Detection and quantification of bar breakage harmonics evolutions in inverter-fed motors through the dragon transform.

The problem of detecting and quantifying bar breakage harmonics in inverter-fed induction motors has not been solved by the time-frequency transforms present in the technical literature. The paper proposes a new transform, called dragon transform, to solve this problem. The dragon atoms are defined with shapes perfectly adapted to the harmonic trajectories in the time-frequency plane, no matter how complex they are, enabling the precise tracing of the harmonics to be detected. A quantification method is also proposed, which obtains for the first time in the technical literature, the time evolutions of the harmonic amplitudes during a complex transient such as the start-up and the steady state of an inverter-fed motor. The transform performance is validated testing the induction motor under different load levels.

Early market access of cancer drugs in the EU.

Patient access to new cancer drugs in the EU involves centralised licensing decisions by regulators as well as reimbursement recommendations in the context of national healthcare systems. Differences in assessment criteria and evidence requirements may result in divergent decisions at central and national levels, ultimately compromising effective access to patients. Early access decisions are particularly challenging due to the limited clinical evidence available to conclude on the benefit-risk and relative (cost-) effectiveness of new high-priced cancer drugs. We describe mechanisms to accelerate approval of promising anticancer drugs that fulfil an unmet medical need, review the experience from the European Medicines Agency, compare timelines and outcomes of reimbursement decisions in major EU markets, and discuss shortcomings of the current system, ongoing initiatives, and future steps to facilitate effective early access.

EU marketing authorization review of orphan and non-orphan drugs does not differ.

Marketing authorization application dossiers of 17 orphan drugs (ODs) and 51 non-ODs evaluated by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in the period 2009-2010 were compared. We aimed to identify whether any differences existed between ODs and non-ODs in number and type of deficits brought forward during the EMA review, regarding the clinical development plan, clinical outcome and medical need and studied whether these deficits were similarly associated with marketing approval in the EU. In 71% of the ODs dossiers and 65% of the non-ODs dossiers marketing approval was granted. Differences in deficits were found, but similarities in the way ODs and non-ODs were reviewed and marketing approval decisions were taken, underline that regulatory standards are equally high.

Comment on "Theory of tailoring sonic devices: diffraction dominates over refraction".

Recently, Garcia et al. [Phys. Rev. E 67, 046606 (2003)] studied theoretically several acoustic devices with dimensions on the order of several wavelengths. Those authors also discussed experimental results previously reported by several of us [Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 023902 (2002)]] and concluded that it is diffraction rather than refraction that is the dominating mechanism explaining the focusing effects observed in those experiments. In this Comment we reexamined their calculations and discussed why some of their interpretations of our results are misleading.

Impact of analgesic drug-use guidelines for the management of postoperative pain: a drug utilization study.

OBJECTIVE: Postoperative pain is inadequately treated in many surgical settings. The present study evaluates the impact of analgesic drug-use guidelines in the management of postoperative pain. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective drug utilization study was carried out in 3 stages in a traumatology, orthopedic and rehabilitation tertiary hospital. The first stage, aimed at describing the patterns of use of analgesic strategies in the management of postoperative pain, identified habits, practices and misconceptions regarding this therapeutic area. After this, an ad hoc representative institutional working group agreed on analgesic drug-use guidelines for the management of postoperative pain. These were then published, presented and discussed with surgeons and nurses. After the guidelines had been implemented, their impact was evaluated in terms of the analgesics used, their dosage and their administration schedule. RESULTS: 101 patients were studied before the implementation of the guidelines and 108 patients after. Patients receiving opiate analgesics during the immediate postoperative period increased from 70-94% (p < 0.05). First-choice analgesics used according to the guidelines increased from 40-89% of choices after the implementation of the guidelines (p < 0.05). Administration of analgesics at regular predetermined intervals increased from 45-58% of medical orders, but this increase was not statistically significant (p = 0.07). Prescription of analgesics at adequate doses increased from 67-87% (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Education on the treatment of postoperative pain is made up of several messages including the drug of choice and dose regimen. Prescribers seemed more receptive to a change in drug rather than issues related to the correct dose regimen. More research is needed to assess how educational activities can improve the management of postoperative pain.

Anion binding with two polyammonium macrocycles of different dimensionality.

A comparative study of the binding of nitrate and sulfate with a polyammonium monocycle L(1), (3,6,9,17,20,23-hexaazatricyclo[23.3.1.1(11,15)]-triaconta-1(29),11,13,15(30),25,27-hexaene), and the corollary bicycle L(2), (1,4,12,15,18,26,31,39-octaazapentacyclo-[13.13.13.1(6,10).1(20,24).1(33,37)]-tetratetraconta-6,7,9,20(43),21,23,33(42),34,36-nonaene), is reported. Potentiometric studies indicated negligible binding for L(1) and nitrate, but high affinity was observed for sulfate (log K(H5L(SO4)/H5L-SO4) = 3.53(1), log K(H6L(SO4)/H6L-SO4) = 4.36(1)). Stronger binding was observed for the cryptand L(2) with both nitrate and sulfate (log K(H6L(NO3)/H6L-NO3) = 3.11(5), log K(H7L(NO3)/H7L-NO3) = 3.55(5); log K(H6L(SO4)/H6L-SO4) = 4.43(1), log K(H7L(SO4)/H7L-SO4) = 4.97(5)). Five crystal structures are reported: the nitrate (1) and sulfate (2) salts of L(1), the free base (3) of L(2), and the nitrate (4) and tosylate (5) salts of L(2). Structural results for L(1) indicate relatively planar monocycles with cis and trans orientations of the phenyl groups for 2 and 1, respectively, with the anions above and below the monocycle rings. For L(2), key features include an encapsulated water and intricate water network in 3, two encapsulated and four external nitrates and two external water molecules in 4, and six external tosylates with sulfonate groups pointing into the cavity and eight external waters in 5.

Carcinoma de células renales detectado por una forma inusual de metástasis / Renal cell carcinoma detected by an unusual form of metastasis

Propósito: Describir un caso de metástasis de carcinoma de células renales inusual en su forma de presentación clínica.Material y métodos: Mujer de 45 años con tumefacción del pulpejo del quinto dedo de la mano derecha.Resultados: El estudio histopatológico de la biopsia revela que se trata de una metástasis de carcinoma de células claras compatible con carcinoma de células renales.Conclusiones: Es importante el diagnóstico precoz en los carcinomas de células renales, por lo que hay que estar familiarizado con formas de presentación inusuales que son muy frecuentes en esta neoplasia y pueden ser motivo de dilación (AU)

Binding of phosphate with a simple hexaaza polyammonium macrocycle.

A mixture of dihydrogen phosphate and phosphoric acid has been crystallized with a hexaprotonated 26-membered polyammonium macrocycle, 1,4,7,14,17,20-hexaazacyclohexacosane, as the counterion. The complex crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/c with unit cell parameters of a = 10.006(2) A, b = 12.525(1) A, c = 19.210(2) A, beta = 102.91(1) degrees, and V = 2346.6(5) A3. The hexaprotonated macrocycle is located on a crystallographic center of inversion and is surrounded by eight phosphate anions. Six of the phosphates are dihydrogen phosphates (H2PO4-), and the other two are neutral phosphoric acid molecules. Intricate hydrogen-bonding networks, involving the anionic and neutral phosphates and the protonated macrocycle, dominate the crystal lattice. Potentiometric studies using NaCl as the supporting electrolyte indicate high formation constants for the triprotonated macrocycle, H3L3+, with PO4(3-) at pH approximately 9.5 (log K = 4.55(4)), for the tetraprotonated macrocycle, H4L4+, with monohydrogen phosphate, HPO4(2-), at pH approximately 8.0 (log K = 6.01(3)), and for ditopic complexes with H5L5+ and H6L6+ and dihydrogen phosphate, H2PO4-, at pH approximately 4.0 (log K = 6.16(6)) and pH approximately 2.5 (log K = 6.44(5)), respectively. The ditopic behavior in the simple polyazamacrocycle receptor is a somewhat unusual occurrence, as is the finding of phosphoric acid species in the crystal structure.

Large two-dimensional sonic band gaps.

We show that absolute sonic band gaps produced by two-dimensional square and triangular lattices of rigid cylinders in air can be increased by reducing the structure symmetry. In the case of square lattices, symmetry reduction is achieved by a smaller diameter cylinder placed at the center of each unit cell. For triangular lattices the reduction is achieved by decreasing the diameter of the cylinder at the center of the hexagons in the lattice. Theoretical predictions are also demonstrated experimentally: starting from a honeycomb lattice (using cylinders of 4 cm of diameter size and 6.35 cm nearest-neighbor distance) we have studied the transition to a triangular symmetry by putting rods with increasing diameter (in the range 0.6-4 cm) at the center. The greatest enhancement of the attenuation strength observed in transmission experiments has been obtained in the high frequency region for diameter ratios in the range 0.1-0.3.

[Immuno-nutritional prognostic factors in acute cholecystitis]. / Estudio de factores pronósticos inmunonutricionales en la colecistitis aguda.

A set of parameters that could be used to identify possible immunonutritional disturbances and serve as clinical evolution markers were measured in 210 patients diagnosed of acute cholecystitis (136 females and 74 males, 64.8 and 35.2% respectively) who were admitted into the Surgery Service of the Hospital General de 1++Elche. The prognostic evaluation indices were: a) Nutritional: hematocrit, hemoglobin, total protein, albumin, transferrin; b) Immunological: total lymphocytes and delayed hypersensitivity reaction test. The results obtained were analyzed and compared to those of the literature in this field.

[Bacteriologic findings as a prognostic factor in the course of acute cholecystitis]. / Hallazgos bacteriológicos como factor pronóstico en la evolución de la colecistitis aguda.

We made a bacteriological study of bile in a consecutive study of 210 patients studied in the General Surgery Department of the General Hospital of Elche (Spain) who underwent cholecystectomy for acute lithiasic cholecystitis, as a prognostic factor in the clinical evolution of these patients. The results obtained led us to the following conclusions. 1. The presence of positive bile culture is a risk factor predisposing to postoperative septic complications. 2. Bile cultures were more frequently positive in patients over 60-years-old. 3. In the early stages of the disease, positive cultures were more frequent. 4. The organism most often isolated was E. coli, so antibiotic treatment should be directed mainly against this agent.