Bleeding severity in patients with rare bleeding disorders: real-life data from the RBiN study

Patients with hereditary rare bleeding disorders (RBDs) present with diverse hemorrhagic symptoms. Correlation between factor activity levels and clinical bleeding severity is poor for most RBDs. Threshold factor activity levels have been previously described in relation to bleeding severity but have not yet been validated. The Rare Bleeding Disorders in the Netherlands (RBiN) study is a nationwide cross-sectional study of patients registered in all 6 Dutch Haemophilia Treatment Centers with a known RBD and who are age 1 to 99 years. Bleeding scores were determined, and laboratory and clinical data were extracted from patient files. In all, 263 patients were included, of whom 202 (77%) attended the scheduled study visit. The median International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) bleeding assessment tool (BAT) score was 9. Correlations between baseline factor activity levels and ISTH BAT scores were strong for deficiencies in factor II (FII) (r = –0.792) and FX (r = –0.838) and were moderate for deficiencies of fibrinogen (r = –0.683), FV (r = –0.623), FVII (r = –0.516), FXIII (r = –0.516), and α2-antiplasmin (r = –0.594). There was no correlation for FXI deficiency (r = –0.218). The RBD BAT identified more women (94% vs 83%) and children (100% vs 71%) with an RBD than the ISTH BAT did. Importantly, 48% of patients had more severe bleeding than predicted for their baseline factor activity level. In addition, 34% of patients were predicted to be asymptomatic, but they actually had grade 2 (31%) or 3 (3%) bleeding. Bleeding severity in patients with RBDs is more pronounced than previously anticipated. The previously determined threshold factor activity levels to ensure no (spontaneous) bleeding in patients with an RBD are inaccurate. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT03347591.

High Load Fast Startup Sensorless Control of Wheel BLDC Motor with Line-to-Line Back EMF Extraction Using Least Pth-Norm IIR Digital Filter

In this paper, an effective scheme of on-load startup with reduced current has been proposed for BLDC motor and the steady as well as dynamic performance in all four quadrants was verified. Hysteresis band-limited back EMF noise provides the starting pulses, the frequency of which depends on the threshold factor in speed proportional threshold. Scheme is quite fast, comparatively to the state-of-the art schemes of startup and less complex than time-consuming initial position detection (IPD) algorithm. Second-order least [Formula: see text]th-norm infinite impulse response (IIR) digital low pass filter realized in MATLAB/Simulink has been used for extraction of line-to line back EMF from line-to-line terminal voltages measured with two voltage sensors. Proposed filter has wide flexibility of online variation of cut-off frequency, gain and phase without any circuit-based modification due to variability of filter coefficients. This enables the smooth filtering with minimized phase delay in low speed range irrespective of any duty cycle and PWM frequency. Linear compensation of phase error or phase advancement for desired current profile can easily be achieved by the varying the threshold factor. In this experiment, the threshold factor of 1/1460 has been found most suitable for smooth sensorless startup without jerk, vibration and reverse rotation, as the motor operates in advanced mode with this value. First, the performance of Hall sensor-based drive was studied using open loop variable duty cycle speed control. The controller was designed in MATLAB/Simulink platform and implemented using TMS320F28069M DSP control stick with Code composer Studio V5. Later on, a complete controller for proposed sensorless scheme was developed in MATLAB/Simulink environment and was implemented using NI-PCI6221 Controller installed in PC. The proposed sensorless drive has been found capable of operating at very low speed of 50[Formula: see text]rpm in voltage control mode and 85[Formula: see text]rpm in current chopping PWM mode. Approximately 85[Formula: see text]ms less time was taken by sensorless drive to reach the same speed when compared with Hall-based control for identical loading. Also less overshoots during startup was observed. Overlap time of 0.05[Formula: see text]ms between phase currents has been achieved during commutation period.

Evaluation of soil intervention values in mine tailings in northern Chile

The aim of this work is to show a methodological proposal for the analysis of soil intervention values in mine tailings in order to determine the intervention requirements in the commune of Andacollo in northern Chile. The purpose of this analysis is to guide the intervention policies of both private and public organizations. The evaluation method is based on the Dutch legislation. The usability of the proposed methods depends on the available geochemical data from soil samples; in particular, we tackle the case when information regarding clay percentage in the soil is not available. We use the concepts of a threshold factor and an adjusted threshold factor to calculate a weighted intervention ranking. In order to illustrate the utility of this methodological proposal, a case study is carried out with the prescribed approach. In particular, this work presents an analysis of the elements of environmental significance related to the mining activity (Hg, Cd, Pb, As, Cu, Ni, Zn, Cr) in the commune of Andacollo, Coquimbo Region, Chile. The analyzed samples are used to determine where the intervention of tailing deposits is necessary and where a solution to these environmental liabilities is required as soon as possible. Out of the 81 samples evaluated, it was found that 18 require a potential intervention, and of these samples, seven of them are associated with abandoned tailings that, in some cases, are located close to the town center itself, one sample is associated with active tailings and the other 10 with inactive tailings.

A NOTE ON THRESHOLD FACTOR LEVEL(S) AND STONE-GEARY TECHNOLOGY

This article proposes the parsimonious Stone-Geary utility function from consumer choice theory as a production function model. The viability of the threshold input idea is empirically demonstrated for irrigation water (and in the case of nitrogen, a “gratis” threshold) using two field trials from the famous Hexem-Heady data sets. The implications of the Stone-Geary model for tractable U-shaped average variable cost and for factor demand and product supply are explored.