How BMW Is Defusing the Demographic Time Bomb

The article focuses on how the German car manufacturer, Bayerische Motoren Werke AG or BMW, is managing the effects of population aging on the industry. The redesign of BMW's factories to accommodate older workers and increase productivity is mentioned. Research on a pilot production line, which is based on a mix of employees who have an average age of 47 in the year 2017, is discussed. The roles of Peter Jürschick, Helmut Mauermann, Günther Stadler, and Kurt Dickert in the development of the pilot project are mentioned. The costs associated with an aging population are noted

Cleaning of soft-solid soil layers on vertical and horizontal surfaces by stationary coherent impinging liquid jets

The cleaning action of stationary coherent liquid jets impinging (a) vertically downwards on horizontal plates, and (b) horizontally on vertical plates, was investigated using three soft-solid model soil layers: (i) PVA glue on glass and polymethylmethacrylate (Perspex) substrates; (ii) Xanthan gum on stainless steel; and (iii) petroleum jelly on glass. The liquid stream nozzle sizes, mass and volumetric flow rates and mean jet velocities investigated were: PVA, 2 mm, 17-50 g s^-1 (0.06-0.139 m^3 h^-1), 5.3-15.9 m s^-1; Xanthan gum, 0.39-3.3 mm, 2.1-148 g s^-1 (0.008-0.53 m^3 h^-1); 4.5-31.7 m s^-1; petroleum jelly, 2 mm, 7.8-50 g s^-1 (0.06-0.139 m^3 h^-1); 2.5-15.9 m s^-1. For all three soils, rapid initial removal of soil from the jet footprint was followed by the growth of a nearly circular, clean region centred at the point of jet impingement. The rate of removal of soil decreased sharply when the cleaning front reached the hydraulic or film jump. The data for the radial growth removal stage were compared with a mathematical model describing removal of the adhesive soil layer, where the force on the cleaning front was evaluated using the result reported by Wilson et al. (2011): their theory gave the momentum of the liquid film; this momentum was balanced against the soil strength, giving a simple relation between the cleaned radius and time. All three soils showed reasonable agreement with the model, across the range of flow rates and temperatures studied. The kinetic constant in the model was sensitive to soil layer thickness and the nature of the soil. Cleaning tests on the petroleum jelly soils at different temperatures, and separate rheological measurements, showed that the kinetic time constant for coating removal was proportional to the (critical shear stress)^-1.8. There was good agreement between results obtained with vertical and horizontal plates for the PVA and Xanthan gum soil layers. The petroleum jelly results differed, which is partly attributed to differences in preparing the layers of this rheologically complex material.This is the author's accepted manuscript and is under embargo until 3/2/16. The final published version can be found in Chemical Engineering Science here: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000925091400044X

Analysis of autonomic outcomes in APOLLO, a phase III trial of the RNAi therapeutic patisiran in patients with hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis

Hereditary transthyretin-mediated (hATTR) amyloidosis is a progressive, debilitating disease often resulting in early-onset, life-impacting autonomic dysfunction. The effect of the RNAi therapeutic, patisiran, on autonomic neuropathy manifestations in patients with hATTR amyloidosis with polyneuropathy in the phase III APOLLO study is reported. Patients received patisiran 0.3 mg/kg intravenously (n = 148) or placebo (n = 77) once every 3 weeks for 18 months. Patisiran halted or reversed polyneuropathy and improved quality of life from baseline in the majority of patients. At baseline, patients in APOLLO had notable autonomic impairment, as demonstrated by the Composite Autonomic Symptom Score-31 (COMPASS-31) questionnaire and Norfolk Quality of Life-Diabetic Neuropathy (Norfolk QOL-DN) questionnaire autonomic neuropathy domain. At 18 months, patisiran improved autonomic neuropathy symptoms compared with placebo [COMPASS-31, least squares (LS) mean difference, - 7.5; 95% CI: - 11.9, - 3.2; Norfolk QOL-DN autonomic neuropathy domain, LS mean difference, - 1.1; - 1.8, - 0.5], nutritional status (modified body mass index, LS mean difference, 115.7; - 82.4, 149.0), and vasomotor function (postural blood pressure, LS mean difference, - 0.3; - 0.5, - 0.1). Patisiran treatment also led to improvement from baseline at 18 months for COMPASS-31 (LS mean change from baseline, - 5.3; 95% CI: - 7.9, - 2.7) and individual domains, orthostatic intolerance (- 4.6; - 6.3, - 2.9) and gastrointestinal symptoms (- 0.8; - 1.5, - 0.2). Rapid worsening of all study measures was observed with placebo, while patisiran treatment resulted in stable or improved scores compared with baseline. Patisiran demonstrates benefit across a range of burdensome autonomic neuropathy manifestations that deteriorate rapidly without early and continued treatment.The study was funded by Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Medical writing services provided by Kristen Brown (PhD) of Adelphi Communications Ltd, Macclesfeld, UK were funded by Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in accordance with Good Publication Practice (GPP3) guidelines. We would like to thank Anastasia McManus (Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) for her assistance during preparation of this manuscript.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Dutch guideline on total hip prosthesis

Contains fulltext : 97840.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access

Assessing mNIS+7Ionis and international neurologists' proficiency in a familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy trial

INTRODUCTION: Polyneuropathy signs (Neuropathy Impairment Score, NIS), neurophysiologic tests (m+7Ionis ), disability, and health scores were assessed in baseline evaluations of 100 patients entered into an oligonucleotide familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP) trial. METHODS: We assessed: (1) Proficiency of grading neurologic signs and correlation with neurophysiologic tests, and (2) clinometric performance of modified NIS+7 neurophysiologic tests (mNIS+7Ionis ) and its subscores and correlation with disability and health scores. RESULTS: The mNIS+7Ionis sensitively detected, characterized, and broadly scaled diverse polyneuropathy impairments. Polyneuropathy signs (NIS and subscores) correlated with neurophysiology tests, disability, and health scores. Smart Somatotopic Quantitative Sensation Testing of heat as pain 5 provided a needed measure of small fiber involvement not adequately assessed by other tests. CONCLUSIONS: Specially trained neurologists accurately assessed neuropathy signs as compared to referenced neurophysiologic tests. The score, mNIS+7Ionis , broadly detected, characterized, and scaled polyneuropathy abnormality in FAP, which correlated with disability and health scores. Muscle Nerve 56: 901-911, 2017