS-DYNA using SPH-FEM coupling. The both methods (SPH and FEM) are based on the continuum mechanics, however, SPH implementation uses Lagrangian material framework, while FEM uses an Eulerian formulation for the fluid analysis, and Lagrangian formulation for the solid analysis. The Lagrangian framework of the SPH means that we need to generate particles at one end, and to destroy them on the other, in order to generate a continuous fluid flow. The simplest way to do this is by using activation and deactivation planes, which is a solution implemented in the commercial LS- DYNA solver. Modelling of continuous fluid flow is practical in mechanical (naval) engineering for hydrofoil analysis and in bioengineering for blood vessel simulations. Results show that velocity fields obtained by SPH-FEM coupling are similar to velocity fields obtained by FEM. FEM only solution has a clear advantage in regards to execution time, however, SPH-FEM coupling offers greater insight into fluid structure interaction, that justifies the extra computational cost.

Elevated Fibrinogen, von Willebrand Factor, and Factor VIII Confer Resistance to Dilutional Coagulopathy and Activated Protein C in Normal Pregnant Women

(Br J Anaesth. 2019;122(6):751–759) Gestational alterations to coagulation factor concentrations include elevated levels of factor (F) VII, FVIII, and von Willebrand factor (vWF) in comparison to the blood of nonpregnant (NP) reference patients. These elevated factors serve as an advantage in regards to prevention of postpartum hemorrhage. Standard treatment of obstetrical hemorrhage includes fluid replacement, transfusion, vasoactive therapy, and surgical intervention. This treatment can lead to hemodilution after hemorrhage, and consequently progressive coagulopathy, but unfortunately optimal hemostatic intervention(s) and coagulation monitoring are not yet standardized.

Optimized composite piezoelectric energy harvesting floor tile for smart home energy management

One factor in the energy management of smart home is based upon the location of the home occupants. This location information then can be used to control various electrical and electronic devices and appliances. A floor tile is presented which can be used at different locations in the home and can generate enough energy to wirelessly transmit the information to electrical appliance when a person steps on it. In this work, a novel piezoelectric material system of 0.72Pb(Zr0.47Ti0.53)O3-0.28Pb[(Zn0.45Ni0.55)1/3Nb2/3]O3 + x mol% CuO (PZNxC) was designed, and the energy harvesting characteristics were tailored through composition driven phase boundary evolution. The rhombohedral-tetragonal phase boundary is the best performance area in terms of energy harvesting, which exhibits an obvious advantage in regards to stable energy harvesting. When a person steps on the floor tile, the peak output voltage and current of 42 V and 11 μA, was generated. This energy is then utilized to power a wireless sensor node which can control the power on and off function of home appliances in a real-time.

Polyethylene Glycol-3350 (Miralax®)+1.9-L sports drink (Gatorade®)+2 tablets of bisacodyl results in inferior bowel preparation for colonoscopy compared with Polyethylene Glycol-Ascorbic Acid (MoviPrep®).

Polyethylene glycol (PEG)-3350, approved by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) only for constipation, combined with 1.9 L of sports drink (SD) (GatoradeR) and bisacodyl (B) is commonly used in outpatient practice for bowel preparation due to cited patient satisfaction and tolerability of this specific regimen. We aim to compare PEG-3350 (MiralaxR) with PEG-AA-based (MoviPrepR) in terms of efficacy, patient satisfaction, and the effects of these two regimen on serum electrolytes. This study is a prospective, single-blinded, block randomized trial comparing single-dose PEG-3350+SD+B to split-dose 2-L PEG-AA in the outpatient endoscopy unit in patients undergoing colonoscopy. Basic metabolic profiles were checked on the day of randomization and on the day of procedure. Patients completed a survey on the day of procedure. Bowel preparation quality was assessed using the Boston Bowel Preparation Scale (BBPS) by two endoscopists and a nurse present during the procedure. We randomized 150 patients (74 PEG-3350+SD+B and 76 PEG-AA). The PEG-AA group had significantly higher BBPS scores in the right colon by Endoscopist 1, Nurse, and Endoscopist 2 (p 0.005, <0.000, 0.001) and in the left and transverse colon by Nurse and Endoscopist 2 (p 0.004, 0.26, 0.000, 0.006). There was no statistically significant difference in patient satisfaction or change in serum electrolytes between the two groups. Use of single-dose PEG-3350+SD+B results in inferior bowel preparation for colonoscopy compared with split-dose PEGAA and does not provide any advantage in regards to patient satisfaction. We therefore recommend discontinuing the use of PEG 3350 for bowel preparation.

Improved immediate postoperative pain following laparoscopic inguinal herniorrhaphy using self-adhering mesh.

Several synthetic meshes are available to reinforce the inguinal region following laparoscopic hernia reduction. We sought to compare postoperative pain of patients who underwent laparoscopic inguinal herniorrhaphy using self-adhering polyester mesh to those who had non-adhering, synthetic mesh implanted using absorbable tacks. This study is a retrospective review of patients who underwent primary laparoscopic inguinal herniorrhaphy at the Medical College of Wisconsin between October 2012 and July 2014. Clinical information and perioperative pain scores using the visual analog scale (VAS) were obtained to evaluate immediate pre and postoperative pain. A total of 98 patients (88 male) underwent laparoscopic inguinal herniorrhaphy during the study interval. Forty-two patients received self-adhering mesh and 56 patients received mesh secured with tacks. Patient demographics and comorbidities did not differ significantly between the two groups. There was no difference in preoperative VAS scores between groups. The self-adhering mesh patients had a lower mean VAS change score (less pain). Postoperative complications did not differ between groups apart from a higher observed incidence of seroma in the self-adhering mesh group (p=0.04). No hernias recurred in either group during the study interval. Self-adhering mesh in laparoscopic inguinal herniorrhaphy resulted in less immediate postoperative pain than tacked mesh as demonstrated by VAS score. Postoperative complications were similar between the two groups. The results of this study demonstrate that laparoscopic inguinal herniorrhaphy using self-adhering mesh is comparable to tacked mesh in regards to short-term complication rates, but show a favorable advantage in regards to immediate postoperative pain.

Design of an ultra-compact slotted photonic crystal nanobeam cavity for biosensing

Here, we elucidate a novel biosensor in aqueous environments based on a slotted photonic crystal nanobeam cavity. A slot is introduced in the center of the photonic crystal nanobeam cavity, which reduces the mode volume by an order of 10 without sacrificing the quality factor and sensitivity. This sensor is characteristic of an ultra-small mode volume of 0.076(λ/n)3 and shows a prominent advantage in regards to single nanoparticle detection, where the minimum detectable nanoparticle radius is around 1 nm. Additionally, its quality factor is as high as 6.08×106 and its sensitivity is around 460 nm/RIU, which is promising for refractive index sensing. This sensor can also be integrated into a high-density array of sensor networks because of the unparalleled fabrication advantages.

Abstract 4310: Assessing PK parameters using dynamic contrast enhanced multispectral optoacoustic tomography (DCE-MSOT)

Abstract Pharmacokinetic imaging is a powerful platform for evaluating new candidate drugs and imaging agents, and multitude of applications have been demonstrated in DCE MRI. Interesting parameters such as Ktrans, half-life and Tmax can be retrieved for a tumor region after injection of a perfusion agent, allowing one to draw important conclusions on tumor growth, vascularization or therapy response. DCE MRI however is to a certain extent limited to magnetic agents and provides limited spatial and temporal resolution. Multispectral Optoacoustic Imaging (MSOT) is an emerging modality that combines ultrasound resolution of 150 µm and acquisition times of a few microseconds with optical contrast in the near infrared (NIR) spectral region. Multispectral imaging allows the localization of injected fluorophores without necessity of a baseline scan before injection, while a core imaging rate of 10 images/second allows the acquisition of a multispectral image within a second or even less. This enables fast image acquisition to support pharmacokinetic imaging, where the temporal profile of individual pixels is fit to a model equation and resulting parameters are plotted as parametric maps. Using targeted agents, binding specificity and its kinetics can be evaluated, while perfusion agents allow the assessment of perfusion and tissue uptake through Ktrans. One advantage in regards to DCE-MRI is the ability to extract the arterial input function from the data itself by monitoring a single cross-section with maximal temporal resolution. Another important feature is the use of intrinsic contrast that allows blood oxygenation quantification, enabling the co-registration of functional oxygenation measurements with DCE perfusion measurements. In particular, various algorithms can be applied in order to visualize blood oxygenation as a result from tissue intrinsic optoacoustic contrast without the injection of additional agents. These can be evaluated for pixel dependent temporal changes using the fast image acquisition techniques described above, which allows for tumor delineation and assessment of perfusion in a CO2 challenge experiment by visualizing the localized change in blood oxygenation. This can be cross-validated by the subsequent injection of a perfusion agent and evaluation of its transfer coefficient using DCE-MSOT techniques to paint a complete picture of the evaluated tumor microenvironment. The presented work uses the U87-MG glioblastoma and 4T1 tumors to illustrate the abilities of the technique in both subcutaneous and orthotopic settings. The extension of contrast-enhanced kinetic modeling to the optoacoustic imaging regime allows access to a library of optical probes that are otherwise unavailable to traditional DCE-MRI, while maintaining high spatial resolution and providing access to functional hemodynamic parameters. Citation Format: Stefan Morscher, Wouter HP Driessen, Neal C. Burton, Thomas Sardella, Daniel Razansky, Vasilis Ntziachristos. Assessing PK parameters using dynamic contrast enhanced multispectral optoacoustic tomography (DCE-MSOT). [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 4310. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-4310

Developments in an industry-led R&amp;D program for recycling PVC products in Japan

To facilitate recycling, not only R&D but also the creation of efficient recycling systems—collection and processing of recyclates as well as finding appropriate end-uses—is essentially important. PVC has a particular advantage in regards to mechanical recycling when compared to other major plastics. However, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to a solution. Specific situations of used or off-cut products and their applications need to be well studied. Vinyl industry in Japan has devoted itself for many years to the promotion of recycling of vinyl products. It started an R&D support program in 2007 and seven projects have been completed since then. Some of the new developments include mechanical recycling for products like wall covering and tarpaulin which were considered difficult to recycle in the past. Progress in chemical recycling has been made with a technology for the removal of chlorine from shredder dusts. Recovery of chlorine is a challenge for the future. Collaboration among the various players involved in the recycling of a specific product is essential for obtaining a successful result.

Adolescent varicocelectomy: does artery sparing influence recurrence rate and/or catch-up growth?

The prevalence of varicocoeles is 15% in the general adolescent and adult male population and in 35-40% of men evaluated for infertility. While varicocelectomy can be performed using various methods and techniques, the laparoscopic approach allows for clear visualization of the testicular artery and lymphatics. Amongst urologists, particularly paediatric urologists, and andrologists there is much debate regarding the significance of testicular artery sparing when performing a varicocelectomy, with some believing that ligating the testicular artery impairs catch-up growth and future fertility. On the other hand, several studies have reported higher failure rates with artery preservation. To help resolve the debate regarding the significance of artery sparing, we sought to compare varicocoele recurrence rate and catch-up growth in patients who underwent artery sparing laparoscopic varicocelectomy compared with those who had the artery sacrificed. We identified 524 laparoscopic varicocelectomies in 425 patients from our adolescent varicocoele database. Only patients who had ultrasound determined testicular volume measurements pre-operatively and at least 6 months post-operatively were included. Post-operative persistence/recurrence of varicocoele, testicular atrophy and repeat varicocelectomy were noted. Catch-up growth was compared between procedures in those with significant pre-operative asymmetry. Four hundred and forty primary laparoscopic varicocelectomies were performed in 355 patients (mean age: 15.5 years, range 9.3-20.6; mean follow-up: 32.9 months, range 6.0-128.9) who had both pre- and post-varicocelectomy scrotal Duplex Doppler ultrasound performed. The testicular artery was preserved in 54 varicocoeles (41 patients) and ligated in 384 varicocoeles (312 patients). We observed an increased rate of persistent/recurrent varicocoele in the artery-sparing vs. artery ligating patients (12.2% vs. 5.4%, p = 0.09). In addition, there was no difference in catch-up growth and no instance of testicular atrophy. As artery sparing varicocelectomy offered no advantage in regards to catch-up growth and was associated with a higher incidence of recurrent varicocoele, preservation of the artery does not appear to be routinely necessary in adolescent varicocelectomy.

The effects of retinoblastoma (Rb) deletion on intestinal lipid absorption

BackgroundThe Retinoblastoma protein (Rb) may play a role in modulating the absorption of lipids within the small bowel. Rb null mice are characterized by an increased intestinal surface area compared to wild‐type (WT) mice. This study investigates the effects of Rb deficiency on lipid absorptive capacity with normal and high fat diets.MethodsRb null and WT mice were maintained on normal and high fat diets for short and long–term periods. Mice where weighted weekly. Fat absorption and fecal fat were determined using an extraction protocol. Lean mass and body fat were determined via nuclear magnetic resonanceResultsNo differences in weight were found between Rb null and WT mice. The Rb null mice on normal chow had higher fecal fat compared to WT; however no significant difference in fat absorption was seen between the groups. Similar results were observed after the same mice were placed on a short‐term high fat diet. An extended high fat diet showed Rb null mice maintained a higher fecal fat while fat absorption increased in WT mice. No significant differences in body fat or lean mass were found between Rb null and WT mice on a prolonged high fat diet.ConclusionRegardless of the type of diet given, Rb null mice absorb lipids at a lower capacity compared to WT mice. Enhanced bowel surface area seems to serves no advantage in regards to lipid absorption.Research supported by NIH grant DK 59288‐06A2

W1508 Systematic Review of Atraumatic Splenic Ruptures: Analysis of Etiologies and Identification of Risk Factors for Rupture-Related Mortality

Transvaginal surgery has become one of the premier access sites for Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES). The transvaginal approach seems to be safe and cause only minimal postoperative pain while providing most favorable cosmetic results for patients. With approval of the Institutional Review Board, a pure transvaginal laparoscopic appendectomy was successfully performed at Yale-New Haven Hospital in November 2008. A 20year-old female presented to the Emergency Room with right lower quadrant pain and was diagnosed with acute appendicitis. Consequently, she consented to undergo a transvaginal laparoscopic appendectomy. In steep Trendelenberg position, access to the abdominal cavity was accomplished with a 2cm incision thru the posterior fornix of the vagina. Once intraperitoneal access was established, a 14mm trocar was introduced to establish pneumoperitoneum up to 15mmHG. Then, a 5mm 30degree angled endoscope and a reticulating grasper for retraction were placed intraabdominal next to the trocar. After a nonperforated appendicitis was identified, the appendeceal base was taken with a 3.5mm stapler. Subsequently, a 2.5mm stapler was used to transect the mesoappendix and the appendix was removed thru the 14mm trocar. Finally, the posterior fornix of the vagina was closed with interrupted absorbable sutures. No transabdominal skin incisions or punctures were necessary throughout the entire case. Operative time was 59 min. No major or minor complications were observed. The patient was discharged home on postoperative day 1 with only minimal pain. Starting postoperative day 2, pain was easily controlled with Tylenol. Our case of a pure transvaginal appendectomy employs an easy to accomplish laparoscopic technique that seems to be safe for patients. It provides most favorable cosmetic results and appears to cause only minimal postoperative pain. The significant cosmetic advantage is obvious due to the elimination of abdominal incisions and subsequent scars. However, further studies are warranted to examine the possible advantage in regards to postoperative pain for the transvaginal approach.

W1504 Transvaginal Laparoscopic Appendectomy

Transvaginal surgery has become one of the premier access sites for Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES). The transvaginal approach seems to be safe and cause only minimal postoperative pain while providing most favorable cosmetic results for patients. With approval of the Institutional Review Board, a pure transvaginal laparoscopic appendectomy was successfully performed at Yale-New Haven Hospital in November 2008. A 20year-old female presented to the Emergency Room with right lower quadrant pain and was diagnosed with acute appendicitis. Consequently, she consented to undergo a transvaginal laparoscopic appendectomy. In steep Trendelenberg position, access to the abdominal cavity was accomplished with a 2cm incision thru the posterior fornix of the vagina. Once intraperitoneal access was established, a 14mm trocar was introduced to establish pneumoperitoneum up to 15mmHG. Then, a 5mm 30degree angled endoscope and a reticulating grasper for retraction were placed intraabdominal next to the trocar. After a nonperforated appendicitis was identified, the appendeceal base was taken with a 3.5mm stapler. Subsequently, a 2.5mm stapler was used to transect the mesoappendix and the appendix was removed thru the 14mm trocar. Finally, the posterior fornix of the vagina was closed with interrupted absorbable sutures. No transabdominal skin incisions or punctures were necessary throughout the entire case. Operative time was 59 min. No major or minor complications were observed. The patient was discharged home on postoperative day 1 with only minimal pain. Starting postoperative day 2, pain was easily controlled with Tylenol. Our case of a pure transvaginal appendectomy employs an easy to accomplish laparoscopic technique that seems to be safe for patients. It provides most favorable cosmetic results and appears to cause only minimal postoperative pain. The significant cosmetic advantage is obvious due to the elimination of abdominal incisions and subsequent scars. However, further studies are warranted to examine the possible advantage in regards to postoperative pain for the transvaginal approach.

Implications of matrix effects in ultra-fast gradient or fast isocratic liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry in drug discovery.

In the analysis of biological samples it is important to reduce the risk of interferences from the matrix itself, other analytes, the dosing vehicle (commonly PEG), and from the MS/MS transitions used for the analysis. Rapid analysis is essential for drug discovery, and even though the requirements for separation may be minimized for speed, the integrity of the analysis is still dependent on the separation. This paper focuses on the potential for interferences from various endogenous and exogenous matrix components commonly encountered in quantitation of analytes and their metabolites from biological matrices. We demonstrate that neither high organic isocratic nor ballistic gradient ultra-fast HPLC show a clearly defined advantage in regards to complex biological matrices. The critical factor in the resolution of matrix interferences still remains in sample preparation.