Cerebral microbleeds and cognitive decline in a hemodialysis patient: Case report and review of literature

Cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) are small hemosiderin deposits indicative of prior cerebral microscopic hemorrhage and previously thought to be clinically silent. Recent population‐based cross‐sectional studies and prospective longitudinal cohort studies have revealed association between CMB and cognitive dysfunction. In the general population, CMBs are associated with age, hypertension, and cerebral amyloid angiopathy. In the chronic kidney disease (CKD) population, diminished estimated glomerular filtration rate has been found to be an independent risk factor for CMB, raising the possibility that a uremic milieu may predispose to microbleeds. In the end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) population on hemodialysis, the incidence of microbleeds is significantly higher compared with a control group without history of CKD or stroke. We present an ESRD patient on chronic hemodialysis with a history of gradual cognitive decline and progressive CMBs. Through this case and literature review, we illustrate the need to develop detection and prediction models to treat this frequent development in ESRD patients.     

Denying History: Comment.

Comments on an article by Eidelson and Eidelson (see record 2003-03645-004) which made an important contribution, at a critical juncture, to the discussion of international conflicts by identifying core dimensions that allow for the systematic examination of the problem. Their article also posed a danger that mirrors a disturbing trend in the public discourse about conflicts and injustice. In response to the recent escalation of international violence and years of mixed results of engagement in debates centered around grievances of injustice (such as the Palestinian-Israeli conflict), many politicians, pundits, and scholars have advocated addressing conflicts by separating them from the underlying grievances and the ongoing injustice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Contractor-Performed Quality Control: Is the Fox Guarding the Henhouse?

At the same time that state departments of transportation are allowing contractor-performed quality control, they are also concerned about using the contractor-reported data for acceptance and payment purposes. The question is, are we putting the fox in charge of guarding the chickens? To address this concern, a large number of asphalt and concrete projects in Kentucky were examined. The statistical analyses showed that for the most part there is no significant difference between the contractor-performed acceptance data and concomitant highway agency-performed verification data. This is obviously a very encouraging finding that is expected to enhance the level of trust between the contractors and highway agencies.     

Simulation and experimental investigation of two hybrid solar domestic water heaters with drain water heat recovery

In this paper, the performance of two solar domestic hot waters (SDHW) with drain water heat recovery (DWHR) units is investigated. Both SDHW systems are recently installed at the Archetype Sustainable Twin Houses at Kortright Center, Vaughan, Ontario. The first SDWH system in House A consists of a flat plate solar thermal collector in combination with a gas boiler and a DWHR unit. The second SDHW system in House B includes an evacuated tube solar collector, an electric tank, and a DWHR unit. Both systems are modeled in TRNSYS, and the models are validated by experimental data. The addition of the DWHR and the flat‐plate solar thermal collector would result in 1831 kWh of annual energy saving in House A. While the addition of the DWHR and the evacuated tube collector in House B would result in an annual energy saving of 1771 kWh. Subsequently, the models are used to investigate the performance of similar systems for five major Canadian cities of Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton, and Vancouver. The conjunctions of solar thermal collectors with DWHR units are found most beneficial in Edmonton. It is also noted from experimental and simulated results that flat‐plate solar collector‐based water heater produced more thermal energy than the system based on the evacuated tube solar collector for all major Canadian cities. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Experimental seismic evaluation of old concrete columns reinforced by plain bars

Concrete buildings reinforced by plain (smooth) bars are one of the special types of old reinforced concrete buildings that were generally built before the 1970s. As columns are generally the most important structural members of a framed structure, understanding their realistic seismic behavior is very helpful in estimating structural deformations, forces and energy dissipation capacities. Furthermore, in most of old‐framed building structures, columns play a key role in the final behavior because of strong beam–weak column conditions. This article reports the results of experimental monotonic and cyclic tests on four concrete column specimens reinforced by plain bars and with various types of splices. Through the experimental results, it tried to obtain more clarification on the complicated behavior of such old reinforced members as well as the differences compared with relevant results of columns reinforced by deformed bars. It was realized that slip (fixed‐end rotation) contribution is the major source of deformation in all specimens independent from type of splices. Moreover, general mode of behavior was restrained‐rocking action independent of type of splice detailing. A simple theory for the explanation of hysteresis force–displacement response was proposed. The theory assumes a concrete block rocking element that is restrained with plain bars at both ends. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Adaptive Finite Element Analysis of Air Flow Inside Grain Dryers

ABSTRACT

This paper presents a simulation study of air flow inside dryers. An adaptive finite element methodology for two-dimensional problems was developed. This study is the first application of nadaptive techniques to such tupe of problems. The formultion is generic and can be easily extended to three-dimensional analysis. Several dryer configurations were studied in order to verify the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed methodology. Results agreed well with experimental data and show significant imporvements when compared to the conventional finite elements analysis.     

A hybrid fuzzy-ontology based intelligent system to determine level of severity and treatment recommendation for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

This paper deals with application of fuzzy intelligent systems in diagnosing severity level and recommending appropriate therapies for patients having Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. Such an intelligent system can have remarkable impacts on correct diagnosis of the disease and reducing risk of mortality. This system captures various factors from the patients using two modules. The first module determines severity level of the Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia and the second module, which is a decision making unit, obtains output of the first module accompanied by some external knowledge and makes an appropriate treatment decision based on its ontology model and a fuzzy type-1 system. In order to validate efficiency and accuracy of the developed system, a case study is conducted by 44 participants. Then the results are compared with the recommendations of a panel of experts on the experimental data. Then precision and accuracy of the results were investigated based on a statistical analysis.     

CONJUGATE HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER IN CONVECTIVE DRYING OF MULTIPARTICLE SYSTEMS. PART I: THEORETICAL CONSIDERATIONS

This is the first of two papers concerning conjugate transport in convective drying of multiparticle systems. In this study, a methodology for the solution of conjugate transport problems is proposed. The theoretical aspects and relevant assumptions are briefly discussed and the results for convective heat and mass transfer in assemblages of spheres are presented. It is shown that both heat and mass transfer rates for an assemblage of two spheres in tandem arragement are significantly different from those of a single sphere case, and that care should be taken when modeling multiparticle systems by means of single-particle analysis.     

CONJUGATE HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER IN CONVECTIVE DRYING OF MULTIPARTICLE SYSTEMS. PART I: THEORETICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Abstract

This is the first of two papers concerning conjugate transport in convective drying of multiparticle systems. In this study, a methodology for the solution of conjugate transport problems is proposed. The theoretical aspects and relevant assumptions are briefly discussed and the results for convective heat and mass transfer in assemblages of spheres are presented. It is shown that both heat and mass transfer rates for an assemblage of two spheres in tandem arragement are significantly different from those of a single sphere case, and that care should be taken when modeling multiparticle systems by means of single-particle analysis.     

CONJUGATE HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER IN CONVECTIVE DRYING OF MULTIPARTICLE SYSTEMS PART II: SOYBEAN DRYING

Abstract

This is the second of two papers concerning conjugate transport in convective drying of multiparticle systems. In the first paper (part 1), a solution methodology for conjugate transport problems was porposed and successfully tested for assemblages of spheres. This paper deals with the application of the proposed methodology to a soybean drying problem. The analysis in this study allowed certain phenomena, that are usually not present in single-kernel and deep-bed drying analyses, to be captured by the drying rate curves. The results presented here reinforce the need to take into account particle interactions when studying the drying mechanisms of multiparticle systems.