Failure function direct measurement

The failure function, as defined in section 4.1, can be measured directly or indirectly. Once again, the indirect ways are much... 

The failure function can be measured directly in a number of ways. Some are rather complex and still under development, like the new plane strain biaxial tester with flexible boundaries30, but the simplest method so far is the uniaxial compression test. Only the version developed by Williams et al,24 gives results close to those obtained indirectly with the Jenike shear cell, the other versions yield relative measurements only. 

J.C. Williams, A.H. Birks and D. Bhattacharya, The direct measurement of the failure function of a cohesive powder, Powder Technology, 4 (1970/71), 328-37. 

In summary, monitoring changes in the creatinine clearance or directly measuring the GFR using markers that are not acted upon by the tubule are the best tools to detect early drug-induced renal toxicity in patients with a normal baseline creatinine concentration. Serial monitoring of the serum creatinine concentration is usually adequate in those chronic failure patients whose creatinine is already increased. The role of other endogenous compounds such as cystatin C as a way to monitor renal function is not yet known. 

In working with complex maintenance measures, in particular when inspection intervals vary for different components or vary statistically and repair periods must be taken into account, derivation of the failure probability directly from the system function derived from the logic structure of the system is no longer possible. Complicated analytical... 

All direct mould testers consolidate material by uniaxial compaction and since the voidage within the compressed specimen may not be uniform, steady state deformation may not be achievable and the failure functions measured may have some degree of inaccuracy. 

Initial clinical work focused on a product that would be used to convert patients who were hospitalized for recent-onset AF as an alternative to a cardioversion procedure. Cardiome partnered with Fujisawa (now Astellas Pharmaceuticals) for the clinical development of a vernakalant (1), which produces robust AF conversion rates and none of the ventricular conduction abnormalities associated with less selective agents.35 By the close of 2009, vernakalant had been in 5 large trials and several smaller trials, including a total of over 1200 AF patients. Four Phase III studies—Atrial Arrhythmia Conversion Trials (ACT 1, 2, 3, and 4) —examined patients with recent onset AF (< 45 days) and the measured the rate of conversion to NSR in various periods after drug administration.36 38 The conversion rate was 45-63% in these studies, which tended to exclude patients with more compromised heart function or a history of heart failure. While there has been no specific study looking at QT prolongation, monitoring in both patients and in healthy volunteers showed only modest increases in the QT interval with no directly associated incidents of TDP across all trials. 

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