Characteristics of a 9mm triple-beam tuning fork resonant sensor

This paper describes the design and testing of the first miniaturised metallic triple-beam tuning fork resonant sensors for use in force, pressure and torque measurement applications. The new devices with 9mm length vibrating tines have resulted in over a 40% reduction in size when compared to previously tested resonators. The four fold increase in operating frequency to 26 kHz, with Q factors in air up to 4000, provides additional benefits for resolution, accuracy, range and overload capability. Measurement repeatability of at least 0.02% of span levels for torque transducers employing the sensors are quoted. Results of characterisation over the temperature range -30oC to +90oC are given

Continuous wavelet transform and neural network for condition monitoring of rotodynamic machinery

This paper describes a novel method of rotodynamic machine condition monitoring using a wavelet transform and a neural network. A continuous wavelet transform is applied to the signals collected from accelerometer. The transformed images are then extracted as unique characteristic features relating to the various types of machine conditions. In the experiment, four types of machine operating conditions have been investigated: a balanced shaft; an unbalanced shaft, a misaligned shaft and a defective bearing. The back propagation neural network (BPNN) is used as a tool to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. The experimental results result in a recognition rate of 90 percent

Self-management in early-stage dementia: a pilot randomised controlled trial of the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of a self-management group intervention (the SMART study).

Published onlineJournal ArticleRandomized Controlled TrialResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tBACKGROUND: The possibility of living well with a long-term condition has been identified as centrally relevant to the needs of people living with dementia. Growing numbers of people with early-stage dementia are contributing accounts that emphasise the benefits of actively engaging in managing the condition. Self-management interventions share the common objectives of educating about the condition, optimising well-being, enhancing control over the situation and enabling people to take more responsibility for managing the condition. Benefits of such an approach can include improved knowledge, self-efficacy, health status, and better performance of self-management behaviours. However, there is only preliminary evidence that people with early-stage dementia can benefit from such interventions. METHODS: This feasibility study involves the development of a self-management group intervention for people with early-stage Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia or mixed Alzheimer's and vascular dementia. This study is a single-site pilot randomised-controlled trial. Forty-two people with early stage dementia, each with a caregiver (family member/friend), will be randomised to either the self-management group intervention or to treatment as usual.The self-management group intervention will involve eight weekly sessions, each lasting 90 minutes, held at a memory clinic in North Wales. All participants will be re-assessed three and six months post-randomisation. This study is intended to supply an early evaluation of the self-management intervention so that a full scale trial may be powered from the best available evidence. It will assess the feasibility of the intervention, the study design and the recruitment strategies. It will estimate the parameters and confidence intervals for the research questions of interest. The primary outcome of interest is the self-efficacy score of the person with dementia at three months post-randomisation. Secondary outcomes for the person with dementia are self-efficacy at six months post-randomisation and cognitive ability, mood and well-being at three and six months post-randomisation. Secondary outcomes for caregivers are their distress and stress at three and six months post-randomisation. The cost-effectiveness of the intervention will also be examined. DISCUSSION: This study will provide preliminary information about the feasibility, efficacy and cost-effectiveness of a self-management group intervention for people in the early stages of dementia. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current Controlled Trials, ISRCTN02023181.NISCHRERDF Ireland Wales Programme 2007–13National Health ServiceHigher Education Funding Council for Wale

Monitoring Impacts of Urbanisation and Industrialisation on Air Quality in the Anthropocene Using Urban Pond Sediments

This is the final version of the article. Available from Frontiers Media via the DOI in this record.The release of toxic atmospheric pollutants since the Industrial Revolution is a major global challenge, driving climate change and damaging human health. Spatial health inequalities highlight the need to explore air pollution in different localities throughout the Anthropocene. Air quality monitoring programmes are spatially and temporally limited. We show how suitable urban sediment archives provide site specific records of long-term particulate matter (PM) releases, in cities and urban landscapes, that are or have been subjected to high pollution levels. High-resolution PM records spanning from the mid-20th century were reconstructed from an urban pond in Chongqing, southwest China, one of the fastest growing Chinese urban centres in the late 20th century. Temporal variations in pollution proxies including geomagnetic, geochemical and spheroidal carbonaceous particle trends correspond to key phases of industrial and urban developments, that are representative of the locality. Observed increases in air pollution proxies post-1960 coincide with the location of military-related industries to Chongqing and industrial intensification. Post-1997 pollution mirrors rapid urbanisation that occurred following the designation of Chongqing as a government-controlled municipality at this time and reveals a steadily increasing pollution trend to present day (2015). In comparison to Chongqing, an atmospheric depositional history was constructed from an urban pond in the Merseyside region of northwest England that has experienced a legacy of contamination since the early 19th century. In northwest England, changing characteristics of pollution are related to the establishment of localised, modern industries, power generation, urban sprawl, increased combustion-derived pollution post-1990 and effective pollution legislations. Whereas a reduction in air pollution has occurred post-2000 in Merseyside, in Chongqing, however, air pollution has continued to increase in spite of national efforts in pollution control. These urban sediments reveal the changing nature of air pollution in different urban landscapes, allowing us to assess air quality impacts of progressive industrial activity, increased road and air travel, urban expansion and the efficacy of pollution controls. It appears that air pollution remains an inevitable consequence of global industrialisation. It is therefore crucial to understand pollution histories in densely populated urban regions to determine environmental burdens of pollution on health over generational timescales.This research was supported by Halton Primary Care Trust (grant number CHCRD001 SE02), Edge Hill University (fund codes: RDWOR04, RDWOR05, RDWOR06, and RDWOR209), and the University of Exeter

Detection of negative pickup ions at Saturn's moon Dione

We investigate a possible negative ion feature observed by the Cassini Plasma Spectrometer (CAPS) during a flyby of Saturn's moon Dione that occurred on April 7, 2010. By examining possible particle trajectories, we find that the observed particles are consistent with negative pick‐up ions originating near the moon's surface. We find that the mass of the negative pick‐up ions is in the range of 15 – 25 u and tentatively identify this species as O‐, likely resulting from ionization and subsequent pick‐up from Dione's O2‐CO2 exosphere. Our estimates show that the negative ion density is ~3 x 10‐3 cm‐3. This is comparable to, but slightly smaller than, that previously reported for the density of O2+ pick‐up ions for the same flyby, indicating that negative pick‐up ions may represent a major loss channel for Dione's exosphere

Delayed maximum northern European summer temperatures during the Last Interglacial as a result of Greenland Ice Sheet melt

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the Geological Society of America via the DOI in this record.Here we report a new quantitative mean July temperature reconstruction using non-biting midges (chironomids) from the Danish Last Interglacial (LIG) site Hollerup (spanning 127–116 ka). We find that peak mean July temperatures of 17.5 °C, similar to those of the present day (1961–1990 CE), were reached shortly before the onset of the regional Carpinus pollen zone. Through comparison to terrestrial and marine sequences we demonstrate that peak summer warmth took place some three millennia after the onset of LIG warming in Europe, a marked delay in line with records from the North Atlantic. Crucially, the warmest northern European summer temperatures appear to follow maximum Greenland Ice Sheet mass loss, implying that meltwater substantially reduced Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation and depressed European temperatures during the early part of the interglacial.Turney and Fogwill thank the Australian Research Council (grants FL100100195, FT120100004, LP120200724). Thanks to Bjørn Buchardt for providing the C:N data, Angela Self for help with statistical analysis, David Campbell and Alan Bedford for laboratory work, and three reviewers for their constructive comments

Training emergency services’ dispatchers to recognise stroke: an interrupted time-series analysis

Background: Stroke is a time-dependent medical emergency in which early presentation to specialist care reduces death and dependency. Up to 70% of all stroke patients obtain first medical contact from the Emergency Medical Services (EMS). Identifying ‘true stroke’ from an EMS call is challenging, with over 50% of strokes being misclassified. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the training package on the recognition of stroke by Emergency Medical Dispatchers (EMDs). Methods: This study took place in an ambulance service and a hospital in England using an interrupted time-series design. Suspected stroke patients were identified in one week blocks, every three weeks over an 18 month period, during which time the training was implemented. Patients were included if they had a diagnosis of stroke (EMS or hospital). The effect of the intervention on the accuracy of dispatch diagnosis was investigated using binomial (grouped) logistic regression. Results: In the Pre-implementation period EMDs correctly identified 63% of stroke patients; this increased to 80% Post-implementation. This change was significant (p=0.003), reflecting an improvement in identifying stroke patients relative to the Pre-implementation period both the During-implementation (OR=4.10 [95% CI 1.58 to 10.66]) and Post-implementation (OR=2.30 [95% CI 1.07 to 4.92]) periods. For patients with a final diagnosis of stroke who had been dispatched as stroke there was a marginally non-significant 2.8 minutes (95% CI −0.2 to 5.9 minutes, p=0.068)reduction between Pre- and Post-implementation periods from call to arrival of the ambulance at scene. Conclusions: This is the first study to develop, implement and evaluate the impact of a training package for EMDs with the aim of improving the recognition of stroke. Training led to a significant increase in the proportion of stroke patients dispatched as such by EMDs; a small reduction in time from call to arrival at scene by the ambulance also appeared likely. The training package has been endorsed by the UK Stroke Forum Education and Training, and is free to access on-line

Aggregates in blood filter chambers used from the plasma donations of anti-D donors: evaluation for monoclonal antibody discovery using phage display.

BACKGROUND: RhD-immunoglobulin (RhIg) prevents anti-D alloimmunisation in D-negative pregnant women when the fetus is D-positive, reducing the incidence of haemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn. Manufacturing RhIg is reliant on the limited supply of plasma donations with anti-D antibodies. Monoclonal antibody (mAb) development platforms such as phage display, require blood samples to be collected from anti-D donors, which may be a complicated process. The blood filter chamber (BFC) discarded after an anti-D donor's donation might provide a source of Ig-encoding RNA. This study aims to evaluate whether used BFCs are a suitable source of Ig-encoding RNA for phage display. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Haemonetics PCS2 BFCs were obtained from 10 anti-D donors for total RNA extraction, cDNA synthesis and amplification of VH and VL IgG sequences for assembly of single-chain variable fragments (scFvs). A scFv-phage display library was constructed and 3 rounds of biopanning were performed using D-positive and D-negative red blood cells (RBCs). Positive phage clones were isolated, Sanger sequenced and, where possible, reformatted into full-length human IgGs to define specificity. The BFC aggregates from 2 anti-D donors underwent a Wright-Giemsa stain and hematological cell count. RESULTS: Of 10 BFCs, a sufficient yield of total RNA for library construction was obtained from BFCs containing cellular aggregates (n=5). Aggregate analysis showed lymphocytes were the cellular source of Ig-encoding RNA. From the 5 samples with aggregates, scFvs were assembled from amplified IgG variable regions. The library constructed from 1 of these samples resulted in the isolation of clones binding to D-positive RBCs with IGHV3 gene usage. Of the 4 reformatted IgG, 3 were anti-D and 1 had undefined specificity. DISCUSSION: BFC aggregates are a new and convenient source of Ig-encoding RNA which can be used to construct Ig gene libraries for mAb isolation and discovery via antibody phage display

Early warnings and missed alarms for abrupt monsoon transitions

Journal ArticlePalaeo-records from China demonstrate that the East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM) is dominated by abrupt and large magnitude monsoon shifts on millennial timescales, switching between periods of high and weak monsoon rains. It has been hypothesized that over these timescales, the EASM exhibits two stable states with bifurcation-Type tipping points between them. Here we test this hypothesis by looking for early warning signals of past bifurcations in speleothem δ18O records from Sanbao Cave and Hulu Cave, China, spanning the penultimate glacial cycle. We find that although there are increases in both autocorrelation and variance preceding some of the monsoon transitions during this period, it is only immediately prior to the abrupt monsoon shift at the penultimate deglaciation (Termination II) that statistically significant increases are detected. To supplement our data analysis, we produce and analyse multiple model simulations that we derive from these data. We find hysteresis behaviour in our model simulations with transitions directly forced by solar insolation. However, signals of critical slowing down, which occur on the approach to a bifurcation, are only detectable in the model simulations when the change in system stability is sufficiently slow to be detected by the sampling resolution of the data set. This raises the possibility that the early warning "alarms" were missed in the speleothem data over the period 224-150 kyr and it was only at the monsoon termination that the change in the system stability was sufficiently slow to detect early warning signals

A 700-year paleoecological record of boreal ecosystem responses to climatic variation from Alaska

Copyright by the Ecological Society of America © 2008. Willy Tinner, Christian Bigler, Sharon Gedye, Irene Gregory-Eaves, Richard T. Jones, Petra Kaltenrieder, Urs Krähenbühl, and Feng Sheng Hu 2008. A 700-YEAR PALEOECOLOGICAL RECORD OF BOREAL ECOSYSTEM RESPONSES TO CLIMATIC VARIATION FROM ALASKA. Ecology 89:729–743. http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/06-1420.1Recent observations and model simulations have highlighted the sensitivity of the forest–tundra ecotone to climatic forcing. In contrast, paleoecological studies have not provided evidence of tree-line fluctuations in response to Holocene climatic changes in Alaska, suggesting that the forest–tundra boundary in certain areas may be relatively stable at multicentennial to millennial time scales. We conducted a multiproxy study of sediment cores from an Alaskan lake near the altitudinal limits of key boreal-forest species. Paleoecological data were compared with independent climatic reconstructions to assess ecosystem responses of the forest–tundra boundary to Little Ice Age (LIA) climatic fluctuations. Pollen, diatom, charcoal, macrofossil, and magnetic analyses provide the first continuous record of vegetation–fire–climate interactions at decadal to centennial time scales during the past 700 years from southern Alaska. Boreal-forest diebacks characterized by declines of Picea mariana, P. glauca, and tree Betula occurred during the LIA (AD 1500–1800), whereas shrubs (Alnus viridis, Betula glandulosa/nana) and herbaceous taxa (Epilobium, Aconitum) expanded. Marked increases in charcoal abundance and changes in magnetic properties suggest increases in fire importance and soil erosion during the same period. In addition, the conspicuous reduction or disappearance of certain aquatic (e.g., Isoetes, Nuphar, Pediastrum) and wetland (Sphagnum) plants and major shifts in diatom assemblages suggest pronounced lake-level fluctuations and rapid ecosystem reorganization in response to LIA climatic deterioration. Our results imply that temperature shifts of 1–2°C, when accompanied by major changes in moisture balance, can greatly alter high-altitudinal terrestrial, wetland, and aquatic ecosystems, including conversion between boreal-forest tree line and tundra. The climatic and ecosystem variations in our study area appear to be coherent with changes in solar irradiance, suggesting that changes in solar activity contributed to the environmental instability of the past 700 years