Fuel economy analysis of part-load variable camshaft timing strategies in two modern small-capacity spark ignition engines

Variable Camshaft Timing strategies have been investigated at part-load operating conditions in two 3-cylinder, 1.0-litre, Spark Ignition engines. The two small-size engines are different variants of the same 4-valve/cylinder, pent-roof design platform. The first engine is naturally aspirated, port fuel injection and features high nominal compression ratio of 12:1. The second one is the turbo-charged, direct injection version, featuring lower compression ratio of 10:1. The aim of the investigation has been to identify optimal camshaft timing strategies which maximise engine thermal efficiency through improvements in brake specific fuel consumption at fixed engine load. The results of the investigation show that the two engines demonstrate consistent thermal efficiency response to valve timing changes in the low and mid part-load envelope, up to a load of 4 bar BMEP. At the lower engine loads investigated, reduced intake valve opening advance limits the hot burned gas internal recirculation, while increasingly retarded exhaust valve opening timing favours engine efficiency through greater effective expansion ratio. At mid load (4 bar BMEP), a degree of intake advance becomes beneficial, owing mostly to the associated intake de-throttling. In the upper part-load domain, for engine load of 5 bar BMEP and above, the differences between the two engines determine very different efficiency response to the valve timing setting. The lower compression ratio engine continues to benefit from advanced intake valve timing, with a moderate degree of exhaust timing retard, which minimises the exhaust blow-down losses. The higher compression ratio engine is knock-limited, forcing the valve timing strategy towards regions of lower intake advance and lower hot gas recirculation. The theoretical best valve timing strategy determined peak fuel economy improvements in excess of 8% for the port fuel injection engine; the peak improvement was 5% for the more efficient direct injection engine platform

Type and Timing of Rehabilitation Following Acute and Subacute Spinal Cord Injury: A Systematic Review

Objectives: The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the literature to address the following clinical questions: In adult patients with acute and subacute complete or incomplete traumatic SCI, (1) does the time interval between injury and commencing rehabilitation affect outcome?; (2) what is the comparative effectiveness of different rehabilitation strategies, including different intensities and durations of treatment?; (3) are there patient or injury characteristics that affect the efficacy of rehabilitation?; and (4) what is the cost-effectiveness of various rehabilitation strategies? Methods: A systematic search was conducted for literature published through March 31, 2015 that evaluated rehabilitation strategies in adults with acute or subacute traumatic SCI at any level. Studies were critically appraised individually and the overall strength of evidence was evaluated using methods proposed by the GRADE (Grades of Recommendation Assessment, Development and Evaluation) working group. Results: The search strategy yielded 384 articles, 19 of which met our inclusion criteria. Based on our results, there was no difference between body weight–supported treadmill training and conventional rehabilitation with respect to improvements in Functional Independence Measure (FIM) Locomotor score, Lower Extremity Motor Scores, the distance walked in 6 minutes or gait velocity over 15.2 m. Functional electrical therapy resulted in slightly better FIM Motor, FIM Self-Care, and Spinal Cord Independence Measure Self-Care subscores compared with conventional occupational therapy. Comparisons using the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute Hand Function Test demonstrated no differences between groups in 7 of 9 domains. There were no clinically important differences in Maximal Lean Test, Maximal Sidewards Reach Test, T-shirt Test, or the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure between unsupported sitting training and standard in-patient rehabilitation. Conclusion: The current evidence base for rehabilitation following acute and subacute spinal cord injury is limited. Methodological challenges have contributed to this and further research is still needed. © 2017, © The Author(s) 2017

Quality of life and other psychological factors in patients with tooth wear

Aim: To investigate the relationship between generic and condition-specific (CS) quality of life, general psychological wellbeing and personality in patients with tooth wear. / Materials and methods: Ethical approval was granted (REC:10/H0709/21). Patients aged 18-70 years with tooth wear completed the Oral Impact on Daily Performance (OIDP) quality of life questionnaire, the NEO-FFI Personality questionnaire and the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ). Tooth wear was measured with the Basic Erosive Wear Examination (BEWE). / Results: In total, 102 subjects were recruited. Increased BEWE scores were correlated with older age and worse generic and CS-related quality of life. Increased neuroticism was correlated with increased: generic and CS OIDP scores; generic and CS eating scores; CS smiling scores; and CS carrying out major work scores. Increased GHQ scores were positively correlated with increased: generic and CS OIDP scores; generic and CS eating scores; CS speaking scores; generic and CS cleaning scores; generic relaxing scores; generic and CS smiling scores; and generic emotional state scores (p <0.05). Multivariable linear regression analyses showed that increased neuroticism and decreased GHQ both had an independent effect on generic and CS OIDP scores when adjusted for tooth wear severity (p <0.05). / Conclusion: Quality of life perception is complex and was not only affected by worsening levels of tooth wear

GRB Optical and X-ray Plateau Properties Classifier Using Unsupervised Machine Learning

The division of Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) into different classes, other than the "short" and "long", has been an active field of research. We investigate whether GRBs can be classified based on a broader set of parameters, including prompt and plateau emission ones. Observational evidence suggests the existence of more GRB sub-classes, but results so far are either conflicting or not statistically significant. The novelty here is producing a machine-learning-based classification of GRBs using their observed X-rays and optical properties. We used two data samples: the first, composed of 203 GRBs, is from the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory (Swift/XRT), and the latter, composed of 134 GRBs, is from the ground-based Telescopes and Swift/UVOT. Both samples possess the plateau emission (a flat part of the light curve happening after the prompt emission, the main GRB event). We have applied the Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) to explore multiple parameter spaces and sub-class combinations to reveal if there is a match between the current observational sub-classes and the statistical classification. With these samples and the algorithm, we spot a few micro-trends in certain cases, but we cannot conclude that any clear trend exists in classifying GRBs. These microtrends could point towards a deeper understanding of the physical meaning of these classes (e.g., a different environment of the same progenitor or different progenitors). However, a larger sample and different algorithms could achieve such goals. Thus, this methodology can lead to deeper insights in the future.Comment: 20 pages, 10 figures (one has 4 panels, two have a single panel, six have 8 panels, one has 6 panels), 4 tables. Accepted for publication in MNRA

Patient-Reported Side Effects of Intradetrusor Botulinum Toxin Type A for Idiopathic Overactive Bladder Syndrome

Objective: The aim of the study was a prospective assessment of patient-reported side effects in an open-label study after intradetrusor botulinum toxin injections for idiopathic overactive bladder (OAB). Patients and Methods: Botulinum toxin A injection was performed in 56 patients with idiopathic OAB. Patients were followed up for 6 months concerning side effects and patients' satisfaction. Results: Different types of side effects were assessed such as dry mouth (19.6%), arm weakness (8.9%), eyelid weakness (8.9%), leg weakness (7.1%), torso weakness (5.4%), impaired vision (5.4%) and dysphagia (5.4%). In all cases, symptoms were mild and transient. Urological complications such as gross hematuria (17.9%), acute urinary retention (8.9%) and acute urinary tract infection (7.1%) were noticed. In all cases, acute urinary retention was transient and treated with temporary intermittent self-catheterization. There was no statistically significant correlation between dosage and observed side effects. Patients' satisfaction rate was high (71.4%). Conclusion: Intradetrusor injection of botulinum toxin was associated with a high rate of neurourological side effects. In general, side effects were transient, mild and did not require special treatment. Copyright (C) 2010 S. Karger AG, Base

The graded redefined assessment of strength sensibility and prehension: reliability and validity.

Abstract With the advent of new interventions targeted at both acute and chronic spinal cord injury (SCI), it is critical that techniques and protocols are developed that reliably evaluate changes in upper limb impairment/function. The Graded Redefined Assessment of Strength Sensibility and Prehension (GRASSP) protocol, which includes five subtests, is a quantitative clinical upper limb impairment measure designed for use in acute and chronic cervical SCI. The objectives of this study were to: (1) establish the inter-rater and test-retest reliability, and (2) establish the construct and concurrent validity with the International Standards of Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI), Spinal Cord Independence Measure II (SCIM), and the Capabilities of Upper Extremity Questionnaire (CUE). The study protocol included repeated administration of the GRASSP to a cross-section of individuals with tetraplegia who were neurologically stable (n=72). ISNCSCI, CUE, and SCIM assessments were also administered. Two assessors examined the individuals over a 7-day period. Reliability was tested with intra-class correlation coefficients; construct validity was established with agreement/discordance analysis between the GRASSP and ISNCSCI sensory and motor items; and concurrent validity was tested with Spearman correlation coefficients. Inter-rater and test-retest reliability for all subtests within the GRASSP were above the hypothesized value of 0.80 (0.84-0.96 and 0.86-0.98, respectively). The GRASSP is about 50% more sensitive (construct validity) than the ISNCSCI when defining sensory and motor integrity of the upper limb; the subtests showed concurrence with the SCIM, SCIM self-care subscale, and CUE. The strongest concurrence to impairment was with self-perception of function (CUE) (0.57-0.83, p\u3c0.0001). The GRASSP was found to demonstrate reliability, construct validity, and concurrent validity for use as a standardized upper limb impairment measure for individuals with tetraplegia

Fructose transport-deficient Staphylococcus aureus reveals important role of epithelial glucose transporters in limiting sugar-driven bacterial growth in airway surface liquid.

Hyperglycaemia as a result of diabetes mellitus or acute illness is associated with increased susceptibility to respiratory infection with Staphylococcus aureus. Hyperglycaemia increases the concentration of glucose in airway surface liquid (ASL) and promotes the growth of S. aureus in vitro and in vivo. Whether elevation of other sugars in the blood, such as fructose, also results in increased concentrations in ASL is unknown and whether sugars in ASL are directly utilised by S. aureus for growth has not been investigated. We obtained mutant S. aureus JE2 strains with transposon disrupted sugar transport genes. NE768(fruA) exhibited restricted growth in 10 mM fructose. In H441 airway epithelial-bacterial co-culture, elevation of basolateral sugar concentration (5-20 mM) increased the apical growth of JE2. However, sugar-induced growth of NE768(fruA) was significantly less when basolateral fructose rather than glucose was elevated. This is the first experimental evidence to show that S. aureus directly utilises sugars present in the ASL for growth. Interestingly, JE2 growth was promoted less by glucose than fructose. Net transepithelial flux of D-glucose was lower than D-fructose. However, uptake of D-glucose was higher than D-fructose across both apical and basolateral membranes consistent with the presence of GLUT1/10 in the airway epithelium. Therefore, we propose that the preferential uptake of glucose (compared to fructose) limits its accumulation in ASL. Pre-treatment with metformin increased transepithelial resistance and reduced the sugar-dependent growth of S. aureus. Thus, epithelial paracellular permeability and glucose transport mechanisms are vital to maintain low glucose concentration in ASL and limit bacterial nutrient sources as a defence against infection

Self-reported transvaginal ultrasound visualization of normal ovaries in postmenopausal women is not reliable: results of expert review of archived images in UKCTOCS.

OBJECTIVE: In UKCTOCS self-reported visualization rates(srVR) at annual TVS scan was a key quality control(QC) metric. Our objective was to independently assess srVR using expert review and develop software capable of monitoring it. METHODS: Images from 1,000 examinations randomly selected from 68,951 archived annual TVS exams undertaken between 2008-2011 where the ovaries were reported as 'seen and normal' were reviewed by a single expert. Software was developed to identify exact images used to measure ovaries by measuring caliper dimensions and matching them to that recorded by the sonographer. A logistic regression classifier to determine visualization was trained and validated using ovarian dimension and visualization data reported by the expert . RESULTS: The expert confirmed both ovaries were visualized (cVR-Both) in 50.2%(502/1000) of the exams. The software identified the measurement image in 534 exams which were split 2:1:1 providing training, validating and testing data. Classifier accuracy on validation data was 70.9%(CI-95% 70.0,71.8). Analysis of test data (133 exams) resulted in sensitivity of 90.5%(CI-95% 80.9,95.8) and specificity of 47.5%(CI-95% 34.5,60.8) in detecting expert confirmed cVR-Both. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that in a significant proportion of TVS annual screens the sonographers may have mistaken other structures for normal ovaries. It is uncertain whether or not this affected the sensitivity and stage at detection of ovarian cancer in the ultrasound arm of UKCTOCS, but we conclude QC metrics based on self-reported visualization of normal ovaries are unreliable. The classifier shows some potential for addressing this problem, though further research is needed

Important synoptic features during INDOEX IFP-99

INDOEX IFP-99 was undertaken as part of the international experiment in the Indian Ocean to take observations pertaining to aerosols, radiation, cloud physics and other related meteorological parameters. The important-aim of the INDOEX was to quantify radiative forcing due to natural and anthropogenic aerosols and their feedback on regional and global climate systems. Since prevailing circulation features transports aerosols, it is essential that important synoptic patterns during the expedition phase, i.e. 20 January to 10 March 1999 be examined. Based on the synoptic features it was noticed that crossequatorial flow in lower levels from western Arabian Sea to southern Indian Ocean was significantly higher than the eastern Arabian Sea. Two cyclonic storms, one in the south Bay of Bengal during 1-3 February and another in the south Indian Ocean during 4-13 March were observed. Significant changes in the cross-equatorial flow in the lower/upper tropospheric levels and ITCZ locations were noticed