Study of reliability of fibre Bragg grating fibre optic strain sensors for field-test applications

In this paper, the reliability and thus the suitability of optical fibre strain sensors for surface strain measurement in concrete structures was investigated. Two different configurations of optical strain sensors were used each having different mountings making them suitable for different uses in various structures. Due to the very limited time available to install the sensors and take result, commercially packaged sensors were used. In the tests carried out each sensor was mounted onto a concrete beam which was then subjected to a range of known and calibrated loadings. The performance of the optical strain sensors thus evaluated was compared with the results of conventional techniques. This comparison allows for selecting the best performing combination of sensor/mounting, i.e. long-gauge sensor with mounts bolted to threaded rods glued into the concrete for use in future work in a field test where a limited time window was available for installation, testing and post-test demounting. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

Assessment of cell-mediated immunity in a British population using multiple skin test antigens

An in vivo method of assessing the competence of the cell-mediated immune system (Multitest CMI) was used in 200 healthy volunteers (age range 17-88 years). The profile of reactivity to seven individual antigens was determined. A positive reaction was obtained in 96.5% of the subjects who reacted positively to at least one antigen with 78% reacting to two or more antigens. The number of positive responses and the degree of reactivity was significantly reduced in elderly subjects and in females aged 17-65 years. The Multitest CMI system provides a rapid and convenient method of assessing cell-mediated immunity (CMI) in vivo and could have a wide range of applications in the investigation of immunological, infective and neoplastic conditions.

DemTect:a new, sensitive cognitive screening test to support the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment and early dementia

To design a new, highly sensitive psychometric screening to identify patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and patients with dementia in the early stages of the disease.

Evaluation of the VITEK 2 AST N-054 test card for the detection of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase production in Escherichia coli with CTX-M phenotypes

A new VITEK 2 antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) card, AST N-054, was introduced for aerobic gram-negative bacilli in 2007 and has been widely adopted for routine use in the UK. We evaluated its performance for detecting extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) production in Escherichia coli.

A test for psychometric function shift

A nonparametric, small-sample-size test for the homogeneity of two psychometric functions against the left- and right-shift alternatives has been developed. The test is designed to determine whether it is safe to amalgamate psychometric functions obtained in different experimental sessions. The sum of the lower and upper p-values of the exact (conditional) Fisher test for several 2 × 2 contingency tables (one for each point of the psychometric function) is employed as the test statistic. The probability distribution of the statistic under the null (homogeneity) hypothesis is evaluated to obtain corresponding p-values. Power functions of the test have been computed by randomly generating samples from Weibull psychometric functions. The test is free of any assumptions about the shape of the psychometric function; it requires only that all observations are statistically independent. © 2011 Psychonomic Society, Inc.

Determining trophic niche width: An experimental test of the stable isotope approach

Determining the trophic niche width of an animal population and the relative degree to which a generalist population consists of dietary specialists are long-standing problems of ecology. It has been proposed that the variance of stable isotope values in consumer tissues could be used to quantify trophic niche width of consumer populations. However, this promising idea has not yet been rigorously tested. By conducting controlled laboratory experiments using model consumer populations (Daphnia sp., Crustacea) with controlled diets, we investigated the effect of individual- and population-level specialisation and generalism on consumer d C mean and variance values. While our experimental data follow general expectations, we extend current qualitative models to quantitative predictions of the dependence of isotopic variance on dietary correlation time, a measure for the typical time over which a consumer changes its diet. This quantitative approach allows us to pinpoint possible procedural pitfalls and critical sources of measurement uncertainty. Our results show that the stable isotope approach represents a powerful method for estimating trophic niche widths, especially when taking the quantitative concept of dietary correlation time into account. © 2012 The Authors.

How (In)Consistent is the Court of Justice in the Application of the Market Access Test?”

Invited panel speaker at a Jean Monnet Chair funded research workshop organised by the Europa Institute, School of Law, University of Edinburgh (9 December 2011), http://www.pol.ed.ac.uk/research_themes/index/jean_monnet_centre_of_excellence/principles_of_market_access_workshop

Design and test of a bit parallel 2nd order IIR filter structure

Test procedures for a pipelined bit-parallel IIR filter chip which maximally exploit its regularity are described. It is shown that small modifications to the basic architecture result in significant reductions in the number of test patterns required to test such chips. The methods used allow 100% fault coverage to be achieved using less than 1000 test vectors for a chip which has 12 bit data and coefficients.

Late industrialization and the increased merit selection hypothesis - Ireland as a test case

The Irish case provides a particularly appropriate test of the increasing merit selection hypothesis deriving from the liberal theory of industrialization. This is so not only because the lateness and speed of economic change allows us to capture such change through a set of national surveys conducted in the past three decades, but also because such change was based on a sustained policy of increased openness to international competitive forces. The functional requirements of the economy and a rapid increase in the supply of those with higher educational qualifications provided an ideal context in which to observe the movement from ascription to achievement predicted by the liberal theory. However, while changes in the class structure and a rapid expansion of educational opportunity had significant consequences in terms of absolute mobility, there was no evidence of a significant shift towards meritocratic principles. At the same time as the service class increased their advantage over other classes in the pursuit of educational qualifications, the impact of educational qualifications on class destination diminished. Controlling for education, we find that the impact of class origin effects is substantial and shows little sign of diminishing over time. In our conclusion we discuss the implications of our findings in the context of the recent debate on meritocracy.

THE ROLE OF SENSE OF CONTROL AND SOCIAL SUPPORT IN MEDIATING THE IMPACT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS - A TEST OF THE HYPOTHESIS OF FUNCTIONAL SUBSTITUTION

The purpose of this paper is to examine the manner in which beliefs relating to sense of control and perceived social support mediate the impact of objective circumstances on psychological distress. In particular it focuses on the nature of the interaction between such variables. The results provide no evidence favouring the displacement hypothesis whereby the benefits of social support involve costs in terms of independence. Consistent support, however, is found for the functional substitution hypothesis. The conclusion is unaffected by the introduction of distinctions relating to types of support and types of power.

Standardization of diagnostic biomarker concentrations in urine; the hematuria caveat

Sensitive and specific urinary biomarkers can improve patient outcomes in many diseases through informing early diagnosis. Unfortunately, to date, the accuracy and translation of diagnostic urinary biomarkers into clinical practice has been disappointing. We believe this may be due to inappropriate standardization of diagnostic urinary biomarkers. Our objective was therefore to characterize the effects of standardizing urinary levels of IL-6, IL-8, and VEGF using the commonly applied standards namely urinary creatinine, osmolarity and protein. First, we report results based on the biomarker levels measured in 120 hematuric patients, 80 with pathologically confirmed bladder cancer, 27 with confounding pathologies and 13 in whom no underlying cause for their hematuria was identified, designated “no diagnosis”. Protein levels were related to final diagnostic categories (p = 0.022, ANOVA). Osmolarity (mean = 529 mOsm; median = 528 mOsm) was normally distributed, while creatinine (mean = 10163 µmol/l, median = 9350 µmol/l) and protein (0.3297, 0.1155 mg/ml) distributions were not. When we compared AUROCs for IL-6, IL-8 and VEGF levels, we found that protein standardized levels consistently resulted in the lowest AUROCs. The latter suggests that protein standardization attenuates the “true” differences in biomarker levels across controls and bladder cancer samples. Second, in 72 hematuric patients; 48 bladder cancer and 24 controls, in whom urine samples had been collected on recruitment and at follow-up (median = 11 (1 to 20 months)), we demonstrate that protein levels were approximately 24% lower at follow-up (Bland Altman plots). There was an association between differences in individual biomarkers and differences in protein levels over time, particularly in control patients.

Constraining type Ia supernova models:SN 2011fe as A test case

The nearby supernova SN 2011fe can be observed in unprecedented detail. Therefore, it is an important test case for Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) models, which may bring us closer to understanding the physical nature of these objects. Here, we explore how available and expected future observations of SN 2011fe can be used to constrain SN Ia explosion scenarios. We base our discussion on three-dimensional simulations of a delayed detonation in a Chandrasekhar-mass white dwarf and of a violent merger of two white dwarfs (WDs) - realizations of explosion models appropriate for two of the most widely discussed progenitor channels that may give rise to SNe Ia. Although both models have their shortcomings in reproducing details of the early and near-maximum spectra of SN 2011fe obtained by the Nearby Supernova Factory (SNfactory), the overall match with the observations is reasonable. The level of agreement is slightly better for the merger, in particular around maximum, but a clear preference for one model over the other is still not justified. Observations at late epochs, however, hold promise for discriminating the explosion scenarios in a straightforward way, as a nucleosynthesis effect leads to differences in the Co production. SN 2011fe is close enough to be followed sufficiently long to study this effect. © © 2012 The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.

Effect of simvastatin on physiological and biological outcomes in patients undergoing esophagectomy: a randomised placebo controlled trial

OBJECTIVE: To test whether simvastatin improves physiological and biological outcomes in patients undergoing esophagectomy.

BACKGROUND: One-lung ventilation during esophagectomy is associated with inflammation, alveolar epithelial and systemic endothelial injury, and the development of acute lung injury (ALI). Statins that modify many of the underlying processes are a potential therapy to prevent ALI.

METHODS: We conducted a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial in patients undergoing esophagectomy. Patients received simvastatin 80 mg or placebo enterally for 4 days preoperatively and 7 days postoperatively. The primary end point was pulmonary dead space (Vd/Vt) at 6 hours after esophagectomy or before extubation. Inflammation was assessed by plasma cytokines and intraoperative exhaled breath condensate pH; alveolar type 1 epithelial injury was assessed by plasma receptor for advanced glycation end products and systemic endothelial injury by the urine albumin-creatinine ratio.

RESULTS: Thirty-nine patients were randomized; 8 patients did not undergo surgery and were excluded. Fifteen patients received simvastatin and 16 received placebo. There was no difference in Vd/Vt or other physiological outcomes. Simvastatin resulted in a significant decrease in plasma MCP-1 on day 3 and reduced exhaled breath condensate acidification. Plasma receptor for advanced glycation end products was significantly lower in the simvastatin-treated group, as was the urine albumin-creatinine ratio on day 7 postsurgery. ALI developed in 4 patients in the placebo group and no patients in the simvastatin group although this difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.1).

CONCLUSIONS: In this proof of concept study, pretreatment with simvastatin in esophagectomy decreased biomarkers of inflammation as well as pulmonary epithelial and systemic endothelial injury.