Drug-drug interactions in an intensive care unit of a tertiary hospital in southern Chile: Evaluating databases agreement

Context: Patients in intensive care units have a high risk of experiencing a pharmacological interaction due to complex pharmacotherapy, severe disease, and comorbidities; increasing the risk of adverse effects of medications. Electronic databases are useful sources to identify drug-drug interactions (DDI), especially when new therapeutic alternatives are added to conventional treatments. Aim: To identify the frequency and severity of potential drug-drug interactions (pDDIs) in ICU patients using three electronic databases. Methods: Clinical pharmacists collected data on medication dosage and route of administration, sex, age, length of stay, comorbidities, and APACHE II score using patient records. Micromedex, Medscape, and Lexicomp databases were used to identify and categorize pDDIs. Intensivists confirmed if a pDDI was clinically present. kappa concordance test was utilized as a measure of agreement among databases. Results: Of the 93 ICU patients studied, pDDIs were identified in 89. A positive incremental relationship was found between number of medications, length of stay, and number of pDDIs. Patients with respiratory pathologies were most predisposed to presenting DDIs. Agreement among databases was mixed. Intensivists confirmed 5% of pDDIs. Conclusions: Discrepancies among databases and in intensivist judgment highlight a significant information gap in the identification of DDIs

Search for an interaction mediated by axion-like particles with ultracold neutrons at the PSI

We report on a search for a new, short-range, spin-dependent interaction using a modified version of the experimental apparatus used to measure the permanent neutron electric dipole moment at the Paul Scherrer Institute. This interaction, which could be mediated by axion-like particles, concerned the unpolarized nucleons (protons and neutrons) near the material surfaces of the apparatus and polarized ultracold neutrons stored in vacuum. The dominant systematic uncertainty resulting from magnetic-field gradients was controlled to an unprecedented level of approximately 4 pT/cm using an array of optically-pumped cesium vapor magnetometers and magnetic-field maps independently recorded using a dedicated measurement device. No signature of a theoretically predicted new interaction was found, and we set a new limit on the product of the scalar and the pseudoscalar couplings $g_sg_p\lambda^2 < 8.3 \times 10^{-28}\,\text{m}^2$ (95% C.L.) in a range of $5\,\mu\text{m} < \lambda < 25\,\text{mm}$ for the monopole-dipole interaction. This new result confirms and improves our previous limit by a factor of 2.7 and provides the current tightest limit obtained with free neutrons

Hsu-Nielsen source acoustic emission data on a concrete block

Data presented in this paper are utilized in the paper entitled “Acoustic Emission Bayesian Source Location: Onset Time Challenge” [1]. Hsu-Nielsen source which also known as pencil lead break (PLB), is an artificial method of generating acoustic emission (AE) signals, which can roughly represent an acoustic emission damage source. The data in this paper represent AE signals emitted by conducting PLBs on a concrete block. The test was repeated ten times for three different locations. The resulted stress waves were captured by piezoelectric acoustic emission sensors and acquired as the electrical signals. The signals were digitized according to a specified sampling rate and were presented as voltage amplitudes. Each PLB was registered by several sensors (data acquisition channels). The data are presented for each PLB and channel. Furthermore, the geometry and mixture design of the concrete block, sensor types, sensor locations, and PLB locations are reported. The data can be used for validation of source location algorithms, signal processing, and sensor calibration. Keywords: Acoustic emission, Pencil lead break, Concrete block, Onset tim

Load testing techniques for the strength evaluation of existing reinforced concrete structures

Evaluating the condition of existing reinforced concrete structures is generally undertaken if the integrity of a structure is in question or if there is concern regarding the structure meeting the safety requirements. Strength evaluation may be undertaken, for example, after extreme events (such as earthquakes) or if the structure will be used for a new function. In situ load testing may play a role in the evaluation process. Currently, the American Concrete Institute (ACI) covers in situ load testing in two separate standards: (a) ACI 318 "Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete, and (b) ACI 437 "Code Requirements for Load Testing of Existing Concrete Structures. The latter is referenced by ACI 562 "Code Requirements for Evaluation, Repair, and Rehabilitation of Concrete Buildings". In situ load testing methods include the application of a pre-determined load in combination with response measurements of the structure. The main response measurement is deflection, but rotation, strain, crack width, acoustic emission, and other measurements may be included. In this paper, the two aforementioned load testing approaches are compared and evaluated in terms of load test procedure, load magnitude, loading criteria, and acceptance criteria. © 2016 ASCE