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Prognosis of advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) refractory to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) is poor. This randomized, placebo-controlled, phase III trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of pimitespib, a novel heat shock protein 90 inhibitor, in advanced GIST refractory to standard TKIs.Patients with histologically confirmed GIST refractory to imatinib, sunitinib, and regorafenib were randomized 2 : 1 to oral pimitespib 160 mg/day or placebo for 5 consecutive days per week in 21-day cycles. Following disease progression by blinded central radiological review (BCRR), cross-over to open-label pimitespib was permitted. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) by BCRR in the full analysis set. Secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS) adjusted using the rank-preserving structural failure time (RPSFT) method to reduce the expected confounding impact of cross-over.From 31 October 2018 to 30 April 2020, 86 patients were randomized to pimitespib (n = 58) or placebo (n = 28). Median PFS was 2.8 months [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.6-2.9 months] with pimitespib versus 1.4 months (0.9-1.8 months) with placebo [hazard ratio (HR) 0.51 (95% CI 0.30-0.87); one-sided P = 0.006]. Pimitespib showed an improvement in cross-over-adjusted OS compared with placebo [HR 0.42 (0.21-0.85), one-sided P = 0.007]. Seventeen (60.7%) patients receiving placebo crossed-over to pimitespib; median PFS after cross-over was 2.7 months (95% CI 0.7-4.1 months). The most common (≥30%) treatment-related adverse events (AEs) with pimitespib were diarrhea (74.1%) and decreased appetite (31.0%); the most common (≥10%) grade ≥3 treatment-related AE was diarrhea (13.8%). Treatment-related AEs leading to pimitespib discontinuation occurred in three (5.2%) patients.Pimitespib significantly improved PFS and cross-over-adjusted OS compared with placebo and had an acceptable safety profile in patients with advanced GIST refractory to standard TKIs.

Despite its long history, synthesizing n-type polycrystalline Ge layers with high-electron mobility on insulating substrates has been difficult. Based on our recently developed solid-phase crystallization technology, here, we have demonstrated the highest recorded electron mobility (450 cm2 V−1 s−1) for Ge-based polycrystalline thin films on insulating substrates. The underlayer type and small amount of Sn addition were the key parameters controlling both the density and barrier height of the grain boundaries in the P-doped polycrystalline Ge layers. The low growth temperature (≤400 °C) allowed us to develop a GeSn layer on a heat-resistant polyimide film, which exhibited the highest electron mobility (200 cm2 V−1 s−1), as a semiconductor thin film synthesized directly on a flexible substrate. These achievements herald the development of high-performance polycrystalline Ge-based devices on inexpensive glass and flexible plastic substrates.

Determining the viral load and infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 in macroscopic respiratory droplets, bioaerosols, and other bodily fluids and secretions is important for identifying transmission modes, assessing risks and informing public health guidelines. Here we show that viral load of SARS-CoV-2 Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) in participants’ naso-pharyngeal (NP) swabs positively correlated with RNA viral load they emitted in both droplets >10 $$\upmu \hbox {m}$$ μ m and bioaerosols $$\upmu \hbox {m}$$ μ m directly captured during the combined expiratory activities of breathing, speaking and coughing using a standardized protocol, although the NP swabs had $$\approx$$ ≈ 10$$^3\times$$ 3 × more RNA on average. By identifying highly-infectious individuals (maximum of 18,000 PFU/mL in NP), we retrieved higher numbers of SARS-CoV-2 RNA gene copies in bioaerosol samples (maximum of 4.8$${\times }10^{5}$$ × 10 5 gene copies/mL and minimum cycle threshold of 26.2) relative to other studies. However, all attempts to identify infectious virus in size-segregated droplets and bioaerosols were negative by plaque assay (0 of 58). This outcome is partly attributed to the insufficient amount of viral material in each sample (as indicated by SARS-CoV-2 gene copies) or may indicate no infectious virus was present in such samples, although other possible factors are identified.

[Background] A multidisciplinary approach based on guidelines and pathological diagnosis by specialized pathologists are important for improving the prognosis and QoL of GIST patients. This study examined the adherence to the guidelines and the concordance of the pathological diagnosis of high-risk GISTs. [Patients and methods] Among 541 patients with high-risk GISTs recruited to the prospective registry between Dec. 2012 and Dec. 2015, 534 patients were analyzed after central pathology with KIT and DOG1 IHC and genotyping of KIT and PDGFRA. [Results] Of the 534 patients, 432 (81%) received imatinib adjuvant therapy at a starting dose of 400 or 300 mg/day. Multivariate analysis indicated that age (HR 0.71; 95% CI 0.58–0.88), tumor size (HR for > 10 cm vs 10 vs

Prediction models for enteric methane (CH4) emissions from beef cattle proposed by various groups may not perform with similar accuracy for the low- and middle-income countries in South-east Asia (SE-Asia) because beef cattle in these countries are raised under different climatic conditions with diverse feeding systems, and have different CH4 emission characteristics. The objectives of this study were to: i) predict CH4 emission (g d−1 animal−1), yield [g kg−1 dry matter intake; DMI)−1], intensity [g kg−1 average daily gain)−1], and CH4 conversion factor (Ym) using an intercountry database of individual animal records from SE-Asia; ii) evaluate the impact of different dietary forage contents (all-, high- and low-forage) representing the diverse feeding systems on CH4 emission, yield, intensity and Ym in SE-Asia; and iii) cross-validate equations from this study with published data. A total of 398 individual animal observations of beef cattle from SE-Asia were used for this analysis. Linear models developed by incrementally adding covariates revealed that CH4 emission model using only DMI fitted to all data had a root mean square prediction error (RMSPE) of 16.9%. Subsets containing data with 100% forage in the diet (all-forage), 50–85% (high-forage) and < 50% (low-forage) had an RMSPE of 16.5%, 14.7%, and 17.4%, respectively. Linear multiple equation based on DMI and dietary NDF concentration (DMI + NDF_C, RMSPE = 15.2%; all-data) improved prediction accuracy over that of DMI alone. The DMI + NDF_C models for all-forage (RMSPE = 14.6%) and high-forage subsets (RMSPE = 13.3%) except for low-forage (RMSPE = 16.4%), improved the precision and accuracy of CH4 emission prediction. Methane yield and CH4 emission intensity could not be reliably modelled with the current database. The present study provides improved CH4 prediction models for beef cattle managed under diverse feeding systems in SE-Asia and affirmed that region-specific models are needed to reliably predict beef cattle CH4 emission at national or regional levels, particularly for low- and middle-income countries.

Galvanostatic electrodeposition of Li was carried out in 1 M LiTFSI/PC electrolyte to investigate the effect of current density on the morphological variations during the initial stage of the electrodeposition. The solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation process was analyzed from the potential change combined with XPS and UPS measurements along with SEM observation of Li deposits. A significant difference in the deposited Li morphology was observed depending on the current density. The simultaneous growth of whisker-like and granular deposits was noticed at lower current density, while the experiments at higher current densities evolved rather uniform mesoscopic-sized rod development. The formation behavior of SEI prior to Li deposition also differed between lower and higher current densities, of which the transition was about 4 mA cm−2. It was deduced that the formation history of SEI affected the surface defect density heterogeneity and mass transport properties inside SEI. The event of “sprouting,” in which Li precipitates nucleated and grown in SEI are extruded from the SEI layer into the electrolyte, certainly influenced the subsequent growth mode. The diffusion coefficient of Li+ in the SEI galvanostatically formed on Ni substrate in 1 M LiTFSI/PC was estimated to be in the order of 10−9 cm2 s−1.

Li electrodeposition in LiTFSI/PC electrolyte up to 2.22 mAh cm−2 was performed by changing the current density from 0.2 to 60 mA cm−2 under optical microscope observation with a resolution of a few micrometers. The evolution of morphological variation followed by the initial stage (less than 0.028 mAh cm−2 in Part 1) was carefully observed. Two-step linearity was obtained in the relationship between the time variations of apparent electrode diameter and the square root of the duration period. At lower current densities less than 2 mA cm−2, locally and stochastically grown Li deposits with several ten micrometers in length were observed. It grew through SEI layer characterized probably by significant heterogeneous surface chemistry nature. Above 8 mA cm−2, the mass transfer effects on the electrode potential and deposit morphologies became predominant. The movement of suspended particles was occasionally observed. It suggested the induction of natural convection in the organic electrolyte. The limiting current density accompanying Li electrodeposition along a vertical Ni cathode was calculated to be 44 mA cm−2, which was well consistent with the LSV measurement.

Superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO)-enhanced MRI at 1.5 T with fat-suppression sequence is useful for the detection of metastases in sentinel nodes localized by CT lymphography in patients with breast cancer. SPIO-enhanced MRI may offer an alternative to sentinel node biopsy and avoid axillary surgery itself for patients with breast cancer who have negative sentinel nodes on SPIO-enhanced MRI.

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is an effective cancer therapy that uses neutron irradiation; it is necessary to evaluate the neutron spectrum in the treatment field as precisely as possible. To conduct such evaluations, we developed a new device, called a liquid-moderator-based neutron spectrometer. In the present study, the performance of the developed spectrometer was tested by measuring a mono-energetic neutron field and a fast neutron field generated by a 252Cf neutron source. Finally, we revealed that the response function of the spectrometer could be appropriately calculated and confirmed the capability of the device to measure the neutron energy spectra between 1 keV and 10 MeV.

Direct ultraviolet photoionization electrically charges particles using a mechanism distinct from diffusion charging. The purpose of this study is to evaluate aerosol photoemission theory a...

Photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) is a well-established method for sensitive and selective detection of trace gases such as NO2 and CO2 (Bozoki, Pogany, and Szabo 2011) as well as for the measuremen...

Low-cost ultrafine aerosol sensors are experimentally calibrated with controlled aerosol sources to provide metrics such as surface area, lung-deposited surface area, mean particle size and/or total concentration from one or more electrical current measurements. However, an aerosol with a large standard deviation in particle size provides a significantly different signal from a monodisperse aerosol with the same median particle size. In this paper, we investigate the effect of particle polydispersity on measurements in devices which employ unipolar charging. The conservation equations are solved for particle/ion charging and transport (convection, diffusion and electrical transport) in laminar, steady-state, incompressible flow. Lognormal particle size distributions are represented by over 10 2 coupled conservation equations for multiple size bins and discrete charge states and solved numerically for the first time. Modelling results show that integrated electrical current from a polydisperse particle distribution can be represented by a monodisperse distribution characterised by the count mean diameter ( d ¯ ; unipolar diffusion charging) or diameter of the average surface ( d s ¯ ; photoelectric charging) and total concentration, for a large range of particle distributions and operating conditions offering a convenient simplification for the interpretation of ultrafine particle measurements. The simplification reduces the number of simultaneous conservation equations required, thereby reducing computation time by up to 57 times for a polydisperse particle distribution represented by 16 discrete size bins. The method of analysis is useful to both users and developers of low-cost ultrafine particle sensors to understand the effect of particle polydispersity on measurements.

Fine mode particulate matter (PM) is known to be a major risk for human health as it can cause respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Whether produced from anthropogenic or natural processes, fine mode PM is often electrically charged with positive, negative and/or bipolar charges. These pre-existing charges can, in some cases, significantly affect measurements from sensors which involve a charging stage prior to measurement by e.g. electrometry. In this work we demonstrate quantitatively the impact of pre-existing charges (q=0,±1,±2) on three different unipolar diffusion charging (DC) configurations using both simulations and experiments. The DC configurations include traditional steady state DC and pulsed modes of DC, where in all configurations a positive corona charger is used. We show that the impact of pre-existing charges on steady state (SS) and modulated precipitation (MP) DC is comparable. Positively pre-charged particles cause a larger deviation for SS and MP DC, in contrast to modulated diffusion charging (MDC), where negatively pre-charged particles have a greater impact. In addition, we show that the ion concentration in the charging region can be increased to significantly reduce the resulting error caused by the pre-charges for both SS DC and MP DC, in contrast to MDC. These results show that the influence of unipolarly pre-charged particles is very differently pronounced for the different modes of DC. The impact strongly depends on the polarity of the pre-charges, characteristics of the charger and the DC configuration itself. These insights are particularly interesting for the design and the application of diffusion charging based sensors.

Continuous uniform, The direct growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with narrow chiral distribution remains elusive despite substantial benefits in properties and applications. Nanoparticle catalysts are vital for SWCNT and more generally nanomaterial synthesis, but understanding their effect is limited. Solid catalysts show promise in achieving chirality-controlled growth, but poor size control and synthesis efficiency hampers advancement. Here, we demonstrate the first synthesis of refractory metal nanoparticles (W, Mo, and Re) with near-monodisperse sizes. High concentrations (N = 105 to 107 cm−3) of nanoparticles (diameter 1 to 5 nm) are produced and reduced in a single process, enabling SWCNT synthesis with controlled chiral angles of 19° ± 5°, demonstrating abundance >93%. These results confirm the interface thermodynamics and kinetic growth theory mechanism, which has been extended here to include temporal dependence of fast-growing chiralities. The solid catalysts are further shown effective via floating catalyst growth, offering efficient production possibilities.

Recent increases in marijuana use and legalization without adequate knowledge of the risks necessitate the characterization of the billions of nanoparticles contained in each puff of smoke. Tobacco smoke offers a benchmark given that it has been extensively studied. Tobacco and marijuana smoke particles are quantitatively similar in volatility, shape, density and number concentration, albeit with differences in size, total mass and chemical composition. Particles from marijuana smoke are on average 29% larger in mobility diameter than particles from tobacco smoke and contain 3.4× more total mass. New measurements of semi-volatile fractions determine over 97% of the mass and volume of the particles from either smoke source are comprised of semi-volatile compounds. For tobacco and marijuana smoke, respectively, 4350 and 2575 different compounds are detected, of which, 670 and 536 (231 in common) are tentatively identified, and of these, 173 and 110 different compounds (69 in common) are known to cause negative health effects through carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic, or other toxic mechanisms. This study demonstrates striking similarities between marijuana and tobacco smoke in terms of their physical and chemical properties.

Low-cost methods for measuring airborne microparticles and nanoparticles (aerosols) have remained elusive despite the increasing concern of health impacts from ambient, urban, and indoor sources. While bipolar ion sources are common in smoke alarms, this work is the first to exploit the mean charge on an aerosol resulting from a bipolar charge equilibrium and establish experimentally its correlation to properties of the aerosol particle size distribution. The net current produced from this mean particle charge is demonstrated to be linearly proportional to the product of the mean particle diameter and total number concentration (i ∼ Nd̅) for two bipolar ion sources (85Kr and 241Am). This conclusion is supported by simple equations derived from well-established bipolar charging theory. The theory predicts that the mean charge on the aerosol particles reaches an equilibrium, which, importantly, is independent of the concentration of charging ions. Furthermore, in situ measurements of a roadside aerosol demonstrate that the sensing method yields results in good agreement (R2 = 0.979) with existing portable and laboratory-grade aerosol instruments. The simplicity, stability, and cost of the bipolar ion source overcome challenges of other portable sensors, increasing the feasibility of widespread sensor deployment to monitor ultrafine particle characteristics, which are relevant to lung deposition and by extension, human health.

Background; Aortic stenosis (AS) is one of the important critical diseases and may influence hemodynamics in cardiovascular or non-cardiovascular emergency, however, there is no established methodology to diagnose AS in a focused cardiac ultrasound (FOCUS). We have previously reported that our developed visual AS score was a simple index for AS screening using rapid echocardiography and it could successfully diagnose clinically significant AS. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of visual AS score assessed by emergency physicians in the emergency department. Methods; Visual AS score was calculated as the sum of the scores of each three aortic cusp’s opening in a short-axis view scored as follows: 0 = not restricted, 1 = restricted, or 2 = severely restricted; and classified in 0 – 6 as we previously reported. Emergency physicians who did not specialize in cardiology or ultrasonography underwent basic 30 minutes training to visualize aortic valve in a short-axis view and to assess visual AS score beforehand. They performed echocardiography and evaluated visual AS score in emergency outpatients with suspected cardiovascular diseases such as chest symptom, consciousness disorder, abnormal vital signs, heart murmur or abnormal electrocardiogram in the emergency department. Then, another assessment of visual AS score and complete echocardiography including quantitative assessment of AS was performed by expert sonographers. Aortic valve area index (AVAI) was calculated using continuity equation and body surface area, and an AVAI > 0.85 cm/m2, 0.6 - 0.85 cm/m2, and < 0.6 cm/m2 were defined as none or mild, moderate and severe AS, respectively. Results: Sixty patients underwent evaluations of visual AS score by emergency physicians. Visual AS score could not be assessed in 5 patients and continuity equation could not be evaluated in 2 patients, both due to poor echocardiographic imaging quality. Visual AS scores assessed by emergency physicians and expert sonographers showed strong positive correlation (R = 0.94, P < 0.0001). Fourteen patients (26 %) including 6 with shock or hypotension, 3 with congestive heart failure, 2 with syncope, 1 with acute myocardial infarction, 1 with suspected cardiac tamponade and 1 with abnormal electrocardiogram had moderate or more degree of AS in complete echocardiography performed by expert sonographers. Visual AS score 3 or more assessed by emergency physicians had 86 %, 100 %, 100 % and 95 % of a diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value, respectively. Conclusion: Visual AS score in FOCUS is useful to screen for AS for emergency physicians who do not specialize in cardiology.

BACKGROUND There have been many reports of heart failure due to diabetic cardiomyopathy and decreased left ventricular (LV) function with increasing age in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Recently, although left atrial (LA) function has been occasionally reported to be a more useful prognostic indicator than LV function in acquired heart diseases, LA function in patients with T1DM has not yet been studied. PURPOSE To investigate LA dysfunction in patients with T1DM. METHODS Fifty patients with T1DM were recruited (age, 5–41 years). We excluded patients who had a history of heart disease, hypertension, and those taking cardioprotective agents. The patients and 50 age-matched controls were classified into 3 age groups (D1, C1, 5–14 years; D2, C2, 15–29 years; D3, C3, 30–41 years). The LA phasic function serving as the reservoir, conduit, and pump strains; the LA strain rate (SR) in the systole, early diastole, and late diastole; and the LV global longitudinal strain (LV-LS) as determined via 2-dimensional speckle tracking imaging were measured from the apical four- and two-chamber views. We also calculated the LA stiffness index as the ratio of E/e’ to the LA reservoir strain. RESULTS There was no significant difference in left ventricular ejection fraction in each age group. The LA reservoir strains in D2 and D3 were significantly lower than those in C2 (40.8 ± 5.7% vs. 47.2 ± 5.5%, p = 0.005) and C3 (39.2 ± 5.5% vs. 47.3 ± 5.7%, p = 0.004), respectively. The LA conduit strain in D2 was significantly lower than that in C2 (28.9 ± 5.8% vs. 35.0 ± 5.0%, p = 0.006). The LA pump strain and the three phases of LA SR were not significantly different among the age groups. The LA stiffness index in D3 increased significantly compared to that in N3 (0.18 ± 0.05 vs. 0.13 ± 0.01, p CONCLUSIONS The LA reservoir strain might be as useful as LV-LS as an early marker of cardiac dysfunction in patients with T1DM. The correlation coefficient between the LA reservoir strain and LV-LS was not strong. Therefore, although LV-LS might affect the LA reservoir strain, it might represent other aspects of cardiac dysfunction. The increase of LA stiffness might represent the changes in LA wall properties and could be another useful indicator of cardiac dysfunction during long-term follow-ups, which is independent of LV-LS. Overall, these findings provide new insights into cardiac dysfunction in patients with T1DM.

A review is presented of the evolution of heat and mass transfer in modern fuel cells, and the role of computational fluid dynamics in the prediction of their performance. Both polymer electrolyte and solid oxide fuel cells are considered. The mathematical details of the mass transfer driving force and the transferred substance state, as well as the distributed resistance analogy, are derived. It is shown how the transferred substance state may be used to prescribe generalised convection–diffusion boundary conditions (inlet/outlet/wall). The combination of the mass transfer driving force and the application of the distributed resistance analogy concept to fuel cell stack models are explained in detail. In addition to the governing equations for thermofluids, the mathematical modelling of fuel cells requires additional thermodynamic, electrochemical kinetic and electric considerations to be taken into account (physicochemical hydrodynamics). Moreover, the results of original research conducted over two decades and culminating in very recent results are presented and explained. This work is research-in-motion and some future possibilities are outlined in the conclusion.

New emission legislation requires number concentration measurements of particles emitted by passenger cars during periodic technical inspections (PTI). For PTI suitable instruments are needed to detect faults, such as diesel particulate filter failures. Diffusion charging is well established as a charging method for particle sensors and is suited to realize low-cost instruments for exhaust particle number measurements in the appropriate size and concentration regime. In order to manufacture affordable instruments, sensors should not only be low cost, but their calibration procedure must be simple and reliable. We experimentally investigated the impact of test aerosol properties—such as material, size, concentration and morphology—on the counting efficiency of two pulsed-mode, unipolar diffusion charging approaches: (i) conventional diffusion charging and (ii) modulated precipitation. By separately characterizing the particle charging process and the overall sensor response with different test aerosols, we found that the modulated precipitation principle shows a very good correlation to particle number concentration, although the method significantly depends on the particle morphology. The conventional approach is not well suited for particle number measurements due to its intrinsic dependency on particle size. We demonstrate that the counting efficiency of the modulated precipitation configuration measured with different tests aerosols stays within 3% for particle sizes up to 80 nm. The difference between a calibration with soot and salt particles with respect to the total solid particle number concentration was estimated to be smaller than 11%. Thus, a calibration according to recently introduced PTI legislation with any of the test aerosols considered is feasible. Tailpipe measurements confirmed the applicability of the modulated precipitation configuration for PTI. As a consequence, the use of diffusion charging based instruments in periodic inspections seems to be suitable due to appropriate sensor response and the simplicity of the calibration process. Copyright © 2020 American Association for Aerosol Research

The High Temperature Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell (HT-PEFC) converts chemical energy to electricity and heat. Operating at around 160°C, the heart of a HT-PEFC is a phosphoric-acid-doped polybenzimidazole membrane, which exhibits good protonic conductivity. HT-PEFCs may readily operate with either hydrogen or reformate as fuel. As is the case with most fuel cells, HT-PEFCs are operated in stacks in order to increase the overall electric potential. However, there are few comprehensive models of HT-PEFC stack performance. The results of this research program are among the first to obtain performance calculations for HT-PEFC at the stack scale with experimental validation. HT-PEFC stacks designed at the Forschungszentrum Jülich are actively cooled with polyalkyline glycol liquid (oil) coolant, flowing in internal passages within the solid bi-polar plates, upon the surfaces of which a complex pattern consisting of straight and serpentine passages have been machined, in order to supply the air and fuel to the cell. Because of the elevated temperature, liquid water is not generally found in the gas channels or porous layers. Considerable experimental data have been previously gathered, in-house, for a 5-cell stack based on this design. Two high temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cell (HT-PEFC) models of a HT-PEFC stack are described in detail: (i) A detailed cell-level model where a set of conformal meshes are body-fitted to all the different parts of the stack. The code typically runs, in parallel, on 1000-2000 cores at the Jülich Supercomputer Centre; and, (ii) A coarse-grid stack model based on a ‘distributed resistance analogy’ whereby rate equations supplant local diffusion terms in selected locations and directions to reduce computational requirements. A multiply-shared space (MUSES) method is employed to obtain simultaneous solutions for concentration, heat and momentum for the different phases occupying the ‘same’ global space. Both (i) detailed and (ii) MUSES methods are implemented by instantiating 5 distinct meshes corresponding to (i) air, (ii) fuel, (iii) oil (fluid), and (iv) membrane electrode assembly, (v) bipolar plate (solid) regions, and obtaining solutions of the governing equations on these meshes. For both methods a solution is obtained simultaneously for the stack manifolds, cell manifolds (entrance regions) as well as the ‘core’ of the fuel cell stack. Thermal equilibrium between the 3 fluid phases is not presumed, a priori. In both methods, the electric field potential is expressed as the ideal (Nernst) potential less activation, ohmic, and transport losses. Individual cell potentiostatic boundary conditions are iteratively corrected until the desired overall galvanostatic condition is obtained for all cells in the stack. Both codes are developed in the modern open-source object-oriented library, OpenFOAM. The results of the two models are compared with each other in terms of local current density and species partial pressure distributions. Both models are then compared with experimental data. The results show that the coarse-grid stack model (ii) agrees well, both quantitatively and qualitatively, with the detailed model (i) and experimental results and calculations are performed in two orders of magnitude less computation time. However, neither the experimental results nor the stack model (ii) are able to resolve local extrema in the current density and species mole fraction values that are observed with the detailed model (i). These are due to complex flow regimes associated with the meandering channels and flow bypassing in the porous transport layers. Importantly, these lead to significant local extrema in the local current density and other parameters of significance. These are among the first fully-comprehensive physicochemicohydrodynamic models of a HT-PEFC stack which allows calculations to be performed simultaneously for all the fluid and solids in the manifolds, entrance regions and stack core, together with experimental validation.

Direct ultraviolet (UV) photoionization enables electrical charging of aerosol nanoparticles with- out relying on the collision of particles and ions. In this work, a low-strength electric field is applied during particle photoionization to capture charge as it is photoemitted from the par- ticles in continuous flow, yielding a novel electrical current measurement. As in conventional photocharging-based measurement devices, a distinct electrical current from the remaining pho- tocharged particles is also measured downstream. The two distinct measured currents are proportional to the total photoelectrically active area of the particles. A three dimensional numerical model for particle and ion (dis)charging and transport is evaluated by comparing simulations of integrated electric currents with those from charged soot particles and ions in an experimental photoionization chamber. The model and experiment show good quantitative agreement for a single empirical constant, KcI, over a range of particle sizes and concentrations providing confidence in the theoretical equations and numerical method used.

Aim There is not adequate evidence to establish whether external fixation (EF) of pelvic fractures leads to a reduced mortality. We used the Japan Trauma Data Bank database to identify isolated unstable pelvic ring fractures to exclude the possibility of blood loss from other injuries, and analyzed the effectiveness of EF on mortality in this group of patients. Patients and Methods This was a registry-based comparison of 1163 patients who had been treated for an isolated unstable pelvic ring fracture with (386 patients) or without (777 patients) EF. An isolated pelvic ring fracture was defined by an Abbreviated Injury Score (AIS) for other injuries of < 3. An unstable pelvic ring fracture was defined as having an AIS ≥ 4. The primary outcome of this study was mortality. A subgroup analysis was carried out for patients who required blood transfusion within 24 hours of arrival in the Emergency Department and those who had massive blood loss (AIS code: 852610.5). Propensity-score matching was used to identify a cohort like the EF and non-EF groups. Results With the use of propensity-score matching using the completed data, 346 patients were matched. When the propensity-score matching was adjusted, EF was associated with a significantly lower risk of death (p = 0.047). In the subgroup analysis of patients who needed blood transfusion within 24 hours and those who had massive blood loss, EF was associated with a significantly lower risk of death in patients who needed blood transfusion within 24 hours (p = 0.014) and in those with massive blood loss (p = 0.016). Conclusion The use of EF to treat unstable pelvic ring fractures was associated with a significantly lower risk of death, especially in patients with severe fractures. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2018;100-B:233–41.

This work is among the first where the results of an extensive experimental research programme are compared to performance calculations of a comprehensive computational fluid dynamics model for a solid oxide fuel cell stack. The model, which combines electrochemical reactions with momentum, heat, and mass transport, is used to obtain results for an established industrial-scale fuel cell stack design with complex manifolds. To validate the model, comparisons with experimentally gathered voltage and temperature data are made for the Julich Mark-F, 18-cell stack operating in a test furnace. Good agreement is obtained between the model and experiment results for cell voltages and temperature distributions, confirming the validity of the computational methodology for stack design. The transient effects during ramp up of current in the experiment may explain a lower average voltage than model predictions for the power curve.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of perampanel, a selective, non-competitive, α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor antagonist, as an adjunctive treatment for patients with refractory partial-onset seizures (POS) from Asia-Pacific. MATERIALS & METHODS This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01618695) involved patients aged ≥12 years with refractory POS (receiving 1-3 antiepileptic drugs). Patients were randomized (1:1:1:1) to receive once-daily placebo or perampanel 4, 8, or 12 mg over a 6-week titration and 13-week maintenance double-blind period. Enzyme-inducing antiepileptic drugs were equally stratified between groups. The primary efficacy endpoint was percent change in POS frequency per 28 days (double-blind phase vs baseline). Other efficacy endpoints included ≥50% responder rate and seizure freedom. Treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were also monitored. RESULTS Of 710 randomized patients, seizure frequency data were available for 704 patients. Median percent changes in POS frequency per 28 days indicated dose-proportional reductions in seizure frequency: -10.8% with placebo and -17.3% (P = .2330), -29.0% (P = .0003), and -38.0% (P

O Laboratório de Bioengenharia e Biomateriais (BIOENG) do Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia de São Paulo (IFSP) trabalha no desenvolvimento de projetos de Dispositivos de Assistência Ventricular (DAV) e pesquisas relacionadas ao tema. O objetivo principal desses dispositivos é o tratamento de pacientes portadores de insuficiência cardíaca congestiva auxiliando o coração a bombear o sangue. A importância da análise do escoamento é essencial para o desenvolvimento do protótipo, evitando áreas de estagnação e turbulência que podem acarretar na formação de trombos e hemólise, respectivamente. O emprego de análises computacionais auxilia a otimização do projeto e desenvolvimento de DAVs e podem ser conferidos com resultados experimentais de estudo de velocidade através das imagens de partículas. O estudo de visualização de escoamento foi realizado utilizando um estroboscópio com laser verde com comprimento de onda de 540nm e potência de 5000mW, fotografado e analisado com o programa PIVLab. Os resultados foram utilizados para validação de simulações numéricas utilizando Método dos Elementos Finitos no Ansys Fluent. Os testes em computador e em bancada tiveram resultados semelhantes com velocidades máximas de 3,5 m/s validando o método experimental e os resultados em Ansys Fluent.

Este trabalho propõe o estudo da viabilidade do uso do ambiente MatLab/Simulink para auxílio no redimensionamento e validação de um dispositivo que simule a dinâmica do sistema circulatório humano. Na perspectiva de obter contribuições para o desenvolvimento do protótipo de uma válvula de controle proporcional que seja capaz de simular a dinâmica do sistema cardiovascular. Através de variações nos parâmetros do modelo objetiva-se que seja possível reproduzir diferentes condições fisiológicas dos pacientes, tais como as situações de repouso e de atividade física. Pacientes em estágio avançado de insuficiência cardíaca são candidatos a transplante do coração. Existem casos que os pacientes não se enquadram neste cenário, os doadores não são satisfatórios para suprir a demanda, seja por número insuficiente ou por incompatibilidade dos órgãos. Pesquisadores tem empreendido o uso de corações artificiais e Dispositivos de Assistência Ventricular Esquerda (DAVE), com o objetivo de estender a espera aumentando o tempo de vida de pacientes na etapa que precede o transplante. Ainda que os experimentos com animais sejam indispensáveis, algumas experiências poderiam ser realizadas com ferramentas (softwares) que possibilitem estudos simulados do sistema cardiovascular. A válvula de controle proporcional desempenha um papel fundamental no controle da vazão do fluxo sanguíneo no DAVE. Neste trabalho, são mostrados os possíveis usos da ferramenta de simulação na comparação da metodologia a ser aplicada com os resultados esperados das variáveis hemodinâmicas em níveis seguros.