Neutron radiography for visualization of liquid metal processes: Bubbly flow for CO2 free production of Hydrogen and solidification processes in em field

The paper describes the results of two experimental investigations aimed to extend the abilities of a neutron radiography to visualize two-phase processes in the electromagnetically (EM) driven melt flow. In the first experiment the Argon bubbly flow in the molten Gallium - a simulation of the CO2 free production of Hydrogen process - was investigated and visualized. Abilities of EM stirring for control on the bubbles residence time in the melt were tested. The second experiment was directed to visualization of a solidification front formation under the influence of EM field. On the basis of the neutron shadow pictures the form of growing ingot, influenced by turbulent flows, was considered. In the both cases rotating permanent magnets were agitating the melt flow. The experimental results have shown that the neutron radiography can be successfully employed for obtaining the visual information about the described processes.LIMTEC

Author as a corporal subject of a. Huxley’s works

The relevance of the problem studied in the article is conditioned by the fact that A. Huxley’s works are regarded in the context of the modern theory of mimesis for the first time. The aim of the article is to analyze the author’s problem as a corporal subject of Huxley’s works in the context of the modern theory of mimesis. The leading method for studying this problem is the analytical anthropology of literature which allows describing mimetic features and the author’s image as a corporal subject of Huxley’s works. The main attention in the article is paid to the artistically embodied forms of the author’s corporality. The article may be useful for philologists, philosophers, for developing courses and seminars on the history of the English literature, and also within courses on the anthropology of literature. © 2016 Falaleeva et al

A Comparison of Photometric Redshift Techniques for Large Radio Surveys

Future radio surveys will generate catalogs of tens of millions of radio sources, for which redshift estimates will be essential to achieve many of the science goals. However, spectroscopic data will be available for only a small fraction of these sources, and in most cases even the optical and infrared photometry will be of limited quality. Furthermore, radio sources tend to be at higher redshift than most optical sources (most radio surveys have a median redshift greater than 1) and so a significant fraction of radio sources hosts differ from those for which most photometric redshift templates are designed. We therefore need to develop new techniques for estimating the redshifts of radio sources. As a starting point in this process, we evaluate a number of machine-learning techniques for estimating redshift, together with a conventional template-fitting technique. We pay special attention to how the performance is affected by the incompleteness of the training sample and by sparseness of the parameter space or by limited availability of ancillary multiwavelength data. As expected, we find that the quality of the photometric-redshift degrades as the quality of the photometry decreases, but that even with the limited quality of photometry available for all-sky-surveys, useful redshift information is available for the majority of sources, particularly at low redshift. We find that a template-fitting technique performs best in the presence of high-quality and almost complete multi-band photometry, especially if radio sources that are also X-ray emitting are treated separately, using specific templates and priors. When we reduced the quality of photometry to match that available for the EMU all-sky radio survey, the quality of the template-fitting degraded and became comparable to some of the machine-learning methods. Machine learning techniques currently perform better at low redshift than at high redshift, because of incompleteness of the currently available training data at high redshifts

Liquid metals for solar power systems

The use of liquid metals in solar power systems is not new. The receiver tests with liquid sodium in the 1980s at the Plataforma Solar de Almería (PSA) already proved the feasibility of liquid metals as heat transfer fluid. Despite the high efficiency achieved with that receiver, further investigation of liquid metals in solar power systems was stopped due to a sodium spray fire. Recently, the topic has become interesting again and the gained experience during the last 30 years of liquid metals handling is applied to the concentrated solar power community. In this paper, recent activities of the Helmholtz Alliance LIMTECH concerning liquid metals for solar power systems are presented. In addition to the components and system simulations also the experimental setup and results are included

A comparison of photometric redshift techniques for large radio surveys

Future radio surveys will generate catalogs of tens of millions of radio sources, for which redshift estimates will be essential to achieve many of the science goals. However, spectroscopic data will be available for only a small fraction of these sources, and in most cases even the optical and infrared photometry will be of limited quality. Furthermore, radio sources tend to be at higher redshift than most optical sources (most radio surveys have a median redshift greater than 1) and so a significant fraction of radio sources hosts differ from those for which most photometric redshift templates are designed. We therefore need to develop new techniques for estimating the redshifts of radio sources. As a starting point in this process, we evaluate a number of machine-learning techniques for estimating redshift, together with a conventional template-fitting technique. We pay special attention to how the performance is affected by the incompleteness of the training sample and by sparseness of the parameter space or by limited availability of ancillary multiwavelength data. As expected, we find that the quality of the photometric-redshift degrades as the quality of the photometry decreases, but that even with the limited quality of photometry available for all-sky-surveys, useful redshift information is available for the majority of sources, particularly at low redshift. We find that a template-fitting technique performs best in the presence of high-quality and almost complete multi-band photometry, especially if radio sources that are also X-ray emitting are treated separately, using specific templates and priors. When we reduced the quality of photometry to match that available for the EMU all-sky radio survey, the quality of the template-fitting degraded and became comparable to some of the machine-learning methods. Machine learning techniques currently perform better at low redshift than at high redshift, because of incompleteness of the currently available training data at high redshifts

Comparison of REMS, NEWS, qSOFA and SIRS criteria scales for sepsis prediction in patients with diagnosis “SARS-CoV-2, virus unidentified”: a retrospective observational study

Background. Despite ample research on the coronavirus infection sequence and therapy, the incidence of adverse outcomes remains very high. Sepsis stands among the major factors greatly complicating treatment and increasing the risk of death. A timely identification of highrisk sepsis patients is a cornerstone of effective sepsis prevention.Objectives. A comparative prognostic power assessment between the quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) scale, National Early Warning Score (NEWS), Initial Prehospital Rapid Emergency Medicine Score (REMS) and the Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) criteria for sepsis detection in anaesthetic intensive care patients with a diagnosis: SARS-CoV-2, virus unidentified.Methods. A retrospective observational study included 166 patients over 18-year age with unconfirmed infection (ICD-10 code U07.2). The qSOFA, NEWS, REMS and SIRS point estimates were obtained from each patient. The patients were retrospectively divided in two cohorts by sepsis presence (Sepsis-3 criteria) to determine the express scales power in evaluating the risk of sepsis (estimated as area under ROC curve, AUROC).Results. Data on 102 patients were included in the final analysis. Fifty-eight (57%) patients were terminal, and 55 (54%) developed sepsis. The estimates are as follows: NEWS — AUROC 0.848 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.764–0.912], sensitivity 76.36% [95% CI 63.0–86.8], specificity 82.98% [95% CI 69.2–92.4], optimal cut-off threshold >5 points; qSOFA — AUROC 0.700 [95% CI 0.602–0.787], sensitivity 76.36% [95% CI 63.0–86.8], specificity 61.70% [95% CI 46.4–75.5], optimal cut-off threshold >0 points; REMS — AUROC 0.739 [95% CI 0.643–0.821], sensitivity 69.09% [95% CI 55.2–80.9], specificity 65.96% [95% CI 50.7–79.1], optimal cut-off threshold >5 points; SIRS criteria — AUROC 0.723 [95% CI 0.626–0.807], sensitivity 98.18% [95% CI 90.3–100.0], specificity 31.91% [95% CI 19.1–47.1], optimal cut-off threshold >0 points.Conclusion. The NEWS scale revealed a good prognostic power to estimate the risk of sepsis in patients with suspected COVID-19 disease. The qSOFA, REMS scales and SIRS criteria possess a good calibration capacity, albeit insufficient resolution, which limits their prognostic value

ВЛИЯНИЕ ФУНКЦИОНАЛЬНОГО СОСТОЯНИЯ ПАЦИЕНТОВ ПОЖИЛОГО И СТАРЧЕСКОГО ВОЗРАСТА НА ЧАСТОТУ ИНТРАОПЕРАЦИОННЫХ КРИТИЧЕСКИХ ИНЦИДЕНТОВ

The correlation between the age and wakefulness level evaluated as per the value of constant potential and  frequency of critical incidence occurrence has been investigated in 160 patients who had planned surgery with combined anesthesia due to the colon tumor. The latter depended on the age, it was the lowest in the high level of wakefulness and it was high in the low level of wakefulness regardless of the age. У 160 пациентов, планово оперированных в условиях сочетанной анестезии по поводу опухолей толстой кишки, изучена связь возраста и уровня бодрствования, оценённого по величине постоянного потенциала, с частотой развития критических инцидентов. Последняя зависела от возраста, была наименьшей при высоком уровне бодрствования, а при низком уровне бодрствования оказалась высокой независимо от возраста

A Comparison of Photometric Redshift Techniques for Large Radio Surveys

Future radio surveys will generate catalogs of tens of millions of radio sources, for which redshift estimates will be essential to achieve many of the science goals. However, spectroscopic data will be available for only a small fraction of these sources, and in most cases even the optical and infrared photometry will be of limited quality. Furthermore, radio sources tend to be at higher redshift than most optical sources (most radio surveys have a median redshift greater than 1) and so a significant fraction of radio sources hosts differ from those for which most photometric redshift templates are designed. We therefore need to develop new techniques for estimating the redshifts of radio sources. As a starting point in this process, we evaluate a number of machine-learning techniques for estimating redshift, together with a conventional template-fitting technique. We pay special attention to how the performance is affected by the incompleteness of the training sample and by sparseness of the parameter space or by limited availability of ancillary multiwavelength data. As expected, we find that the quality of the photometric-redshift degrades as the quality of the photometry decreases, but that even with the limited quality of photometry available for all-sky-surveys, useful redshift information is available for the majority of sources, particularly at low redshift. We find that a template-fitting technique performs best in the presence of high-quality and almost complete multi-band photometry, especially if radio sources that are also X-ray emitting are treated separately, using specific templates and priors. When we reduced the quality of photometry to match that available for the EMU all-sky radio survey, the quality of the template-fitting degraded and became comparable to some of the machine-learning methods. Machine learning techniques currently perform better at low redshift than at high redshift, because of incompleteness of the currently available training data at high redshifts

Влияние отмены ИАПФ/БРА на риск развития послеоперационных осложнений в абдоминальной хирургии

A significant proportion of patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery receive therapy with angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors/angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), which are usually prescribed for treatment of arterial hypertension and CHF. Current guidelines fail to provide clear consensus on whether it is worth discontinuing ACEi/ARBs before non-cardiac surgery. The aim of this research was to assess the contribution of pre-op ACEi/ARBs withdrawal to the development of postoperative complications in patients after abdominal surgery using data from STOPRISK database.Materials and methods. Data of 1945 patients from of the STOPRISK database was used for the analysis. Patients were retrospectively divided into two groups: first group (N=471, 24.2%) included patients subjected to ACEi/ARBs withdrawal 24 hours before surgery, second group (N=1474, 75.8%) included patients continuing on ACEi/ARBs therapy. The 30-day outcomes were analyzed — postoperative complications (acute kidney injury, acute respiratory distress syndrome, anastomosis failure, arrhythmias, circulatory arrest, cardiogenic pulmonary edema, postoperative delirium, myocardial infarction, pneumonia, ileus, postoperative bleeding, pulmonary embolism, acute cerebrovascular accident, wound infection) and mortality. We were not evaluating intraoperative and postoperative arterial hypotension and hypertension, we analyzed the use of vasopressors as a surrogate marker. ACEi/ARBs re-initiation after surgery was not evaluated.Results. One or more post-operative complications were documented in 113 patients (5.8%). Only postoperative delirium was more common in patients (1.06% vs. 0.27%, P=0.027) after ACEi/ARBs withdrawal 24 hours before surgery, the difference reached statistical significance. Sub-analysis in the group of patients with arterial hypertension as the only comorbidity showed no statistically significant differences in the outcomes. Sub-analysis in the group of patients with CFH showed higher incidence of postoperative delirium after ACEi/ARBs withdrawal (2.68% vs. 0.6%, P=0.023). The logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of developing postoperative delirium is influenced by age, vasopressor support, and ACEi/ARBs withdrawal (the area under the curve for the model was 0.92 (0.90–0.93).Conclusion. Rates of pre-op ACEi/ARBs withdrawal (24.2%) are consistent with published data. In the entire cohort, ACEi/ARBs withdrawal resulted in higher incidence of postoperative delirium, as well as in the subgroup of patients with CHF, while ACEi/ARBs withdrawal in the subgroup of patients with arterial hypertension had no influence on postop complications.ACEi/ARBs withdrawal, along with hemodynamic instability and older age, contributes to the development of postoperative delirium, which is the subject of future research. Значительное число пациентов, подвергающихся внесердечным операциям, получает терапию ингибиторами ангиотензинпревращающего фермента (ИАПФ)/блокаторами рецепторов ангиотензина II (БРА), которые обычно назначают в качестве антигипертензивных препаратов и для лечения ХСН. В современных руководствах нет единого мнения о том, стоит ли отменять ИПФ/БРА перед внесердечными операциями.Цель работы — изучение вклада отмены ИАПФ/БРА в развитие послеоперационных осложнений у пациентов в абдоминальной хирургии по данным базы STOPRISK.Методы исследования. В анализ включили данные 1945 пациентов базы данных STOPRISK, которых ретроспективно разделили на пациентов, у которых ИАПФ/БРА отменяли за 24 ч до операции (n=471, 24,2%) и остальных пациентов (n=1474, 75,8%), у которых прием продолжался вплоть до оперативного вмешательства. Изучали 30-дневный исход — послеоперационные осложнения (острое повреждение почек, острый респираторный дистресс-синдром, несостоятельность анастомоза, аритмии, остановка кровообращения, кардиогенный отек легких, послеоперационный делирий, инфаркт миокарда, пневмония, парез кишечника, послеоперационное кровотечение, тромбоэмболия легочной артерии, острое нарушение мозгового кровообращения, раневая инфекция) и летальность. В исследовании не оценивали частоту интраоперационной и послеоперационной гипотензии и гипертензии, применяли суррогатный показатель — частоту применения вазопрессоров. Не оценивали возобновление терапии ИАПФ/БРА в послеоперационный период Результаты. Наличие одного и более осложнения регистрировали у 113 пациентов (5,8%). Статистически значимыми были различия только в частоте послеоперационного делирия — он чаще встречался в группе пациентов, у которых ИАПФ/БРА отменяли за 24 часа до операции (1,06% против 0,27%, р=0,027). При проведении субанализа в подгруппе пациентов, где сопутствующие заболевания были представлены изолированной гипертонической болезнью, статистически значимых различий в исходах не отметили.Субанализ у пациентов, в структуре сопутствующих заболеваний которых присутствовала хроническая сердечная недостаточность, показал большую частоту послеоперационного делирия в группе пациентов, у которых ИАПФ/БРА отменяли (2,68% против 0,6%, р=0,023).Проведенный логистический регрессионный анализ показал, что на риск развития послеоперационного делирия влияют возраст, вазопрессорная поддержка, отмена ИАПФ/БРА (площадь под кривой для модели составила 0,92 (0,90–0,93).Заключение. Частота отмены ИАПФ/БРА (24,2%) соотносится с мировыми данными. В общей когорте отмена ИАПФ/БРА приводила к большей частоте развития послеоперационного делирия, субанализ в группе пациентов с хронической сердечной недостаточностью подтвердил эту закономерность, в группе же пациентов с гипертонической болезнью, отмена ИАПФ/БРА, не влияла на исход. Наряду с гемодинамической нестабильностью и пожилым возрастом, отмена ИАПФ/БРА, вносит вклад в развитие послеоперационного делирия, что требует дальнейшего изучения.