XVII th World Congress of the International Commission of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (CIGR) SOIL FAILURE MODE IN FRONT OF A MULTIPLE-TIP HORIZONTALLY- OPERATED PENETROMETER AFFECTED BY DEPTH/WIDTH RATIO OF ITS TIP AND SHANK CSBE100536 -Presen

ABSTRACT Mechanical resistance of a soil to failure has been widely used to estimate the degree of soil compaction. Our previous study showed that the magnitude of force which was measured by the horizontally-operated penetrometer depends on the soil failure mode in front of the sensor. This research investigated whether the critical depth (d c ) where soil failure transitions from brittle to compressive was dictated by depth/width ratio (DWR) of the prismatic tip, or of the shank of the sensor. Two horizontally-operated soil penetrometers were developed. In the first sensor, the width of the shank was the same as the prismatic tip, which was 18 mm. In the second sensor, the width of the shank (36 mm) was twice as much as the tip. The sensors were tested in a field with a soil texture of silty clay loam and with gravimetric water content (WC) of 4 to 18% at forward speed of 0.5 m s -1 . The results showed that the d c for 36 mm wide shank sensor was approximately 210 mm (a DWR of about 6), whereas for the 18 mm wide shank sensor, the d c was at depth of 110 mm (a DWR of about 6). The d c increased with an increase in the width of the shank and decreased with an increase in soil WC. There was no interaction between the adjacent 100 mm distance tips as long as they operated below the d c . In both sensors, the d c was dictated by DWR of the shank. Visual observations showed that, in some cases, when the prismatic tip was located slightly above the d c , a trace of prismatic tip in undisturbed soil could be vividly seen. This revealed that the prismatic tip was moving ahead of the soil rupture planes which radiated from the shank shin to the surface. It can be concluded that for the tip which is located just above the d c , the length of its rod can be selected so it can operate in undisturbed soil (inducing compressive failure) ahead of soil disturbance (i.e. brittle failure) imposed by the shank

Variation in menopausal vasomotor symptoms outcomes in clinical trials: A systematic review

Background There is substantial variation in how menopausal vasomotor symptoms are reported and measured among intervention studies. This has prevented meaningful comparisons between treatments and limited data synthesis. Objectives To review systematically the outcome reporting and measures used to assess menopausal vasomotor symptoms from randomised controlled trials of treatments. Search strategy We searched MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from inception to May 2018. Selection criteria Randomised controlled trials with a primary outcome of menopausal vasomotor symptoms in women and a sample size of at least 20 women per study arm. Data collection and analysis Data about study characteristics, primary vasomotor-related outcomes and methods of measuring them. Main results The search identified 5591 studies, 214 of which were included. Forty-nine different primary reported outcomes were identified for vasomotor symptoms and 16 different tools had been used to measure these outcomes. The most commonly reported outcomes were frequency (97/214), severity (116/214), and intensity (28/114) of vasomotor symptoms or a composite of these outcomes (68/214). There was little consistency in how the frequency and severity/intensity of vasomotor symptoms were defined. Conclusions There is substantial variation in how menopausal vasomotor symptoms have been reported and measured in treatment trials. Future studies should include standardised outcome measures which reflect the priorities of patients, clinicians, and researchers. This is most effectively achieved through the development of a Core Outcome Set. This systematic review is the first step towards development of a Core Outcome Set for menopausal vasomotor symptoms. Tweetable summary Menopausal hot flushes and night sweats have been reported in 49 different ways in clinical research. A core outcome set is urgently required

PRINTO/PRES international website for families of children with rheumatic diseases: www.pediatric-rheumatology.printo.it

Methods: Firstly, paediatric rheumatology centres and family self help associations were surveyed to characterise current clinical practice of physicians providing care for children with PRD, research activities, and training facilities of each centre. Secondly, international consensus was reached on the content of the website. Finally, the website was developed and the texts translated. Results: The web page contains three main sections: (a) description for families of the characteristics of 15 PRD; (b) list of paediatric rheumatology centres; (c) contact information for family self help associations. A version for 45 countries in 52 languages (with another three in progress) is now available on the web. 291 surveys from 171 centres and 102 family associations were received from 42 countries. The median proportion of time spent in paediatric practice in the centres examined was 100%, with 70% of this time dedicated to paediatric rheumatology. 90% of the centres were willing to perform clinical trials in the future. Conclusions: The PRINTO/PRES website provides a well defined and competent set of information about PRD, with appropriate multiple translated versions and easy web navigational direction