EPIdemiology of Surgery-Associated Acute Kidney Injury (EPIS-AKI) : Study protocol for a multicentre, observational trial

More than 300 million surgical procedures are performed each year. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication after major surgery and is associated with adverse short-term and long-term outcomes. However, there is a large variation in the incidence of reported AKI rates. The establishment of an accurate epidemiology of surgery-associated AKI is important for healthcare policy, quality initiatives, clinical trials, as well as for improving guidelines. The objective of the Epidemiology of Surgery-associated Acute Kidney Injury (EPIS-AKI) trial is to prospectively evaluate the epidemiology of AKI after major surgery using the latest Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) consensus definition of AKI. EPIS-AKI is an international prospective, observational, multicentre cohort study including 10 000 patients undergoing major surgery who are subsequently admitted to the ICU or a similar high dependency unit. The primary endpoint is the incidence of AKI within 72 hours after surgery according to the KDIGO criteria. Secondary endpoints include use of renal replacement therapy (RRT), mortality during ICU and hospital stay, length of ICU and hospital stay and major adverse kidney events (combined endpoint consisting of persistent renal dysfunction, RRT and mortality) at day 90. Further, we will evaluate preoperative and intraoperative risk factors affecting the incidence of postoperative AKI. In an add-on analysis, we will assess urinary biomarkers for early detection of AKI. EPIS-AKI has been approved by the leading Ethics Committee of the Medical Council North Rhine-Westphalia, of the Westphalian Wilhelms-University Münster and the corresponding Ethics Committee at each participating site. Results will be disseminated widely and published in peer-reviewed journals, presented at conferences and used to design further AKI-related trials. Trial registration number NCT04165369

Synthesis, decomposition and phase homogeneity of PLZT powder and*microstructural evolution on densification

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:DXN004842 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Seismic vulnerability of masonry Jack arch slabs

After the industrial revolution, the use of jack arch slabs (JAS) was quite common in many historical structures with the availability of iron and steel in structural engineering field. JAS is a composite system of steel I-beams and masonry bricks, which are placed between steel I-beams. This study focuses on the structural failures and weaknesses of masonry structures with JAS. The aims of this paper are to deeply illustrate the structural vulnerability of masonry JAS and to summarize the positive and negative effects of JAS on structural behavior. Within the scope of this study, this study focuses on historical American Boarding School for Girls in Merzifon, Turkey, which has one-way masonry JAS. It essentially assesses the structural behavior of the school and investigates the seismic vulnerability of JASs. For this purpose, the mechanical properties of the structural materials have been primarily evaluated with experimental tests. Then the finite element analyses have been carried out with the use of three dimension numerical model in order to investigate the structural behavior of the structure. © 2017 Elsevier Lt