Fast Breaking Research Articles

Improving Antibiotic Timing in Febrile Neutropenia for Pediatric Oncology Patients with a Central Line.

Background: Febrile neutropenia in pediatric oncology patients is considered a medical emergency. This population is at risk for infection-related complications due to their immunocompromised state. The purpose of this evidence-based quality improvement project was to reduce the time in minutes from admission to antibiotic administration to within 60 min in at least 90% of pediatric oncology patients with a central line presenting with febrile neutropenia. Methods: An order set titled "FAST BREAK-Fever Neutropenia Admission" was created to expedite care during the first hour of admission, including labs, blood cultures, and a one-time STAT dose of intravenous cefepime. Education was provided to all providers and nursing staff on the unit through inservices, handouts, emails, and computer reminders. Results: Within three months from the FAST BREAK order set implementation, compliance for administering antibiotics within 60 min from admission occurred in 100% of admissions. Other outcomes included 100% compliance in provider utilization of the order set, reduction in the average time from admission to antibiotic administration, and cost reduction related to cefepime waste. Discussion: The FAST BREAK order set is now considered the standard of care in the Pediatric Cancer Center at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital. Maintaining the expectation of prompt antibiotic administration for febrile neutropenia in pediatric oncology patients with a central line will improve patient care, reduce adverse outcomes in this vulnerable population, and correlate with national guidelines for antibiotic administration in febrile oncology patients.

Prediction of Offensive Possession Ends in Elite Basketball Teams.

In basketball, the end of the ball possession has been described as one of the most important determinants of successful offensive play by a team. The present study aimed to: (i) investigate outcomes according to the play types of ends of the ball possession; (ii) find the most efficient ball possessions during the game; (iii) predict most efficient ends of the ball possession by time in an elite basketball competition. The sample was composed of 38,640 situations of ends of the ball possession from 240 games of the 2017–2018 regular season of the men’s Euroleague that were quantitatively analyzed. According to the results, the predictive model can be used in modern basketball. The most efficient ends of the ball possession are the 2-point field goals on the fast break (78.2%), cuts (64.8%), pick and roll (P&R) screener (61.5%), and transition and offensive rebound (57.4%) situations. This information allows a better collective understanding of basketball, and it could be a great tool to use for coaches to prove which tactical solutions are to be considered when improving offense and defense strategies. It also contributes to the design of precise practice tasks of the coach that improve the game.

Development of a Methodology Based on Extraction Induced by Emulsion Breaking for Copper Determination in Gasohol by Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

The development of a method based on extraction induced by emulsion breaking (EIEB) aiming copper determination in gasohol using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GF AAS) is reported. Emulsification of the gasohol samples was carried out using nitric acid solution, (1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)phenyl-polyethylene glycol surfactant (Triton X-114), and ultrasound energy. The variables related to the extraction efficiency were optimized by multivariate approaches (two-level factorial fractional design and Doehlert design). The best results were obtained when the emulsion was formed with 5.0 mL of the sample, 0.200 mL of 2.4 mol L-1 HNO3, 0.100 mL of 10% Triton X-114 and 10 min of sonication. A fast and efficient emulsion breaking was performed at 90 oC. A volume of 6.65 mL of the copper-rich hydroalcoholic phase was extracted, separated from the organic phase and analyzed. Under these conditions, the following analytical characteristics were obtained: 0.61 and 2.0 µg L-1 for limits of detection and quantification, respectively; precision (percentage of relative standard deviation, 10 µg L-1) of 2.8%; and analytical sensitivity of 0.011 L µg -1. Accuracy was assessed by spike tests, and values in the range of 95-110% were achieved. The method was applied in the determination of copper in Brazilian gasoline samples (gasohol with 27% ethanol).

Razlike u brzini šuta između pozicija šuta u vrhunskom rukometu

Shooting velocity is one of the most important features that influence successful shooting performance in handball. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine differences in shooting velocity between shooting positions in top level handball. A total of 784 shots were analyzed. Shooting velocity was measured with iBall (SELECT, Denmark), that has a built-in chip for tracking and distributing data in real time regarding ball velocity, shot detection, shot position and the position of the ball in the goal (Kinexon, Germany). Shooting position (SP) is defined as a geometrical point and a tactical situation from which a shot was taken. Differences between shooting positions were calculated using the Kruskal-Wallis test. Significant difference in shooting velocity was noticed between shooting positions (Chi-Square=95.83). Post-hoc analysis revealed that shots executed outside the nine meter perimeter are significantly faster than from other shooting positions. Shots taken outside the 9-meter perimeter require the fastest shots since players cannot outsmart goalkeepers with modified slow shots (e.g. lob shot, shot with rotation or "dry leaf" shot). Modified slow shots are commonly used in closer distance shots like wing shot, fast break shot, breakthrough shot or penalty shot. In these situations, players have more demanding angle in which shooting velocity is not always an advantage.

Comparative analysis of fast break performance of the winner and runner up teams at the inter collegiate tournament

Comparative analysis of fast break performance of the winner and runner up teams at the inter collegiate tournament

Comparative analysis of fast break performance of the winner and runner up teams at the handball inter collegiate tournament

Comparative analysis of fast break performance of the winner and runner up teams at the handball inter collegiate tournament

New DC Solid-State Circuit Breaker With Natural Charging Operation

Recently, with the development of renewable energy such as solar power and wind power, the dc grid has garnered attention and the dc circuit breakers essential to the dc grid have been actively studied. The dc solid-state circuit breaker (dc SSCB) can quickly break the fault current within 1 ms compared with a mechanical circuit breaker, which does the same in several tens of milliseconds. The previous thyristor dc SSCB cannot naturally charge the commutation capacitor for fault current breaking, and thus its control of operation is complicated. Thus, this article proposes a new thyristor dc SSCB, which can naturally charge the commutation capacitor without complicated switching operation. It can not only perform the fast breaking of fault current, but also the operating duties of reclosing and rebreaking. The operating characteristics of the proposed dc SSCB are verified by the experimental results.

A full-chain tube-based constitutive model for living linear polymers

We present a new strategy for introducing population balances into full-chain constitutive models of living polymers with linear chain architectures. We provide equations to describe a range of stress relaxation processes covering both unentangled systems (Rouse-like motion) and well entangled systems (reptation, contour length fluctuations, chain retraction, and constraint release). Special attention is given to the solutions that emerge when the 'breaking time' of the chain becomes fast compared to various stress relaxation processes. In these 'fast breaking' limits, we reproduce previously known results (with some corrections) and also present new results for nonlinear stress relaxation dynamics. Our analysis culminates with a fully developed constitutive model for the fast breaking regime in which stress relaxation is dominated by contour length fluctuations. Linear and nonlinear rheology predictions of the model are presented and discussed.

Study Regarding the Use of Specific Basketball Training Games During the Seventh Grade Physical Education Lesson

The players in the dominant national teams getting to perform in around 80-85 official games per season. Player rarely gets to perform more than 7-8 minutes continuously in the court and more than 22-25 minutes in a game. Studies show that basketball is performed faster than before, with 50-55% of the shots are scored after 12-15 seconds of possession, during fast break or offensive transition. Generally, aggressive attacks are performed at the end of a quarter or game, when the team wants to control the score/time ratio. If one takes into consideration all the tendencies presented above, one realizes that the basketball player needs new methods of training and recovery after a game, as well as a scientific basis for their training, both for the pre-competition and the competition period. One can see that, realistically, such a player has only 7 to 14 days of rest per year.

Operation Control for Improving Energy Efficiency of Shipboard Microgrid Including Bow Thrusters and Hybrid Energy Storages

The frequent start/stop operation of a bow thruster presents a high pulsating power demand in shipboard microgrids while reducing the fuel efficiency of the diesel engines, which may induce potential instabilities. In this article, a hybrid energy storage system, including batteries and ultracapacitors (UCs), is connected to the dc bus of the thruster driver, and a hierarchical controller is proposed for the bidirectional dc/dc converters that interface storages, thus providing the following functions: 1) the diesel generator (DG) sets provide the required average power to the bow thruster; 2) the batteries smooth the active power fluctuations; and 3) the UCs provide the pulsating active power due to the slow charging response of batteries. A $V - I$ droop control and high-/low-pass filters are used inside the primary controller to proper power sharing between storages in different time scales. The secondary controller is developed to ensure the power from the DG sets to the bow thruster being equal to the required average power. Simulation results shows that this control scheme can effectively reduce the capacity of DG sets and batteries and can improve the fuel consumption efficiency. When the thruster machine operates as a generator during fast breaking, the hybrid energy storage can absorb the braking energy.

Design of DC‐side fault current limiter for MMC‐HVDC systems: Safety of the MMC along with frequency stability

A high voltage direct current system based on the modular multi-level converter (MMC-HVDC) is introduced as a suitable device for transmission of bulk powers over long distances. A pole-to-pole DC-side fault is a significant challenge for the MMC-HVDC system. Three main problems are the appearance of voltage spikes following a fast DC fault current break up, frequency instability due to insufficient inertia (networks such as renewable energy-based systems) and destruction of anti-parallel diodes within the MMC due to the high fault current. This study proposes a novel method for limiting DC fault current, improving isolation of the three-phase AC system from the DC-side. The suggested design employs high power resistors as virtual load such that continuity in active power flow will be kept on. Further, this prevents frequency deviation from exceeding the allowable limits. Also, transient over-voltages will be limited which are coming from stray inductances linked with electromagnetic effects of fault current level. Simulations and design practical issues have verified the validity of the proposal by using MATLAB/Simulink.

The frequency of major complications among fasting people with diabetes according to risk categories of IDF-DAR guidelines 2016

Aim/backgroundTo determine the frequency of major complications among fasting people with diabetes according to risk categories of IDF-DAR guidelines 2016. MethodsThis prospective observational study was conducted around Ramadan of 2017, at Baqai Institute of Diabetology and Endocrinology, Karachi, Pakistan. People with diabetes having intention to fast during Ramadan were recruited. Demographic data collection along with risk categorization was done during pre-Ramadan visit. Structured education was given on one to one basis to each of the study participants. Assessment of complications was made during post Ramadan visit. ResultsThere were 131 participants in this study. Mean age was 53.77 ± 12.67 years. Sixty three percent were males. 4.58% were of type 1 diabetes while 95.41 were of type 2 diabetes. Mean duration of diabetes was 9.92 ± 7.752 years and mean HbA1c was 8.711 ± 1.878. Major hypoglycemia occurred in 31.2% of very high-risk category only. None of the high risk and moderate/low risk categories had major hypoglycemia. There was no major hyperglycemia noted in any of the categories of patients. 50% of very high risk and 3.3% of high-risk category required breaking of fast. None of the participants required hospitalization. ConclusionIn this prospective study, majority of fasting people with diabetes fall into high risk category and did not develop major complications. Very high-risk category had highest number of complications while low to moderate category develop none. Further large-scale studies are needed to validate our finding.

Long Live TIME: Improving Lifetime and Security for NVM-Based Training-in-Memory Systems

Nonvolatile memory (NVM)-based training-in-memory (TIME) systems have emerged that can process the neural network (NN) training in an energy-efficient manner. However, the endurance of NVM cells is disappointing, rendering concerns about the lifetime of TIME systems, because the weights of NN models always need to be updated for thousands to millions of times during training. Gradient sparsification (GS) can alleviate this problem by preserving only a small portion of the gradients to update the weights. However, conventional GS will introduce nonuniform writes on different cells across the whole NVM crossbars, which significantly reduces the excepted available lifetime. Moreover, an adversary can easily launch malicious training tasks to exactly wear-out the target cells and fast break down the system. In this article, we propose an efficient and effective framework, referred as SGS-ARS , to improve the lifetime and security of TIME systems. The framework mainly contains a structured GS (SGS) scheme for reducing the write frequency, and an aging-aware row swapping (ARS) scheme to make the writes uniform. Meanwhile, we show that the back-propagation mechanism allows the attacker to localize and update fixed memory locations and wear them out. Therefore, we introduce Random-ARS and Refresh techniques to thwart adversarial training attacks, preventing the systems from being fast broken in an extremely short time. Our experiments show that when TIME is programmed to train ResNet-50 on ImageNet dataset, $356\times $ lifetime extension can be achieved without sacrificing the accuracy much or incurring much hardware overhead. Under the adversarial environment, the available lifetime of TIME systems can still be improved by $84\times $ .

The Effectiveness of Tactic Performances during Instantaneous Switch to Fast Break and Their Relation to Results of Games of the 2019 World Handball Championship for Men

The objective of the current research was to identify attacking and defensive tactic performances during the instantaneous switch to fast break in the 2019 World Handball Championship for Men. The researcher designed a game analysis form and used the descriptive method via the screening technique. The research sample included (40) games representing the preliminary round games for the top (8) teams in the championship. The results showed that the proportion of the effective fast break in games of the research sample was the third wave tactic fast break from a counter attack by (23.8%). The proportion of defensive performance which was the most effective during the instantaneous switch to the fast break was for the defensive formation of delivery and receipt by (25.7%). The sum of goals scored by the sample teams via the fast break was (533) from (1199) goals by (44.5%). The 2nd quarter of the game is the most effective time period as per the three types of fast break by (34.7%). The 2nd quarter of the game is the most effect time period as per defensive performances by (32.8%).

Degradation of xanthate in waters by hydrogen peroxide, fenton and simulated solar photo-fenton processes

This work reports the findings of a preliminary study of oxidative degradation of ethyl xanthate (EX) in aqueous solutions comparing hydrogen peroxide, the Fenton process, and photo-Fenton process driven by simulated solar radiation. Kinetic runs were carried out following a factorial design using a synthetic effluent with initial [EX]=100mg/L. H2O2 was dosed at the stoichiometric amount required for complete mineralization of EX. The variables studied were: initial pH: 5 and 9; [Fe2+]:[H2O2] molar ratio: 0:0 and 1:40; and irradiance: 0 and 30mW/cm2. An initial fast step breaks down more than 90% of the xanthate, forming intermediates that still contain unoxidized carbon and sulphur. Additional steps occur in which organic carbon and reduced sulphur from the intermediates may ultimately be converted into bicarbonate and sulphate. The progress of the reaction is indicated by reduction in TOC, gain in sulphate (SO4), and H2O2 consumption. Overall the optimum conditions for the breakdown of EX were those using the photo-Fenton process: initial pH=5; [Fe2+]:[H2O2] molar ratio=1:40; and irradiance=30mW/cm2. After 2h the best results were: xanthate breakdown=98.6%; TOC reduction=39.2%; SO4 generation=43.1%. The experiments were conducted batchwise and this led to partial mineralization of the xanthate's organic and sulphur contents. The statistical design using simulated solar radiation enabled us to conclude that tailings ponds could be used as treatment reactors, where their efficiency is enhanced by sunlight.

Coaching on defense and fast break tactics in handball: A case report

Coaching on defense and fast break tactics in handball: A case report

Native Hoops: The Rise of American Indian Basketball 1895–1970 by Wade Davies

Reviewed by: Native Hoops: The Rise of American Indian Basketball 1895–1970 by Wade Davies Shawn Secatero (bio) Wade Davies Native Hoops: The Rise of American Indian Basketball 1895–1970 University Press of Kansas, 2020 American Indian basketball has continued its prominence in Native sports as this book, Native Hoops, retraces its origins through dirt courts on the reservation, city basketball courts, and aging rims. Through extensive interviews and experiences of former players, Wade Davies provides the reader with a history lesson through the organization of American Indian basketball from 1985–1970. The book provides an analysis of talented Native players who molded this sport across our country to promote community pride, wellness, and playing strategies. As part of my review, I will take a holistic approach in addressing each of these aspects by incorporating the spiritual, mental, physical, and social well-being aspects of the book. In terms of spiritual well-being, Davies demonstrates a synopsis of the origins of basketball that acknowledges the purpose, background, and overall giftedness of playing American Indian basketball. The book's main focus points illustrate that basketball continues to captivate Native communities that cherished basketball and used it as a means of experiencing identity, pride, and well-being. Davies maps out an excellent brief history of basketball's roots through Dr. James Naismith, who invented the sport. Furthermore, Davies delves into the relationship of similar and historical Native sports that resemble basketball, such as the Mayan and Aztec ancient games of pok-ta-pok and ullamaliztli (p. 15). Several noted successful teams during the early 1900s included the Carlisle Indian School and the Haskell Institute, which embraced basketball and continued its prominence to inspire other rising teams such as the World Famous Indians (WFI), the Sioux Traveler Warriors, and the Fort Shaw Indian School Girls Basketball Team. Many of these players attended boarding schools far away from their homes and needed an outlet to handle the pangs of homesickness, cultural disconnections from their communities, and cultural loss. The book provides excellent research on American Indian basketball and its impact on many tribal groups throughout our country by acknowledging the mental well-being of thinking, heart, character, wisdom, and future. Davies provides a glimpse into his personal experience of living on the Navajo Nation reservation in the book's introduction and conducted interviews that contribute to the rich description of each community or artifact of basketball. As part of the [End Page 93] boarding school era, the author explains that school administrators liked basketball, which brought morale to the schools, increased community involvement, and promoted athletic enticements for students to stay at the boarding schools. For example, the author states, "The Indian schools used basketball to promote discipline in three ways: positively by relying on orderly design and rules orientation of the game to teach teamwork, sportsmanship and obedience" (p. 78). However, several school superintendents reported, "School records fail to demonstrate that basketball or any other sports had any profound influence on general academic performance or discipline." In another example, the book states that "Indian school athletes did not always focus their energies on impressing or defying non-Natives. They competed just as fiercely and proudly against other native teams vying for recognition across Indian country. As their communities had always done through traditional sports, they used basketball to share something in common with and distinguished themselves from each other and forge bonds and settle differences between localities and tribes" (p. 122). In terms of addressing physical well-being in the book, Davies acknowledges the importance of American Indian basketball through self-care, environmental factors, change, and the healing of players. He writes, "A basketball court was a warrior arena. If symbolically so" (p. 120). Davies provides impressive insight into the physical stamina of players and refers to these player strategies as "streaks of lightning" or Rez Ball, which describes the defensive and offensive plays of Native players including fast breaks. "Rez ball exists along a stylistic continuum extending across the twentieth century," Davies writes, "and should be understood as a product of an incremental evolution induced by changes of the overall sport (p. 270–71). He further describes the winning traditions of American...

Design of a Solid-State Circuit Breaker for a DC Grid-Based Vessel Power System

Electric propulsion and integrated hybrid power systems can improve the energy efficiency and fuel consumption of different kinds of vessels. If the vessel power system is based on DC grid distribution, some benefits such as higher generator efficiency and lower volume and cost can be achieved. However, some challenges remain in terms of protection devices for this kind of DC grid-based power system. The absence of natural zero crossing in the DC current together with the fast and programmable breaking times required make it challenging. There are several papers related to DC breaker topologies and their role in DC grids; however, it is not easy to find comprehensive information about the design process of the DC breaker itself. In this paper, the basis for the design of a DC solid-state circuit breaker (SSCB) for low voltage vessel DC grids is presented. The proposed SSCB full-scale prototype detects and opens the fault in less than 3 µs. This paper includes theoretical analyses, design guidelines, modeling and simulation, and experimental results.

Research on Current Transfer Characteristics of Hybrid Circuit Breaker in Low Voltage DC Micro-grid

The analysis of current transfer characteristics of hybrid DC circuit breakers is of great significance for improving their breaking capacity and implementing control strategies. This paper analyzes the principle of hybrid DC circuit breakers. The hybrid circuit breaker simulation model is built based on the Mayr arc model in Matlab/Simulink using IGBT, RCD snubber circuit and arrester model. The current simulation waveforms under different external circuit parameters and transfer branch parameters with a voltage of 400V and breaking fault current less than 200A are mainly studied. Through the analysis of the current transfer characteristics, a series of theoretically supported breaking characteristics are obtained, which provide a reasonable and effective reference for the fast and reliable breaking of DC micro-grid hybrid circuit breaker.

Mechanical effects of load speed on the human colon

The aim of this study was to examine the mechanical behavior of the colon using tensile tests under different loading speeds.Specimens were taken from different locations of the colonic frame from refrigerated cadavers. The specimens were submitted to uniaxial tensile tests after preconditioning using a dynamic load (1 m/s), intermediate load (10 cm/s), and quasi-static load (1 cm/s).A total of 336 specimens taken from 28 colons were tested. The stress-strain analysis for longitudinal specimens indicated a Young’s modulus of 3.17 ± 2.05 MPa under dynamic loading (1 m/s), 1.74 ± 1.15 MPa under intermediate loading (10 cm/s), and 1.76 ± 1.21 MPa under quasi-static loading (1 cm/s) with p < 0.001. For the circumferential specimen, the stress-strain curves indicated a Young’s modulus of 3.15 ± 1.73 MPa under dynamic loading (1 m/s), 2.14 ± 1.3 MPa under intermediate loading (10 cm/s), and 0.63 ± 1.25 MPa under quasi-static loading (1 cm/s) with p < 0.001. The curves reveal two types of behaviors of the colon: fast break behavior at high speed traction (1 m/s) and a lower break behavior for lower speeds (10 cm/s and 1 cm/s). The circumferential orientation required greater levels of stress and strain to obtain lesions than the longitudinal orientation. The presence of taeniae coli changed the mechanical response during low-speed loading.Colonic mechanical behavior varies with loading speeds with two different types of mechanical behavior: more fragile behavior under dynamic load and more elastic behavior for quasi-static load.