Couplings and Rotating Machines

Short CourseThis course covers the application of couplings on rotating machines. It covers both drive and driven machines with their characteristics, and how this affects the coupling. It will also cover the various types of coupling in the market, and where they are utilised. It then looks at the oil and gas industry needs, and why certain couplings are preferred. Other subjects that are included are shaft end connections, balancing, shaft alignment and failure analysis. It concludes with coupling selection, derived from the data provided from the customer

Should video laryngoscopy or direct laryngoscopy be used for adults undergoing endotracheal intubation in the pre-hospital setting? A critical appraisal of a systematic review

The safety and utility of endotracheal intubation by paramedics in the United Kingdom is a matter of debate. Considering the controversy surrounding the safety of paramedic-performed endotracheal intubation, any interventions that enhance patient safety should be evaluated for implementation based on solid evidence of their effectiveness. A systematic review performed by Hansel and colleagues (2022) sought to assess compare video laryngoscopes against direct laryngoscopes in clinical practice. This commentary aims to critically appraise the methods used within the review by Hansel et al (2022) and expand upon the findings in the context of clinical practice

Prevalence, severity and preventability of prehospital patient safety incidents

The provision of safe and effective healthcare is a mainstay for all services and clinicians associated with the delivery of prehospital care; however, little is empirically known about the prevalence and impact of harm caused in the prehospital phase. This commentary critically appraises a recent systematic review which sought to identify the frequency of patient safety incidents and the harm associated with them in prehospital care. Abstract published with permission

Impact of COVID-19 on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest care processes

Early bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation, use of defibrillators (including automated external defibrillators) and timely treatment by emergency medical services are known to increase the chances of survival for a patient experiencing an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). However, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on this is unclear from examining previous literature. This commentary critically appraises a recent systematic review and meta-analysis, which assessed the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on prehospital care for OHCA

A quantitative method for the study of HIV-1 and Mycobacterium tuberculosis co-infection.

M. tuberculosis and HIV-1 syndemic interactions are a major global health concern. Despite the clinical significance of co-infection, our understanding of the cellular pathophysiology and the therapeutic pharmacodynamic impact of co-infection is limited. Here, we use single-round infectious HIV-1 pseudo-typed viral-particles expressing GFP alongside M. tuberculosis expressing mCherry to study pathogenesis and treatment. We report that HIV-1 infection inhibited intracellular replication of M. tuberculosis and demonstrate the therapeutic activity of antiviral treatment (efavirenz) and antimicrobial treatment (rifampicin). The described method could be applied for detailed mechanistic studies to inform the development of novel treatment strategies

Mars 2020 Entry, Descent, and Landing Instrumentation 2 (MEDLI2) Sensor Suite

The Mars 2020 Entry, Descent, and Landing Instrumentation 2 (MEDLI2) sensor suite seeks to address the aerodynamic, aerothermodynamic, and thermal protection system (TPS) performance issues during atmospheric entry, descent, and landing of the Mars 2020 mission. Based on the highly successful instrumentation suite that flew on Mars Science Laboratory (MEDLI), the new sensor suite expands on the types of measurements and also seeks to answer questions not fully addressed by the previous mission. Sensor Package: MEDLI2 consists of 7 pressure transducers, 17 thermal plugs, 2 heat flux sensors, and one radiometer. The sensors are distributed across both the heatshield and backshell, unlike MEDLI (the first sensor suite), which was located solely on the heat-shield. The sensors will measure supersonic pressure on the forebody, a pressure measurement on the aftbody, near-surface and in-depth temperatures in the heatshield and backshell TPS materials, direct total heat flux on the aftbody, and direct radiative heating on the aftbody. Instrument Development: The supersonic pressure transducers, the direct heat flux sensors, and the radiometer all were tested during the development phase. The status of these sensors, including the piezo-resistive pressure sensors, will be presented. The current plans for qualification and calibration for all of the sensors will also be discussed. Post-Flight Data Analysis: Similar to MEDLI, the estimated flight trajectory will be reconstructed from the data. The aerodynamic parameters that will be reconstructed will be the axial force coefficient, freestream Mach number, base pressure, atmospheric density, and winds. The aerothermal quantities that will be determined are the heatshield and backshell aero-heating, turbulence transition across the heatshield, and TPS in-depth performance of PICA. By directly measuring the radiative and total heat fluxes on the back-shell, the convective portion of the heat flux will be estimated. The status of the current tools to perform the post-flight data analysis will be presented, along with plans for model improvements

A Quantitative Method for the Study of HIV-1 and Mycobacterium tuberculosis Coinfection

Mycobacterium tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) syndemic interactions are a major global health concern. Despite the clinical significance of coinfection, our understanding of the cellular pathophysiology and the therapeutic pharmacodynamic impact of coinfection is limited. Here, we use single-round infectious HIV-1 pseudotyped viral particles expressing green fluorescent protein alongside M. tuberculosis expressing mCherry to study pathogenesis and treatment. We report that HIV-1 infection inhibited intracellular replication of M. tuberculosis and demonstrate the therapeutic activity of antiviral treatment (efavirenz) and antimicrobial treatment (rifampicin). The described method could be applied for detailed mechanistic studies to inform the development of novel treatment strategies

Dual Lipolytic Control of Body Fat Storage and Mobilization in Drosophila

Energy homeostasis is a fundamental property of animal life, providing a genetically fixed balance between fat storage and mobilization. The importance of body fat regulation is emphasized by dysfunctions resulting in obesity and lipodystrophy in humans. Packaging of storage fat in intracellular lipid droplets, and the various molecules and mechanisms guiding storage-fat mobilization, are conserved between mammals and insects. We generated a Drosophila mutant lacking the receptor (AKHR) of the adipokinetic hormone signaling pathway, an insect lipolytic pathway related to ß-adrenergic signaling in mammals. Combined genetic, physiological, and biochemical analyses provide in vivo evidence that AKHR is as important for chronic accumulation and acute mobilization of storage fat as is the Brummer lipase, the homolog of mammalian adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL). Simultaneous loss of Brummer and AKHR causes extreme obesity and blocks acute storage-fat mobilization in flies. Our data demonstrate that storage-fat mobilization in the fly is coordinated by two lipocatabolic systems, which are essential to adjust normal body fat content and ensure lifelong fat-storage homeostasis