Unsteady Two-Dimensional Orifice Flow: A Large-Size Experimental Investigation

Orifice flows were used as water clocks since the Antiquity up to the 16-th century. Today orifices and nozzles are used for measuring discharges. Most works were conducted with steady flow conditions and there is little information on the unsteady flow pattern. In this study, the writers describe an experimental investigation of an unsteady orifice flow discharging vertically. The study was conducted in a large-size facility with a rectangular orifice (0.75-m by 0.07-m) discharging up to 1.2 m3 in about 10 seconds. The study presents new information on the unsteady flow patterns, the discharge capacity and the velocity field in the reservoir. The results are compared with 'classical' orifice flow results

Acoustic radiation by vortex induced flexible wall vibration

Sound radiation due to unsteady interaction between an inviscid vortex (which models a turbulent eddy) and a finite length flexible boundary in a two-dimensional space is studied using potential theory and the matched asymptotic expansion technique. The Mach number of the vortex propagation is kept below 0.15. Results suggest that the monopole field created by the volumetric flow induced by the vibrating flexible boundary dominates the overall acoustic power radiation. The longitudinal dipole directly due to the transverse vortex acceleration is only important when the vortex is moving over the flexible boundary. The longitudinal dipole resulting from the boundary vibration gains slightly in importance in the strong vortex case, but the corresponding transverse dipole remains negligible for the cases considered in the present study. The two longitudinal dipoles give rise to biased radiation directivities on both sides of the flexible boundary. © 2005 Acoustical Society of America.published_or_final_versio

Do cancer helplines deliver benefits to people affected by cancer? A systematic review

OBJECTIVES: To determine the: (1) proportion of studies that describe characteristics of helpline service delivery, compared to the proportion that report trials testing efficacy or effectiveness of helplines in changing user outcomes; (2) proportion of efficacy or effectiveness studies that meet EPOC criteria for methodological rigor; and (3) potential benefits of cancer helplines for people affected by cancer based on findings from rigorous efficacy or effectiveness trials. METHODS: Electronic databases (Medline, PsycINFO, EMBASE and CINAHL) were searched to identify English-language studies describing original research published from 1991 to 2011. RESULTS: Twenty-eight publications met the review inclusion criteria. From these studies, data on: the characteristics of cancer helpline users; call content; and user satisfaction, were extracted. The potential for helplines to improve the psychosocial outcomes of callers was examined for the three intervention trials. CONCLUSION: There is a lack of robust evidence regarding the level and types of benefits that cancer helplines may deliver to callers affected by cancer. Given increased emphasis on delivering best-practise supportive care, building the evidence base in this field may assist cancer helplines to increase their service uptake, reach, and benefit to callers. PRACTISE IMPLICATIONS: There is a need for more rigorous intervention-focussed studies in this field across a broader range of cancer populations. Future studies should focus on relevant patient-centred outcomes, such as improved knowledge and greater involvement in decision-making, while incorporating process measures to account for intervention fidelity and clinical performanc

Pilot study of biomarkers of chemotherapy-induced Gastrointestinal Toxicity

Abstract no. 331Chemotherapy regimens containing 5-fl uorouracil, capecitabine or irinotecan are commonly associated with severe gastrointestinal toxicity. A predominant adverse event of these agents is complicated diarrhoea. There are currently no satisfactory ways to predict patients most at risk of developing diarrhoea during treatment, or adequate early markers to signal impending problems. As such, this pilot study investigated potential biomarkers of therapy-induced diarrhoea. Patients scheduled to receive anti-cancer regimens containing 5-fl uorouracil, capecitabine or irinotecan were recruited from a single institution. Patient blood and stool samples were collected before starting, and on day 2, 5, and 10 of one chemotherapy cycle. Serum extracellular matrix proteins, MMP-2, -3 and -9, and pro-infl ammatory cytokines, TNF-alpha, Il-1B and NFkB were assayed by ELISA. Fecal DNA was extracted and examined for Bifi dobacterium and Ecoli microfl ora gene expression. Time course data was grouped to assess overall changes in biomarkers levels. Patient data was also paired, where possible, to observe inter-individual variability. All data presented as mean ± SEM. Sixteen patients participated in the study between April 2009 and July 2009. All patients provided at least one blood and stool sample. MMP3 increased 5.74-fold from baseline on day 2 (0.303 ± 0.98 vs 1.740 ± 0.71 ng/ml). NFkB levels showed a peak increase of 4.51-fold from baseline on day 2 (0.190 ± 0.16 vs 0.856 ± 0.63) and TNFa rose 6.38-fold on day 10 (0.929 ± 0.89 vs 5.932 ± 4.90 pg/ml). Potentially pathogenic microfl ora, Ecoli, was increased 5.16-fold from baseline on day 10 (0.028 ± 0.008 vs 0.146 ± 0.07). All other biomarkers remained relatively unchanged. Our preliminary fi ndings suggest that MMP3, NFkB, TNFa and Ecoli are potential biomarkers of gastrointestinal toxicity induced by specific chemotherapy agents. Further analysis is required to determine if biomarker levels correlate with patient symptoms. Confi rmation of these fi ndings in a larger cohort would enable improved detection of pre-toxic patients allowing early interventions for chemotherapy-induced diarrhoea.N. Al-Dasooqi, B. Mayo, A. Stringer, R. Gibson, J. Bowen, D. Keef