129 research outputs found
Numerical investigation of high-pressure combustion in rocket engines using Flamelet/Progress-variable models
The present paper deals with the numerical study of high pressure LOx/H2 or
LOx/hydrocarbon combustion for propulsion systems. The present research effort
is driven by the continued interest in achieving low cost, reliable access to
space and more recently, by the renewed interest in hypersonic transportation
systems capable of reducing time-to-destination. Moreover, combustion at high
pressure has been assumed as a key issue to achieve better propulsive
performance and lower environmental impact, as long as the replacement of
hydrogen with a hydrocarbon, to reduce the costs related to ground operations
and increase flexibility. The current work provides a model for the numerical
simulation of high- pressure turbulent combustion employing detailed chemistry
description, embedded in a RANS equations solver with a Low Reynolds number
k-omega turbulence model. The model used to study such a combustion phenomenon
is an extension of the standard flamelet-progress-variable (FPV) turbulent
combustion model combined with a Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes equation
Solver (RANS). In the FPV model, all of the thermo-chemical quantities are
evaluated by evolving the mixture fraction Z and a progress variable C. When
using a turbulence model in conjunction with FPV model, a probability density
function (PDF) is required to evaluate statistical averages of chemical
quantities. The choice of such PDF must be a compromise between computational
costs and accuracy level. State- of-the-art FPV models are built presuming the
functional shape of the joint PDF of Z and C in order to evaluate
Favre-averages of thermodynamic quantities. The model here proposed evaluates
the most probable joint distribution of Z and C without any assumption on their
behavior.Comment: presented at AIAA Scitech 201
Pressure ulcers management: an economic evaluation
Introduction. Pressure ulcer management represents a growing
problem for medical and social health care systems all over the
world, particularly in European Union countries where the incidence
of pressure ulcers in older persons (> 60 years of age) is
predicted to rise.
Objectives. The aim of this study was to provide evidence for the
lower impact on economic resources of using advanced dressings
for the treatment of pressure ulcers with respect to conventional
simple dressings.
Methods. Two different models of analysis, derived from Activity
Based Costing and Health Technology Assessment, were used to
measure, over a 30-day period, the direct costs incurred by pressure
ulcer treatment for community-residing patients receiving
integrated home care.
Results. Although the mean cost per home care visit was higher in
the advanced dressings patient group than in the simple dressings
patient one (? 22.31 versus ? 16.03), analysis of the data revealed
that the cost of using advanced dressings was lower due to fewer
home care visits (22 versus 11).
Conclusion. The results underline the fact that decision-makers need
to improve their understanding of the advantages of taking a long-term
view with regards to the purchase and use of materials. This could produce
considerable savings of resources in addition to improving treatment
efficacy for the benefit of patients and the health care system
Towards a New System for the Assessment of the Quality in Care Pathways: An Overview of Systematic Reviews
Clinical or care pathways are developed by a multidisciplinary team of healthcare
practitioners, based on clinical evidence, and standardized processes. The evaluation of their
framework/content quality is unclear. The aim of this study was to describe which tools and domains
are able to critically evaluate the quality of clinical/care pathways. An overview of systematic reviews
was conducted, according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses,
using Medline, Embase, Science Citation Index, PsychInfo, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library, from 2015
to 2020, and with snowballing methods. The quality of the reviews was assessed with Assessment the
Methodology of Systematic Review (AMSTAR-2) and categorized with The Leuven Clinical Pathway
Compass for the definition of the five domains: processes, service, clinical, team, and financial.
We found nine reviews. Three achieved a high level of quality with AMSTAR-2. The areas classified
according to The Leuven Clinical Pathway Compass were: 9.7% team multidisciplinary involvement,
13.2% clinical (morbidity/mortality), 44.3% process (continuity-clinical integration, transitional),
5.6% financial (length of stay), and 27.0% service (patient-/family-centered care). Overall, none of
the 300 instruments retrieved could be considered a gold standard mainly because they did not
cover all the critical pathway domains outlined by Leuven and Health Technology Assessment.
This overview shows important insights for the definition of a multiprinciple framework of core
domains for assessing the quality of pathways. The core domains should consider general critical
aspects common to all pathways, but it is necessary to define specific domains for specific diseases,
fast pathways, and adapting the tool to the cultural and organizational characteristics of the health
system of each country
A characteristic particle method for traffic flow simulations on highway networks
A characteristic particle method for the simulation of first order
macroscopic traffic models on road networks is presented. The approach is based
on the method "particleclaw", which solves scalar one dimensional hyperbolic
conservations laws exactly, except for a small error right around shocks. The
method is generalized to nonlinear network flows, where particle approximations
on the edges are suitably coupled together at the network nodes. It is
demonstrated in numerical examples that the resulting particle method can
approximate traffic jams accurately, while only devoting a few degrees of
freedom to each edge of the network.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures. Accepted to the proceedings of the Sixth
International Workshop Meshfree Methods for PDE 201
A rarefaction-tracking method for hyperbolic conservation laws
We present a numerical method for scalar conservation laws in one space
dimension. The solution is approximated by local similarity solutions. While
many commonly used approaches are based on shocks, the presented method uses
rarefaction and compression waves. The solution is represented by particles
that carry function values and move according to the method of characteristics.
Between two neighboring particles, an interpolation is defined by an analytical
similarity solution of the conservation law. An interaction of particles
represents a collision of characteristics. The resulting shock is resolved by
merging particles so that the total area under the function is conserved. The
method is variation diminishing, nevertheless, it has no numerical dissipation
away from shocks. Although shocks are not explicitly tracked, they can be
located accurately. We present numerical examples, and outline specific
applications and extensions of the approach.Comment: 21 pages, 7 figures. Similarity 2008 conference proceeding
Face Mask Use in the Community for Reducing the Spread of COVID-19: A Systematic Review
Background: Evidence is needed on the effectiveness of wearing face masks in the community to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission. /
Methods: Systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the efficacy and effectiveness of face mask use in a community setting and to predict the effectiveness of wearing a mask. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCISEARCH, The Cochrane Library, and pre-prints from inception to 22 April 2020 without restriction by language. We rated the certainty of evidence according to Cochrane and GRADE approach. /
Findings: Our search identified 35 studies, including three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) (4,017 patients), 10 comparative studies (18,984 patients), 13 predictive models, nine laboratory experimental studies. For reducing infection rates, the estimates of cluster-RCTs were in favor of wearing face masks vs. no mask, but not at statistically significant levels (adjusted OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.78–1.05). Similar findings were reported in observational studies. Mathematical models indicated an important decrease in mortality when the population mask coverage is near-universal, regardless of mask efficacy. In the best-case scenario, when the mask efficacy is at 95%, the R0 can fall to 0.99 from an initial value of 16.90. Levels of mask filtration efficiency were heterogeneous, depending on the materials used (surgical mask: 45–97%). One laboratory study suggested a viral load reduction of 0.25 (95% CI 0.09–0.67) in favor of mask vs. no mask. /
Interpretation: The findings of this systematic review and meta-analysis support the use of face masks in a community setting. Robust randomized trials on face mask effectiveness are needed to inform evidence-based policies. /
PROSPERO registration: CRD42020184963
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