Development of a Low-Cost 6 DOF Brick Tracking System for Use in Advanced Gas-Cooled Reactor Model Tests

This paper presents the design of a low-cost, compact instrumentation system to enable six degree of freedom motion tracking of acetal bricks within an experimental model of a cracked Advanced Gas-Cooled Reactor (AGR) core. The system comprises optical and inertial sensors and capitalises on the advantages offered by data fusion techniques. The optical system tracks LED indicators, allowing a brick to be accurately located even in cluttered images. The LED positions are identified using a geometrical correspondence algorithm, which was optimised to be computationally efficient for shallow movements, and complex camera distortions are corrected using a versatile Incident Ray-Tracking calibration. Then, a Perspective-Ray-based Scaled Orthographic projection with Iteration (PRSOI) algorithm is applied to each LED position to determine the six degree of freedom pose. Results from experiments show that the system achieves a low Root Mean Squared (RMS) error of 0.2296 mm in x, 0.3943 mm in y, and 0.0703 mm in z. Although providing an accurate measurement solution, the optical tracking system has a low sample rate and requires the line of sight to be maintained throughout each test. To increase the robustness, accuracy, and sampling frequency of the system, the optical system can be augmented with an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU). This paper presents a method to integrate the optical system and IMU data by accurately timestamping data from each set of sensors and aligning the two coordinate axes. Once miniaturised, the developed system will be used to track smaller components within the AGR models that cannot be tracked with current instrumentation, expanding reactor core modelling capabilities

Safety of an intravenous formulation of lamotrigine

AbstractPurposeIntravenous (IV) formulations are useful when treating patients where oral administration is not possible and to study certain pharmacokinetic parameters such as bioavailability. We developed a stable-labeled IV formulation of lamotrigine (LTG) for studying pharmacokinetics in epilepsy patients.MethodsStable-labeled IV LTG was given to 20 persons with epilepsy (6 men; 14 women) with a mean age of 34.8 years (SD 11.7). A 50mg dose of LTG (stable labeled) was given intravenously and replaced 50mg of the regular morning oral dose of LTG (unlabeled, commercially available formulation).ResultsNo significant changes in blood pressure, heart rate, or adverse events including rash were attributed to administration of a 50-mg dose of the intravenous LTG formulation.ConclusionOur results show that LTG base that is complexed with 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin and stable-labeled can be given safely as a tracer replacement dose

Design and calibration of a hall effect system for measurement of six-degree-of-freedom motion within a stacked column

This paper presents the design, development and evaluation of a unique non-contact instrumentation system that can accurately measure the interface displacement between two rigid components in six degrees of freedom. The system was developed to allow measurement of the relative displacements between interfaces within a stacked column of brick-like components, with an accuracy of 0.05 mm and 0.1 degrees. The columns comprised up to 14 components, with each component being a scale model of a graphite brick within an Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor core. A set of 585 of these columns makes up the Multi Layer Array, which was designed to investigate the response of the reactor core to seismic inputs, with excitation levels up to 1 g from 0 to 100 Hz. The nature of the application required a compact and robust design capable of accurately recording fully coupled motion in all six degrees of freedom during dynamic testing. The novel design implemented 12 Hall effect sensors with a calibration procedure based on system identification techniques. The measurement uncertainty was ±0.050 mm for displacement and ±0.052 degrees for rotation, and the system can tolerate loss of data from two sensors with the uncertainly increasing to only 0.061 mm in translation and 0.088 degrees in rotation. The system has been deployed in a research programme that has enabled EDF to present seismic safety cases to the Office for Nuclear Regulation, resulting in life extension approvals for several reactors. The measurement system developed could be readily applied to other situations where the imposed level of stress at the interface causes negligible material strain, and accurate non-contact six-degree-of-freedom interface measurement is required

Study Protocol for RESORP – Resolution of Organ Injury in Acute Pancreatitis – an observational prospective cohort study

Introduction Survivors of acute pancreatitis (AP) have shorter overall survival and increased incidence of new-onset cardiovascular, respiratory, liver and renal disease, diabetes mellitus and cancer compared with the general population, but the mechanisms that explain this are yet to be elucidated. Our aim is to characterise the precise nature and extent of organ dysfunction following an episode of AP.Methods and analysis This is an observational prospective cohort study in a single centre comprising a University hospital with an acute and emergency receiving unit and clinical research facility. Participants will be adult patient admitted with AP. Participants will undergo assessment at recruitment, 3 months and 3 years. At each time point, multiple biochemical and/or physiological assessments to measure cardiovascular, respiratory, liver, renal and cognitive function, diabetes mellitus and quality of life. Recruitment was from 30 November 2017 to 31 May 2020; last follow-up measurements is due on 31 May 2023. The primary outcome measure is the incidence of new-onset type 3c diabetes mellitus during follow-up. Secondary outcome measures include: quality of life analyses (SF-36, Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index); montreal cognitive assessment; organ system physiological performance; multiomics predictors of AP severity, detection of premature cellular senescence. In a nested cohort within the main cohort, individuals may also consent to multiparameter MRI scan, echocardiography, pulmonary function testing, cardiopulmonary exercise testing and pulse-wave analysis.Ethics and dissemination This study has received the following approvals: UK IRAS Number 178615; South-east Scotland Research Ethics Committee number 16/SS/0065. Results will be made available to AP survivors, caregivers, funders and other researchers. Publications will be open-access.Trial registration numbers ClinicalTrials.gov Registry (NCT03342716) and ISRCTN50581876; Pre-results

Covert action failure and fiasco construction: William Hague’s 2011 Libyan venture

In 2011 William Hague, then British Foreign Secretary, authorized a Special Forces team to enter Libya and attempt to contact rebels opposed to Muammar Gaddafi in the unfolding civil war. However, its members were detained by the rebels, questioned and ejected from the country. This article puts the literature on public policy failures into dialogue with that on covert action as a tool of foreign policy. It asks: why did this not develop into a fully-fledged policy fiasco when journalists and politicians alike judged it to have been a major error of judgement on Hague’s part? Using narrative analysis of the contemporary reporting of this incident, we argue that the government – possessing the advantage of information asymmetry accruing from operational secrecy – was ultimately able to win the battle of narratives in a frame contestation process. The study of information asymmetry can enhance the recently revivified research into foreign policy failures

The Ninth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey: First Spectroscopic Data from the SDSS-III Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey III (SDSS-III) presents the first spectroscopic data from the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS). This ninth data release (DR9) of the SDSS project includes 535,995 new galaxy spectra (median z=0.52), 102,100 new quasar spectra (median z=2.32), and 90,897 new stellar spectra, along with the data presented in previous data releases. These spectra were obtained with the new BOSS spectrograph and were taken between 2009 December and 2011 July. In addition, the stellar parameters pipeline, which determines radial velocities, surface temperatures, surface gravities, and metallicities of stars, has been updated and refined with improvements in temperature estimates for stars with T_eff<5000 K and in metallicity estimates for stars with [Fe/H]>-0.5. DR9 includes new stellar parameters for all stars presented in DR8, including stars from SDSS-I and II, as well as those observed as part of the SDSS-III Sloan Extension for Galactic Understanding and Exploration-2 (SEGUE-2). The astrometry error introduced in the DR8 imaging catalogs has been corrected in the DR9 data products. The next data release for SDSS-III will be in Summer 2013, which will present the first data from the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) along with another year of data from BOSS, followed by the final SDSS-III data release in December 2014.Comment: 9 figures; 2 tables. Submitted to ApJS. DR9 is available at http://www.sdss3.org/dr

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

Dysfunction of Nrf-2 in CF Epithelia Leads to Excess Intracellular H2O2 and Inflammatory Cytokine Production

Cystic fibrosis is characterized by recurring pulmonary exacerbations that lead to the deterioration of lung function and eventual lung failure. Excessive inflammatory responses by airway epithelia have been linked to the overproduction of the inflammatory cytokine IL-6 and IL-8. The mechanism by which this occurs is not fully understood, but normal IL-1β mediated activation of the production of these cytokines occurs via H2O2 dependent signaling. Therefore, we speculated that CFTR dysfunction causes alterations in the regulation of steady state H2O2. We found significantly elevated levels of H2O2 in three cultured epithelial cell models of CF, one primary and two immortalized. Increases in H2O2 heavily contributed to the excessive IL-6 and IL-8 production in CF epithelia. Proteomic analysis of three in vitro and two in vivo models revealed a decrease in antioxidant proteins that regulate H2O2 processing, by ≥2 fold in CF vs. matched normal controls. When cells are stimulated, differential expression in CF versus normal is enhanced; corresponding to an increase in H2O2 mediated production of IL-6 and IL-8. The cause of this redox imbalance is a decrease by ∼70% in CF cells versus normal in the expression and activity of the transcription factor Nrf-2. Inhibition of CFTR function in normal cells produced this phenotype, while N-acetyl cysteine, selenium, an activator of Nrf-2, and the overexpression of Nrf-2 all normalized H2O2 processing and decreased IL-6 and IL-8 to normal levels, in CF cells. We conclude that a paradoxical decrease in Nrf-2 driven antioxidant responses in CF epithelia results in an increase in steady state H2O2, which in turn contributes to the overproduction of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-8. Treatment with antioxidants can ameliorate exaggerated cytokine production without affecting normal responses