Combined Macro Research Articles

Assessing vulnerability to climate change in the Ganges Basin using a combined macro- and micro-level approach

The Ganges Basin, which is critical for the economy and livelihoods of India, is facing a number of pressures due to the impacts of climate change and other non-climatic stressors. These stressors pose a serious threat to the communities and ecosystems in the basin and have aggravated their existing vulnerabilities. There is a need to design and implement appropriate adaptation strategies targeting the most vulnerable communities and ecosystems. However, vulnerability is a dynamic concept and faces spatial and temporal variations. Thus, there is a requirement of assessments of the kind of vulnerabilities and its spatial variations that exist in the Ganges Basin. This paper presents a macro-level or district-level vulnerability assessment carried out for the states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand within the Ganges Basin followed by a micro-level assessment to understand local factors driving vulnerability. It looks into the spatial vulnerability trends across the two states and also tries to identify the reasons for such trends. The objective of this analysis was to identify the vulnerable groups which can be targeted for implementing adaptation strategies.

Scalable HetNet interference management and the impact of limited channel state information

Interference management is important in wireless cellular networks such as long-term evolution (LTE) and LTE-A, where orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), dense frequency reuse and heterogeneous cell sizes and capabilities provide great performance at the cost of increased network complexity. The layered structures of emerging cellular networks and their dynamic environments limit greatly the efficacy of traditional static interference management methods. Furthermore, conventional interference coordination techniques assume that perfect channel knowledge is available and that the signalling overhead can be neglected. In this paper, we analyse a heterogeneous LTE OFDMA downlink network composed by macro-, pico- and femtocells. We propose a low-complexity, distributed and cooperative interference mitigation method which is aware of network load and propagation conditions. The proposed method is fully scalable and addresses the interference received by the macro and pico layer and the interference received by femtocells separately. The new solution makes use of the iterative Hungarian algorithm, which effectively reduces interference and enhances the quality of service of starved users when compared to other state-of-the-art solutions. The proposed method outperforms static solutions by providing comparable results for the cell edge users (the proposed solution delivers 86% of the gain of a static frequency reuse 3) while presenting no loss at the cell centre, compared to an 18% loss of the frequency reuse 3 in a homogeneous scenario. In a heterogeneous network (HetNet) deployment, it generates a gain of 45% for the combined macro and pico edge users at a very small cost for the cell centre lower than 4% when compared with standard resource allocation. It optimizes greatly picocell performance, with improvements of more than 50% at a small cost for femtocell users (15%). In order to apply the proposed method to a practical network, the impact of the necessary quantization of channel state information on the interference management solution is studied and results show that signalling overhead can be contained while performance is improved by increasing resolution on the portions of the bandwidth more likely to be assigned to the users.

Clinical course and outcomes of type-2 diabetic patients after treatment intensification for insufficient glycaemic control - results of the 2 year prospective DiaRegis follow-up.

BackgroundIn cases where antidiabetic monotherapy is unable to sufficiently control glucose levels in patients with type-2 diabetes, treatment needs to be intensified. Determining factors that may be predictors for the occurrence of comorbidities in these patients is essential for improving the efficacy of clinical diabetes care.MethodsThe DiaRegis prospective cohort study included 3,810 type-2 diabetics for whom the treating physician aimed to intensify and optimise antidiabetic treatment due to insufficient glucose control. Treatment intensification was defined as increasing the dose of the originally prescribed drug, and/or selecting an alternative drug, and/or prescribing an additional drug. The aims were to monitor the co-morbidity burden of type-2 diabetic patients over a follow-up of two years, and to identify multivariable adjusted predictors for the development of comorbidity and cardiovascular events.ResultsA total of 3,058 patients completed the 2 year follow-up. A substantial proportion of these patients had co-morbidities such as vascular disease, neuropathy, and heart failure at baseline. After treatment intensification, there was an increased use of DPP-4 inhibitors, insulin, and GLP-1 analogues, achieving reductions in HbA1c, fasting plasma glucose, and postprandial glucose. During the 2 year period 2.5% of patients (n = 75) died, 3.2% experienced non-fatal macrovascular events, 11.9% experienced microvascular events, and 4.3% suffered onset of heart failure. Predictors for combined macro-/microvascular complications/heart failure/death were found to be age (OR 1.36; 95% CI 1.10–1.68), prior vascular disease (1.73; 1.39–2.16), and history of heart failure (2.78; 2.10–3.68).ConclusionsDetermining the factors that contribute to co-morbidities during intensive glucose-lowering treatment is essential for improving the efficacy of diabetes care. Our results indicate that age, prior vascular disease, and heart failure constitute important predictors of poor cardiovascular outcomes in patients receiving such therapy.

Macroscopic evidence of nanoscale resistive switching in La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 micro-fabricated bridges

In this work we report on a combined macro, micro and nanoscale investigation where electronic transport properties through La⅔Sr⅓MnO3 (LSMO) microfabricated bridges, in which nano-sized resistive states are induced by using a conducting scanning probe microscope (C-SPM), are analyzed. The strategy intentionally avoids the standard capacitor-like geometry, thus allowing the study of the electronic transport properties of the locally modified region, and approaches the integration of functional oxides in low dimensional devices while providing macroscopic evidence of nanoscale resistive switching (RS). The metallic and ferromagnetic LSMO is locally modified from its low resistance state (LRS) to a high resistance state (HRS) when a bias voltage is applied on its surface through the conducting tip, which acts as a mobile electrode. Starting from a metallic oxide the electroforming process is not required, thus avoiding one of the major drawbacks for the implementation of memory devices based on RS phenomena. The application of a bias voltage generates an electric field that promotes charge depletion, leading to a strong increase of the resistance, i.e. to the HRS. This effect is not only confined to the outermost surface layer, its spatial extension and final HRS condition can be modulated by the magnitude and duration of the potential applied, opening the door to the implementation of multilevel devices. In addition, the half-metallic character, i.e. total spin polarization, of LSMO might allow the implementation of memory elements and active spintronic devices in the very same material. The stability of the HRS and LRS as a function of temperature, magnetic field and compliance current is also analyzed, allowing the characterization of the nature of the switching process and the active material.

Multiscale BerEp4 molecular imaging of microtumor phantoms: toward theranostics for basal cell carcinoma.

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC), the most common cancer in humans, appears macroscopically and microscopically similar to many other skin lesions, which makes differential diagnosis difficult. We are developing an approach for quantitative molecular imaging of BerEP4, a transmembrane biomarker for BCC, with the goal of increasing the precision and accuracy of diagnosis. This pilot study was conducted to assess the affinity and selectivity of BerEp4 antibody and assess its possible use in designing theranostic probes for BCC. We provide evidence that our photon-counting fluorescence macrodetection system can recover specific signal increases from a film/pellet phantom. Additionally, we show that a two-photon excited fluorescence /backscatter confocal microscopy system can image BerEP4 antibody/antigen complex on the surface of BerEP4-expressing cancer cells in three dimensions. Based on the initial results, BerEP4 seems to be a promising biomarker for molecular imaging of BCC. To prepare BerEP4 for eventual theranostic use, we examined the feasibility of a combined macro-/micro-optical approach to imaging BCC with various histologies. These optical methods, endowed with the ability to monitor treatment in real time, may open an opportunity for noninvasive diagnosis, treatments, and follow-up.

Developing Monolithic Nanoporous Gold with Hierarchical Bicontinuity Using Colloidal Bijels.

We report a universal platform for the synthesis of monolithic porous gold materials with hierarchical bicontinuous morphology and combined macro- and mesoporosity using a synergistic combination of nanocasting and chemical dealloying. This robust and accessible approach offers a new design paradigm for the parallel optimization of active surface area and mass transport in porous metal electrodes.

Research on Coal-Formed Gas Reservoir Combined Qualitative and Quantitative Methods

At present, coal is still the primacy of China's energy structure, and this situation will not change in a short time. Coal-formed Gas Reservoir quality and the predicting method have also become one of the urgent needs to address the issue of energy exploration, but the lateral variation of the coal-formed gas reservoir is a common geological phenomenon in the coal mine, if the prediction error is too large, it will greatly impact on the production of coal mine. Especially in the area where has complex structure characteristics, the reservoirs are impacted by structural changes, the reservoir predicting become the most important job and the most difficult job. This paper take the example of DaCheng, the research carried out the sedimentary reservoir characteristics, the coal body structure, the coal thickness, the heterogeneity of the coal seams and collapse columns of coal reservoir, and then reservoir fine evaluation was done combined Micro and Macro, Qualitative and Quantitative methods.

Selecting criteria for improving results of an immunochromatographic assay for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex identification from BacT/ALERT cultures

We describe a combined macro and microscopic criteria for rapid presumptive differentiation between Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) and nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) evaluated by two independent observers. This strategy achieved rapid MTC identification in most cases (95.8% expert observer and 91.6% novice observer) with significant savings compared to more expensive and unnecessary tests.

Hydroformylation of olefins over rhodium supported metal-organic framework catalysts of different structure

The metal-organic framework IRMOF-3 has been synthesized and functionalized with supported rhodium species. The samples have been characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM, TEM, XPS, AAS, and nitrogen sorption measurements. It is found that originally precipitated big particles consist of hierarchically structured agglomerated nanocrystals of ca. 10–15nm size. The big particles contain a combined macro–meso–micro pore system allowing easy access to the catalytic sites. The Rh@IRMOF-3 supported catalyst has been catalytic tested in the hydroformylation of olefins to the corresponding aldehydes. Double bond shift isomerization has been observed as side reaction. n-Alkenes-1 of different chain lengths and bulky or less flexible olefins as cyclohexene, 2,2,4-trimethylpentene, and hexadiene-1,5 have been studied. The Rh@IRMOF-3 catalyst shows high activity and selectivity to n-aldehydes in the hydroformylation of linear alkene-1. The comparison of catalytic data obtained with the hydroformylation of n-hexene-1 over the different rhodium loaded MOFs as MOF-5, MIL-77, and MIL-101 show a significant influence of the MOF-structure on the catalytic properties.

Effects of blood pressure lowering on cardiovascular outcomes in different cardiovascular risk groups among participants with type 2 diabetes

AimsTo asses differences in treatment effects of a fixed combination of perindopril–indapamide on major clinical outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes across subgroups of cardiovascular risk. Methods11,140 participants with type 2 diabetes, from the ADVANCE trial, were randomized to perindopril–indapamide or matching placebo. The Framingham equation was used to calculate 5-year CVD risk and to divide participants into two risk groups, moderate–high risk (<25% and no history of macrovascular disease), very high risk (>25% and/or history of macrovascular disease). Endpoints were macrovascular and microvascular events. ResultsThe mean age of participants was 66 years (42.5% female). 1000 macrovascular and 916 microvascular events were recorded over follow-up of 4.3 years. Relative treatment effects were similar across risk groups, (all P-values for heterogeneity ≥0.38). Hazard ratios for combined macro- and microvascular events were 0.89 (0.77–1.03) for the moderate-high risk and 0.92 (0.81–1.03) for the very high risk. Absolute treatment effects tended to be greater in the high risk groups although differences were not statistically significant (P>0.05). ConclusionsRelative effects of blood pressure lowering with perindopril–indapamide on cardiovascular outcomes were similar across risk groups whilst absolute effects trended to be greater in the high risk group.

Doxycycline sclerotherapy in children with lymphatic malformations: outcomes, complications and clinical efficacy

Lymphatic malformations (LMs) are congenital lesions of the lymphatic system and consist of lymphatic channels and cystic spaces of varying sizes. Recent evidence has shown that LMs respond well to intralesional sclerotherapy. The purpose of this retrospective study is to evaluate the outcome and efficacy of using doxycycline in treating macrocystic, microcystic and combined macro- and microcystic LMs in a tertiary-care pediatric center. Fifty children (32 boys, 18 girls) underwent doxycycline sclerotherapy for treatment of LMs between January 2005 and October 2010. Demographics, imaging, doxycycline treatment details, complications and follow-up details were documented. The mean age at first treatment was 5.9 years (3 days-17.8 years), median 4.2 years. Cervicofacial (19/50 children) and truncal (16/50 children) locations were the most frequently affected. One hundred forty-six sclerotherapy sessions were performed in 50 children (mean 2.9/child). The mean doxycycline dose/kg body weight for 146 sessions was 15.3 mg/kg (0.6-85.7 mg/kg). Complications occurred in 4/146 procedures. Clinical follow-up showed excellent response in 14/16 children with macrocystic LMs, 21/27 children with combined LMs and 4/7 children with microcystic LMs. Doxycycline is a safe and effective sclerosant agent for treating LMs in children, with a low complication rate.

Abstract P209: Effects of Blood Pressure Lowering on Vascular Outcomes in Different Cardiovascular Risk Groups Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: New Results From Advance

Background/Aim: Although patients with type 2 diabetes constitute a high risk group there is a gradation in cardiovascular risk which may lead to differences in outcomes and effects of treatment. The objective of this study was to assess for differences in treatment effects of the fixed combination of perindopril-indapamide across subgroups of cardiovascular risk. Methods: 11,140 patients with type 2 diabetes, participating in the ADVANCE trial, were randomized to perindopril-indapamide or matching placebo. The UKPDS risk engine was used to calculate baseline 5-year coronary heart disease risk and to stratify patients into three risk groups (0-10%; 10–15%; &gt;15%). Endpoints were composites of major macrovascular and microvascular events. Homogeneity of treatment effects across risk subgroups were tested by adding interaction terms to the Cox models. Results: The median estimated 5-year coronary heart disease risk at baseline was 10% (IQR 7%−16%). 1000 macrovascular and 916 microvascular events were recorded during a median follow-up of 4.3 years. The relative treatment effects were similar across all risk groups for all endpoints, with no heterogeneity (all P -values for heterogeneity ≥ 0.38). The hazard ratios for combined macro- and microvascular events were 0.89 (95% confidence interval: 0.77–1.03) for the moderate-high risk group and 0.92 (0.81–1.03) for the very high risk group. The absolute risk reductions were greater in the highest risk groups, with numbers needed to treat ranging from 38 to 244. Conclusions: Reductions in relative risk achieved with the fixed combination of perindopril-indapamide among patients with type 2 diabetes were consistent across subgroups defined by baseline cardiovascular risk, but reductions in absolute risk were greatest in those with the highest initial risk. Acknowledgements: This research was supported by a program grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia, the Center for Translational Molecular Medicine (CTMM) and the Netherlands Heart Foundation, Dutch Diabetes Research Foundation and Dutch Kidney Foundation (PREDICCt).

Combined Micro and Macro Parameter Perturbation Theory and Application for BWR Lattice Design and Optimization

This paper introduces a combined micro and macro (CMM) parameter perturbation theory for boiling water reactor (BWR) lattice design and optimization, which involves a large number of independent design variables and a large scale of variations. With this theory, engineers are able to meet the challenges from both accuracy and speed requirements. This theory was applied to the BWR fuel assembly lattice design in AREVA. A BWR fast lattice simulator (FLS) and a BWR fuel assembly lattice optimizer (BALO) were built and assisted engineers working on the lattice design and optimization. In addition to the discussion of this theory, the BALO/FLS calculation results are used to show that this theory can meet both speed and accuracy criteria of design as well as cover the large design range. Moreover, the results also show that two major perturbation issues in BWR lattice design and optimization, i.e., the large swing of average lattice enrichment and the thermal neutron black absorber's distribution as burnable poison can be resolved with the CMM perturbation theory. Finally, it is pointed out that the macro parameter perturbation combined with the micro parameter perturbation is extremely important to the accuracy.

A formulation for the micromorphic continuum at finite inelastic strains

The paper presents a generalized theory of deformation which can capture scale effects also in a homogenously deforming body. Scale effects are relevant when the dimensions of the specimen or structure themselves are in the micron and submicron scale, but also when it comes to high strain concentrations as in the case of localised shear bands or at crack tips, etc. In this context, so-called generalized continuum formulations have been proven to provide remedy as they allow for the incorporation of internal length-scale parameters which reflect the micro-structural influence on the macroscopic material response. Here, we want to adopt a generalized continuum framework which is based on the mathematical description of a combined macro- and micro-space ( Sansour, 1998b). The approach introduces additional degrees of freedom which constitute a so-called micromorphic deformation. First the treatment presented is general in nature but will be specified for the sake of an example and the number of extra degrees of freedom will be reduced to four. Based on the generalized deformation description new strain and stress measures are defined which lead to the formulation of a corresponding generalized variational principle. The theory is completed by Dirichlet boundary conditions for the displacement field. Of great advantage is the fact that the constitutive law is defined in the generalized space but can be classical otherwise. This limits the number of the extra material parameters necessary to those needed for the specification of the micro-space, in the example presented to only one. An example of scale effects in a homogenously deforming specimen and a further example of shearband formation are presented where the constitutive law is a classical viscoplastic one.

Hierarchical scaffolds via combined macro- and micro-phase separation

Recent advances in biomaterial surface engineering have shown that surface biomechanical, spatial and topographical properties can elicit control over fundamental biological processes such as cell shape, proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. Along these lines, we have very recently shown that the self-assembly of block copolymers into thin films can be used as an extremely labile method to precisely position cellular adhesion molecules, at nanometre lateral spacings, to effect control over cell attachment and morphology. Here, we extend our work in 2-dimensional block copolymer films into the production of 3-dimensional porous block copolymer scaffolds. The reported method combines macro-scale temperature induced phase separation and micro-phase separation of block copolymers to produce highly porous scaffolds with surfaces comprised of nano-scale self-assembled block copolymer domains, representing a significant advance in currently available scaffold engineering technologies. The phase behaviour of these polymer–solvent systems is described and potential mechanisms leading to the observed structure formation are presented. The nano-domains have thereafter been functionalised with CGRGDS peptides throughout the scaffold and shown to effect changes in cell attachment and spreading, in agreement with previous 2-dimensional studies. These multi-scale, functional scaffolds are easy to manufacture and scaleable, making them ideal candidates for tissue engineering applications.

Determinants of business sustainability: An ergonomics perspective

There is a need to integrate both macro- and micro-ergonomic approaches for the effective implementation of interventions designed to improve the root causes of problems such as work safety, quality and productivity in the enterprise system. The objective of this study was to explore from an ergonomics perspective the concept of business sustainability through optimising the worker–work environment interface. The specific aims were: (a) to assess the working conditions of a production department work process with the goal to jointly optimise work safety, quality and quantity; (b) to evaluate the enterprise-wide work process at the system level as a social entity in an attempt to trace the root causes of ergonomic issues impacting employees throughout the work process. The Work Compatibility Model was deployed to examine the experiences of workers (that is, effort, perceived risk/benefit, performance and satisfaction/dissatisfaction or psychological impact) and their associations with the complex domains of the work environment (task content, physical and non-physical work environment and conditions for learning/growth/development). This was followed by assessment of the enterprise system through detailed interviews with department managers and lead workers. A system diagnostic instrument was also constructed from information derived from the published literature to evaluate the enterprise system performance. The investigation of the production department indicated that the stress and musculoskeletal pain experienced by workers (particularly on the day shift) were derived from sources elsewhere in the work process. The enterprise system evaluation and detailed interviews allowed the research team to chart the feed-forward and feedback stress propagation loops in the work system. System improvement strategies were extracted on the basis of tacit/explicit knowledge obtained from department managers and lead workers. In certain situations concerning workplace human performance issues, a combined macro–micro ergonomic methodology is essential to solve the productivity, quality and safety issues impacting employees along the trajectory or path of the enterprise-wide work process. In this study, the symptoms associated with human performance issues in one production department work process had root causes originating in the customer service department work process. In fact, the issues found in the customer service department caused performance problems elsewhere in the enterprise-wide work process such as the traffic department. Sustainable enterprise solutions for workplace human performance require the integration of macro- and micro-ergonomic approaches.

A representative ex-situ fretting wear investigation of orthodontic arch-wire/bracket contacts

Recent studies show that resistance to friction and wear between the arch-wire and the bracket are of great importance for the quality of orthodontal treatment. To optimize these phenomena specific surface treatments have been developed, but a major difficulty is the methodology for comparing and improving the given palliatives. A specific ex-situ fretting test has been developed which permits the micro-slidings generated by the occlusion movements to be superimposed on macro-slidings generated by the teeth displacement. In this study the friction force between brackets and arch-wires during combined macro-/micro-slidings has been investigated. Various stainless steel bracket/arch-wire contacts have been analyzed. The wear and friction properties of different PEPVD deposited coatings such as SiC and SiN have been studied under dry and wet artificial saliva conditions.

Unified saturation and micro-macro voids method in Liquid Composite Molding

The topic of this paper concerns void defects. We introduce a model to describe the macroscopic resin flow considering the compression of residual air in the preform. A microscopic flow model is also developed to account for the microvoid formation due to the variation of resin velocity at the flow front. According to these mathematical models, a numerical simulation code was developed to perform a combined macro and micro flow analysis with the saturation of the medium. The results of these simulations are compared with experimental results obtained by the laboratory device. We present the real-time measurement of the void content evolutions during the injection, using an original sensor. Our technique is based on the electrical conductivity of the injected liquid. After the material and method presentation, some results obtained during injection are shown. The developed analysis technique and the numerical simulation code can be used for obtaining the optimal processing conditions and design parameters in manufacturing of composites by Liquid Composite Molding (LCM) processes.

Hospitality Degree Programs in Australia: A Continuing Evolution

Hospitality management degree programs have changed significantly since they were first introduced in Australia over 30 years ago. This article reviews the development of these undergraduate degree programs in hospitality using a combined macro and micro approach. First, at the national level, this study reviews the provision of degrees in hospitality, identifying the macro-level changes that have occurred in the hospitality program landscape since the mid 1970s. Second, at the program level, this study analyses the evolution of one of the longest running hospitality management programs, offered by The University of Queensland. This review identifies the underlying reasons for micro-level hospitality program changes in Australia, and relates these changes to the broader context of higher education evolution, hospitality industry development, and student expectations.

On the Mechanism of Natural Convection and Equiaxed Structure during Dendritic Solidification Processes

A new technique has been developed to generate dendritic‐equiaxed structures in aluminium alloy casting processes, not only to improve the mechanical properties but also to study the effect of crystal structure on the chemical and physical properties of alloys to be cast. The investigation combined laboratory experimental work, metallographic examination and mathematic modelling. The laboratory experimental work involved different superheats for Al‐4.5%Cu alloy in cast ingots. Measurements of temperature distributions were conducted to verify the solidification model. A metallographic study combined macro and micro structural evolution of cast ingot samples. Two‐dimensional mathematical models of fluid flow and heat transfer were developed to characterise the natural convection streams and thermal fields. The model predictions were compared to temperature and isotherms measurements where a good agreement was found. The formation of cast structure and columnar, equiaxed transition (CET) and macro segregation phenomena were studied and discussed, based not only on the theories of nucleation but also on the thermal effects in the mushy and liquid zones.