Background Trauma centers are designated to provide systematized multidisciplinary care to injured patients. Effective trauma systems reduce patient mortality by facilitating the treatment of injured patients at appropriately resourced hospitals. Several U.S. studies report reduced mortality among patients admitted directly to a level I trauma center compared with those admitted to hospitals with less resources. It has yet to be shown whether there is an outcome benefit associated with the ?level of hospital? initially treating severely injured trauma patients in Australia. This study was designed to determine whether the level of trauma center providing treatment impacts mortality and/or hospital length of stay. Methods Outcomes were evaluated for severely injured trauma patients with an ...
Background:This study evaluated the outcomes of patients with complex or persistent thoracobiliary fistulae following penetrating liver trauma, who underwent endoscopic biliary intervention...Full Text Available
Pseudoaneurysms related to the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) are a recognised complication of trauma to the vessel, and successful treatment with stenting has been previously described. We report...Full Text Available
Angiography plays a vital role in the investigation of the patient suffering from multiple trauma. The commonest injuries have been rupture of the thoracic aorta, renal lacerations, arterial bleeding associated with fractures and soft-tissue injuries to the pelvis, and occlusions of the arteries supplying the limbs. Transcatheter arterial embolization may be the definitive therapeutic procedure in pelvic bleeding.
Endovascular treatment of post-traumatic pseudoaneurysms has become a viable, less invasive option when compared to open repair. Due to the relative youth of this technology, studies have yet to be...Full Text Available
Tridimensional localization of bone and soft tissue injuries in complex facial trauma is fundamental for treatment. The face can be conceptualized as 3 groups of interconnected osseous struts that are oriented in the horizontal, sagittal and coronal planes. Each group of struts is closely related to specific soft tissue structures that are susceptible to injury. Any single CT section in the coronal plane or in the axial plane contains parts of one or more these struts. Facial CT in biplane were performed in 32 patients of facial trauma. The most common site of facial fractures is found in middle part of horizontal struts, geometrically in anteromedial portion of the inferior orbital fissure of the face. The most common soft tissue injury combined with facial fracture is hematoma and/or herniated orbital contents into the maxillary sinus. The serious combined soft tissue injuries were ocular rupture, retroorbital hematoma ...
Correct ortopedic therapy for traumas of the cervical rachis requires perfect knowledge of the spatial balance of the fracture focus. The authors belive Computed Tomography (CT) to be the most suitable, and often indispensable, method for this purpose. Twenty-four patients were examined for traumatic pathology of the cervical rachis. In 7 cases with clinically minor traumas, the negative outcome of the traditional traumas, the negative outcome of the traditional exam was considered reliable and sufficient for therapeutic purposes. The extant 17 patients were examined also by means of CT, either to better dermine the characteristics of skeletal lesions already ascertained with traditional techniques or to asses the presence of clinically-suspected osteo-articular lesions, even with negative conventional X-rays. For 9 of these patients orthopedic treatment was considered sufficient, whereas 8 patients ...
BackgroundThe aim of this study was to provide more insight into the question as to why blockade of CCR1, CCR2, and CCR5 may have failed in clinical trials in rheumatoid arthritis...Full Text Available
ObjectiveThe purpose of this study is to identify the factors affecting the failure of trials (<50% pain reduction in pain for trial period) to improve success rate of spinal...Full Text Available
The most common causes of omental sac collections (OSC) are necrotic pancreatitis (90%) and pancreatic trauma (10%). Acute OSC is a form of local peritonitis in acute pancreatitis, subacute OSC are caused by internal pancreatic fistulas. The clinical and radiological signs, enzymatic activity of the exudate, morphological features of peritonitis were investigated. Treatment of acute OSC included conservative measures, of subacute OSC-surgical procedures. PMID:9163152
Loss of the sense of smell can be easily confirmed in any physician's office by having the patient try to identify various odors. The etiology of anosmia can be extremely varied, including nasopharyngeal disorders such as rhinitis and tumors; neurologic conditions such as head trauma, neoplasms, vascular lesions and infections of the central nervous system; viral infections; familial and congenital disorders; drugs; industrial exposure; endocrine diseases, and several other disorders. The prognosis of anosmia is guarded, and its treatment depends on the etiology.
Neutron activation of nitrogen and hydrogen in the body, the isotope dilution technique and the measurement of naturally radioactive potassium in the body are among the new nuclear methods, now under collaborative development by the Australian Nuclear Scientific and Technology Organization and medical specialists from several Sydney hospitals. These methods allow medical specialists to monitor the patient's response to various diets and dietary treatments in cases of cystic fibrosis, anorexia nervosa, long-term surgical trauma, renal diseases and AIDS. ills.
Penetrating liver wounds are related to many causes and rank second after blunt abdominal and liver trauma. In this report are examined the clinical and radiological findings of personal series of patients with penetrating trauma, especially by firearms and stab and cut wounds. It will also tried to define the diagnostic workup of these traumas, which is especially based on CT signs of liver damage and associated changes and which is of basic importance for following treatment, both surgical or conservative. In the last seven years it was retrospectively reviewed 31 cases of penetrating liver trauma. The patients were 19 men and 12 women, ranging in age 18 to 73 (mean 42), with penetrating liver injuries from firearms (16 patients) and stab (9 cases) wounds; 6 patients had injuries from different cases. Abdominal CT was carried out in emergency with the CT Angiography (CTA) ...
Preterm birth is a common cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Many asymptomatic genital infections have been associated with preterm birth, but attempts to determine a causal relationship between specific infections and preterm birth have been disappointing. Treatment trials of specific infections have generally failed to show a positive effect, and in some trials have shown a deleterious effect. Although there is a strong association between the presence of bacterial vaginosis and Trichomonas vaginalis in pregnancy and preterm birth, randomized treatment trials have failed to show a benefit of treatment of these organisms. Treatment of asymptomatic bacterial vaginosis or T. vaginalis to prevent preterm birth is not warranted. PMID:12112946
Cross-sectional imaging has revolutionised the radiological diagnosis of pleural collections. Not only can the precise location and volume of a pleural effusion be established, but also features specific for the aetiology of the effusion can be demonstrated. Increasingly, radiologists are called upon to perform image-guided biopsies, aspirations and small bore chest drain placement, all of which have been shown to be safe and efficacious. Pneumothoraces occurring due to acute trauma and in an intensive care setting can also benefit from radiological input, both in terms of diagnosis and image-guided treatment. (orig.)
The utilization of nuclear medicine bone scanning examinations early in the diagnostic process allows physicians to render prompt and correct treatment in urgent or difficult athletic cases. Bone scanning should be performed for athletic injuries whenever (1) x-rays are normal but bone or joint pain persists; (2) x-rays are positive but it cannot be determined if the findings are acute or chronic; (3) soft-tissue injuries present and x-rays are not useful; and (4) bone pain or joint impairment present without a history of trauma.89 references.
Outcome from trauma, surgery, and a variety of other medical conditions has been shown to be positively affected by providing treatment at facilities experiencing a high volume of patients with those conditions. An electronic literature search was made to identify English-language articles available through March 2011, addressing the effect of patient treatment volume on outcome for patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage. Limited data were identified, with 16 citations included in the current review. Over 60% of hospitals fall into the lowest case-volume quartile. Outcome is influenced by patient volume, with better outcome occurring in high-volume centers treating >60 cases per year. Patients treated at low-volume hospitals are less likely to experience definitive treatment. Furthermore, t...
OBJECTIVE: The objective was to define and characterize the costs associated with trauma care at a level I trauma center. Once the costs were identified, attending physician-led teams were designed...Full Text Available
Splenic trauma in children following blunt abdominal injury is usually treated by nonoperative management (NOM). Splenectomy following abdominal trauma is rare in children. NOM is successful as in the...Full Text Available
BackgroundSymptomatic heterotopic ossification (HO) in multiple trauma patients may lead to follow up surgery, furthermore the long-term outcome can be restricted. Knowledge of the...Full Text Available
The paper studies subphrenic inflammatory abscesses and splenic fluid collections after splenectomy for trauma. These complications may appear early or late postoperatively; they are easily demonstrated with computerized tomography, which permits accurate spatial assessment of the lesions and appropriate treatment with percutaneous drainage. It has been also investigates the diagnostic accuracy of the CT in subphrenic inflammatory conditions after emergency splenectomy for traumatic spleen rupture and found that CT is a precious tool for rapid and easy diagnosis and follow-up of subphrenic abscesses treated with percutaneous drainage. [Italian] Scopo del lavoro e' di valutare il ruolo della tomografia computerizzata nelle flogrosi subfreniche secondarie a splenectomia d'urgenza per rottura traumatica della milza, documentando come tale metodica risulti accurata nel diagnosticare e monitorare in modo semplice e rapido ...
Three patients are described with foveal lesions resembling minute holes following trauma. The similarity of the lesions to foveomacular retinitis and solar retinopathy suggests that all these conditions...Full Text Available
Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and clinical application of two stents insertion via single tract for treatment of hepatic hilar cholangiocarcinoma. Methods: Eighteen patients with hepatic hilar cholangiocarcinoma who had left and right bile duct obstruction were treated with stents insertion via right bile duct puncturing routeway. These two stents were implanted between right and left bile duct, and between right bile duct and common bile duct. Results: Eighteen patients obtained successful two stents placement by right bile duct puncturing tract and succeeded with internal drainage for all biliary tree jaundice subsided distinctly. Conclusions: The technique of two stents insertion via single tract could predigest interventional drainage procedure of high bile duct obstruction, reduce operation trauma, shorten handling time and possess promising application value
This document describes the proposed strategy for disposal of spent and failed melters from the tank waste treatment plant to be built by the Office of River Protection at the Hanford site in Washington. It describes program management activities, disposal and transportation systems, leachate management, permitting, and safety authorization basis approvals needed to execute the strategy.
This book provides an analysis of pathophysiologic concepts of trauma and reviews the effectiveness of the available imaging modalities in acute trauma of various organ system. Topics covered are chest injuries; abdominal trauma; fractures of long bones; the foot and ankle; the knee; hand and wrist; the elbow; the shoulder; the pelvis hips; the spine; the skull and facial trauma and the clinical assessment of multiple injuries patients. Comparative evaluation of diagnostic techniques of radiography is discussed. Normal anatomy and bone fractures along with soft-tissue injuries are described.
Purpose. To examine the impact of residual limb osteomyelitis (RLO) on the rehabilitation of lower limb amputees. Method. Retrospective review of the casenotes of patients with RLO. Information sought included details of amputation, clinical features of investigations for and management of RLO and its effect on rehabilitation. Results. There were seven transfemoral and three transtibial amputees. Indications for amputation were vascular disease in nine cases, trauma in one. In each case, delayed wound healing or residual limb pain prompted radiological, hematological and microbiological investigations. Average time between amputation and diagnosis was 187 days. One patient died before treatment commenced. Two transtibial amputees were treated with intravenous antibiotics while rehabilitati...
Active contrast material extravasation can be recognized with conventional CT scanners, though it has been considered a rare finding. Helical CT seems to increase the detection rate and especially to boost the radiologist's confidence in this diagnosis. Though active bleeding is defined in severely-injured subjects requiring urgent intervention and may be associated with findings of hypovolaemic shock, it should not be considered itself as a negative prognostic factor. Contrast extravasation is due to ongoing hemorrhage and its detection is critical for urged treatment. Accurate anatomical location permits to choose surgical management or transcatheter embolization and thus decreases time consumption for precis e bleeding site identification.
The aim of this study was the evaluation of contralateral hip fractures after a previous hip fracture. For this retrospective analysis patients were selected from the database of the LUMC, a teaching hospital in the south-west of the Netherlands. We analyzed all patients with a second fracture of a hip between 1992 and 2007. The exclusion criteria were high impact trauma and patients with diseases or medication known to have a negative effect on bone metabolism. A total of 1,604 hip fractures were identified. The possible predictive factors for the second fracture and descriptive statistics related to surgery (Hb and HT before and after the operation, total amount of intra- and postoperative blood loss, type of osteosynthesis, complications, time of death after the last fracture, time betw...
Sepsis and septic shock remain major causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Previously, high dose corticosteroids were used to dampen the inflammatory response but studies and meta-analyses showed this to be of no benefit and possibly detrimental. Subsequently, low dose corticosteroids were used in the treatment of sepsis and septic shock with the hypothesis that these conditions are associated with relative adrenal insufficiency. Although some studies showed promising results larger studies and meta-analyses have failed to reproduce these effects and the use of corticosteroids in the treatment of sepsis and septic shock remains controversial. We review the current literature and guidelines regarding low dose corticosteroid use in the management of sepsis and septic shock.
Abstract in english INTRODUCTION: Treatment of the cryptorchid testicle is justified due to the increased risk of infertility and malignancy as well as the risk of testicular trauma and psychological stigma on patients and their parents. Approximately 20% of cryptorchid testicles are nonpalpable. In these cases, the videolaparoscopic technique is a useful alternative method for diagnosis and treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We present data concerning 90 patients submitted to diagnostic lapa (more) roscopy for impalpable testicles. Forty-six patients (51.1%) had intra-abdominal gonads. In 25 testicles of 19 patients, we performed a two stage laparoscopic Fowler-Stephens orchiopexy. The other 27 patients underwent primary laparoscopic orchiopexy, in a total of 29 testicles. RESULTS: We obtained an overall 88% success rate with the 2 stage Fowler-Stephens approach and only 33% rate success using one stage Fowler-Stephens ...
The clinical courses of heterotopic ossification (HO) as a consequence of trauma and central nervous system insults have many similarities as well as dissimilarities. Detection is commonly noted at two months. The incidence of clinically significant HO is 10%-20%. Approximately 10% of the HO is massive and causes severe restriction in joint motion or ankylosis. The most common sign and symptom are decreased range of motion and pain. The locations are the proximal limbs and joints. Sites of HO about a joint may vary according to the etiology of the HO. Roentgenographic evolution of HO occurs during a six-month period in the majority of patients. Treatment modalities include diphosphonates, indomethacin, radiation, range of motion exercises, and surgical excision. Surgical timing differs according to etiology: traumatic HO may be resected at six months; spinal cord injury HO is excised at one year; and traumatic brain injury HO is removed at 1.5 ...
The clinical courses of heterotopic ossification (HO) as a consequence of trauma and central nervous system insults have many similarities as well as dissimilarities. Detection is commonly noted at two months. The incidence of clinically significant HO is 10%-20%. Approximately 10% of the HO is massive and causes severe restriction in joint motion or ankylosis. The most common sign and symptom are decreased range of motion and pain. The locations are the proximal limbs and joints. Sites of HO about a joint may vary according to the etiology of the HO. Roentgenographic evolution of HO occurs during a six-month period in the majority of patients. Treatment modalities include diphosphonates, indomethacin, radiation, range of motion exercises, and surgical excision. Surgical timing differs according to etiology: traumatic HO may be resected at six months; spinal cord injury HO is excised at one year; and traumatic brain injury HO is removed at 1.5 ...
Pain is necessary for survival but chronic pain is disabling and causes significant health and economic problems. This study provides an understanding of the future for spinal cord stimulation. Stimulation by means of chronically implanted electrodes, was carried out in 200 patients with pain of varied benign organic etiology. In 177 of them, pain was confined to the failed back syndrome. Most patients were referred by a Pain Management Service. 226 epidural implants were used: 80 unipolar, 59 Resume, 12 bipolar, and 75 quadripolar. Patients were followed for periods of 6 months to 12 years, with a mean follow-up of 44 months. 84 patients (42%) were able to control their pain by stimulation alone, 22 patients (11%) needed occasional analgesic supplements along with their stimulation program. Pain secondary to failed back syndrome, multiple sclerosis, peripheral vascular disease, sympathetic dystrophy and diabetic neuropathy responded favorably. ...
Forty-three patients with basal and squamous cell carcinomata arising on the pinna were treated radically using a 10 MeV electron beam. The technique and dosage are described and discussed. Primary cancer control with retention of the pinna was achieved in 34 patients. Salvage pinnectomy was performed in four patients for recurrence and one patient for radiation necrosis. Two patients with large primary tumours failed to resolve and died of their disease. The advantages for the patient of the policy of primary radical electron beam therapy are discussed.
Lysozyme, ethylenediaminetetracetic acid, chlorine, x-irradiation and microwaves were used in experimental attempts to eliminate Salmonella senftenberg 775W or Salmonella typhimurium from turkey drumsticks and whole carcasses. Turkey drumsticks or whole carcasses were artificially contaminated with S. senfenberg 775W or S. typhimurium in concentrations ranging between 5 x 10"5 to 8 x 10"5 viable cells per ml. of contaminating fluid. After each treatment, samples were cultured, plated, and tested according to standard methods to determine the susceptibility of Salmonella organisms to the particular treatment. A 0.1 percent solution of lysozyme eliminated the S. senftenberg 775W at 22"0C within three hours. A 0.5 percent solution of ethylenediaminetetracetic acid failed to destroy the test organism under the same conditions. Eighty thousand rads of X-ray eliminated the test organism on turkey drumsticks but ...
Hepatic damage occurs in males and ovariectomized (OVX), not in proestrus (PE), females following trauma-hemorrhage (T-H). The mechanism responsible for hepatoprotection remains unknown. We hypothesized...Full Text Available
BackgroundThoracic injuries play an important role in major trauma patients due to their high incidence and critical relevance. A serious consequence of thoracic trauma is pneumothorax,...Full Text Available
Blunt chest-wall trauma is common; however, resultant tricuspid valve rupture is rare and can be subtle in its presentation. Transthoracic echocardiography plays a key role in diagnosis.Herein,...Full Text Available
Preliminary psychometric properties of a new instrument, Angie/Andy Cartoon Trauma Scales (ACTS), are presented. Angie/Andy features a cartoon-based methodology, measuring trauma-related sequelae of prolonged, repeated abuse. A sample of 208 children comprised intrafamilial trauma, extrafamilial trauma, combined trauma, and nontrauma groups. Angie/Andy demonstrated high internal consistency, with coefficient alphas from 0.70 to 0.95. The three trauma groups scored significantly higher than the nontrauma group on all scales (p's < 0.0001). Generally, the most severely traumatized group scored significantly higher than the less severely traumatized groups. The number of types of violence exposures correlated with Angie/Andy scores from 0.55 to 0.74. The frequency and severity of trauma exposure correlated with Angie/Andy scores from 0.44 to ...
Purpose: Treatment results and the pattern of relapse were evaluated in the multimodal treatment of Ewing's sarcomas of the chest wall. Methods and Materials: In a retrospective analysis, 114 patients with non-metastatic Ewing's sarcoma of the chest wall were evaluated. They were treated in the CESS 81, CESS 86, or EICESS 92 studies between January 1981 and December 1993. The treatment consisted of polychemotherapy (VACA, VAIA, or EVAIA) and local therapy, either surgery alone (14 patients), radiotherapy alone (28 patients) or a combination of both (71 patients). The median follow-up was 46.6 months (range 5-170). A relapse analysis for all patients with local or combined relapses was performed. Results: Overall survival was 60% after 5 years, event-free survival was 50%. Thirty-seven patients had a systemic relapse (32.4%), 11 patients had a local relapse alone (9.6%), and 3 patients had a combined local and systemic ...
The family of natriuretic peptides consists of the atria natriuretic peptide (ANP), the cerebral natriuretic peptide (BNP), the type C natriuretic peptide (CNP) and the peptide isolated from the dendroaspis snakes' poison (DNP), whose presence in humans has not been confirmed. The physiological function of ANP is in the control of arterial blood pressure by regulation of systemic vascular resistance of blood vessels. BNP is produced as one of the factors in the acute response to inflammatory tissue damage, mainly in coronary vessels. Increased serum concentrations of natriuretic peptides have been found in stress situations, such as trauma or major surgery, systemic hypotension, and in intrinsic myocardial dysfunction. High concentrations of natriuretic peptides were observed in severe sepsis, septic shock and in multiple organ failure, probably due to increased secretion by mediators of the inflammatory process.The highest concentrations of ANP and BNP were found ...
I review the past and present of wound ballistics research in China and look toward the future of this subject. The main points area as follows: (1) Before the 1970s, China did not conduct any experimental study on wound ballistics. (2) After the 1970s, experts in ordnance and medicine closely cooperated to conduct a series of experiments or tests on wound ballistics, such as wounding effects and the mechanism of various high-speed projectiles, the treatment of the protection from firearm wounds, high quality of ammunition design, lethality criterion, blast injuries, etc. Between 1981 and 1993, four national symposia on wound ballistics were held in China. In 1988, China sponsored the Sixth International Symposium on wound Ballistics. China has made great contributions to this subject. (3) As for the future of Chinese research on wound ballistics, I suggest strengthening the following areas: the relationship with weapons traumatology; the basic science research on ...
Over 300 cases of femoral neck fractures following radiotherapy for intrapelvic malignant tumor have been reported in various countries since Baensch reported this disease in 1927. In Japan, 40 cases or so have been reported, and cases of bilateral femoral neck fractures have not reached to ten cases. The authors experienced a case of 75 year-old female who received radiotherapy for cancer of the uterus, and suffered from right femoral neck fracture 3 months after and left femoral neck fracture one year and half after. As clinical symptoms, she had not previous history of trauma in bilateral femurs, but she complained of a pain in a hip joint and of gait disturbance. The pain in left femoral neck continued for about one month before fracture was recognized with roentgenogram. As histopathological findings, increase of fat marrow, decrease of bone trabeculae, and its marked degeneration were recognized. Proliferation of some blood vessels was found out, but ...
This paper describes the unique challenges involved in achieving compliance with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (Public Law 94-580) Land Disposal Restrictions (LDR) treatment standards for four types of mixed wastes generated throughout the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) complex: (1) radioactively contaminated lead acid batteries; (2) radioactively contaminated cadmium-, mercury-, and silver-containing batteries; (3) mercury-bearing mixed wastes; and (4) radioactive lead solids. For each of these mixed waste types, the paper identifies the strategy pursued by DOE's Office of Pollution Prevention and Resource Conservation Policy and Guidance (EH-43) in coordination with other DOE elements and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to meet the compliance challenge. Specifically, a regulatory interpretation was obtained from EPA agreeing that the LDR treatment standard for wastes in the D008 'Radioactive Lead Solids' ...
Over the past three decades, rising competition from television and other new media prompted the FCC to ease the responsibilities of radio stations to maintain extensive records of issues programming, while retaining the responsibility of stations to provide ready public access to records. This study investigated the availability of Issues-Programs Lists in nearly 100 Missouri radio station Public Files. One in five randomly sampled stations failed to produce access to Lists upon demand as required under federal law. Noncompliance themes include: Inability to access Public Files within 20 minutes of face-to-face requests; station personnel with limited or no knowledge of Files; denial of access to Files and Lists (i.e., verbal refusals, locked studio doors); and incomplete Files. The rate ...
Abstract Residual limb pain (RLP) and phantom limb pain (PLP) can be debilitating and can prevent functional gains following amputation. High correlations have been reported between RLP and the stump neuromas following amputation. Many treatment methods including physical therapy, medications, and interventions, have been used with limited success. Pulsed radiofrequency ablation (PRFA) has shown promise in treating neuropathic pain because of the inhibition of evoked synaptic activity. We present 4 amputees who were treated with PRFA after failing conservative management for their RLP and PLP. All 4 patients underwent PRFA and demonstrated at least 80% relief of RLP for over 6 months. One patient reported a complete resolution of phantom sensation while another patient had significantly de...
Background An emerging imaging tool, the functional lumen imaging probe (Endoflip; Crospon Ltd, Galway, Ireland), provides a real-time measurement of esophagogastric junction (EGJ) capacity and diameter, which would be of particular interest in functional esophageal surgery such as Heller myotomy and antireflux procedures. This study aimed to demonstrate the intraoperative use of endoflip in the treatment of achalasia and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Methods In the first case, Heller myotomy was performed under endopflip guidance, for persistent dysphagia after failed endoscopic dilatation. In the second case, the endoflip was used to calibrate a Nissen fundoplication. With the patient under general anesthesia, the endoflip catheter was inserted orally and positioned to straddle...
A long-term follow-up of a patient with beta thalassaemia with intra- and extraspinal extramedullary haematopoietic tissue compressing the spinal cord is presented. Extramedullary haematopoietic nodules are a rare cause of spinal cord compression and should be included in the differential diagnosis, especially in patients from Mediterranean countries. Treatment with radiation therapy solely failed, giving rise to the need of surgical intervention. Surgical decompression of the spine and the removal of the culprit lesion compressing the spine were performed. Postinterventional radiation therapy was applied to the spine. A relapse had to be treated again by surgical means combined with postinterventional radiation therapy. A complete relief of the symptoms and control of the lesion could be obtained.
Aim: To evaluate the role of computed tomography (CT) in needle placement for ganglion impar blocks, and to determine the efficacy of CT-guided ganglion impar blocks in the management of coccydynia. Materials and methods: The results of ganglion impar blockade in eight patients with coccydynia secondary to trauma or unknown cause were reviewed. The diagnosis of coccydynia was based on clinical history, location of pain, and response to previous diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The eight patients were treated with CT-guided ganglion impar blocks to manage their coccyx pain after conservative procedures, including oral medication and cushions, failed to provide relief. All patients were subjected to ganglion impar blocks under a thin-section CT-guided technique for needle placement, using a mixture of bupivacaine and triamcinolone. The patients were followed-up for a period of 6-months. Results: Eight patients were treated in this study ...
Full text: Many factors including drug efficacy, compliance and antibiotic resistance may influence HP eradication rates. The "1"4C urea breath test is a sensitive method of confirming HP colonisation and eradication. The aim was to study the relationships between the peak "1"4CO_2 counts on the breath test prior to treatment, smoking and HP eradication, and to assess if persistent or recurrent symptoms implied failure of eradication. 117 patients with DU and HP colonisation proved on biopsy or rapid urease test who underwent "1"4C urea breath tests at least one month after eradication treatment was ceased were studied (69 male, 48 female, mean age 41, range 26-87 y). Questionnaire assessment of treatment regimen, smoking history and dyspeptic symptoms was made at the time of the breath test. A sub-group of 43 patients who had pre- and post-treatment breath tests was studied to assess if high peak ...
Healthcare practitioners from around the world responded almost immediately in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. This article reports on the efforts of an orthopedic trauma team in Haiti...Full Text Available
Background/Objectives:Imaging technology is an important part of the diagnosis and management of spinal trauma. Indications and findings in post-traumatic imaging of the vertebral...Full Text Available
Palladium/magnetite nanoparticulate catalysts were developed for efficient elimination of halogenated organic pollutants from contaminated wastewater. Particle recovery from treated water can be ensured via magnetic separation. However, in worst-case scenarios, this catalyst removal step might fail, leading to particle release into the environment. Therefore, a toxicological study was conducted to investigate the impact of both pure magnetite and palladium/magnetite nanoparticle exposure upon human skin (HaCaT) and human colon (CaCo-2) cell lines and a cell line from rainbow trout gills (RTgill-W1). To quantify cell viability after particle exposure, three endpoints were examined for all tested cell lines. Additionally, the formation of reactive oxygen species was studied for the human cells. The results showed only minor effects of the particles on the tested cell systems and support the assumption that palladium/magnetite nano-catalysts can be implemented for a ...
In August 1982, a 44-year-old man was diagnosed as having rectal cancer, histologically diagnosed as well differentiated adenocarcinoma, and abdominoperineal resection and colostomy were performed. Postoperatively, he received chemotherapy with mitomycin C up to a total dose of 100 mg. In September 1986, lung metastasis occurred and he was treated with a combination chemotherapy consisting of cisplatin, pirarubicin and 5-fluorouracil. In the following year, radiation treatment (total: 6900 rad) was given for a recurrent pelvic lesion. Peripheral blood on April 30, 1988, showed anemia, thrombocytopenia and appearance of myeloblasts, and a diagnosis of acute myelogenous leukemia (FAB: M1) was made. Combination chemotherapy (including aclarubicin, vincristine, behenoyl ara-C, daunorubicin, 6-mercaptopurine, cytarabine, etoposide and prednisolone) failed to induce remission and the patient died in June 1988. This case was thought to be one of ...
Penetrating liver wounds are related to many causes and rank second after blunt abdominal and liver trauma. In this report are examined the clinical and radiological findings of personal series of patients with penetrating trauma, especially by firearms and stab and cut wounds. It will also tried to define the diagnostic workup of these traumas, which is especially based on CT signs of liver damage and associated changes and which is of basic importance for following treatment, both surgical or conservative. In the last seven years it was retrospectively reviewed 31 cases of penetrating liver trauma. The patients were 19 men and 12 women, ranging in age 18 to 73 (mean 42), with penetrating liver injuries from firearms (16 patients) and stab (9 cases) wounds; 6 patients had injuries from different cases. Abdominal CT was carried out in emergency with the CT Angiography (CTA) ...
Simultaneous bilateral femoral neck fractures are extremely rare and associated with various conditions. Up to now Most cases had correlations with major trauma, repetitive minor trauma, seizure, parathyroid...Full Text Available
Magnetic resonance imaging can be used in the trauma setting to detect fractures and associated soft tissue injuries of the musculoskeletal system. Magnetic resonance imaging complements plain radiography and CT for evaluating cancellous bone, cartilage and growth-plate injuries, and intra- and extraarticular supporting soft tissue structures. This review outlines typical applications and imaging consideration for injuries of the pelvis and lower extremity. (orig.) With 12 figs., 78 refs.
While trauma is still the leading cause of death in the pediatric age range, it is surprising how little the CT appearances of pediatric chest injury have been investigated in the literature. We have reviewed the CT findings of blunt chest trauma in 44 children for whom chest CT examinations were requested to investigate the extent of intrathoracic injury. We noted a propensity for pulmonary contusions to be located posteriorly or posteromedially, and for them to be anatomically nonsegmental and crescentic in shape. This is possibly attributable to the relatively compliant anterior chest wall in children. The CT appearances of other major thoracic injuries are described, including pulmonary lacerations, pneumothoraces, malpositioned chest tubes, mediastinal hematomas, aortic injury, tracheobronchial injury, hemopericardium, and spinal injuries with paraspinal fluid collections. Children demonstrating findings incidental to the actual injury yet ...
Patients who fail to attend initial appointments reduce clinic efficiency. To maximize attendance by newly referred outpatients, we introduced a mandatory group orientation clinic for all new patients...Full Text Available
An experimental plan for improving the problems of failed fuel location system in Wolsung Unit-2 reactors was established. It is not possible to make an experiment on the failed fuel monitoring nuclides in the cold laboratories because they have very short half life. Therefore, the experiments can be only carried out at the existing monitoring system under reactor operation. For that reason, an experimental plan was drawn up for installing the radiation detection system on reactor site.
Short photoperiods reduce both body mass and food intake of male meadow voles. To help determine whether the primary effect of short day lengths is on regulation of some component of body mass or on the control of food consumption, voles housed in a long photoperiod were provided rations equivalent to those consumed by animals in short day lengths. Animals were transferred to a short photoperiod and after either 3 or 6 weeks of food restriction were fed ad lib. Both groups of voles overate after termination of food restriction and achieved seasonally appropriate body masses that were influenced by the duration of short photoperiod treatment. We conclude that short photoperiods gradually alter the regulated level of one or more components of body mass. We tested and failed to support the hypothesis that the subcutaneous fat depot is selectively spared during seasonal weight loss and thereby increases surface insulation. Thus, the proportion of ...
In designing power system stabilizer (PSS), a major difficulty is to successfully treat the system`s uncertainties. These uncertainties arise because of changes in operating conditions, approximations in modeling, parameter variations caused by faults, etc. It is known that in the presence of uncertainties, conventional methodologies such as linear optimal technique, adaptive controls, etc., may fail to guarantee the stability of the system. On the other hand, the H{infinity} control theory provides potential ability to overcome this problem. However, some limitations still exist in the treatment of uncertainty. That is, the existing standard H{infinity}-PSSs cannot adequately treat the system uncertainties. Moreover, performance problems can arise in this approach due to the pole-zero cancellation phenomenon. To deal with the above mentioned limitations, a new design methodology for H{infinity}-PSS based on the `numerator-denominator` ...
We evaluated the effectiveness of lime and red mud (by-product of aluminium manufacturing) to reduce metal availability to Festuca rubra and to allow re-vegetation on a highly contaminated brown-field site. Application of both lime and red mud (at 3 or 5%) increased soil pH and decreased metal availability. Festuca rubra failed to establish in the control plots, but grew to a near complete vegetative cover on the amended plots. The most effective treatment in decreasing grass metal concentrations in the first year was 5% red mud, but by year two all amendments were equally effective. In an additional pot experiment, P application in combination with red mud or lime decreased the Pb concentration, but not total uptake of Pb in Festuca rubra compared to red mud alone. The results show that both red mud and lime can be used to remediate a heavily contaminated acid soil to allow re-vegetation. - Red mud was effective in immobilising heavy metals in ...
We evaluated the effectiveness of lime and red mud (by-product of aluminium manufacturing) to reduce metal availability to Festuca rubra and to allow re-vegetation on a highly contaminated brown-field site. Application of both lime and red mud (at 3 or 5%) increased soil pH and decreased metal availability. Festuca rubra failed to establish in the control plots, but grew to a near complete vegetative cover on the amended plots. The most effective treatment in decreasing grass metal concentrations in the first year was 5% red mud, but by year two all amendments were equally effective. In an additional pot experiment, P application in combination with red mud or lime decreased the Pb concentration, but not total uptake of Pb in Festuca rubra compared to red mud alone. The results show that both red mud and lime can be used to remediate a heavily contaminated acid soil to allow re-vegetation. - Red mud was effective in immobilising heavy metals in ...
A novel single-chain immunotoxin was constructed by combining a CD33-specific single chain Fv (scFv) antibody fragment with an engineered variant of Pseudomonas exotoxin A (ETA). The variant toxin carries the KDEL peptide at its C-terminus, a cellular peptide mediating improved retrograde transport to the endoplasmic reticulum. The purified recombinant fusion protein induced potent apoptosis of the human myeloid cell lines U937, HL-60 and THP-1. Up to 98% of U937 cells were eliminated after treatment for 72 h with a single dose of 500 ng/ml (c. 7 nmol/l). Killing was antigen-specific and occurred by apoptosis. A control protein, consisting of a CD19-specific scFv antibody fragment fused to the ETA-KDEL toxin, failed to induce death of the CD19-negative cell lines U937, HL-60 and THP-1. The CD33-ETA toxin also mediated apoptosis of fresh patient-derived acute myeloid leukaemia cells from bone marrow and peripheral blood. The pronounced ...
With the aim of demonstrating the usefulness of computerised tomography (CT) findings in the planning of brain neurosurgery in gunshot victims, for prompt and successful treatment, 30 patients with brain gunshot wounds were examined with CT over 5 years. The mortality rate of firearm wounds of the skull base was 34% higher than that of the hemisphere; this is due to carotid hemorrhage and midbrain damage. Such traumas require emergency radiological diagnosis and neurosurgical treatment because of their severity and early irreversible complications. Complex operations and skilled surgeons may prevent disabling postoperative sequels. CT findings are indispensable and must be correctly interpreted. The radiologist and the neurosurgeon must collaborate closely and both must consider several diagnostic factors affecting surgical planning. [Italian] Scopo dello studio e' stato quello di dimostrare ...
There is limited information on the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) although AKI may contribute to morbidity and mortality. We investigated the incidence of AKI in patients with moderate and severe TBI and the association of AKI with risk factors and outcomes in these patients. We studied all TBI patients over 16 years of age admitted to the two designated trauma hospitals in the state of Victoria, Australia from 1 January to 31 December 2008. Patients were included if they had head trauma and presented with a Glasgow coma scale (GCS) <13. Prospectively collected data from the hospital trauma registries, ICUs, and pathology databases were analyzed retrospectively. Risk injury failure loss end (RIFLE) criteria were used to categorize rena...
Active contrast material extravasation can be recognized with conventional CT scanners, though it has been considered a rare finding. Helical CT seems to increase the detection rate and especially to boost the radiologist's confidence in this diagnosis. Though active bleeding is defined in severely-injured subjects requiring urgent intervention and may be associated with findings of hypovolaemic shock, it should not be considered itself as a negative prognostic factor. Contrast extravasation is due to ongoing hemorrhage and its detection is critical for urged treatment. Accurate anatomical location permits to choose surgical management or transcatheter embolization and thus decreases time consumption for precis e bleeding site identification. [Italian] Lo stravaso attivo del mdc e' rilevabile anche con appropriate apparecchiature TC tradizionali, sebbene sia stato considerato raro. La TC sprirale sembra aumentare la frequanza del riconoscimento e ...
Bronchial rupture is a rare and serious complication of blunt chest trauma, which can be easily overlooked on initial evaluation in the emergency room (ER) as the focus of the attending physician is...Full Text Available
PurposeSatisfaction of search (SOS) occurs when an abnormality is missed because another abnormality has been detected. This research studied whether the severity...Full Text Available
BackgroundExperimental psychology has only recently provided supporting evidence for Freud's and Janet's description of unconscious phenomena. Here, we aimed to assess whether specific...Full Text Available
Chronic neurogenous pain is often an extremely difficult condition to manage. In the orofacial region, trauma from injury or dental procedures may lead to the development of severe neuralgic pains and...Full Text Available
Current military conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have produced a significant number of complex injury patterns. Multiple extremity trauma and wide zones of injury mandate a flexible approach to these...Full Text Available
IntroductionSeizures with or without trauma may cause fractures that occur commonly in epileptic seizures. Fracture risk is less reported in non-epileptic seizures. Some metabolic...Full Text Available
OBJECTIVE: The management and outcome of 138 abdominal shotgun wounds were examined over a 5-year period. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: It has been proposed that exploratory laparotomy may be unnecessary...Full Text Available
BackgroundTracheal rupture is a rare but life-threatening complication that most commonly occurrs after blunt trauma to the chest, but which may also complicate tracheal intubation....Full Text Available
This study explored posttraumatic growth (PTG), positive change resulting from struggling with trauma, among 7- to 10-year-olds impacted by Hurricane Katrina. Analyses focused on child self-system...Full Text Available
BackgroundComplex situations that follow war and natural disasters have a psychosocial impact on not only the individual but also on the family, community and society. Just as the...Full Text Available
We report a case of stress fracture of the clavicle associated with sternocostoclavicular hyperostosis. A 60-year-old man sustained a stress fracture of the right clavicle with no history of trauma. On radiography, hyperostosis of the anterior chest wall and ankylosis of the sternoclavicular joint were evident in addition to the fracture. Fracture healing was uneventful after 2.5 months. Ankylosis of the sternoclavicular joint may have caused increased stress at the midshaft of the clavicle by daily activity or minor trauma. Such a fracture is a rare complication of sternocostoclavicular hyperostosis. (orig.)
This case report makes evident that in a 75 years old patient with a (cured) femoral neck fracture 15 years ago a refracture at the same site following a new trauma could not be detected by conventional X-ray. The follow-up of a radionuclide bone study, however, enabled the dignosis of a refracture. From these findings, it is further evident that the decreased bone metabolism in older patients has to be considered. Thus, although the initial bone scan following the trauma is negative, a follow-up scan should be performed within a 4 day-period.
This case report makes evident that in a 75 years old patient with a (cured) femoral neck fracture 15 years ago a refracture at the same site following a new trauma could not be detected by conventional X-ray. The follow-up of a radionuclide bone study, however, enabled the dignosis of a refracture. From these findings, it is further evident that the decreased bone metabolism in older patients has to be considered. Thus, although the initial bone scan following the trauma is negative, a follow-up scan should be performed within a 4 day-period. (orig.).
A 3"1/_2-year-old child developed unilateral diaphragmatic paralysis after chest drain insertion. Plain chest X-ray demonstrated paravertebral positioning of the chest-tube tip, and magnetic resonance imaging revealed hematomas in the region of the chest-tube tip and the phrenic nerve fibers. The trauma to the phrenic nerve was apparently secondary to malposition of the chest tube. This is a rare complication and has been reported mainly in neonates. Radiologists should notify the treating physicians that the correct position of a chest drain tip is at least 2 cm distant from the vertebrae. (orig.)
Visualization of falx cerebral on non-enhanced computer tomography (CT) of children with severe head injuries (the falx sign) has been regarded as an evidence of subarachnoid hemorrhage. On the contrary, other authors have reported reverse results. To evaluate clinical significance of the falx sign, authors studied frequency of visualization and CT number of falx cerebri and dural sinuses in 65 children with head injury and 65 children without head injury examined by cranial computer tomography at the Department of radiology, St Paul's Hospital, Catholic Medical College from March to September, 1981. All patients with head trauma were studied within 1 week of the traumatic event. Visualization of falx cerebri was observed at slice in the region of lateral ventricle and slice near to vertex respectively. On the slice in the region of lateral ventricle, falx cerebri was identified in 82% of all of the children examined, of which 92% showed partial ...
Combination treatments of chisel-injected fumigants (methyl bromide, 1,3-D, metam sodium, and chloropicrin) on a first crop, followed by drip-applied fumigants (metam sodium and 1,3-D +/- chloropicrin) on a second crop, with and without oxamyl drip applications were evaluated for control of Meloidogyne incognita in three different tests (2002 to 2004) in Tifton, GA. First crops were eggplant or tomato, and second crops were cantaloupe, squash, or jalapeno pepper. Double-cropped vegetables suffered much greater root-knot nematode (RKN) pressure than first crops, and almost-total yield loss occurred when second crops received no nematicide treatment. On a first crop of eggplant, all fumigants provided good nematode control and average yield increases of 10% to 15 %. On second crops, higher application rates and fumigant combinations (metam sodium and 1,3-D +/- chloropicrin) improved RKN control and increased yields on average by 20% to 35 % ...
AIM: To assess the impact of the introduction of a computed tomography (CT) imaging protocol for multi-trauma patients on the workload, overall diagnostic yield, and effect on detection of cervical spine injury and pneumothorax. METHOD: Between February 1997 and April 2004, all patients presenting acutely to the Emergency Department (ED) with haemodynamically stable trauma (Abbreviated Injury Scale 3 or more) involving more than two body systems were imaged with a comprehensive pre-set helical CT protocol (including non-contrast head, cervical spine: cranio-cervical and cervico-thoracic junctions; and oral and intravenous contrast-enhanced thoracic, abdomen and pelvis) after initial triage and a standard trauma series of radiographs (chest, lateral C-spine and pelvis). Diagnosis of cervical spine fracture and pneumothorax was noted before and after the CT protocol was carried out and findings from all studies were recorded ...
Scott P. Donnell of Lockheed Martin Milstar group has written to say that the failed launch was of Milstar 3, not Milstar 4 as reported in SPX.579. ...
... has confirmed at least one instance of this: in 2005, Tanzanian customs officials intercepted a shipment that contained a yellow cake-filled barrel ...
This article describes the disenchantment with electric cars after considerable hype by industry. Also discussed is why electric cars have failed to catch on.
This study correlates the post start cell performance and impedance with the cold start process in the subzero environment. The sequential failed cold starts are deliberately conducted as well as the start at small current density. Here the failed cold start means the cell voltage drops to or below zero within very short time during the start process. It is found that there are reversible performance losses for the sequential failed cold starts, while not obvious degradation and no recovery happen for the start at small current density. Using the thin film and agglomerate model, it is confirmed that this is due to the water blocking effect. Comparing the results from different start processes, a model with respect to the shifting of reactive region within the catalyst layer is applied to e...
This presentation details how wind turbine gearboxes fail to meet 20-year design life and how the Gearbox Reliability Collaborative (GRC) is addressing the challenges.
Social organisms that cooperate with some members of their own species, such as close relatives, may fail to cooperate with other genotypes of the same species. Such noncooperation may take the form...Full Text Available
A 6-week-old girl with fever, hypernatraemia, dehydration, and polyuria failed to concentrate urine in response to exogenous vasopressin administration. There was no family history of nephrogenic diabetes...Full Text Available
... by r repair crews, thus creating a second queue, that of failed terminals. The authors defined a trivariate stochastic process as follows: X(t) = 1 if ...
Purpose: To assess the role of CT in the evaluation of traumatic and spontaneous oesophageal perforation. Materials and methods: From March 2001 to May 2003, we studied 12 patients (7 males and 5 females; age range: 25-66 years, mean age: 43.5 years) with suspected oesophageal perforation due to motor-vehicle accidents (4 cases), stab wound (one case), post-intubation (2 cases), foreign body ingestion (2 cases) and spontaneous (3 cases). Five patients underwent standard chest and cervical radiography; two patients with suspected foreign body ingestion also underwent a gastrografin swallow study; all of the 12 patients underwent CT of the neck, chest and abdomen before and after intravenous, and in four cases oral, administration of contrast material. Results: In 5 patients with cervical, thoracic and abdominal trauma, the CT examination showed the presence of pleuroparenchymal injury (pneumothorax, pleural effusion and subcutaneous emphysema) as well as findings ...
Purpose: Patients with mycosis fungoides [cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL)] may benefit from adjuvant therapy after completing total skin electron beam therapy (TSEBT). We report the results for (T1(T2)) CTCL patients treated with adjuvant oral psoralen plus ultraviolet light (PUVA) with respect to overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), salvage of recurrence, and toxicity. Methods and Materials: Between 1974 and 1993, TSEBT was administered to a total of 213 patients with CTCL. Records were reviewed retrospectively, and a total of 114 patients were identified as having T1 or T2 disease. Radiotherapy was provided via a 6-MeV linac to a total of 36 Gy, 1 Gy/day, 4 days/week, for 9 weeks. Beginning in 1988, patients were offered adjuvant PUVA within 2 months of completing TSEBT. This was started at 0.5-2 J/m"2, 1-2 treatments/week, with a taper over 3-6 months. Therapy then continued once per month. There were 39 T1 and 75 T2 patients. Six T1 (15%) and ...
Surveillance of a population, such as a weapon stockpile, is needed to discover manufacturing defects as well as deterioration as the population ages. This article considers the risks of sampling rates for surveillance from three perspectives: detection probability of defects in a proportion of a population with pass/fail data, detection of a trend in a defective proportion of the population with pass/fail data, and detection of a trend with quantitative degradation measurements. Understanding of these risks will help the decision maker choose a sampling rate to protect against such problems of a specified size at a tolerable risk.
Following the February 2011 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand (NZ), the authors participated in counselling local residents, and debriefing and supervising support teams. Indications were that risk for mental health disorders, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), may be elevated in residents, and that this risk may continue for some time. Patients may be de-prioritising their mental health issues when these become normalised throughout the city's population. The authors recommend that primary care patients are assessed using a brief, comprehensive tool (for example, the Case-finding and Help Assessment Tool) that targets many health and behavioural issues identified as increasing in the city following the earthquake. Anxiety and mood disorder symptoms may indicate assessment is appropriate to reduce harm arising from increased risk for PTSD. Concern also is raised for primary health care providers who may have experienced the trauma and ...
Microbial dechlorination of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) often stops although a significant number of removable chlorines remain. To determine the reason for the cessation, we investigated the limitation of organic carbon, PCB bioavailability, and inhibition by metabolic products. Enrichment with carbon sources did not induce additional chlorination, indicating the plateau was not due to depletion of organic carbon. The bioavailability was not limiting, since a subcritical micelle concentration of the surfactant, which enhanced desorption without inhibiting dechlorinating microorganisms, failed to lower the plateau. Neither was it due to accumulation of metabolites, since no additional dechlorination was detected when plateau sediments were incubated with fresh medium. Similarly, dechlorination was not inhibited in freshly spiked sediment slurries. Dechlorination ended up at the same level with nearly identical congener profiles, regardless of ...
The epileptogenic and neurodegenerative effects of gamma-dendrotoxin, from Dendroaspis angusticeps, a specific blocker of a non-inactivating, voltage-sensitive K+ channel, were studied after focal injection into one dorsal hippocampus in rats pretreated with CGP040116, a N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, and in rats bearing a monolateral surgical lesion of the Schaffer collaterals whose terminals originate from CA3 pyramids and release glutamate in the CA1 hippocampal area. Administration of 35 pmol gamma-dendrotoxin elicited in all of the treated animals (n=8) bilateral EEG discharges and damage to the hippocampal formation. Quantitation of the damage revealed significant bilateral neuronal cell loss in the CA1, CA3 and CA4 pyramidal cell layers. The lowest dose (0.35 pmol; n=4) of the toxin used did not affect EEG activity and failed to cause significant hippocampal cell loss whereas the 3.5 pmol (n=6) dose caused EEG seizures and hippocampal cell ...
Designer natriuretic peptides (NPs) represent an active area of drug development. In canine and human studies, the designer natriuretic peptide CD-NP demonstrated more desirable therapeutic potential than recombinant B-type NP (BNP), which is known as nesiritide and is approved for treatment of acute decompensated heart failure. However, why CD-NP is more effective than BNP is not known. We previously reported that CD-NP is a poorer activator of human guanylyl cyclase-A (GC-A) and a better activator of human guanylyl cyclase-B than BNP. Here, guanylyl cyclase bioassays were used to compare the susceptibility of CD-NP verses ANP, BNP, CNP and DNP to inactivation by human kidney membranes. The half time (t(1/2)) for CD-NP inactivation was increased by factors of 13, 3 and 4 compared to ANP, BNP and CNP, respectively, when measured in the same assay. Surprisingly, DNP failed to undergo complete inactivation and was the most degradation resistant ...
Two patients, treated for blunt thoracoabdominal trauma with ruptured diaphragm and concomitant avulsion of the pericardial sac in its entirety from the central tendon of the diaphragm, are presented. We do not think this entity has been reported before. We explain this type of lesion on the basis of embryological development of the pericardium at the level of the central tendon of the diaphragm. PMID:15302069
Goldstein SL, Mattoo TK, Morgenstern B, Martz K, Stablein D, Talley L. Anemia and growth status in pediatric patients receiving maintenance dialysis after a failed renal transplant course: An NAPRTCS report.Pediatr Transplantation 2006. Copyright 2006 Blackwell Munksgaard Abstract: We conducted a retrospective review of the North American Renal Transplant Cooperative Study (NAPRTCS) Registry transplant and dialysis arms to assess anemia and growth patterns in children who returned to dialysis after a failed renal transplant from January 1, 1992 to February 3, 2004. Of the 1807 potential study subjects, 1451 had transplant removal data (TxIn vs. TxOut) available for analysis. Four hundred and twenty-one of 1451 patients (29%) had a transplant nephrectomy at the time of entry into the NAPRTC...
...Year nine students will be taught the importance of mateship in a bid to reduce risky behaviour and save lives as part of a school-based intervention program to be introduced in Queensland. 24.11.10 Safe sex saves schoolies from chlamydia The safe-sex message is failing to get ...
Studies fail to find uniform effects of age-related or induced hypogonadism on human sexual function. We examined the effects of induced hypogonadism on sexual function in healthy men and women...Full Text Available
Nineteen of 69 patients undergoing coronary angioplasty required immediate coronary surgery after the procedure. Six of these operations were planned as a result of angioplasty that failed without producing...Full Text Available
BackgroundThere are no drugs presently available to treat traumatic brain injury (TBI). A variety of single drugs have failed clinical trials suggesting a role for drug combinations....Full Text Available
BackgroundA wide range of techniques is now available for analyzing regulatory networks. Nonetheless, most of these techniques fail to interpret large-scale transcriptional data...Full Text Available
TCDD and other polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbon ligands of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) have been classically considered as non-genotoxic compounds because they fail to be directly mutagenic...Full Text Available
On 12 July the Audit Commission published For Your Information, a well researched report about information and its management in acute hospitals in Britain, how and why it is failing, and steps that...Full Text Available
BackgroundMany interventions found to be effective in health services research studies fail to translate into meaningful patient care outcomes across multiple contexts. Health services...Full Text Available
Aims: To ascertain why 19.6% of pregnancies in which a fetal renal anomaly has been detected fail to produce a surviving child, and whether antenatal diagnostic accuracy has altered since...Full Text Available
Metastatic testicular germ cell tumours are cured in approximately 85% of patients using cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy. Patients who fail to respond have a poor prognosis, and there is a...Full Text Available
... and at that point she had already failed physical therapy, which someone else had prescribed, and so ... MRI, we may try a brief course of physical therapy to see if they feel better, but ...
Social support is a critical, yet underutilized resource when undergoing cancer care. Underutilization occurs in two conditions: (a) when patients fail to seek out information, material assistance,...Full Text Available
Mercury has had various uses in nuclear fuel reprocessing and other nuclear processes, and so is often present in radioactive and mixed (both radioactive and hazardous according to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) wastes. Depending on regulatory requirements, the mercury in the off-gas must be controlled with sometimes very high efficiencies. Compliance to the Hazardous Waste Combustor (HWC) Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) standards can require off-gas mercury removal efficiencies up to 99.999% for thermally treating some mixed waste streams. Several test programs have demonstrated this level of off-gas mercury control using fixed beds of granular sulfur-impregnated activated carbon. Other results of these tests include: (a) The depth of the mercury control mass transfer zone was less than 15-30 cm for the operating conditions of these tests, (b) MERSORB(reg_sign) carbon can sorb Hg up to 19 wt% of the carbon mass, and (c) the spent carbon retained almost all ...
Thirty-five patients with temporal bone fractures were examined; the fractures were sometimes associated with dislocation of the assicular chain caused by road fatalities. Computed Tomography (CT) was performed either because of the presence of clinical symptoms associated with trauma of the temporal bone, because of a hemotympanum discovered during a CT scan of the brain. Thirty-three fractures were detected: 19 longitudinal, 6 transverse, and 8 complex. An incudostapedial dislocation was also detected, together with a displacement of a stapedial prosthesis from the lenticular process of incus, and 3 incus-malleus dislocation associated with fractures. High resolution CT allows the precise definition of the course of the fractures, of the associated dislocation of the ossicular chain, and of facial nerve lesion, thus allowing a more accurate surgical intervention. In the examination of the temporal bone, high resolution CT is preferible to pluridirectional ...
CT scans were performed on 25 patients suspected of sustaining ranal trauma. The utility of CT in both detecting renal damage and appraising the gravity of injuries was assessed. Nowadays, in fact, nephrectomy or reserved for lesions devastanting the kidney parenchyma or rupturing the renal pedicle; so it is very important to identyfy both the purposes of a better planned therapeutic approach. CT does both, being more accurate than urography in the detection of renal fractures, intra or extraparenchymal hematomas and contrast media extravasation. Urography very often shows aspecific lesion patterns and sometimes it is also falsely negative. In the present series CT was more reliable than angiography itself, particulary in the diagnosis of extra-renal hematic collections, contrast media extravasation and injuries to the other abdominal organs. Although CT may arouse the suspicion of and sometimes correctly diagnose vascular lesions, such as renal infarction, ...
Purpose of this work is to evaluate the effectiveness and role of CT in blunt diaphragmatic injuries by reviewing our 8-year experience. It is reviewed the preoperative CT findings of 35 patients with surgically confirmed diaphragmatic rupture. Surgical repair was performed in the acute setting (within 12 hours of trauma) in 22 cases, and late (8 months-5 years) in 13 cases. Twenty-eight patients (80%) were examined with conventional CT and 7 (20%) with Helical CT. Of the 13 patients examined long after trauma, the left hemi diaphragm was ruptured in 12 cases (with visceral herniation in 4), and the right hemi diaphragm in 1, with no herniation. The diaphragmatic rent was found in the dome (15 cases, 43%), muscolotendinous junction (11 cases, 31%), muscular portion (8 cases, 23%), and at the muscular attachments on the ribs (1 case, 3%). As for the site of diaphragmatic injury, CT never depicted the diaphragmatic rent in the dome and at the ...
CT is a valuable tool in assessing thoracic gunshot wounds. CT is also the method of choice in emergency, because it permits rapid depiction of bullet damage to the chest and to other body districts. This in turn permits correct assessment of the main thoracic injuries, plus adequate and prompt planning of surgical treatment or support intensive care. It is reported on the role of CT in diagnosing the complex pleuropulmonary, cardiovascular and thoracic wall injuries caused by gunshot wounds, with their specific and acute signs which differ greatly fro those of other types of chest trauma. In the last 4 years, it was observed an amount of 76 cases of gunshot injury, twenty-six of them involved the chest. The patients, 25 men and 1 woman (mean age: 32 years, range: 17-48), were all submitted to emergency CT with iv contrast agent injection and the CT-angiography technique. The reanimator was always presented to monitor the patients' ...
Computed tomography allows today to reconstruct three-dimensional (eD) images fram axial scans. The authors report their experience in cranio-facial pathology achived in two Departments of Radiology (University of Trieste, Italy and University of Standford, California). 3D images have been realized using two different softwares, one of which allows to reconstruct both soft tissue and bone structures. The application in maxillo-facial traumas, cranio-facial malformations and head tumours are disscussed. 3D images turned out to be very useful for the optimal visualization and for the spatial demostration of the lesion and have potential applications in cranio-facial surgery and radiotherapy.
The discussion focuses on the ways in which the 3 panelists in their lives and work embody fourth wave feminism, which combines politics, psychology, and spirituality in an overarching vision of change. Jane Fonda's emphasis on the importance of making narratives of gender a central organizer for personal and societal transformation, Hedda Bolgar's insistence that psychoanalysts recognize the complex dialectic between unconscious dynamics and sociocultural realities in order not to conflate conflicts rooted in social inequalities with individual issues, and Sue Shapiro's understanding of the ambiguous role of individual therapy in situations of historical and social trauma such as the tsunami in Indonesia are all examples of fourth wave feminism in practice. The unfinished business of the ...
In the last 40 years, significant advances have been made in the understanding of the neurophysiologic processes involved in the experience of trauma and pain. This knowledge, together with the rapid growth and understanding in the behavioral health sciences, has expanded to include a much better appreciation of how these fields are converging and contribute to a process called neuroplasticity. These basic mechanisms common to all patients have important implications for clinical outcome and for improving clinical practice. This article is written for clinicians who manage patients with sacroiliac joint dysfunction, a specific type of nonspecific low back pain.
The authors present a guide to the imaging of facial fractures. It is illustrated with conventional radiographs and computed tomograms; the magnetic resonance images primarily suggest the potential applications of this technique. This book provides a source of imaging information on facial trauma. A section on pertinent anatomy is followed by a systematic discussion of the common isolated and complex facial fractures. Perspectives are offered on some commonly seen but infrequently described relationships, such as the tripod-LeFort II association. Consideration is also given to related soft-tissue injuries. The book includes a brief chapter on the type and utility of supplementary imaging studies in the evaluation of those intracranial injuries that may occur concurrently.
Purpose - The article shares insights from a program that was developed to address burnout, compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma. The program works from the premise that people and organizations thrive when they have shared values and common understandings. Design/methodology/approach - The approach draws together reflection at the organizational and person levels. Connecting business ethics and organizational analysis, improving understanding of the body's energy as well as inter-cultural understanding are all achievable while adopting the resilience development methods. Findings - The article concludes that reflective practice through the tools used on the program enhances understanding of the challenges faced by organizations and the individuals involved. It provides creative routes ...
A 37-year-old military mechanic presented to our institution with a chronic history of a slowly enlarging left elbow antecubital fossa mass. There was no history of other chronic illness or trauma. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and excisional biopsy revealed fatty villi and synovial inflammation within the left bicipitoradial bursa, consistent with lipoma arborescens. Four years later the patient presented with a 6-month history of swelling at the antecubital fossa of the opposite elbow. Diagnostic computed tomography and MRI examinations were performed. The surgical and pathologic findings confirmed the imaging diagnosis of lipoma arborescens at the right bicipitoradial bursa. (orig.)
Purpose: To assess the role of CT in the evaluation of traumatic and spontaneous oesophageal perforation. Materials and methods: From March 2001 to May 2003, we studied 12 patients (7 males and 5 females; age range: 25-66 years, mean age: 43.5 years) with suspected oesophageal perforation due to motor-vehicle accidents (4 cases), stab wound (one case), post-intubation (2 cases), foreign body ingestion (2 cases) and spontaneous (3 cases). Five patients underwent standard chest and cervical radiography; two patients with suspected foreign body ingestion also underwent a gastrografin swallow study; all of the 12 patients underwent CT of the neck, chest and abdomen before and after intravenous, and in four cases oral, administration of contrast material. Results: In 5 patients with cervical, thoracic and abdominal trauma, the CT examination showed the presence of pleuroparenchymal injury (pneumothorax, pleural effusion and subcutaneous emphysema) as well as findings ...
One of the characteristic safety features of a pool type research reactor is a safety flapper valve. The valve enables natural convection cooling mechanism in one of the following events. (a) Opening flapper valve promote decay heat removal following reactor's shutdown. (b) Also the valve is gravity driven. There is a possibility that the valve fails to open when it is required to do so. In the present paper the cooling characteristics of the core are analyzed for this event. A steady state study was performed for 5 MW power and 18 FE following a reactor shutdown. It is shown that enough margin exists to assure adequate reactor core cooling should the safety flapper valve fails to open. (authors)
Many existing proposals either lack sufficient concreteness to make carbon capture and geological sequestration (CCGS) operational or fail to focus on a comprehensive, long term framework for its regulation, thus failing to account adequately for the urgency of the issue, the need to develop immediate experience with large scale demonstration projects, or the financial and other incentives required to launch early demonstration projects. We aim to help fill this void by proposing a roadmap to commercial deployment of CCGS in the United States.This roadmap focuses on the legal and financial incentives necessary for rapid demonstration of geological sequestration in the absence of national restrictions on CO2 emissions. It weaves together existing federal programs and financing opportunities into a set of recommendations for achieving commercial viability of geological sequestration.
A concentric reducer tube, which was a part of the top exit roughing hydraulic descaler in a hot strip mill failed prematurely under working pressure. A detailed metallurgical investigation comprising physical examination, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and electron probe microanalysis was carried out to find out the genesis of the failure. Physical examination revealed cracks located symmetrically around the circumference of the tube that ran along its full length, up to the weld beads at both ends. Optical microscopy of etched samples revealed a banded ferrite-pearlite structure and the existence of forging folds near the change-in-section(160? fillets). Cracks were found to initiate from these forging folds. No structural abnormalities were found in the weld beads and...
Encapsulation of a unique isotopic blend of krypton and xenon gas employs a special application of laser technology. The encapsulated gas is then used as the primary medium for detection and identification of failed nuclear fuel rods. The use of gas tagging as a means of detecting and identifying failed nuclear fuel rods has been successfully demonstrated and used by the Argonne National Laboratory, Experimental Breeder Reactor (EBR-2) Project, and the Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC), Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) Fast Breeder Reactor Program. The Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation (PNC) of Japan has selected this leak detection system for use in their MONJU Prototype Reactor fuel assemblies. The MONJU reactor is almost identical in design to the highly successful FFTF reactor, which is currently in standby status.
Breaker failure relaying has been generally achieved through the use of a current monitoring relay to determine whether current continues to flow into a fault after a breaker has been instructed to interrupt the circuit. If current continues to flow after a predefined period of time, the circuit breaker is considered to have failed. Steps must then be taken to trip the next set of upstream breakers in the power system to remove the faulted circuit and prevent system damage. However, with industrial power systems, this may be the utility`s breakers on the feeding transmission line. Regardless, breaker failure schemes must be designed to isolate both the faulted circuit and the failed circuit breaker. This paper discusses a new and innovative method of protecting a circuit breaker from the failure described above, plus other failures that go unprotected with conventional schemes, this providing total breaker failure protection.
The pair-specific ground state energy of Newtonian N-body systems grows monotonically in N. This furnishes a whole family of simple new tests for minimality of putative ground state energies obtained through computer experiments. Inspection of several publically available lists of such computer-experimentally obtained putative ground state energies has yielded several dozen instances which failed (at least) one of these tests. Although the correct ground state energy is not revealed by this method, it does yield a better upper bound on it than the experimentally found value whenever the latter fails a monotonicity test. The surveyed N-body systems include in particular N point charges with 2- or 3-dimensional Coulomb pair interactions, placed either on the unit 2-sphere or on a 2-torus (a.k.a. Thomson, Fekete, or Riesz problems).
9 9 simulated Purex waste oxides was investigated as a function of Na/sub 2/O, CaO and P/sub 2/O/sub 5/ content. All compositions lost some sulfate at 50 to 100 deg C above the softening point. In generai the volatility decreased with increase of either Na/ sub 2/O or CaO relative to P/sub 2/O/sub 5/, but no simple correlation Was indicated. Softening temperatures were lowered by inc ease in Na/sub 2/O vs CaO. Ceramic solids were obtained but no true glasses. Attempts to produce glasses by addition of varying combinations of Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/, PbO, BaO, and B/sub 2/O/ sub 3/ to simulated Pure x waste plus phosphite were unsuccessful. The use of 0.005 M Na/sub 2/C/O/sub 3/ to precipitate calcium from wastes containing up to 3 ppm of phosphate was demonstrated in four pilot plant runs and produced a decrease in the hardness of the waste leaving the clarifier. An inadvertent Sr/ sup 90/ and Cs/sup 137/ breakthrough occurred during one run which was caused ...
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of replication-competent adenovirus-mediated double suicide gene therapy in an adjuvant setting with external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) in an experimental prostate cancer model in preparation for a Phase I clinical study in humans. Methods: For efficacy studies, i.m. DU145 and intraprostatic LNCaP C4-2 tumors were established in immune-deficient mice. Tumors were injected with the lytic, replication-competent Ad5-CD/TKrep adenovirus containing a cytosine deaminase (CD)/herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-1 TK) fusion gene. Two days later, mice were administered 1 week of 5-fluorocytosine + ganciclovir (GCV) prodrug therapy and fractionated doses of EBRT (trimodal therapy). Tumor control rate of trimodal therapy was compared to that of EBRT alone. For toxicology studies, immune-competent male mice received a single intraprostatic injection (10"1"0 vp) of the replication-competent Ad5-CD/TKrep ...
We reported previously that Fas-induced hepatic failure in normal mice was attenuated or prevented by exogenous transferrin (Tf), particularly apoTf. Here we show in C57BL6J/129 mice with genetic...Full Text Available
In combined cycle turbine power stations, soft material compensators are used which, if the full pressure fails, also withstand a small external pressure. Innovative forms of construction which guarantee useful life, are presented in relation to the design. Damaging effects, which limit the life of these special soft material compensators, are discussed. (orig.)
There is need of pressure surge analyses when valves or pumps are activated or piping systems fail (pipe rupture). Based on actual problems the influences of boundary conditions upon fluid simulation results are discussed. Hints concerning realistic dynamic analyses of piping systems are presented. Some of the simulations results are compared with measurements. (orig.)
The structural changes attendant on intermartensitic transformation in a Ni-Mg-Ga shape memory alloy are considered using magneto-optical visualization with the help of ferrite-garnet monocrystalline films. It is established that on the intermartensitic transformation the complete reorganization of martensite macrostructure fails. Martensite crystals resulted from the basic transformation change somewhat their sizes on intermartensitic transition. The existence of large-scale labyrinth magnetic domain structure is revealed
Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) plays a central role in activation of first-line defenses of a host against foreign organisms. To determine whether Brucella infection modulated TNF-alpha production,...Full Text Available
Central limit theorem estimates of anomalous fractal dimensions of self-similar random cascades are studied. It is found that, in general, the normal approximation fails badly. A systematic series of approximations which converges to the exact result (both for the fractal dimensions and for the distribution itself) is derived for the {alpha}-model. Consequences for the 'empty bin effect' are indicated. (orig.).
In conveyor type irradiators, the movement of conveyor and the product boxes is not there until the source is fully in the irradiation position. In case the conveyor system fails the source must automatically be returned to its shielded storage vault. The dose received by the product during the movement of the source from or to the shield becomes significant if the total dose to be received by the product is small. A study has been carried out for evaluating the transient dose received by onions in the POTON irradiator. The results of the study are discussed in this paper. (author)
Past "elitist" development efforts modeled on Western academic education have failed to meet manpower needs but resist change due to popular preference for "modern" occupations. A new development strategy providing universal basic education and improved general living standards is needed. (Part of a theme issue on Third World educational development.) (SJL)
It is important for the trauma surgeon to understand the basic principles of terminal gunshot ballistics and the study of the projectile's effect on striking soft tissue. The amount of kinetic energy dissipated to the tissue is directly related to the mass and velocity of the projectile as follows: K = MV2/2. Doubling the velocity quadruples the energy, while doubling the mass only doubles the energy. A temporary tissue cavity is produced as the striking projectile compresses the surrounding tissue; the higher the energy release, the more extensive the inapparent compressive damage. The permanent cavity that remains is the result of extrusion of tissue from the pathway of the projectile. The higher the velocity, the higher the likelihood of extensive damage. If the missile expands or fragments within the tissues, more damage will occur. PMID:6847483
Ventricular septal defects can occur as part of other congenital cardiac malformations or as an isolated finding. Aneurysms of the sinus of Valsalva are rare, most commonly involving the right or noncoronary sinuses. They can be congenital or acquired through infection, trauma, or degenerative diseases. They frequently co-exist with ventricular septal defects, aortic valve dysfunction, or other cardiac abnormalities. More commonly, sinus of Valsalva aneurysms are diagnosed after the clinical sequelae of rupture. Several etiologic factors may lead to the development of pathologic pericardial effusion and the detection of pericardial effusion was one of the first applications of echocardiography to gain widespread acceptance. We present a case of a chance finding of an aneurysm of the right ...
Spastic equinovarus foot deformity commonly occurs after stroke or head trauma. Management by split anterior tibial tendon transfer to the lateral border of the foot was chosen by the authors. The purpose of that work was to assess the reliability of this method to improve patient's functional autonomy and investigate the relationship between the initial clinical examination findings and the quality of the functional results. 84 feet, operated in 82 patients out of 130, of mean age 46 years, were reviewed at a mean follow-up of 65 months. Very few complications were observed. Toe deformities remain a commonly associated problem. 80 patients were able to walk barefoot, 74 reported an increase in their walking distance, and 73 could regularly wear normal shoes. There is a strong relationship...
Background: Ecchymosis, oedema, haematoma and pain after SMAS-based facelift surgery are all the direct result of the physical trauma of surgery and subsequent inflammatory response. Hilotherapy is a novel form of cryotherapy that purports to minimise these events through single-use face masks circulating cooled, sterile water. This study was performed to assess the validity of Hilotherapy in this population of patients. Methods: Over 14 weeks fifty consecutive patients were randomised to post-operative facial cooling with Hilotherapy or management with standard dressings alone, while fifteen subsequent, consecutive patients were randomised to cooling of one side of the face but not the other. Assessment of ecchymosis, oedema, haematoma and pain was performed independently by clinical staf...
Summary Penile injury is common as an emergency and should be accurately diagnosed and treated. We analysed 22 patients with penile injury admitted to the emergency unit of Dubrava University Hospital during a 4-year period. According to the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma five-grade classification of penile injuries, there were 14 grade I, 6 grade II and 2 grade III cases. Diagnosis was mainly based on clinical and ultrasonography findings, and in some cases on cavernosography. Nineteen patients underwent immediate surgery and three patients received conservative therapy. On outpatient follow up, sexual function was assessed by use of the 5-item International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) test at 3 and 12-months of injury. At 3-month follow up, moderate, mild and no e...
A noninvasive method is described for estimating local cerebral blood flow (LCBF) and local partition coefficients by means of computed tomographic scanning during inhalation of 30% stable xenon gas in oxygen. Time-dependent xenon concentrations in arterial blood and brain tissue during the wash-in and washout phases are used to calculate partition coefficients and LCBF values by means of a least-squares curve-fitting analysis. Control values for partition coefficient and LCBF obtained from control subjects with minor head trauma in the chronic stage were compatible with those in several past reports, and reproducibility was satisfactory. The theoretic grounds underlying this new method of curve-fitting analysis are discussed.
A noninvasive method is described for estimating local cerebral blood flow (LCBF) and local partition coefficients by means of computed tomographic scanning during inhalation of 30% stable xenon gas in oxygen. Time-dependent xenon concentrations in arterial blood and brain tissue during the wash-in and washout phases are used to calculate partition coefficients and LCBF values by means of a least-squares curve-fitting analysis. Control values for partition coefficient and LCBF obtained from control subjects with minor head trauma in the chronic stage were compatible with those in several past reports, and reproducibility was satisfactory. The theoretic grounds underlying this new method of curve-fitting analysis are discussed.
The radiographs and initial clinical findings of 73 patients who had sustained trauma to the cervical spine without bony injury in vehicle collisions were reviewed. The patients were also re-examined clinically two years after the injury. Forty eight (65.8%) had abnormal radiographs at presentation - prevertebral soft tissue swelling in 15 (20.6%), degenerative changes in 15 (20.6%), and an angular deformity between two adjacent vertebral bodies in 27 (37.0%). The exact mode of inury is not associated with any specific radiographic appearance except that ''roll overs'' and side collisions are more likely to cause angulation in the cervical spine. (orig./GDG).
Delayed endolymphatic hydrops (DEH) is a unique disorder characterized by fluctuating otologic symptoms in the setting of preexisting unilateral deafness. The symptoms include aural fullness, fluctuating hearing, and/or episodes of vertigo similar to those observed in Meniere disease and may occur ipsilateral or contralateral to the previously deafened ear. In most reported cases, the unilateral deafness has been a profound sensorineural hearing loss with a sudden onset that has been variously attributed to bacterial or viral labyrinthitis, acoustic or cranial trauma, otosclerosis, and congenital CMV infection. Familial occurrence of the syndrome has not previously been reported in the literature. In this report, we describe two possible familial instances of delayed DEH. These patients ra...
Placement of dental implants in the interforaminal region of the edentulous mandible is considered a safe and routine surgical procedure. Hemorrhage in the floor of the mouth has been reported as a rare, potentially life-threatening complication related to the placement of implants in this region. In this case report the authors present an immediate and a delayed case of massive bleeding in the floor of the mouth after implant placement. This highly vascularized region is vulnerable and bleeding can be induced easily by instrumentation, causing a vascular trauma, usually by perforation of lingual periostium. In almost all cases the expanding hematoma formation starts during surgery. The effect of the vasoconstrictive agent in the local anesthesic combined with an injury of the lingual arte...
This three-part article describes the early years of one of the mother-baby-children groups of the Project for Mothers, Infants, and Young Children of September 11, 2001. The goal of the group was to help prevent the effects of trauma and loss from disrupting the relationships among the mothers, their infants, and growing children. View I by Anni Bergman describes the mothers' states of minds as the group began, when they felt that their worlds had collapsed under them. View II by Sally Moskowitz focuses on the clinical experience of working in the group, transference and countertransference themes, helping the mothers and children with their mourning process, and helping the mothers' relationships to each other, their babies, older children, family, and friends. The evolution of a casual,...
In a retrospective study of 21 patients, in whom the acetabular fractures were suspected on initial radiographs, we compared and analysed the computed tomographic findings and plain radiographic findings. The results were as follow: 1. In patients with multiple trauma, no further change in position was required during CT examinations. 2. CT showed intraarticular loose bodies, which were invisible on plain radiographs. 3. CT was useful in detecting the fractures of acetabular rims, medial wall of acetabulum, and femoral head. 4. CT permitted better evaluation of shape, extent, and degree of separation of fracture fragments. 5. CT was helpful in detecting the associated fractures and soft tissue injuries. 6. CT also demonstrated the adequacy of reduction, the position of metallic fixation devices, and the presence or absence of remaining intraarticular osseous fragments after surgery.
Circadian rhythms affect several processes in the body physiology. This commentary revisits the topic of `metabolic basis of diseases' with a view to shed light on how cellular energy requirements feed-forward to a sequential signaling of hormonal response, blood glucose metabolism, antioxidant activities, and pathophysiology. Attempt is made to explain how diseases that may not appear to be closely related, such as bone metabolism and vasculopathy, have an increase in oxidative damage as a common underlying biochemistry. Importantly, this article identifies oxidative damage as an outcome of sleep disturbance and hypothesize that sleep complaint is not merely one of many resulting symptoms of PTSD, but a core feature that arise from trauma and gives rise to the stress biochemistry, which i...
Improving patient compliance with physicians’ treatment or prescription recommendations is an important goal in medical practice. We examine the relationship between treatment progress...Full Text Available
Interest and research into the mechanisms and treatment of neuropathic pain have increased during recent years, but current treatment is still far from satisfactory (Dworkin...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe aim of this study is to examine how clinicians and patients negotiate clinical need and treatment decisions within a context of finite resources. Dental implant treatment...Full Text Available
To evaluate injury patterns of facet joints and associated soft tissue injuries in patients with acute traumatic cervical facet joint injuries. From among patients with cervical spine trauma, 27 with facet joint injuries, as seen on CT and MRI, were chosen for this study. CT scans were analyzed with regard to the location of facet joint injury, the presence or absence of facet dislocation or fracture, and other associated fractures. MR images were analyzed with regard to ligament injury, intervertebral disc injury, intervertebral disc herniation, and spinal cord injury. The most common location of facet joint injury was C6-7 level(n=10), followed by C5-6(n=8). Among these 27 patients with facet joint injuries, 12(44%) had bilateral injuries and 15(56%) unilateral injuries. Facet fractures were present in 17 cases(63%) and the fracture of inferior facet was more frequent than superior. Patterns of fracture were vertical, transverse, or comminuted, but vertical ...
Johnston Atoll (JA) is a small (270-ha), but strategic, US possession in the Pacific Ocean, which was previously used in nuclear weapons testing. Nuclear devices were launched by missile for detonations at very high altitudes. In 1962, one missile failed on the launch pad and two failed overhead. The devices were destructed without nuclear yield, but transuranium (TRU) elements were dispersed. Cleanup was swift and incomplete. A 2-ha area was placed under radiological controls and restricted from use due to residual contamination. Planning was begun in 1983 for a total JA cleanup to provide additional (unrestricted) land to meet future requirements. A TRUe soil cleanup is programmed to begin at JA in 1988 utilizing a full-scale mining plant. The plant should be able to process all contaminated soil by 1992 and produce less than #approx# 2000 m"3 of concentrated waste. This cleanup will increase the amount of land available for unrestricted use ...
Polyethylene gas piping is expected to be in service for times on the order of 50 years depending on service conditions. Therefore research research on piping materials and pipes has two principal objectives: (a) developing methods for predicting when a pipe will fail and (b) improving the material for piping. The prediction of long time failure hinges on the development of short time test methods which relate to long time failure. The improvement in the behavior of current materials also hinges on the use of test methods of short duration relative to the anticipated life time of the pipe in service. One of the primary criterion for an acceptable test method is that it produces the same type of failure as is observed after long time failure in service. It has been found that P.E. pipe material fails in a brittle mode after long periods of time. The failure mode is called brittle because there is little microscopic deformation throughout the ...
On February 9, 1995 ComEd experienced a pipe type cable failure on 138kV line 13717. Line 1737 is a bulk power transmission cable circuit connecting The Fisk and Crawford generating stations located within city limits. The line is approximately 4.5 miles long and was originally installed in 1975. This line is forced cooled, has 2,500 KCMIL copper conductors with 505 mils of paper insulation in an 8 inch pritec coated steel pipe. The splices are constructed with Voltalit castings. The failure occurred approximately 3,500 feet from Crawford Station. It was easy to locate the failure since the cable joint casing was breached resulting in the loss of approximately 2,600--2,700 gallons of dielectric fluid. Upon field examination B Phase was determined to have failed. The failure occurred 12 inches inside the casing in an area where it was impossible to install a long connector or add an additional short length of cable to create a piece out. The cause of the failure is ...
Microstructural evolution due to thermal effects was studied in micro solder joints (55 {+-} 5 {micro}m). The composition of the Sn/Pb solder studied was found to be hypereutectic with a tin content of 65--70 wt%.This was determined by Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis and confirmed with quantitative stereology. The quantitative stereological value of the surface-to-volume ratio was used to characterize and compare the coarsening during thermal cycling from 0--160 C to the coarsening during annealing at 160 C. The initial coarsening of the annealed samples was more rapid than the cycled samples, but tapered off as time to the one-half as expected. Because the substrates to which the solder was bonded have different thermal expansion coefficients, the cycled samples experienced a mechanical strain with thermal cycling. The low-strain cycled samples had a 2.8% strain imposed on the solder and failed by 1,000 cycles, despite undergoing less coarsening than the annealed ...
We develop and demonstrate the methodology of testing multi-dimensional supernova models against observations by studying the properties of one example of the detonation from failed deflagration (DFD) explosion model of thermonuclear supernovae. Using time-dependent multi-dimensional radiative transfer calculations, we generate the synthetic broadband optical light curves, near-infrared light curves, color evolution curves, full spectral time-series, and spectropolarization of the model, as seen from various viewing angles. All model observables are critically evaluated against examples of well-observed, standard Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). We explore the consequences of the intrinsic model asphericity by studying the dependence of the model emission on viewing angle, and by quantifying the resulting dispersion in (and internal correlations between) various model observables. These statistical properties of the model are also evaluated against those of the ...
The Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) features a three-loop, sodium-cooled 400 MWt mixed oxide fueled reactor designed for the irradiation testing of fuels and materials for use in liquid metal cooled fast reactors. To establish the ultimate capability of a particular fuel design and thereby generate information that will lead to improvements, many of the fuel irradiations are continued until a loss of cladding integrity (failure) occurs. When the cladding fails, fission gas escapes from the fuel pin and enters the reactor cover gas system. If the cladding failure permits the primary sodium to come in contact with the fuel, recoil fission products can enter the sodium. The presence of recoil fission products in the sodium can be detected by monitoring for the presence of delayed neutrons in the coolant. It is the present philosophy to not operate FFTF when a failure has occurred that permits fission fragments to enter the sodium. Thus, it is important that the ...
The language used by chronic benign pain patients to characterize their pain complaint was analyzed to determine the best predictor of psychiatric disturbance. Using the 78 adjectives provided by the McGill Pain Questionnaire, the number of affective descriptors used was the best predictor of psychiatric disturbance. Addition of sensory descriptors either to augment the total number of descriptors used (magnitude) or as a pattern of sensory greater than affective or sensory less than affective failed to increase predictive strength. PMID:6877847
This paper describes the phenomenology of nuclear explosions and technologies for their detection as relevant to On-Site Inspection (OSI) for a comprehensive test-ban (CTB). Our experience with the US nuclear test program which has been primarily carried out at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) and in the Pacific Ocean. The goals of OSI are to resolve ambiguous events, reduce uncertainty, deter attempts at evasion, and provide responsive and technically competent means of confirming the occurrence of a nuclear explosion should deterrence fail. These goals would include finding evidence of an evasive nuclear explosion or evidence that the event was non-nuclear, such as an earthquake or large chemical explosion.
Pollen from four temperate-latitude taxa were treated with UV radiation in a portion of the UV-B (280-320 nm) waveband during in vitro germination. Inhibition of germination was noted in this pollen compared to samples treated identically except for the exclusion of the UV-B portion of the spectrum. Levels similar to maximum solar UV-B found in temperate-latitude areas failed to inhibit pollen germination significantly, while levels similar to maximum solar UV-B found in equatorial alpine locations caused partial inhibition of germination in three of the four taxa examined.
Superheater corrosion causes vast annual losses to the power companies. If the corrosion could be reliably predicted, new power plants could be designed accordingly, and knowledge of fuel selection and determination of process conditions could be utilized to minimize superheater corrosion. If relations between inputs and the output are poorly known, conventional models depending on corrosion theories will fail. A prediction model based on a neural network is capable of learning from errors and improving its performance as the amount of data increases. The neural network developed during this study predicts superheater corrosion with 80 % accuracy at early stage of the project. (orig.) 10 refs.
Isosteric heats and adsorption isotherms of methane on nanometer active carbon were measured at supercritical temperature (273-373 K) and pressure from 0 to 10 MPa. The measured data agreed well with Dubinin-Astakhov (DA) model at lower pressure but failed when pressure exceeded a special range. General Freundlich (GF) equation was used to modify the DA equation at high pressure and thus formed a combined bisection model GFDA. The adsorption mechanism of methane on nanometer active carbon was raised according to GFDA model and the heterogeneous energy distribution of the adsorbent was analyzed.
The quality of the end product from andrology services continues to lack consistency and in some cases fails to meet the needs of the end users (patients or clinicians). Results of external quality assessment (EQA) schemes continue to show unacceptably wide variation for the results of a single specimen. Some laboratories are able to show that the results of semen analyses relate to both natural and assisted pregnancy and are therefore useful in the management of the infertile couple, whereas others claim that their value is limited to the identification of severe male factor infertility. With wide variation in standardisation of methodology, levels of staff training and quality assurance, it is entirely understandable that such discrepancies persist. The following article proposes that Qu...
Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is frequently used for relief of chronic benign pain resistant to conservative therapies. Clinical practice suggests, at least in patients with failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS), the possibility that SCS significantly improves motor performances. We present here the case of a 41-years-old female patient with FBSS, who showed a clear improvement in muscle strength after SCS, persisting at 6-months follow-up. We speculate that the electrical stimulation of posterior columns could potentiate the caudal, segmental spinal reflexes resulting in a facilitation of motoneurons activation. PMID:16175150
Almost every electric utility company involved in nuclear plant construction has experienced difficulty as a result of the deteriorating condition of the nuclear industry as a whole. The thrust of a growing number of lawsuits brought against electric companies for alleged violations of federal securities laws is that the companies failed to reveal cost overruns, delays, and the risk of cancellation and write-off of nuclear plants in their annual reports and registration statements. A review of several suits and the disclosure requirements of securities statutes concludes that, although investors have known about utility problems, they have just become aware this year that the entire financial viability of the electric companies is threatened.
A full scale experiment was carried out to investigate the texture characteristics of the falling water of free falling and slope failing types. According to the increase of Reynolds number, the texture of falling water was classified into three categories for both types: stability of free surface, transition and whole turbulence. In the first category the stability of the free surface was related to the growth of minute disturbance. Surface tension works as a counter, force to the disturbance in free falling water, and gravity in slope falling water. 14 refs., 15 figs., 3 tabs.
This study presents a semi-active vibration control of a scaled two-span bridge structure. Magneto-rheological fluid dampers are utilized as the semi-active energy absorbing devices, and a bridge vibration control system is developed. Closed-loop control system based on fuzzy logic is used to suppress the bridge deck motion under random excitation. It is demonstrated that this fuzzy logic control system can significantly reduce the relative deck displacement using about 60% less power compared to passive on state, while the absolute deck acceleration remains practically unchanged.
Transmissions of sperm by unirradiated and irradiated cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera, were studied by live dissection of females immediately after the initiation of mating. In cotton bollworm the sperm transfer was rather a complex process. In fact unirradiated males failed to transfer sperm in about 19% of their matings. When irradiated with 250 Gy and 400 Gy, aberrations of sperm transmission were about 21% and 50% respectively. The failure of spermatophore 'cap' location was an important reason of sperm transmission aberrations. When females mated to high-dose-irradiated males, their oviposition response appeared abnormal
A fuel plate examination was conducted in the hot cell and canal to determine the possible failure modes for three plates leaking fission products. The plates were irradiated in the Extended Life Aluminide Fuel (ELAF) program in support of university research reactor goals to increase the limits presently allowed. The examination indicated pitting corrosion to be the failure mode. Other failure modes such as: (a) nonbonded swelling, (b) excessive fuel swelling, and (c) overheating of the plates were not observed.
Air pollution abatement measures are being intensified at the moment: Power plants and district heating systems are being retrofitted with high-efficiency desulphurisation and NO/sub 2/ reduction systems, the 3rd amendment of the Clean Air Technical Guide sets more rigid emission limits, and unleaded petrol and catalysts will significantly reduce car exhaust emissions. The author presents pollutant balances from 1966 to 1982 to contradict the popular notion that pollutant emitters formerly failed to take preventive measures.
In this report, we estimated the temperature of the pump rooms and reviewed the operability of the components under the loss of the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Condition) system. The issues relevant to the HVAC system in the PSA (Probabilistic Safety Assessment) FT (Fault Tree) model are as follows: (1) Does the loss of the HVAC system bring about a function failure of other components? (2) Can the operator take action to reduce the temperature of the room in case of a HVAC function failure? At present, we do not know whether a component will lose its function or not under the loss of the HVAC. ASME Standard describes that a recovery action can be credited if the related recovery action is included in the procedure or there are similar recovery experiences in the plant. However, there is no description about the recovery action of the HVAC in the EOP (Emergency Operation Procedure) of the UCN3, 4 under the situation of a loss of the HVAC. Even though we consider this assumption ...
Acute thoracic aortic injuries account for up to 10-20% of fatalities in high-speed deceleration road accidents and have an estimated immediate fatality rate of 80-90%. Untreated survivors to acute trauma (10-20%) have a dismal prognosis: 30% of them die within 6 hours, 40-50% die within 24 hours, and 90% within 4 months. It was investigated the diagnostic accuracy of Helical Computed Tomography (Helical CT) in acute traumatic injuries of the thoracic aorta, and the role of this technique in the diagnostic management of trauma patients with a strong suspicion of aortic rupture. It was compared retrospectively the chest Helical CT findings of 256 trauma patients examined June 1995 through August 1999. Chest Helical CT examinations were performed according to trauma score, to associated traumatic lesions and to plain chest radiographic findings. All the examinations were performed with no intravenous ...
The paper presents differential-diagnostic signs of phobic disorders of different etiology. Acute episodes of depersonalization preceding phobias and fears arising during the first age crisis are considered as some diagnostic signs of endogenous phobias. The significant criteria for diagnosis of psychogenic phobias are anxious suspiciousness, affective instability, susceptibility, spontaneity of reactivity and the presence of personally important psychic trauma. An autonomic paroxysm caused by alcoholic situation in exogenic organic pathology (alcoholism) was transformed quite fast into some senestopathias, which themselves maintained the of fear. The relationships of phobias and depressions in endogenous disorders was different: in slow-progredient variations of the disease depression resulted in a decrease of the manifestations of the phobias, and vice versa; in shift-like variations depression is an independent syndrome in the depressive-phobic complex. ...
The knowledge of wound ballistics and of wounding mechanisms is mandatory for the radiologist to interpret the CT findings of gunshot wounds. The severity of a bullet wound depends on the characteristics of the tissue it goes through, i.e., tissue elasticity, density, thickness of the wounded body part, the type of tissue, its specific gravity, internal cohesiveness and anatomical relationships, as well as on missile characteristics, i.e., mass, shape, fragmentation and deformation. Bullet velocity is certainly a major factor in wounding, but it is only one factor. Two major wounding mechanisms exist the crushing of the bullet-struck tissue (forming the permanent cavity) and radial stretching (forming a temporary cavity). Bullet "yaw" is defined as the angle between the long axis of the bullet and its flight path. The yaw is directly proportional to tissue crushing and stretching: the wider the yaw, the most severe tissue crushing and stretching and, therefore, the more severe tissue ...
This paper reports the characteristics and local management of 826 acute wounds identified during an audit across all health care providers serving the population of Bradford, UK. Of the wounds encountered 303 were traumatic wounds and 237 primary closures with smaller numbers of other acute wound types. Of the 303 traumatic wounds 174 occurred in women (57.4%). Men predominated in the under 45s (65M:26F), this being largely accounted for by hand and finger trauma (n=62) particularly in patients of working age (M32:F12). Women predominated in the over 65s (50M:130F), this being largely accounted for by lower limb traumatic wounds (M24:F91), the majority of these being in patients 65 and over (M14:F82). In this sub-group of 96 patients 25 had wounds of 6 weeks or longer duration, only 3 had...
Between 1970 and 1981, 348 patients underwent definitive irradiation. Of these patients 6 (1.7 per cent) sustained severe rectal injury as manifest by major rectal bleeding, rectal stricture, rectal mucosal slough and rectal ulceration. Severe rectal injury was observed in 0 of 13 patients (0 per cent) treated with 125iodine, 3 of 329 (1 per cent) treated with 6,400 to 6,800 rad external irradiation, 2 of 39 (5 per cent) treated with 7,000 to 7,300 rad external irradiation, and 1 of 7 (14 per cent) treated with 198gold and external irradiation. The impact of radiation dose, radiation therapy technique and surgical trauma was assessed. Rectal injury was managed by supportive measures in 2 patients and by diverting colostomy in 3 with benefit. One patient underwent abdominoperineal resection. A small bowel fistula and an intra-abdominal abscess developed, and the patient died.
Changes in radiostrontium clearance (SrC) and bone formation (tetracycline labeling) were observed in the femurs of skeletally mature dogs following the various operative steps involved in bone screw fixation. Drilling, but not periosteal stripping, produced a small but statistically significant increase in SrC and endosteal bone formation in the distal third of the bone. Strontium clearance values equivalent to those produced by drilling alone were recorded after screw fixation at low or high torque (5 versus 20 inch pounds), as well as by the insertion of loosely fitting stainless steel implants. Bone formation (equals the percentage tetracycline-labeled trabecular bone surfaces) was increased by 30% when SrC values exceeded 3.5 ml/100 g bone/min, and the relationship was linear when SrC values ranged between 1.0 and 7.0 ml/100 g bone/min. The changes in SrC and bone formation one-week after bone screw application are primarily those associated with a response to local ...
Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become an important tool in the radiologic diagnosis of diseases of the brain as it measures molecular motion of water that characterizes the microstructure of tissues. Its most important clinical use to date is the early detection of cerebral ischemia by revealing the ischemic injury shortly after vessel occlusion and simultaneously providing therapy-relevant information on the tissue at risk. Furthermore, diffusion MRI is diagnostically promising in other diseases of the brain and is thus increasingly becoming part of routine clinical protocols in the diagnosis of tumors, inflammation, trauma, demyelination, dysmyelination and neurodegeneration. Although abnormalities of diffusion are generally not pathognomonic, diffusion MRI affords information about tissue changes for specific disorders that complements information obtained with standard MR techniques and frequently shows pathology earlier. In addition, diffusion ...
AIM: To define the value of digital radiography with a clinical flat panel detector system for evaluation of wrist fractures in comparison with state of the art storage phosphor radiography. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Hard copy images of 26 fractured wrist specimens were acquired with the same exposure dose on a state of the art storage phosphor radiography system and a clinical flat panel detector. Image features like cortical bone surface, trabecular bone, soft tissues and fracture delineation were independently analysed by 4 observers using a standardised protocol. Image quality ratings were evaluated with an analysis of variance (ANOVA). RESULTS: Flat panel detector radiographs were rated superior with respect to cortical and trabecular bone representation as well as fracture evaluation, while storage phosphor radiographs produced better soft tissue detail. CONCLUSION: In some of the observed image quality aspects, the performance of caesium iodide/amorphous silicon flat panel detector ...
AIM: To define the value of digital radiography with a clinical flat panel detector system for evaluation of wrist fractures in comparison with state of the art storage phosphor radiography. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Hard copy images of 26 fractured wrist specimens were acquired with the same exposure dose on a state of the art storage phosphor radiography system and a clinical flat panel detector. Image features like cortical bone surface, trabecular bone, soft tissues and fracture delineation were independently analysed by 4 observers using a standardised protocol. Image quality ratings were evaluated with an analysis of variance (ANOVA). RESULTS: Flat panel detector radiographs were rated superior with respect to cortical and trabecular bone representation as well as fracture evaluation, while storage phosphor radiographs produced better soft tissue detail. CONCLUSION: In some of the observed image quality aspects, the performance of caesium iodide/amorphous silicon flat panel detector ...
In less than a decade computed tomography (CT scanning) had a profound impact on diagnostic radiology. Radiology of the orbit is no exception. As early as 1973, reports published in the radiological literature indicated that this new noninvasive imaging method was a highly effective way of demonstrating intraorbital mass lesions. As CT scanners became widely available, computed tomography became a significant adjunct to ophthalmological diagnosis. Today the main indications for CT scanning of the orbit are: (1) suspected mass lesions, most frequently presenting as exophthalmos, (2) orbital trauma, including foreign bodies, (3) some congenital anomalies, and (4) suspicion of extension into the orbit of extraorbital disease processes. Along with ultrasonography, another new noninvasive imaging technique, CT has replaced a number of more invasive and often less effective diagnostic methods, such as orbital pneumography, venography, and arteriography as major imaging ...
Initial CT grading of renal injury was correlated with the frequency of complications and the time course of healing in 35 children. All renal contusions (grade 1, 8) and small parenchymal lacerations (grade 2, 8) healed without complications. All lacerations extending to the collecting system (grade 3, 9) resulted in mild to severe loss of renal function with progressive healing over 4 months. One of four segmental infarcts (grade 4 A), and five of six vascular pedicle injuries (grade 4 B) resulted in severe loss of renal function. Complications, including urinoma (2), sepsis (1), hydronephrosis (1), and persistent hypertension (2), were limited to grade 3 and 4 injuries. Our results suggest that mild renal injuries do not require follow-up imaging. Major renal lacerations and vascular pedicle injuries, however, often result in loss of renal function and should be followed up closely due to the risk of delayed complications. Follow-up examinations should continue for 3-4 months until ...
BackgroundAttention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common condition that often results in child and family functional impairments. Although there are evidence-based treatment...Full Text Available
In a Swedish community-based program for the treatment of dental phobic patients, a clinical trial was performed among 99 severely phobic individuals with long-standing avoidance of dental treatment....Full Text Available
Medical treatment of heroin addiction with methadone and other pharmacotherapies has important benefits for individuals and society. However, regulatory policies have separated this treatment from the...Full Text Available
BackgroundLittle is known about the acceptability of internet and telephone treatments, or what factors might influence patient interest in receiving treatments via...Full Text Available
The possibility of rapid heat treatment (RHT) application to titanium castings has been studied. It was shown that such treatment provides a significant improvement of intragrain structure and mechanical properties of cast ({alpha}+{beta})-titanium alloys. ((orig.))
ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to ascertain whether all cervical cancer patients who received adjuvant concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT) for high risk of treatment failure after...Full Text Available
Background and ObjectivePulsed dye laser (PDL) treatment of cutaneous vascular lesions is associated with variable and unpredictable efficacy. Thus, alternative treatment...Full Text Available
PurposeTo describe etiologies and clinical characteristics of corneal opacities leading patients to seek cosmetic treatments.MethodsThe medical records...Full Text Available
The objective of this project was to develop new photocatalytic or other innovative process chemistry for the treatment of pink water and related contaminated water.
OBJECTIVE: New surgical procedures designed to assist in the treatment of peritoneal surface malignancy were sought. BACKGROUND: Decisions regarding the treatment of cancer depend on the anatomic location...Full Text Available
The purpose of this article is to review the literature for clinical presentation, treatment, outcome and complications of using radiotherapy for the treatment of orbital lymphoma. For this, MEDLINE,...Full Text Available
BackgroundStump and phantom pains are debilitating sequelae of amputations that are often resistant to treatment. The efficacy of pharmacologic therapies, including...Full Text Available
BackgroundAlthough local excision (ampullectomy) was first described by Halsted in 1899, its adequacy as an alternative surgical treatment for the ampullary tumors is still a matter...Full Text Available
ObjectiveThis study investigated transitions between drinking and nondrinking during the first 12 months following treatment and whether transitions in posttreatment...Full Text Available
An acute exudative Escherichia coli pyelonephritis rat model was used to study the influence of progressive pyelonephritis on the efficacy of antibiotic treatment. In this model, transient ureteral...Full Text Available
Previous research with individuals undergoing surgery or diagnostic procedures provided a conceptual framework for analysis of radiation therapy, a common form of cancer treatment. The present...Full Text Available
Hydrogen (H) plasma treatment, oxygen (O) plasma treatment and water (H_2O)-vapor heat treatment for polycrystalline-silicon (poly-Si) thin-film transistors (TFTs) have been analyzed by separately extracting trap density at a front silicon-oxide interface (D_F) and trap density at a back interface (D_B). It is found that the H plasma treatment is apt to generate D_F and D_B. The O plasma treatment reduces D_F, while the H_2O-vapor heat treatment reduces both D_F and D_B. Improvement of transistor characteristics of poly-Si TFTs depends on understanding these results.
Fuel treatments are being implemented on public and private lands across the western United States. Although scientists and managers have an understanding ... ...
The results of the investigations show that magnetic treatment is a quite practical and effective method of intensifying certain technological processes in the coking industry. Magnetic treatment was utilized for improving the production of ammonium sulfate, refining of the naphthalene fraction, removal of sludge from wash oil in the benzol division, and the treatment of tar before fractionation. 2 references, 3 tables.
The results of treatment of 53 cases of pediatric localized Ewing's sarcoma and bone reticulosarcoma were analized. Chemoradiotherapy is a procerdure of choice in bone marrow sarcoma treatment: while overall five-year survival was 28.4#+-#6.2%, it was as high as 64.9% in cases of combined treatment (total focal dose of at least 50 Gy+polychemotherapy). Two cases of osteo- and chondrosarcoma development in exposed bone are described.
The proton therapy gives an irradiation adapted to the shape and the depth of tumors ( eyes, head and neck) with a millimetric, even sub millimetric precision for the ophthalmological tumors. It is equally an excellent tool for the pediatrics tumors. For numerous treatments in France the proton therapy is associated to the photons treatments (x radiation). however, others physical treatments could modulate the medical offer, such thermal therapy or treatments by ultrasonic waves. (N.C.)
Olive oil mill wastewaters (OMW) cause disposal problems because they contain powerful pollutants such as phenolic compounds. Complete biodegradation or removal of these compounds is hardly achieved by a single treatment method. In this work, we investigated 2 integrated technologies for the treatment of the recalcitrant contaminants of OMW, allowing water recovery and reuse for agricultural purposes. (Author)
Clinical and hormonal indices of androgenic activity were compared in 118 males chronically intoxicated with alcohol. The population was divided into two groups with respect to their clinical and hormonal androgenic indices: 76 patients with (Group 1), and 46 patients without (Group 2) androgenic insufficiency. Distinct signs and syndromes of alcohol addiction were shown to correlate with the extent of cross-regulation impairment within hypothalamo-hypophyseo-gonadal system. This was particularly derived from comparison of clinical picture of chronic alcohol intoxication and hormone activity in the groups. Conventional therapy failed to restore the neuroendocrine indices that was apparently due to inhibition of cross-regulation links in the hypothalamo-hypophyseo-gonadal system at several stages of alcohol addiction. PMID:3223149
We demonstrate the use of a variational method to determine a quantitative lower bound on the rate of convergence of Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithms as a function of the target density and proposal density. The bound relies on approximating the second largest eigenvalue in the spectrum of the MCMC operator using a variational principle and the approach is applicable to problems with continuous state spaces. We apply the method to one dimensional examples with Gaussian and quartic target densities, and we contrast the performance of the basic Metropolis-Hastings algorithms with a ``smart'' variant that incorporates gradient information into the trial moves. We find that the variational method agrees quite closely with numerical simulations. We also see that the smart MCMC algorithm often fails to converge geometrically in the tails of the target density except in the simplest case we examine, and even then care must be taken to choose the appropriate ...
This paper presents a semi-active vibration control of a scaled two-span bridge structure. Magneto-rheological fluid dampers are utilized as the semi-active energy absorbing deices and a bridge vibration control system is developed. Closed-loop control system based on fuzzy logic is used to suppress the bridge deck motion under random excitations. The sufficient condition for the closed-loop stability of the fuzzy control system is derived from the variable structure system theory. It is demonstrated that this stable fuzzy control system can significantly reduce the relative deck displacement using about 55 percent less power compared to passive-on state, while the absolute deck acceleration is relatively unaffected.
A geothermal heat pump (GHP) system with three ground coils was installed in a residence in northern Idaho with a portion of the ground heat exchanger wrapped around the residential septic tank. The septic coil provided a significant portion of the heating for the residence over the heating season. There was no evidence of the septic tank freezing up or failing to properly function. Utilizing a septic tank as a heat source for GHP systems is feasible design option if the septic tank is used on a full-time basis. However, the tank should be surrounded on all sides by a large amount of soil and/or insulated from the ground surface to ensure that ground temperatures near the tank remain warm during the winter.
The penetrance of Lebers hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) in families with primary mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations is very complex. Matrilineal and nuclear genetic background, as well as environmental factors, have been reported to be involved in different affected pedigrees. Here we describe two large Chinese families that show a striking difference in the penetrance of LHON, in which 53.3% and 15.0% of members were affected (Pin vivo mitochondrial oxidative metabolism as described in a previous study. Evolutionary analysis failed to indicate any putatively pathogenic mutation that cosegregated with G11778A in these two pedigrees. Our results suggest that the variable penetrance of LHON in the two Chinese families is independent of both their mtDNA haplotype background and a seconda...
We focus on the problem of query rewriting for sponsored search. We base rewrites on a historical click graph that records the ads that have been clicked on in response to past user queries. Given a query q, we first consider Simrank as a way to identify queries similar to q, i.e., queries whose ads a user may be interested in. We argue that Simrank fails to properly identify query similarities in our application, and we present two enhanced version of Simrank: one that exploits weights on click graph edges and another that exploits ``evidence.'' We experimentally evaluate our new schemes against Simrank, using actual click graphs and queries form Yahoo!, and using a variety of metrics. Our results show that the enhanced methods can yield more and better query rewrites.
The use of a running coupling constant in renormalizable theories is well known, but the implementation of this idea for effective field theories with a dimensional coupling constant is in general less useful. Nevertheless there are multiple attempts to define running couplings including the effects of gravity, with varying conclusions. We sort through many of the issues involved, most particularly the idea of operator mixing and also the kinematics of crossing, using calculations in Yukawa and lambda phi^4 theory as illustrative examples. We remain in the perturbative regime. In some theories with a high permutation symmetry, such as lambda phi^4, a reasonable running coupling can be defined. However in most cases, such as Yukawa and gauge theories, a running coupling fails to correctly account for the energy dependence of the interaction strength. As a byproduct we also contrast on-shell and off-shell renormalizaton schemes and show that operators which are ...
It is concluded that the Department paid out over $16 million in the past two years for FTS service charges on telephone calls bearing no relationship to official Departmental business. When one adds in the costs of compensation paid to Departmental and contractor employees for the worktime spent making unauthorized FTS calls, the total costs to the Department due to FTS abuse exceeded $28 million for the fiscal years 1983 and 1984. These cost figures, moreover, fail to account for the effect of an annual loss of an estimated 40,000 man-days on the Department's productivity. It is recommended that the Assistant Secretary review the system to identify possible restrictions on usage of the lines by employees and to consider additional recording and accounting procedures to track FTS usage, especially when the lines are used for calls to telephones outside the FTS network.
Recently Emma and Stupakov identified a fatal flaw in a Free Electron Laser (FEL) beam conditioning scheme. They showed that the conditioning is always accompanied by a projected transverse emittance growth that is so large as to make the beam conditioning completely impractical for short wavelength FELs. Furthermore, they provided a general proof along with evidence of computer simulation and reached a conclusion that any beam conditioner, regardless of the method, would suffer from the same constraints and limitations. In this paper, the author proposes an easy surgical removal of the fatal flaw by making a critical yet simple modification to the very scheme analyzed, thus resurrect the beam conditioning for short wavelength FELs. More generally, the also explain why a general search for removing have failed, why the concept and definition of beam conditioning.
We describe a 2 parameter family of polygon exchange transformations parameterized by points in a square. Whenever the two parameters are irrational, the polygon exchange has periodic orbits of arbitrarily large period. We show that for almost all parameters, the polygon exchange map has the property that almost every point is periodic. However, there is a dense set of irrational parameters for which this fails. By choosing parameters carefully, the measure of non-periodic points can be made arbitrarily close to full measure. These results are powered by a notion of renormalization which holds in a more general setting. Namely, we consider a renormalization of tilings arising from the Corner Percolation Model.
Microprocessor based ''smart'' pressure, level, and flow transmitters were tested to determine the radiation hardness of this class of electronic instrumentation for use in reactor building applications. Commercial grade Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuits used in these transmitters were found to fail at total gamma dose levels between 2500 and 10,000 rad. This results in an unacceptably short lifetime in many reactor building radiation environments. Radiation hardened integrated circuits can, in general, provide satisfactory service life for normal reactor operations when not restricted to the extremely low power budget imposed by standard 4--20 mA two-wire instrument loops. The design of these circuits will require attention to vendor radiation hardness specifications, dose rates, process control with respect to radiation hardness factors, and non-volatile programmable memory technology. 3 refs., 2 figs.
To evaluate the effectiveness of percutaneous mechanical declotting. Using a 7-F Desilets-Hoffman sheath and the crossed-catheter technique, we aspirated the intragraft clot and pushed the residual clot into the central circulation with balloon catheters. The success rate, procedure time, complications and patency rates were evaluated. Technical success was achieved in 24 of 32 cases, with a procedure time of 30-240 (average, 111) minutes. In five of eight cases in which technical failure occurred, the guide wire failed to reach the stenotic site and in the other three, there was insufficient luminal dilatation. Complications included vein ruptures (n=2), arterial emboli (n=1) and arterial dissection (1), but there was no evidence of clinical symptoms of pulmonary embolism. The six-month patency rate was 67.8%. Mechanical declotting of thrombosed dialysis graft using a balloon catheter is relatively inexpensive, safe and fast, and is well tolerated. (author)
Two experiments used the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) to examine the affective dimension of pain in patients whose pain was secondary to malignancy. In experiment I, segregating groups of cancer patients on the basis of extreme scores (high versus low) on the MPQ failed to produce segregation on independent measures of affect and infirmity. This outcome contrasts with earlier work with chronic benign pain patients. Experiment II compared cancer pain patients matched with benign pain patients on intensity of pain report on the affective dimension of the MPQ. Cancer pain patients reported a reliably higher affective loading to their pain. These data suggest that cancer pain patients employ different criteria than benign pain patients in selecting affective pain descriptors. Possible explanations for this difference are discussed. PMID:7070825
We study a stochastic gossip model of continuous opinion dynamics in a society consisting of two types of agents: regular agents, who update their beliefs according to information that they receive from their social neighbors; and stubborn agents, who never update their opinions and might represent leaders, political parties or media sources attempting to influence the beliefs in the rest of the society. When the society contains stubborn agents with different opinions, opinion dynamics never lead to a consensus (among the regular agents). Instead, beliefs in the society almost surely fail to converge, and the belief of each regular agent converges in law to a non-degenerate random variable. The model thus generates long-run disagreement and continuous opinion fluctuations. The structure of the social network and the location of stubborn agents within it shape opinion dynamics. When the society is ``highly fluid'', meaning that the mixing time of the random walk on ...
Ockham?s razor is the principle that, all other things being equal, scientists ought to prefer simpler theories. In recent years, philosophers have argued that simpler theories make better predictions, possess theoretical virtues like explanatory power, and have other pragmatic virtues like computational tractability. However, such arguments fail to explain how and why a preference for simplicity can help one find true theories in scientific inquiry, unless one already assumes that the truth is simple. One new solution to that problem is the Ockham efficiency theorem (Kelly 2002, Minds Mach 14:485?505, 2004, Philos Sci 74:561?573, 2007a, b, Theor Comp Sci 383:270?289, c, d; Kelly and Glymour 2004), which states that scientists who heed Ockham?s razor retract their opinions less often and s...
Objective To evaluate the inhibitory property of de-glycyrrhizinated extract of Glycyrrhiza glabra root and its phytoconstituents (glabridin, isoliquiritigenin and glycyrrhizin) on LPS-induced production of pro-inflammatory mediators. Materials and methods Inhibitory effect of G. glabra extract and its phytoconstituents were studied on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in J774A.1 murine macrophages. Results G. glabra and isoliquiritigenin significantly inhibited LPS stimulated NO, IL-1 beta and IL-6 production. Glabridin showed significant inhibition of NO and IL-1 beta release, but failed to attenuate IL-6 levels at the tested concentrations. In addition, glycyrrhizin did not exhibit inhibitory response towar...
Abstract The Brazilian Atlantic Forest is one of the richest biodiversity hotspots of the world. Paleoclimatic models have predicted two large stability regions in its northern and central parts, whereas southern regions might have suffered strong instability during Pleistocene glaciations. Molecular phylogeographic and endemism studies show, nevertheless, contradictory results: although some results validate these predictions, other data suggest that paleoclimatic models fail to predict stable rainforest areas in the south. Most studies, however, have surveyed species with relatively high dispersal rates whereas taxa with lower dispersion capabilities should be better predictors of habitat stability. Here, we have used two land planarian species as model organisms to analyse the patterns ...
A set of 35 uranium ore and 10 yellow cake samples, collected worldwide from different mines and production sites, were analyzed for their impurity spectrum by ICP-MS. Pattern recognition techniques such as cluster analysis were applied to the data set in order to characterize samples with relation to their geographical origin. The results obtained show a clear relationship between samples taken from the same geological origin and constitute a satisfactory fingerprint for establishing the origin of the material. In addition to the impurity data, data on the isotopic composition of radiogenic lead is used to resolve ambiguity when impurity cluster analysis fails to deliver unambiguous origin data. (author)
Astrocytes have important immune functions in CNS, and astrocytes stimulated by interferon-g were showed to have direct antimicrobial function. However whether astrocytes without the stimulation of cytokines have antibacterial function, and how this function is regulated are still largely unknown. In this study, we found that primary cultured astrocytes inhibited the growth of both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. Further more, we showed that interleukin-1b (IL-1b) enhanced the antibacterial effect in a dose-dependent manner, and the antibacterial effect of astrocytes from IL-1b receptor-deficient mice failed to be enhanced by IL-1b. IL-1b stimulated IkBa degradation, NF-kB nuclear translocation, and transactivation in astrocytes. NF-kB inhibitors blocked NF-kB activation and the ...
Hydrophobic labelling is frequently used in the study of membrane-inserted domains of intrinsic proteins. However, the published procedures, fail to incorporate sufficient radioactivity into membrane immunoglobulins of B lymhocytes to permit investigation of their subunit structures and associations with other proteins. In order to increase the specific radioactivity of ["1"2"5I]iodonaphtylazide ["1"2"5I]INA), an improved method for the synthesis of the reagent was developed. In addition, the optimal conditions for labelling B lymhpocytes with ["1"2"5I]INA and commercially available reagent 3-(trifluoromethyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-3-(3'-["1"2"5Iliodophenyl)diazirine (["1"2"5I]TID were isolated and analysed in detail by SDS-PAGE. The usefulness of the two reagents for the investigation of lipid-embedded domains of membrane proteins is discussed. (author). 28 refs.; 4 figs.
Bargmann's superselection rule, which forbids the existence of superpositions of states with different mass and, therefore, implies the impossibility of describing unstable particles in non-relativistic quantum mechanics, arises as a consequence of demanding Galilean covariance of Schr\\"odinger's equation. However, the usual Galilean transformations inadequately describe the symmetries of non-relativistic quantum mechanics since they fail to take into account relativistic time contraction effects which can produce non-relativistic phases in the wavefunction. In this paper we describe the incompatibility between Bargmann's rule and Lorentz transformations in the low-velocities limit, we analyze its classical origin and we show that the Extended Galilei group characterizes better the symmetries of the theory. Furthermore, we claim that a proper description of non-relativistic quantum mechanics requires a modification of the notion of spacetime in the corresponding ...
Many secure communication libraries used by distributed systems, such as SSL, TLS, and Kerberos, fail to make a clear distinction between the authentication, session, and communication layers. In this paper we introduce CEDAR, the secure communication library used by the Condor High Throughput Computing software, and present the advantages to a distributed computing system resulting from CEDAR's separation of these layers. Regardless of the authentication method used, CEDAR establishes a secure session key, which has the flexibility to be used for multiple capabilities. We demonstrate how a layered approach to security sessions can avoid round-trips and latency inherent in network authentication. The creation of a distinct session management layer allows for optimizations to improve scalability by way of delegating sessions to other components in the system. This session delegation creates a chain of trust that reduces the overhead of establishing secure ...
We present the results of an ongoing project to use the X-ray observations of Type Ia Supernova Remnants to constrain the physical processes involved in Type Ia Supernova explosions. We use the Tycho Supernova Remnant (SN 1572) as a benchmark case, comparing its observed spectrum with models for the X-ray emission from the shocked ejecta generated from different kinds of Type Ia explosions. Both the integrated spectrum of Tycho and the spatial distribution of the Fe and Si emission in the remnant are well reproduced by delayed detonation models with stratified ejecta. All the other Type Ia explosion models fail, including well-mixed deflagrations calculated in three dimensions.
The coolant activity analysis to obtain the information about the fuel failure has been studied long before. And several codes have been developed to estimate the number of fuel failures through evaluating volatile and inert fission products release in coolant from the defective fuel. These codes use a fission product diffusion model coupled with a mass balance in the gap and coolant. But each code has a different model to assess fuel failure. In order to develop the model to estimate the number of fuel failures we analysis well-known code's models such as CHIRON, CADE, IODYNE, and CAAP and compare accuracy through Korean PWR activity data
According to the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis, the relationship between per-capita GDP and per-capita pollutant emissions has an inverted-U shape. This implies that, past a certain point, economic growth may actually be profitable for environmental quality. Most studies on this subject are based on estimating fully parametric quadratic or cubic regression models. While this is not technically wrong, such an approach somewhat lacks flexibility since it may fail to detect the true shape of the relationship if it happens not to be of the specified form. We use semiparametric and flexible nonlinear parametric modeling methods in an attempt to provide more robust inferences. We find little evidence in favour of the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis. Our main results could be inte...
Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) provides mechanisms for reliable data communications. Although it works well in wired networks, it fails to offer satisfactory performance in lossy and wireless environments. And in the multi-hop wireless infrastructure, packet delivery suffers high cumulative loss rate if traveling over multiple wireless hops. The Selective acknowledgment (SACK) is one header option that might be used to combat segment corruptions in air channels. In this paper, an alternative set of flow control mechanisms is proposed to handle high packet loss rate in a wireless medium. Using a measurement-based mechanism, sustainable segment delivery is achievable through a novel size-reduction method. Multiple segment retransmission mechanisms are introduced to reduce successive tim...
The invention of non-Euclidean geometries is often seen through the optics of Hilbertian formal axiomatic method developed later in the 19th century. However such an anachronistic approach fails to provide a sound reading of Lobachevsky's geometrical works. Although the modern notion of model of a given theory has a counterpart in Lobachevsky's writings its role in Lobachevsky's geometrical theory turns to be very unusual. Lobachevsky doesn't consider various models of Hyperbolic geometry, as the modern reader would expect, but uses a non-standard model of Euclidean plane (as a particular surface in the Hyperbolic 3-space). In this paper I consider this Lobachevsky's construction, and show how it can be better analyzed within an alternative non-Hilbertian foundational framework, which relates the history of geometry of the 19th century to some recent developments in the ?eld.
About every 12 years, asphalt roads must be reworked, and this is usually done by placing thick layers (hot-mix overlays) of new material on top of failed material, resulting in considerable waste of material and use of new asphalt binder. A good recycling agent is needed, not only to reduce the viscosity of the aged material but also to restore compatibility. Objective is to establish the technical feasibility (Phase I) of determining the specifications and operating parameters for producing high quality recycling agents which will allow most/all the old asphalt-based road material to be recycled. It is expected that supercritical fractionation can be used. The advanced road aging simulation procedure will be used to study aging of blends of old asphalt and recycling agents.
XMRV or xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related retrovirus, a recently discovered retrovirus, has been linked to both prostate cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Recently, the teams of Drs. Shyh-Ching Lo and Harvey Alter discovered the presence of sequences closely related to XMRV in the blood of 86.5% of patients with CFS [1]. These findings are important because since the initial discovery of XMRV in CFS, several studies have failed to find XMRV in specimens collected from CFS patients. While the current study also did not find XMRV in CFS, Lo et al. did detect sequences that belong to polytropic mouse endogenous retroviruses (PMV), which share considerable similarity with XMRV. Criteria for future studies that will help bring greater clarity to the issue of retroviral sequences in CFS are proposed below. PMID:21994623
Abstract Routinely used prognostic factors fail to predict clinical outcome in a significant proportion of breast cancer patients, implying that they can not detect some important biological characteristics. Chromosomal changes have been described in breast carcinomas for many years but their significance is not clear. We compared chromosomal changes with clinico-pathological characteristics and clinical outcome in 203 breast cancer patients with a follow-up of 9-18 years. Combining data from classical cytogenetics and flow cytometry revealed chromosomal abnormalities in 142 cases (70%). Of these, 51 (35.9%) contained two or more cytogenetically abnormal clones. Polyclonality was significantly associated with poor breast-cancer-specific survival (P = 0.03) within 5 years, independent of tu...
Internal amplification controls (IACs) were constructed for incorporation into real-time nucleic acid amplification assays for bovine polyomavirus, hepatitis A virus, hepatitis E virus, human adenovirus, human norovirus genogroup I, human norovirus genogroup II, murine norovirus and porcine adenovirus. The addition of optimised amounts of IAC into the assays did not affect the limits of detection for each specific target virus. A poorly performed extraction of viral nucleic acids was simulated, and the effectiveness of IACs in identifying failed assays was demonstrated. The IACs constructed in this study can be reliably used in their specific assays to provide a robust control that can be routinely applied in the analysis of foods for viruses.
A new calculation of the $\\bar{p}/p$ ratio in cosmic rays is compared to the recent PAMELA data. The good match up to 100 GeV allows to set constraints on exotic contributions from thermal WIMP dark matter candidates. We derive stringent limits on possible enhancements of the WIMP \\pbar flux: a $m_{\\rm WIMP}$=100 GeV (1 TeV) signal cannot be increased by more than a factor 6 (40) without overrunning PAMELA data. Annihilation through the $W^+W^-$ channel is also inspected and cross-checked with $e^+/(e^-+e^+)$ data. This scenario is strongly disfavored as it fails to simultaneously reproduce positron and antiproton measurements.
Many high-strain-rate compression measurements (2000 per second) using a specially designed split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) for the plastic-bonded explosive PBX9501 have been reported in the literature, but there is a sparsity of data for a United Kingdom polymer-bonded explosives (PBX) known as EDC37. Both EDC37 and PBX9501 are cyclotetramethylenetetranitramine-based (HMX-based) PBXs with high filler contents. The binder systems for the PBXs are very different: EDC37 consists of a nitroplasticized nitrocellulose and PBX9501 a nitroplasticized ESTANE. PBX9501 exhibits nearly invariant fracture strains of ?1.5?pct as a function of temperature at high strain rates, whereas EDC37 fails at ?2 to 2.5?pct. The maximum compressive strengths for both PBXs were measured at 150?Mpa at ?55??C, bu...
Abstract The efficacy of iodine and glutaraldehyde as fish egg surface disinfectants were assessed in red porgy (Pagrus pagrus) and white sea bream (Diplodus sargus sargus) eggs, two species of interest for Mediterranean aquaculture. Iodine was effective in reducing the bacterial load of the 1-day-old eggs when applied at 50 mg L-1 for 5 min. The same concentration did not cause any significant change in hatching success or survival of the larvae for the first 5 days. Glutaraldehyde failed to reduce the bacterial load of the fish eggs at concentrations that were safe for the eggs (100 mg L-1 for 5 min), as it had a significant effect in preventing hatching of the developed embryo. Disinfecting 0-day-old eggs with iodine resulted in a significant reduction of hatching percentage, while larv...
A combination of erosion and corrosion at the Victoria Junction coal preparation plant in Sydney, Nova Scotia was causing serious problems. Schedule 80 mild steel pipes were starting to fail as well as some quarter-inch steel plates in the lauders and chutes. Some corrosion tests were carried out and the high chloride level in the process water was felt to be the single most important contribution to the corrosion problem. Cast basalt was selected as a solution to the pipe wear problem. Three different types of abrasion/corrosion-resistant tiling - basalt tiles, kalceram tiles and ceramic tiles were well suited to the chloride conditions at this plant.
As Darwin portended but failed to develop, and of which Gould made much, the forensic evidence of evolution points toward Punctuated Equilibrium rather than Phyletic Gradualism; however Gould?s empirical postulation has long suffered from its lack of a testable theoretical basis. This is rectified by the work of Jaroslav Flegr and the Frozen Plasticity Theory, a hypothesis with striking application within semiotic theory and hence to questions of epistemology and ontology. The consequences of applying FPT within Biosemiotics is this: when any particular sign carries a great range of interpretation (semiotic polymorphism) combined with a high degree of mutually supportive referencing (semiotic pleiotropy), that sign is less likely to exhibit plasticity?less able to find new expressions capa...
The main objective of this work was to investigate the biosorption performance of unmodified and Cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC)-modified biomass of Penicillium YW 01 for Acid Blue 25 (AB 25). Maximum biosorption capacity of AB 25 onto CPC-modified biosorbent was 118.48mgg^-^1 under phosphoric-phosphate buffer with initial dye concentration of 200mgL^-^1 at 30^oC. The biosorption pattern of AB 25 onto unmodified biosorbent in aqueous solution and phosphoric-phosphate buffer was well fitted with both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. While the equilibrium data of CPC-modified biosorbent in aqueous solution and phosphoric-phosphate buffer failed to fit the Freundlich isotherm model, indicating the monolayer biosorption formed onto CPC-modified biosorbent. The values of initial biosorpt...
Research and bioethical policies are increasingly seen to facilitate, rather than to impede, scientific progress. Bioethical structures, nonetheless, often fail to account for or to shape the specific social surrounds in which scientific research is conducted. In Taiwan, a perceived shortage in human biological donations threatens to hamper stem cell research progress. This paper considers the stalled national biobank project and the lack of a reliable embryo supply for stem cell research, and suggests that one must look beyond regulatory structures in seeking explanations for such shortages. Specific aspects of Taiwan's democratization and social changes combine with problematic relations between patients and physicians to shape the terrain upon which human biologicals are given or withhe...
Adolescents with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) often fail to master literacy skills, in part because disruptive behaviors interfere with task engagement and persistence. The theory of behavioral momentum explains the persistence of behavior in the face of changing environmental conditions. The current exploratory study examined variables related to behavioral momentum in the context of a continuous reading task. Participants were three adolescents identified with EBD who were instructional on fifth-grade material. Results indicated that when participants read a third-grade paragraph immediately before a fifth-grade paragraph, they decreased the latency to initiate reading of the fifth-grade paragraph and increased words read correctly per minute on the first 10 words of the fifth-grade paragraph. Results are discussed in terms of the theory of behavioral momentum and the nature of interventions that may be developed to increase reading persistence.
Assuming the hoop conjecture in classical general relativity and quantum mechanics, any observer who attempts to perform an experiment in an arbitrarily small region will be stymied by the formation of a black hole within the spatial domain of the experiment. This behavior is often invoked in arguments for a fundamental minimum length. Extending a proof of the hoop conjecture for spherical symmetry to include higher curvature terms we investigate this minimum length argument when the gravitational couplings run with energy in the manner predicted by asymptotically safe gravity. We show that argument for the mandatory formation of a black hole within the domain of an experiment fails. Neither is there a proof that a black hole doesn't form. Instead, whether or not an observer can perform measurements in arbitrarily small regions depends on the specific numerical values of the couplings near the UV fixed point. We further argue that when an experiment is localized on ...
How does one assure that both quality and creativity are obtained in basic research environments QA theoreticians have attempted to develop workable definitions of quality, but in more reflective moments, these definitions often fail to capture the deeper essence of the idea of quality.'' This paper asserts that creativity (as a product of the human mind) is a concrete interface between perfunctory definitions of quality (conformance to specifications) and more philosophical speculations about the nature of quality- related ultimates'' like elegance or beauty. In addition, we describe the distinction between creative ideas and creative acts and highlight one of the major inhibitors of creativity, fear. Finally we show that highly creative people often have an irreverent attitude toward boundaries and established authority, and discuss how one can allow for this when designing a QA program in a basic research environment.
The integrity of the cables located in the target room is very important in the Fire PSA, because the CDF and CCDP are changed according to the results of a cable integrity that depends on the surrounding gas temperature. The conservative assumptions used in the Fire PSA typically specify that all of the equipment and cables of a room would fail when a fire happens in the room. But the realistic assessment of a fire risk by using a fire simulation tool has become necessary in the Fire PSA as described in the ANS Fire PRA Standard. This paper evaluates the cable integrity of eight pump rooms in the nuclear power plant by using the CFAST zone fire model. The upper layer gas temperature of each room is estimated, and an analysis based on the results of model simulations is used to judge the c...
The Jeanne d`Arc Basin is located 320 km offshore in the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. It is a Mesozoic failed-rift basin with recoverable oil reserves of about 2 billion barrels. Its huge Hibernia Field will be in production by late 1997. The basin has been reappraised using sequence stratigraphic concepts, and renewed exploration in the area is expected. The Upper Jurassic - Lower Cretaceous sedimentary accumulation in the Basin was formed by the extensional tectonics that created the North Atlantic Ocean. The sedimentary packages were placed in chronostratigraphic order by calibrating the biostratigraphy of the Oxfordian to Maastrichtian section to the detailed ammonite zonation from the North Sea.
The interscalenic block technique is widely used for ambulatory shoulder surgery despite a substantial number of failures and adverse effects. We prospectively evaluated satisfaction in 40 consecutive patients who underwent open Bankart repair under a single general anesthesic performed in an ambulatory care unit. The mean age of the patients was 23 years. There were 29 men and 11 women. Patients were evaluated postoperatively with a visual analog scale of pain (in the recovery room, at the time of discharge, and the day after and 1 week after surgery) via a home assessment questionnaire that included the following: effectiveness of oral pain medication, ability to perform activities of daily life, and overall satisfaction. One patient failed to be discharged because of a feeling of faintn...
A classic sum rule by Das et al. is extended to seven of the low-energy constant K{sub i}, introduced by Urech, which parameterizes electromagnetic corrections at chiral order O(e{sup 2}p{sup 2}). Using the spurion formalism, a simple convolution representation is shown to hold and the structure in terms of the chiral renormalization scale, QCD renormalization scale and the QED gauge parameter is displayed. The role of the resonances is studied as providing rational interpolants to relevant QCD n-point functions in the Euclidean domain. A variety of asymptotic constraints must be implemented which have phenomenological consequences. A current assumption concerning the dominance of the lowest-lying resonances is shown clearly to fail in some cases. (author)
Thermohydrogen treatment effect on microstructure and mechanical properties is studied for a cast heat resistant pseudo-#alpha#-titanium alloy Ti-6242 (Ti-6Al-2Sn-4Zn-2Mo) widely used as a heat resistant material with operating temperature up to 500 deg C. It is shown that reversible hydrogen alloying is a promising alternative to thermomechanical treatment for transformation of (#alpha#+#beta#)-titanium alloy structure. The application of thermohydrogen treatment is noted to be of particular efficiency for shaped casting technology as it allows a noticeable increase of mechanical properties at a lower cost. The alloy after thermohydrogen treatment and subsequent heat treatment in the (#alpha#+#beta#) - range possesses high values of yield strength fatigue properties, creep resistance and has a satisfactory ductility. A consideration is also given to thermohydrogen ...
This article presents an orthognathic treatment case after severe apical root resorption of maxillary anterior teeth using anterior segmental osteotomy. This case involved a 20-year-old female with the chief complaint of maxillary protruding and irregularly aligned mandibular anterior teeth. Her medical history showed no allergies or medical problems. The overbite was +3.0mm, and the overjet +3.0mm. After extraction of the four first premolars, a multi-bracket treatment was started. A severe root resorption of the maxillary anterior teeth was found 12 months after active treatment. The maxillary anterior segmental osteotomy was chosen as the compensatory treatment. The total treatment period was 2 years and 7 months. The post-retention panoramic radiograph showed no developmental root reso...
The long-term durability of bonds between adhesive resins and dentin is of significant importance for the longevity of bonded restorations. We carried out an in vivo one-year study to evaluate the durability of resin-dentin bonds in the oral cavity, as well as to test the hypothesis that the adhesive interface would show morphological changes in vivo over time. Very shallow saucer-shaped dentin cavities were prepared in 12 intact teeth of one Japanese monkey (Macaca fuscata) under general anesthesia. The cavities were restored with Clearfil Liner Bond II and Clearfil Photo Posterior resin composite. The teeth were extracted at three different times: immediately, and 180 and 360 days after placement of the restorations. One day after the monkey was killed, specimens of the three time periods were subjected to the micro-tensile bond test at a crosshead speed of 1 mm/min. The surfaces of the failed bonds were observed under a field emission scanning electron ...
New furnaces were built based on fused silica with NiChrome heating elements custom-wound on alumina ceramic to self-compensate for induced magnetic fields during operation. During tests these furnaces failed due to thermal stresses caused by the high temperature cement used to hold the alumina ceramic in place. As a third solution pieces of boron nitride have been procured from which new furnace bodies will be machined during the third quarter. In order to increase the in-house capacity for machining ceramic parts a small lathe was ordered. The implementation of the LabView data acquisition software from National Instruments, Inc. took more time than anticipated and is still not completed. Major difficulties had to be overcome during the integration of the separate positive and negative high voltage supplies ({plus_minus}1000V). It became apparent that a custom-designed switch had to be installed to safeguard the data acquisition modules and the Apple Macintosh ...
The release of {sup 14}C as {sup 14}CO{sub 2} from partly failed spent fuel containers has been analyzed by the flow of gases into and out of the containers. This flow of gases is driven by pressure differences, which are in turn caused by heating by the spent fuel. In this analysis, the timing and size of holes in the containers are assumed to be given. A better means of predicting the time distribution and sizes of penetrations in nuclear waste containers is needed. For the purposes of far-field transport calculations, we have adopted release rates that are shown to be bonding for the large range of hole sizes studied. The transport of released {sup 14}CO{sub 2} has been analyzed by transport in equivalent porous medium. The peak {sup 14}CO{sub 2} concentration in pore gas at 350 m above the repository does not depend on the time of hole occurrence, although the time of penetration obviously affects the arrival and duration of exposure to {sup 14}C. Nor does ...
We conducted a retrospective review of the North American Renal Transplant Cooperative Study (NAPRTCS) Registry transplant and dialysis arms to assess anemia and growth patterns in children who returned to dialysis after a failed renal transplant from January 1, 1992 to February 3, 2004. Of the 1807 potential study subjects, 1451 had transplant removal data (TxIn vs. TxOut) available for analysis. Four hundred and twenty-one of 1451 patients (29%) had a transplant nephrectomy at the time of entry into the NAPRTCS Registry Dialysis arm. Anemia rates steadily decreased from 72.2% at 30 days after dialysis initiation to 59.5% at 12 months after dialysis initiation. Factors associated with anemia at 30 days after dialysis initiation included hemodialysis, lack of Epo use, and patients who comprised earlier study era cohorts. At one yr after return to dialysis, earlier study cohort era was the only factor associated with anemia status. Patients did not demonstrate ...
Production treatment chemicals represent a diverse collection of chemical classes, added at various points from the wellhead to the final flotation cell, to prevent operational upsets and enhance the separation of oil from water. Information in the literature indicates that while many treatment chemicals are thought to partition into oil and not into the produced water, there are cases where a sufficiently water soluble treatment chemical is added at high enough concentrations to suggest that the treatment chemical may add to the aquatic toxicity of the produced water. A study was conducted to evaluate the potential effect of production treatment chemicals on the toxicity of produced waters using the US EPA Seven-day Mysidopsis bahia Survival, Growth and Fecundity Test. Samples of produced water were collected and tested for toxicity from three platforms under normal operating ...
This study examined the atmospheric pollution created by some waste treatment and disposal facilities in the State of Kuwait. Air monitoring was conducted in a municipal wastewater treatment plant, an industrial wastewater treatment plant established in a petroleum refinery, and at a landfill site used for disposal of solid wastes. Such plants were selected as models for waste treatment and disposal facilities in the Arabian Gulf region and elsewhere. Air measurements were made over a period of 6 months and included levels of gaseous emissions as well as concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Samples of gas and bioaerosols were collected from ambient air surrounding the treatment facilities. The results obtained from this study have indicated the presence of VOCs and other gaseous pollutants such as methane, ammonia, and hydrogen sulphide in air surrounding the waste ...
Many alternative therapies are used as first aid treatment for burns, despite limited evidence supporting their use. In this study, Aloe vera, saliva and a tea tree oil impregnated dressing (Burnaid) were applied as first aid to a porcine deep dermal contact burn, compared to a control of nothing. After burn creation, the treatments were applied for 20 min and the wounds observed at weekly dressing changes for 6 weeks. Results showed that the alternative treatments did significantly decrease subdermal temperature within the skin during the treatment period. However, they did not decrease the microflora or improve re-epithelialisation, scar strength, scar depth or cosmetic appearance of the scar and cannot be recommended for the first aid treatment of partial thickness burns. PMID:18603378
This case report presents a case that underwent orthognathic treatment with anterior segmental osteotomies on both jaws. The patient was a 26-year-old female with maxillary protrusion, lip incompetence with an everted vermilion border. The overbite was +1.0mm, overjet +1.0mm. The pre-surgical orthodontic treatment included the extraction of the four first premolars and a multi-bracket treatment was started. After 12 months of pre-surgical orthodontic treatment, both the anterior maxillary and the anterior mandibular segments were retracted surgically by 5.5mm. The total treatment period was 18 months. An anterior segmental osteotomy can induce the remarkable structural changes for bimaxillary lip protrusion patients.
This guidebook concerns the design of air-conditioning and air-treatment installations in recent and old buildings. The design of indoor atmosphere treatment systems is based on a rigorous and safe methodology. The following aspects are reviewed: situation of ambient air treatment, different aspects of a project, humid-air technique, principles of air treatment, basic conditions for a successful project, determination of enthalpy and hydric loads of rooms, design of ambient treatment systems, cold water production using a thermodynamical system, aeraulics, hydraulics, acoustics, logics of operation, forecasting of energy consumptions, global management of air-conditioning installations, ambient air-treatment systems. (J.S.)
This review briefly discusses the clinical and basic science rationale for vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) in treatment-resistant depression (TRD). As the number of treatment failures for depression increases, the likelihood of achieving remission during acute treatment decreases, and the risk of relapse increases with the number of treatment failures. Two open trials of adjunctive VNS for TRD showed positive acute results and a growing benefit over time. The results of the acute randomized controlled trial were not significant for the primary outcome (response by HRSD-24), but the secondary measure (IDS-SR-30) was significant for VNS. A 12-month nonrandomized comparative analysis of patients receiving adjunctive VNS with TRD patients receiving treatment as usual showed significant results f...
The activated charcoal is very appreciates for the water treatment. It do not generate by-product of treatment. In return it is saturated after some time and may releases pollutant compounds. When and how to get to its regeneration?.
The primary objective of our study is to describe urinary symptoms in women treated for endometrial cancer. We performed a cross-sectional survey of women who had undergone surgical treatment...Full Text Available
PURPOSECost-sharing, intended to control the “over-use” of healthcare resources, may also reduce utilization of necessary services. The influence...Full Text Available
Gas turbine component protection remains essential but environmental regulations emphasize the gas-turbine efficiency. Heating and cooling are features often integrated into the GI air intake packages to provide the optimum operating conditions. This paper describes modern inlet air treatment systems and discusses their effectiveness. (author)
Nine patients with renal osteodystrophy were tested for 6.5 to 35 months with 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (1,25-DHCC). A close biochemical follow-up was performed during the first 6 months of treatment,...Full Text Available
PurposeAssessment of safety and efficacy of extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy versus semi-rigid ureteroscope with lithoclast for treatment of large proximal ureteral stones.Materials...Full Text Available
AIM: To evaluate the effects of percutaneous ozone injection via the posterior-lateral route and inner margin of the facet joint in the treatment of large lumbar disc herniation.METHODS:...Full Text Available
Treatment with sorafenib prolongs both the median survival and time to progression by nearly 3 months in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Although the effects of combining sorafenib...Full Text Available
After lifestyle and behavioral measures to control overactive bladder, the mainstay of pharmacological treatment is the use of antimuscarinic therapy. Overactive bladder predominantly affects older...Full Text Available
Verapamil administered before treatment, but not after treatment, had a beneficial effect on a 90-minute warm ischemia-reperfusion rat liver injury model. The possible activation of proteases converting...Full Text Available
BackgroundPatients’ general tendency to adhere to health care provider-recommended treatments is associated with a number of health outcomes, but whether it influences pain...Full Text Available
The treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED) was revolutionized with the development of phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors. Tadalafil (Cialis®; Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis,...Full Text Available
The effects of response effort on safe behaviors (i.e., glove wearing, hand sanitizing, and electrical outlet replacement) exhibited by therapists at an autism treatment center were examined. Participants...Full Text Available
ObjectivesObjectives Not AvailableDescriptionA collaborative study of the anaerobic treatment of wastes containing recalcitrant and inhibitory compounds using the SERC Anaerobic facility, in particular biomass structure, monitoring and control, catabolism and toxicity, pre-acidification and microbial growth and mesophilic and thermophilic lignocellulose degradation.~%~
Chronic pain patients who show aberrant drug-related behavior often are discontinued from treatment when they are noncompliant with their use of opioids for pain. The purpose of this study was...Full Text Available
A statistical treatment has been applied to interpret the experimental data on the Xe M-shell vacancy production in slow 1.05 MeV Xe-Xe collisions and is shown to give better agreement with experiment than that of the molecular-orbital models.
OJECTIVEThis study seeks to identify practices of self-medication in the treatment of ocular emergencies. We examine patients’ use of both homemade preparations and manufactured...Full Text Available
China’s methadone maintenance treatment program was initiated in 2004 as a small pilot project in just eight sites. It has since expanded into a nationwide program encompassing more than 680...Full Text Available
Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) are highly prevalent in older men. Medical therapy is the first-line treatment for LUTS associated with BPH. Mainstays...Full Text Available
Atypical antipsychotic medications have assumed growing importance for the treatment of bipolar disorder, an illness that affects approximately 1.2%–3.7% of the general population in a given...Full Text Available
BackgroundPresumptive treatment of all febrile patients with anti-malarials leads to massive over-treatment. The aim was to assess the effect of implementing malaria rapid diagnostic...Full Text Available
Systemic chemotherapy has been relatively ineffective in the treatment of malignant brain tumors even though systemic chemotherapy drugs are small molecules that can readily extravasate across the porous...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe optimal treatment for locally recurrent rectal cancer (LRRC) is still a matter of debate. This study assessed the outcome of LRRC patients treated with multimodality...Full Text Available
The effect of adriamycin in combination with radiation on the skin reactions of mouse feet has been examined under a variety of experimental conditions including: (a) hyperthermic treatment of the foot immediately following adriamycin administration, with the former given either just before or just after x irradiation, and (b) fractionated treatments of drug and radiation in a variety of sequences over an 18-day period. In the case of the most severe hyperthermic treatment, no increased radiation reactions were observed in the presence of adriamycin. However, in the case of the less severe hyperthermic treatment a small but significant increase in skin reactions was observed. In the study of fractionated drug and radiation treatments, an enhancement of reaction in those animals receiving combined modality treatment over those receiving radiation alone was seen ...
This is a report of surgical treatment of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms and aneurysms of the abdominal aorta from which the visceral vessels arise during the 18 year period from April 5, 1960,...Full Text Available
Treatment of functional bowel disorders of irritable bowel-type (IBS) in children remains a difficult task because of a lack of drugs with low adverse event profile. We here report the results of a...Full Text Available
While most cancer survivors are at risk for being lost in the transition from treatment to survivorship, rural breast cancer survivors face special challenges that might place them at particular...Full Text Available
Low dose methotrexate has been used effectively for various rheumatic and non-rheumatic diseases. Three cases of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia occurring during treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with...Full Text Available
This report results from a contract tasking Eindhoven University of Technology as follows: The contractor will investigate the plasma treatment of surfaces and plasma enhanced deposition using EUT's cascade arc source as the basis for this effort.
Nowadays, percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation is a successful alternative to surgery for patients requiring treatment of pulmonary valve dysfunction. However, owing to the wide variety of implantation...Full Text Available
Opioids have been regarded for millennia as among the most effective drugs for the treatment of pain. Their use in the management of acute severe pain and chronic pain related to advanced medical...Full Text Available
Telbivudine is a novel nucleoside drug recently approved for the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis B. Its nonclinical safety was evaluated in a comprehensive program of studies, including...Full Text Available
BackgroundAllogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation is a potentially curative treatment for patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. However, the majority of older adults...Full Text Available
Data on raw water quality, disinfection treatment practices, and the resulting mutagenic properties of the treated water were compiled from pilot- and full-scale treatment experiments to evaluate that...Full Text Available
Adaptive radiation therapy (ART) is the incorporation of daily images in the radiotherapy treatment process so that the treatment plan can be evaluated and modified to maximize the amount of radiation...Full Text Available
Cancer treatment with ionizing radiation is often compromised by organ motion, in particular for lung cases. Motion uncertainties can significantly degrade an otherwise optimized treatment plan....Full Text Available
BackgroundMass treatment to trachoma endemic communities is a critical part of the World Health Organization SAFE strategy. However, non-participation may not be at random, affecting...Full Text Available
Investigation of Interaction of Laser Radiation with Radioactive Deposits on the metal Surface and Creation of Experimental Stand for Development of Laser Technology for Remote Treatment of Materials Contaminated with Radioactive Substances at the Atomic Power Plants
BackgroundWe have recently reported successful treatment of patients with chronic pain syndromes using human pooled intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) in a prospective, open-label...Full Text Available
Tracheobronchial balloon dilation and stent placement have been well used in the treatment of patients with benign and/or malignant diseases. Balloon dilation is the first option in the treatment of...Full Text Available
Objectives: The purpose of the study was to discover how women found out about uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) for the treatment of symptomatic uterine fibroids.Methods:...Full Text Available
SummaryConvection-enhanced delivery (CED) of substances within the human brain is becoming a more frequent experimental treatment option in the management of brain tumors, and...Full Text Available
OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the profile of osteoporosis treatment among patients hospitalized due to hip fractures at a tertiary-level university hospital. To compare the impact of hospitalization...Full Text Available
ABSTRACTObjectivesTo test the feasibility of human immune globulin (IG, Gamimune N, 10%) as a new treatment for endophthalmitis, the ocular tolerance, distribution,...Full Text Available
Anaerobic treatment of a volatile fatty acid (VFA) mixture was investigated under psychrophilic (3 to 8°C) conditions in two laboratory-scale expanded granular sludge bed reactor stages in series....Full Text Available
AimsTranscatheter treatment of heart valve disease is well established today. However, for the treatment of tricuspid regurgitation (TR), no effective catheter-based approach is...Full Text Available
Forty-two patients with frozen shoulder were followed up closely for eight months. They were all taught pendular exercises and randomly allocated to one of four treatment groups: (a) intraarticular...Full Text Available
A 17-year-old H1N1-positive patient was successfully extubated after 25 days of ventilatory support for treatment of viral pneumonia which was complicated by empyema thoracis due to Candida...Full Text Available
Several drugs are available for the management of postmenopausal osteoporosis. This may, in daily practice, confuse the clinician. This manuscript offers an evidence-based update of previous treatment...Full Text Available
BackgroundAn artemisinin-based combination therapy, artesunate (AS) plus sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP), was compared to SP monotherapy to provide evidence of further treatment...Full Text Available
We investigated the effects of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) discharge on the ecology of bacterial communities in the sediment of a small, low-gradient stream in South Australia. The quantification...Full Text Available
The mechanical properties of laminated window profiles manufactured using two types of adhesives were determined. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of heat treatment on some mechanical...Full Text Available
Antivenoms are the currently available agents for treatment of snake venom intoxication in humans. The development of therapeutic strategies employing more generally available drugs could improve treatment of invenomation by reducing hypersensitive reacti...
This report estimates the economic and financial effects of compliance with the proposed effluent limitations guidelines and standards for the Centralized Waste Treatment (CWT) industry. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has measured these impacts...
IntroductionFlow diversion is a new approach to the endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms which uses a high density mesh stent to induce sac thrombosis. These devices...Full Text Available
The aim of this study is to develop an Automatic Post-processing Tool for four-dimensional (4D) treatment planning (APT4D) that enables the user to perform some necessary procedures related...Full Text Available
BACKGROUND AND AIMS:In view of increasing therapeutic efficacy, the delivery of hepatitis C virus (HCV) antiviral treatment is expected to increase. Yet practical experience reveals...Full Text Available
The results of clinical trials conducted in Europe and North America have been incorporated into treatment strategies for breast cancer in Japan. Despite the use of similar treatment regimens, why has...Full Text Available
There has been a major interest in the drug treatment of osteoporosis and an increase in the number of drugs available in most countries. The ideal drug (one which increases or restores bone density...Full Text Available
This analysis, submitted in support of proposed effluent limitations guidelines and standards for the centralized waste treatment (CWT) industry, investigates the cost-effectiveness of 24 regulatory options, representing all possible combinations of nine ...
This article describes the processes for the treatment of plastic waste: sampling, sorting, comminution. The requirements for the different processes for waste treatment (as recycling, utilization as raw material, energy recovery, combustion) are listed. (SR)
Clinical features and treatment outcome were compared in depressed outpatients with and without a history of emotional and physical abuse (EPA), including childhood maltreatment. Patients were...Full Text Available
IntroductionApproximately 25–30% of breast cancers are assumed to be HER-2/neu positive. It is well known that HER-2/neu-positive cancers after treatment with trastuzumab...Full Text Available
This article outlines research and progress into the liquefaction of coal by solvent treatment, being conducted at the National Research Institute for Pollution and Resources, Japan. (In Japanese)
IntroductionThe goal of this study was to identify serum markers that are modulated by treatment with golimumab with or without methotrexate (MTX) and are associated with clinical...Full Text Available
Purposes1. To determine the optimal pelvic nodal clinical target volume for post-operative treatment of endometrial cancer. 2. To compare the DVH of different treatment planning...Full Text Available
Despite being free of charge, treatment adherence to 7-day primaquine for the radical cure of Plasmodium vivax was estimated at 62.2% among patients along the Iquitos-Nauta road in...Full Text Available
Oncolytic viruses (OVs) represent a relatively novel anti-cancer modality. Like other new cancer treatments, effective OV therapy will likely require combination with conventional treatments. In order...Full Text Available
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:For treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), Plasma Kinetic loop Resection of the Prostate (PKRP) is an alternative to conventional monopolar...Full Text Available
Selective phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5Is) have revolutionized the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) in men. As an on-demand treatment, PDE5Is have excellent efficacy and safety in...Full Text Available
OBJECTIVES: Although the tricyclic antidepressant amitriptyline is extensively used in the prophylactic treatment of chronic tension-type headache, only few studies have investigated the efficacy of...Full Text Available
Fuel treatments are being widely implemented on public and private lands across the western U.S. While scientists and managers have an understanding of how ... ...
Erectile dysfunction (ED) affects up to 50% of men between the ages of 40 and 70. Treatment with PDE-5 inhibitors is effective in the majority of men with ED. However, PDE-5 inhibitors are not effective...Full Text Available
BackgroundThere are various treatment options for congenital melanocytic nevus (CMN), including surgical excision, dermabrasions, curettage, laser treatment, chemical peels and cryosurgery....Full Text Available
Lupus pernio of the nose is the most characteristic cutaneous lesion of sarcoidosis. It is cosmetically disfiguring and can be the cause of significant morbidity. In particular, the affected skin is often red or purple due to increased vasculature. It is particularly resistant to both surgical and medical therapy. We describe a patient with lupus pernio affecting her nose, which showed a dramatic improvement following treatment with the pulse dye laser (PDL). A biopsy taken after treatment showed the continued presence of sarcoidal granulomas. We therefore feel that treatment with the PDL is an effective tool in improving the cosmetic appearance of lupus pernio, but does not influence the underlying disease process. PMID:11360426
The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is increasing in developed countries and the general status of HCC patients is now by far better than a few years ago, allowing physicians to propose some different treatments of these patients. Among these treatments, intra-arterial injection of 131-iodine-labelled Lipiodol could be used in palliative, curative or adjuvant settings. After a brief summary of the modalities of this treatment, requiring the collaboration of Gastro-enterologists, Oncologists, Radiologists and Nuclear Medicine physicians, the different possibilities of therapeutic uses of this new approach are described and an outlook of these developments is proposed. (author)
... Treatment of electrical systems for pumped storage plants is not covered in the manual, although much of the information is applicable to pumped ...
This paper describes a system for biogas conversion to electric power and heat by using a micro turbine and three Otto cycle engines. The benefit of the energy from a treatment process residue aims the improvement of the global performance of the system, reducing the the emission of the greenhouse gases and contributing to the global energetic efficiency of the sewage treatment station and the basic sanitation in Brazil.
Prostate cancer can be successfully treated using dynamic adaptive external beam radiation techniques along with interstitial brachytherapy to deliver curative therapies with low urinary, rectal and erectile function morbidity. Through the use of sophisticated, state-of-the art radiographic imaging for staging and treatment planning, a precise, individual design for treatment is accomplished. Symptom management and patient education are of paramount importance and are integrated throughout the treatment process.
Clinical questionWhat is the best treatment for bacterial conjunctivitis?ResultsTopical antibiotics expedite recovery from bacterial conjunctivitis....Full Text Available
The number of multislice CT (MSCT) scans performed in polytraumatized children has increased rapidly. There is growing concern regarding the radiation dose in MSCT and its long-term consequences, especially in children. To determine the effective dose to polytraumatized children who undergo whole-body MSCT. A total of 51 traumatized children aged 0-16 years underwent a polytrauma protocol CT scan between November 2004 and August 2006 at our institution. The effective dose was calculated retrospectively by a computer program (CT-Expo 1.5, Hannover, Germany). The mean effective dose was 20.8 mSv (range 8.6-48.9 mSv, SD{+-}7.9 mSv). There was no statistically significant difference in the effective dose between male and female patients. Whole-body MSCT is a superior diagnostic tool in polytraumatized children with 20.8 mSv per patient being a justified mean effective dose. In a potentially life-threatening situation whole-body MSCT provides the clinicians with relevant information to ...
Following the conventional X-ray diagnosis of the skull and upper cervical spine, CT proved to be the primary diagnostic method after a skull and brain injury: For all 4 cases we succeeded in detecting the occipital condyle fracture and in determing its size and location by reconstructions (coronal, sagittal, 3-D). In the case of complex occompanying injuries like soft tissue hematomas (cerebral, in the spinal cord, and the soft tissue of the neck) or for the detection of brain stem contusion, MRT had significant advantages. MRT can offer a higher image quality in soft tissue, especially in the spinal cord and the brain. (orig.) [Deutsch] Im Anschluss an die konventionelle Roentgendiagnostik des Schaedels und der Halswirbelsaeule, erwies sich die Computertomographie als primaer einzusetzendes diagnostisches Verfahren, nach erlittenem Schaedel-Hirn-Trauma. In allen Faellen gelang der exakte Frakturnachweis an den Okzipitalkondylen, die Bestimmung des ...
In 65 adult rabbits of both sexes (2.5 to 6 kg) the following salvaging procedures were performed after simulated trauma: (1) Continuous suture line; (2) closure with fibrin sealant after temporary clamping; (3) hemisplenectomy with omental wrap; (4) suture fixation of fragments and slices of spleen tissue to the peritoneum; (5) suture fixation of spleen fragments to the omentum; (6) extraperitoneal subcutaneous transposition of spleen cubes. In addition, the likelihood of spontaneous splenosis was examined in a preliminary study involving 5 animals by introducing unattached spleen meal and fragments. Scanning was repeated 4 to 12 weeks postoperatively. The functional competence of minor parenchymal islands was also investigated with well counter measurements of organ and muscle tissue homogenates. Spontaneous splenosis after abdominal injuries was not found to be the rule. Salvaging procedures at the natural vascular hilus by sutures, fibrin sealant and ...
(1) To determine the accuracy of computed tomography (CT) in the evaluation of ligament tear and avulsion in patients with tibial plateau fracture. (2) To evaluate whether the presence or severity of fracture gap and articular depression can predict meniscal injury. A fellowship-trained musculoskeletal radiologist retrospectively reviewed knee CT and MRI examinations of 41 consecutive patients presenting to a level 1 trauma center with tibial plateau fractures. Fracture gap, articular depression, ligament tear and footprint avulsions were assessed on CT examinations. The MRI studies were examined for osseous and soft tissue injuries, including meniscal tear, meniscal displacement, ligament tear, and ligament avulsion. CT demonstrated torn ligaments with 80% sensitivity and 98% specificity. Only 2% of ligaments deemed intact on careful CT evaluation had partial or complete tears on MRI. Although the degree of fracture gap and articular depression was significantly ...
Diseases of the mandible affect the soft tissues aside from the osseous manifestation. This can be shown clearly and in great detail by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI is the gold standard in the diagnostic evaluation of any internal derangement of the temporomandibular joint. Dental MRI requires high resolution techniques and in some cases also intravenous administration of contrast material. These techniques allow delineation of the neurovascular bundle. In the past few years new indications were formulated, for example, the evaluation of the integrity of the inferior alveolar nerve in trauma and in radicular cysts. New quantitative methods now enable insights into the pathophysiology. The objective of this review is to communicate accepted indications for MRI of the mandible and to present innovative applications. (orig.) [German] Mandibulaere Erkrankungen beteiligen neben dem Knochen Weichteilstrukturen, die sich mit der MRT klar und detailreich ...
...Tota-MaharajE-Mail: Interests: water and wastewater treatment, environmental engineering and sustainable systems; sustainable water management; sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS); combined renewable energy applications with reverse osmosis desalination; microbial fuel cells for bioenergy production and treatment of urban wastewater; solar photocatalytic treatment and disinfection of water/wastewater Dr. Simon Toze CSIRO Land and Water, Queensland Bioscience Precinct - St Lucia, 306 Carmody Road, St Lucia QLD 4067,...
The bibliography contains citations concerning the use of dialysis in the treatment of wastewaters. Techniques for the removal of metals, ammonia, waste acids, nitrates, and phosphates are described. Special attention is given to the desalination of liquid wastes. Applications of this technology to the treatment of effluent from the agrochemical, petrochemical, tanning, and electroplating industries are discussed. (Contains 50-250 citations and includes a subject term index and title list.) (Copyright NERAC, Inc. 1995)
The method of treatment of uteral cancer by the brake irradiation of 25 MeV betatrone using original devices which promote forming therapeutic figured bunches is presented. The binding of the protective blocks with a special adjusting frame within the aperture of the diaphragm provided for low relative entering dose which is the advantage of high energy irradiation bunch. The use of the forming devices makes it possible to practice individual treatment and decrease the levels of irradiation doses for intact organs and tissues.
Methylene chloride is an organic solvent with many industrial uses. Inhalation of methylene chloride fumes can result in toxicity, caused by hepatic biotransformation of methylene chloride to carbon monoxide. A case of acute methylene chloride poisoning is presented, including successful treatment of this patient with the use of hyperbaric oxygenation. The rationale for the use of hyperbaric oxygenation in the treatment of methylene chloride poisoning is discussed. (aw)
The concept of unstable burst fracture has been discussed since over 50 years and this injury has received much attention in the literature as regards its radiological diagnosis and clinical treatment. The purpose of this article is to review the way we use imaging to diagnose the injury and to guide treatment.
Radiation therapy has shown definite technical improvement due to application of proton beam irradiation. Clinical results of proton beam therapy also suggested enlargement of indication ranges in radial treatment and decrease of post radiation damages of the treatment of cancers in deep-seated organs. Inprovement of result in cancer therapy could be expected by this treatment technique in the future.
The main aim of sanitary pass-control regime is to prevent propagation of radioactive contamination outside the area of emergency-rescue works and guarantee of sanitary treatment of all persons having radioactive contamination. The paper has studied the questions of organization of sanitary pass-control regime, arrangement of sanitary treatment of the injured persons and rendering first aid in case of radioactive contamination of wounds. 5 refs.
Chemical oxidation is a treatment technology that uses powertul chemical oxidizers to destroy organic contaminants. Typical oxidizers used in chemical oxidation processes include ozone, hydrogen peroxide, chlorine, and potassium permanganate. The chemical reaction products are usually simple organic compounds, such as carboxylic acids, and/or inorganic compounds, such as carbon dioxide, water, and simple inorganic complexes (e.g., chloride salts, in the case of chemical oxidation treatment of chlorinated solvents).
In this article carbon co-implantation and step-by-step thermal treatments of shallow p"+-n-junctions formation were used with the purpose of extended defect suppression and reduction of boron transient enhanced diffusion. A substantial improvement of the structural and electrical parameters of shallow p"+-n-junctions has been achieved by using the additional carbon implantation and step-by-step thermal treatments. (authors)
This document presents the details of the implementation of the Site Treatment Plan developed by Ames Laboratory in compliance with the Federal Facilities Compliance Act. Topics discussed in this document include: implementation of the plan; milestones; annual updates to the plan; inclusion of new waste streams; modifications of the plan; funding considerations; low-level mixed waste treatment plan and schedules; and TRU mixed waste streams.
A method for the hydroconversion of coal by solvent treatment at elevated temperatures and pressure wherein an alcohol having an alpha -hydrogen atom, particularly a secondary alcohol such as isopropanol, is utilized as a hydrogen donor solvent. In a particular embodiment, a base capable of providing a catalytically effective amount of the corresponding alcoholate anion under the solvent treatment conditions is added to catalyze the alcohol-coal reaction.
The effect of heat treatment on the corrosion behavior of reactive plasma sprayed TiN coatings in simulated seawater was investigated by electrochemical methods such as the corrosion potential-time curve (Ecorr-t), potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and SEM, etc. The results showed that the corrosion potential of TiN coatings increased after heat treatment; the corrosion current of the TiN coatings after heat treatment (be hereafter referred to as HT-TiN) was 13.3% of the untreated coatings (be hereafter referred to as UT-TiN), and the polarization resistance of HT-TiN was 20 times of UT-TiN, which indicated that the heat treatment had significantly increased the corrosion resistance of the coatings. The corrosion behavior of the coatings was mainly ...
Pai ALH, Gray E, Kurivial K, Ross J, Schoborg D, Goebel J. The Allocation of Treatment Responsibility scale: A novel tool for assessing patient and caregiver management of pediatric medical treatment regimens. Pediatr Transplantation 2010: 14:993 999. 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Abstract: The purpose of the current study is to report preliminary psychometric properties of the ATR scale, a brief measure of the distribution of treatment tasks across the family members of children with a kidney transplant. Pediatric patients with renal transplants (ages 7 18 yr) and their caregivers completed the ATR and measures of adherence and family functioning. Internal consistency for the ATR (total score and subscales) was strong (range = 0.75 0.93). Validity for the ATR was supported by significant co...
Using the infrared spectroscopy method, we have studied the effect of thermal dehydration (under vacuum and in air) and treatment with water vapor on the acid centers of very high silicon zeolites of the ZSM type. We have shown that dehydration under vacuum and in air completely and irreversibly removes the OH groups at 1120/sup 0/K, while treatment with water vapor removes these groups at 770/sup 0/K. The Lewis acid centers of dehydrated zeolites (represented by two types of centers) are more heat-stable than the Bronsted acid centers, but the vapor treatment at 1020/sup 0/K leads to the disappearance of the Lewis acid centers. In this work, we discuss the reasons for destruction of the acid centers of the zeolites under different treatment conditions.
A new method of plasma treatment for powder particles was investigated. A glass bottle horizontally held on a rotating system was used for the treatment. The outside of the bottle was covered by the grounded metal net, and the rod electrode was provided at the center of the bottle, which was connected to an ac high voltage source. Powder particles were placed in the bottle with stainless steel beads of large diameter and the plasma was generated between two electrodes and while the bottle was rotating. Using this system, powder particles were uniformly plasma-treated without coagulation. After 40 seconds treatment with plasma of 0.55 W in Ar gas, the charge to mass ratio for polyethylene powder particles having 160 {mu}m mean diameter generated by stainless before treatment. (author)
A CANDU nuclear reactor was shut down for over one year because steam generator (SG) tubes had failed with outer diameter stress-corrosion cracking (ODSCC) in the U-bend section. Novel, single-pass eddy current transmit-receive probes, denoted as C3, were successful in detecting all significant cracks so that the cracked tubes could be plugged and the unit restarted. Significant numbers of tubes with SCC were removed from a SG in order to validate the results of the new probe. Results from metallurgical examinations were used to obtain probability-of-detection (POD) and sizing accuracy plots to quantify the performance of this new inspection technique. Though effective, the above approach of relying on tubes removed from a reactor is expensive, in terms of both economic and radiation-exposure costs. This led to a search for more affordable methods to validate inspection techniques and procedures. Methods are presented for calculating POD curves based on ...
A CANDU nuclear reactor was shut down for over one year because steam generator (SG) tubes had failed with outer diameter stress-corrosion cracking (ODSCC) in the U-bend section. Novel, single-pass eddy current transmit-receive probes, denoted as C3, were successful in detecting all significant cracks so that the cracked tubes could be plugged and the unit restarted. Significant numbers of tubes with SCC were removed from a SG in order to validate the results of the new probe. Results from metallurgical examinations were used to obtain probability-of-detection (POD) and sizing accuracy plots to quantify the performance of this new inspection technique. Though effective, the above approach of relying on tubes removed from a reactor is expensive, in terms of both economic and radiation-exposure costs. This led to a search for more affordable methods to validate inspection techniques and procedures. Methods are presented for calculating POD curves based on ...
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of a multifunctional gastrointestinal coil catheter for stent placement in 98 patients with colorectal strictures. The catheter was used in 98 consecutive patients for stent placement in the rectum (n = 24), recto-sigmoid (n = 13), sigmoid (n = 38), descending (n = 6), transverse (n = 11), splenic flexure (n = 3), hepatic flexure (n = 2), and ascending (n = 1) colon. The catheter was made of a stainless steel coil (1.3 mm in inner diameter), a 0.4-mm nitinol wire, a polyolefin tube, and a hemostasis valve. Usefulness of the catheter was evaluated depending on whether the catheter could pass a stricture over a guide wire and whether measurement of the stricture length was possible. The passage of the catheter over a guide wire beyond the stricture was technically successful and well tolerated in 93 (94.9%) of 98 patients. In the failed five patients, it was not possible to negotiate the guide wire due to ...
The diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis (IPH) may be elusive. A 6-year-old boy had microcytic hypochromic anemia and a hemolytic component. Hemosiderin-laden macrophages were not found in the gastric aspirate. He had no pulmonary signs or symptoms. Extensive hematologic and roentgenologic investigations failed to reveal the cause of the anemia. Quantitative serial scintigraphic scanning showed significant (35%) pulmonary sequestration of autologous erythrocytes labeled with sodium chromate Cr51. The half-life of the RBCs was moderately decreased (half-life, 15 days; normal, 25 to 35 days). An open-lung biopsy spece Cr51. The half-life of the RBCs was moderately decreased (half-life, 15 days; normal, 25 to 35 days). An open-lung biopsy specimen confirmed the diagnosis of IPH. A diagnosis of IPH should be considered when children have iron deficiency anemia and pulmonary signs or symptoms. Organ sequestration studies may be helpful in equivocal cases.
Sediment transport over wave-induced ripples is a very complex phenomenon where available models fail to provide accurate predictions. For coastal engineering applications, the 1-DV advection-diffusion equation could be used with an additional parameter {\\alpha} related to the process of vortex shedding above ripples (Absi, 2010). The aim of this study is to provide simple practical analytical tools. An analytical eddy viscosity profile was validated by DNS data of turbulent channel flows (Absi et al., 2011). In this study, we will show that: (1) the period-averaged eddy viscosity in oscillatory boundary layers could be described by this simple analytical formulation; (2) The shape of the vertical profile is validated by period-averaged eddy viscosity of baseline (BSL) k-{\\omega} model (Suntoyo and Tanaka, 2009) for sinusoidal and asymmetric waves; (3) The vertical eddy viscosity profile depends on the wave non-linearity parameter and requires therefore a ...
The dispersion of more than 20 vol pct submicrometer ceramic particles within a metallic matrix and the deposition of such a cermet to form a thick and tough coating presents problems. Most of the coating techniques have failed in attempting to homogeneously disperse very fine and hard particles in large amounts while avoiding their decomposition or reaction with the metal matrix during the deposition process. A simple and efficient method has been developed for producing ceramic-containing composite coatings. It consists in synthesizing cermet-based materials and in depositing them by a rapid solidification process, such as thermal spraying. Boride- and carbide-based materials have been successfully obtained by plasma spraying reactive powders comprising the basic reagents. These materials, with a microstructure of submicrometer ceramic particles dispersed in a metallic matrix, exhibit good wear-resistant properties (abrasion and sliding wear). Finally, reactive ...
The Y2K problem may impact on nuclear installations in a number of ways because embedded systems are used in nuclear routine operation, monitoring and control system. The very simplest embedded systems are capable of performing only a single function or set of functions to meet a single predetermined purpose. In more complex systems the functioning of the embedded system is determined by an application program that enables the embedded system to be used for a particular purpose in a specific application. The simplest devices consist of a single microprocessor which may itself be packaged with other chips in a hybrid system or Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC). Its input comes from a detector or sensor and its output goes to a switch or activator which may start or stop the operation of a positioning motors or, by operating a valve, may control the flow of cooling system to reactor core. Embedded systems in our organization are also be found in Batan security systems. These ...
Six species having characteristics of plants with the C(4) dicarboxylic photosynthetic pathway, Echinochloa utilis L. Ohwi et Yabuno (Japanese millet), Cynodon dactylon L. (Bermuda grass), Kyllinga brevifolia Rottb., Amaranthus tricolor L. cv. Early splendour, Kochia childsii Hort., and Portulaca grandiflora Hook (rose moss), responded decisively to 0.1 milliequivalent per liter NaCl supplied to their culture solutions initially containing less than 0.08 microequivalent per liter Na. Chlorosis and necrosis occurred in leaves of plants not receiving sodium. Portulaca failed to set flower in the sodium-deficient cultures. Under similar conditions Poa pratensis L. (Kentucky blue grass) having characteristics of the C(3) photosynthetic pathway made normal growth and did not respond to the addition of sodium. It is concluded from these results and previously reported work that sodium is generally essential for species having the C(4) pathway but not for species with the ...
The level of assimilation of dietary iron is believed to have an important influence on iron status. To examine the effect of enhancing the availability of dietary iron on iron balance, 17 adult volunteer subjects were given 2 g of ascorbic acid daily with meals for 16 weeks. Serum ferritin levels before and after the study averaged 46 and 43 micrograms/L, respectively, indicating a negligible effect on iron stores. When vitamin C supplementation was continued for an additional 20 months in five iron-replete and four iron-deficient subjects, serum ferritin determinations again failed to indicate any significant effect of the vitamin C on iron reserves. These findings were not explained by intestinal adaptation to the enhancing effect of the vitamin, because radioisotopic measurements of nonheme iron absorption showed no reduction in the enhancing effect of 1 g of ascorbic acid after four months of megadoses of vitamin C. It is concluded that altering the ...
Delusional beliefs are characteristic of psychosis and, of the delusions, the paranoid delusion is the single most common type associated with psychosis. The many years of research focused on neurocognition in schizophrenia, using standardized neurocognitive tests, have failed to find conclusive cognitive deficits in relation to positive symptoms. However, UK-based psychological research has identified sociocognitive anomalies in relation to paranoid thinking in the form of theory of mind (ToM), causal reasoning and threat-related processing anomalies. Drawing from recent neuroscientific research on the default mode network, this paper asserts that the common theme running through the psychological tests that are sensitive to the cognitive impairment of paranoia is the need to cognitively project the self through time, referred to as mental time travel. Such an understanding of the cognitive roots of paranoid ideation provides a synthesis between psychological and ...
Six species having characteristics of plants with the C4 dicarboxylic photosynthetic pathway, Echinochloa utilis L. Ohwi et Yabuno (Japanese millet), Cynodon dactylon L. (Bermuda grass), Kyllinga brevifolia Rottb., Amaranthus tricolor L. cv. Early splendour, Kochia childsii Hort., and Portulaca grandiflora Hook (rose moss), responded decisively to 0.1 milliequivalent per liter NaCl supplied to their culture solutions initially containing less than 0.08 microequivalent per liter Na. Chlorosis and necrosis occurred in leaves of plants not receiving sodium. Portulaca failed to set flower in the sodium-deficient cultures. Under similar conditions Poa pratensis L. (Kentucky blue grass) having characteristics of the C3 photosynthetic pathway made normal growth and did not respond to the addition of sodium. It is concluded from these results and previously reported work that sodium is generally essential for species having the C4 pathway but not for species with the C3 ...
Several types of coatings have previously been visually identified on the surface of 105-K East and 105-K West Basins fuel elements. One type of coating (found only in K West Basin) in particular was found to be a thick translucent material that was often seen to be dislodged from the elements as flakes when the elements were handled during visual examinations (Pitner 1997). Subsequently it was determined (for one element only in a hot cell) that this material, in the dry condition, could easily be removed from the element using a scraping tool. The coating was identified as Al(OH){sub 3} through X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses and to be approximately 60 {micro}m thick via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). However, brushing under water in the basin using numerous mechanical strokes failed to satisfactorily remove these coatings in their thickest form as judged by appearance. Such brushing was done with only one type of metal brush, a brush design previously ...
This is Volume 3 in a series of documents on energy efficiency of consumer products. This volume discusses energy efficiency of water heaters. Water heaters are defined by NAECA as products that utilize oil, gas, or electricity to heat potable water for use outside the heater upon demand. These are major appliances, which use a large portion (18% on average) of total energy consumed per household (1). They differ from most other appliances in that they are usually installed in obscure locations as part of the plumbing and are ignored until they fail. Residential water heaters are capable of heating water up to 180{degrees}F, although the setpoints are usually set lower.
Many environmental impact statements (EIS) fail to predict environmental impacts, organize information about those impacts in a concise, logical way, and communicate that information intelligibly. This paper presents a systematic, auxiliary ''language'' for environmental analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), in an attempt to correct this problem. The approach improves communication among disciplinary specialists, between an interdisciplinary team and a decision-maker, and between a federal agency and the general public by helping to identify important issues and impacts, and by reducing time, effort, cost, and paperwork. The basis for the approach is found in the principal aims of the NEPA regulations and other criteria. The interdisciplinary language for environmental analysis consists of a small vocabulary, used in conjuction with a simple ''grammar'', a worksheet ...
We present a model of inflation in a supergravity framework in the Einstein frame where the Higgs field of the next to minimal supersymmetric standard model (NMSSM) plays the role of the inflaton. Previous attempts which assumed non-minimal coupling to gravity failed due to a tachyonic instability of the singlet field during inflation. A canonical K\\"{a}hler potential with \\textit{minimal coupling} to gravity can resolve the tachyonic instability but runs into the $\\eta$-problem. We suggest a model which is free of the $\\eta$-problem due to an additional coupling in the K\\"{a}hler potential which is allowed by the Standard Model gauge group. This induces directions in the potential which we call K-flat. For a certain value of the new coupling in the (N)MSSM, the K\\"{a}hler potential is special, because it can be associated with a certain shift symmetry for the Higgs doublets, a generalization of the shift symmetry for singlets in earlier models. We find that ...
Rice (Oryza sativa L.) was grown at 330 and 660 {mu}L CO{sub 2} L{sup {minus}1} and at 40/33/37, 34/27/31, and 28/21/25{degree}C day/night/paddy water temperatures respectively. Sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) activity was measured at saturating substrate concentrations at 59 days after planting. SPS activity increased 2 and 3 fold with increasing CO{sub 2} at 28 and 34{degree}C air temperatures respectively. At 40{degree}C SPS activity decreased by 37% at elevated CO{sub 2} and most plants failed to reach maturity. Similar responses were found in leaf samples taken in the dark. These results indicate that SPS, an enzyme involved in the regulation of C partitioning in leaves, increases in activity at elevated CO{sub 2}. This is in contrast to previous results with soybean. The changes in SPS activity will also be discussed in relation to leaf starch/sucrose ratios.
The role played by calcium sulfite in the flue gas desulfurization of lime/limestone scrubbers makes it desirable to work out its thermodynamic properties. A thermogravimetric apparatus was used to study the equilibria between calcium sulfite hemihydrate and calcium sulfite anhydrite under different conditions. Efforts were made to analyze the difficulties encountered in the dynamic approach to equilibration after calcium sulfate dihydrate failed in calibration of the apparatus. Finally, the kinetics and thermodynamics for the dissociation of calcium sulfite hemihydrate were examined. The confirmation of Engel-Brewer's correlation between the electronic configuration and crystal structure in metallic systems has long been pursued in this group by studying the Lewis-acid-base interactions. Tantalum-iridium alloys of different compositions were brought into equilibrium with various steam/hydrogen mixtures in the same thermogravimetric setup. Although the ...
The Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory was designed with some passive safety response attributes which contribute to the safety of the facility. The three passive safety attributes being evaluated in the paper are: 1) In-core and in-vessel natural convection cooling, 2) a passive heat sink capability of the ATR primary coolant system (PCS) for the transfer of decay power from the uninsulated piping to the confinement, and 3) gravity feed of emergency coolant makeup. The safety significance of the ATR passive safety response attributes is that the reactor can passively respond to most transients, given a reactor scram, to provide adequate decay power removal and a significant time for operator action should the normal active heat removal systems and their backup systems both fail. The ATR Interim Level 1 Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) models and results were used to evaluate the significance to ATR fuel damage frequency (or ...
Shut-off rod drive mechanism forms a safety critical system of a nuclear reactor. It is the space constraints for the given reactor layout, which makes design of shut-off rod drive mechanism (SRDM) a custom built design. Design of SRDM adopts fail-safe, replaceability and the simplicity criterion ensuring very high reliability of its operation. Shut-off rod drive mechanism for TAPP-3 and 4 and 'Critical Facility' have been recently designed and developed at Division of Remote Handling and Robotics (DRHR), BARC. These are designed with a number of advanced features and these are significantly different than those used in Dhruva and 220 MWe PHWRs. Design of SRDM is qualified through proto typing and life cycle testing on a full-scale test set-up. This paper gives details of qualification and life cycle test data for prototype SRDM for TAPP-3 and 4 and 'Critical Facility' and reliability assessment. (author)
On February 20th 1998 Auckland, the biggest city of New Zealand, was nearly paralyzed by an extended power failure. On this day the last of four cables supplying the central business district failed and caused a five weeks lasting blackout. This failure has caused costs of 128.3 Mio NZ Dollar for the affected utility Mercury Energy Ltd. The official ministerial inquiry was published on July 21st 1998 and reproaches the utility in an unusual clear manner. (orig.) [Deutsch] Am 20. Februar 1998 wurde Auckland, die groesste Stadt Neuseelands, von einer folgenschweren Unterbrechung der Stromversorgung nahezu lahmgelegt. An diesem Tag fiel das letzte von vier 110-kV-Kabeln zur Versorgung des Innenstadtbereiches aus und verursachte damit einen 5 Wochen dauernden Stromausfall. Diese Versorgungsunterbrechung hat bisher Kosten in Hoehe von 128,3 Mio NZ Dollar (rd. 115,5 Mio DM) fuer den oertlichen Stromversorger Mercury Energy Limited verursacht. Der am 21. Juli 1998 ...
Process control transmitters that incorporate digital signal processing could be used advantageously in nuclear power plants; however, because such transmitters are too sensitive to radiation, they are not used. The Electric Power Research Institute sponsored work at Sandia National Laboratories under EPRI contract RP2614-58 to determine why SMART transmitters fail when exposed to radiation and to design and demonstrate SMART transmitter circuits that could tolerate radiation. The term ''SMART'' denotes transmitters that contain digital logic. Tests showed that transmitter failure was caused by failure of the complementary metal oxide semiconductors (CMOS)-integrated circuits which are used extensively in commercial transmitters. Radiation-hardened replacements were not available for the radiation-sensitive CMOS circuits. A conceptual design showed that a radiation-tolerant transmitter could be constructed. A prototype for an analog-to-digital converter subsection ...
We describe an efficient procedure for proving stabilization of biological systems modeled as qualitative networks or genetic regulatory networks. For scalability, our procedure uses modular proof techniques, where state-space exploration is applied only locally to small pieces of the system rather than the entire system as a whole. Our procedure exploits the observation that, in practice, the form of modular proofs can be restricted to a very limited set. For completeness, our technique falls back on a non-compositional counterexample search. Using our new procedure, we have solved a number of challenging published examples, including: a 3-D model of the mammalian epidermis; a model of metabolic networks operating in type-2 diabetes; a model of fate determination of vulval precursor cells in the C. elegans worm; and a model of pair-rule regulation during segmentation in the Drosophila embryo. Our results show many orders of magnitude speedup in cases where previous stabilization ...
A relatively quick and simple assay for hyaluronate was developed using the specific binding protein, hyaluronectin. The hyaluronectin was obtained by homogenizing the brains of Sprague-Dawley rats, and then centrifuging the homogenate. The resulting supernatant was used as a source of crude hyaluronectin. In the binding assay, the hyaluronectin was mixed with (/sup 3/H)hyaluronate, followed by an equal volume of saturated (NH/sub 4/)/sub 2/SO/sub 4/, which precipitated the hyaluronectin and any (/sup 3/H)hyaluronate associated with it, but left free (/sup 3/H)hyaluronate in solution. The mixture was then centrifuged, and the amount of bound (/sup 3/H)hyaluronate in the precipitate was determined. Using this assay, the authors found that hyaluronectin specifically bound hyaluronate, since other glycosaminoglycans failed to compete for the binding protein. In addition, the interaction between hyaluronectin and hyaluronate was of relatively high affinity, and the ...
The leakage behavior of containments beyond design conditions and knowledge of failure modes is required for evaluation of mitigation strategies for severe accidents, risk studies, emergency preparedness planning, and siting. These studies are directed towards assessing the risk and consequences of severe accidents. An accident sequence analysis conducted on a Boiling Water Reactor (BWR), Mark I (MK I), indicated very high temperatures in the dry-well region, which is the location of the majority of electrical penetration assemblies. Because of the high temperatures, it was postulated in the ORNL study that the sealants would fail and all the electrical penetration assemblies would leak before structural failure would occur. Since other containments had similar electrical penetration assemblies, it was concluded that all containments would experience the same type of failure. The results of this study, however, show that this conclusion does not hold for PWRs ...
Marine ecosystems are suffering severe depletion of apex predators worldwide; shark declines are principally due to conservative life-histories and fisheries overexploitation. On coral reefs, sharks are strongly interacting apex predators and play a key role in maintaining healthy reef ecosystems. Despite increasing fishing pressure, reef shark catches are rarely subject to specific limits, with management approaches typically depending upon no-take marine reserves to maintain populations. Here, we reveal that this approach is failing by documenting an ongoing collapse in two of the most abundant reef shark species on the Great Barrier Reef (Australia). We find an order of magnitude fewer sharks on fished reefs compared to no-entry management zones that encompass only 1% of reefs. No-take zones, which are more difficult to enforce than no-entry zones, offer almost no protection for shark populations. Population viability models of whitetip and gray reef sharks ...
Target recognition requires the ability to distinguish targets from non-targets, a capability called one-class generalization. Many neural network pattern classifiers fail as one-class classifiers because they use open decision boundaries. To function as one-class classifier, a neural network must have three types of generalization: within-class, between-class, and out-of-class. We discuss these three types of generalization and identify neural network architectures that meet these requirements. We have applied our one-class classifier ideas to the problem of automatic target recognition in synthetic aperture radar. We have compared three neural network algorithms: Carpenter and Grossberg`s algorithmic version of the Adaptive Resonance Theory (ART-2A), Kohonen`s Learning Vector Quantization (LVQ), and Reilly and Cooper`s Restricted Coulomb Energy network (RCE). The ART 2-A neural network gives the best results, with 100% within-class, between-class, and ...
It has by now been established that standard QCD factorization using transverse momentum dependent parton distribution functions fails in hadro-production of nearly back-to-back hadrons with high transverse momentum. The essential problem is that gauge invariant transverse momentum dependent parton distribution functions cannot be defined with process-independent Wilson line operators, thus implying a breakdown of universality. This has led naturally to proposals that a correct approach is to instead use a type of "generalized" transverse momentum dependent factorization in which the basic factorized structure is assumed to remain valid, but with transverse momentum dependent parton distribution functions that contain non-standard, process dependent Wilson line structures. In other words, to recover a factorization formula, it has become common to assume that it is sufficient to simply modify the Wilson lines in the parton correlation functions for each separate ...
ABB Industrietechnik AG recently has introduced an augmented version of its Cyldeyt cylinder pressure monitoring system aimed at spark-ignited and diesel/gas, dual-fuel engines. In addition to recording and evaluating cylinder pressure as a means of assessing engine condition, the new Cyldet version now evaluates the cylinder pressure signals to provide protection against pre-ignition related damage. When pre-ignition reaches critical levels, the Cyldet computer relays alarm signals in two stages to the overriding engine control system of the power plant. On receiving the first-stage alarm signal, the engine control system is programmed to adjust one or more engine settings to eliminate preignition - a typical adjustment is to lower charge-air temperature, for example. If such measures fail to eliminate pre-ignition, in the case of a dual-fuel engine, a second alarm signal triggers a reduction in engine load or, as last resort, changeover of the engine to 100% ...
Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) is a maternally inherited trait that fails to produce functional pollen grains. The CMS system is widely employed to facilitate the utilization of heterosis in major crops. However, little is known about the CMS associated genes in Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum). The objective of this study was to compare CMS cotton (CMS-D2) with the cytoplasm from G. harknessii and its isogenic maintainer line with the normal fertile Upland cotton cytoplasm to identify CMS-D2 specific gene(s) and to develop CMS-specific sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) markers. Based on Southern blot analysis using 10 mitochondrial gene-specific probes (cob, cox2, atp6, atp9, nad3, cox3, atpA, cox1, nad6 and nad9), three probes (cox3, atpA, and nad6) revealed restriction ...
Sheep red blood cells (SRBCs) were labelled with a concanavalin A-luminol-bovine serum albumin conjugate specific for the transmembrane anion transport protein (Band 3) and exposed to 2450-MHz continuous-wave microwave radiation at an average specific absorption rate of 91W/kg for 10 min. The temperature was held constant at 25, 37, 40, 42, or 45C with an airflow heat-exchange system. Following exposure to microwave or air heating, the decrease in residual base-activated chemiluminescence (CL) of the SRBCs was measured as an indication of infield oxidase activity. Air heating resulted in a significant decrease in residual CL at temperatures above 37C (74% decrease at 45C). Microwave radiation inhibited the decline in residual CL above 37C. At 45C the inhibition was 40%. The results suggest microwave radiation either reversibly altered the thermodynamics of oxygen binding to haemoglobin or failed to energize a significant portion of the haemoglobin molecules in each ...
A metallization scheme has been developed which allows selective plating of silicon solar cell surfaces. The system is comprised of three layers. Palladium, through the formation of palladium silicide at 300/sup 0/C in nitrogen, makes ohmic contact to the silicon surface. Nickel, plated on top of the palladium silicide layer, forms a solderable interface. Lead-tin solder on the nickel provides conductivity and allows a convenient means for interconnection of cells. To apply this metallization, three chemical plating baths are employed. Palladium is deposited with an immersion palladium solution and an electroless palladium solution, and nickel is deposited with an electroless nickel solution. Solder is applied with a molten solder dip. Extensive development work has been performed to achieve an effective immersion palladium solution formulation, leading to reproducible formation of the palladium silicide contact layer. This metallization system has been repeatedly demonstrated to be ...
The two-dimensional Eulerian hydrodynamic code 2DE, with the shock initiation of heterogeneous explosive burn model called Forest Fire, is used to model numerically the interaction of jets of steel, copper, tantalum, aluminum, and water with steel, water, and explosive targets. The calculated and experimental critical condition for propagating detonation may be described by the Held V/sup 2/d expression (jet velocity squared times the jet diameter). In PBX 9502, jets initiate an overdriven detonation smaller than the critical diameter, which either fails or enlarges to greater than the critical diameter while the overdriven detonation decays to the C-J state. In PBX 9404, the jet initiates a detonation that propagates only if it is maintained by the jet for an interval sufficient to establish a stable curved detonation front. The calculated penetration velocities into explosives, initiated by a low-velocity jet, are significantly less than for non-reactive solids ...
The two-dimensional Eulerian hydrodynamic code 2DE with the shock initiation of heterogeneous explosive burn model called Forest Fire, is used to model numerically the interaction of jets of steel, copper, tantalum, aluminum, and water with steel, water, and explosive targets. The calculated and experimental critical condition for propagating detonation may be described by the Held V/sup 2/d expression (jet velocity squared times the jet diameter). In PBX 9502, jets initiate an overdriven detonation smaller than the critical diameter, which either fails or enlarges to greater than the critical diameter while the overdriven detonation decays to the C-J state. In PBX 9404, the jet initiates a detonation that propagates only if it is maintained by the jet for an interval sufficient to establish a stable curved detonation front. The calculated penetration velocities into explosives, initiated by a low-velocity jet, are significantly less than for non-reactive solids of ...
Improvement of hinge forming performance was tried in the injection molding of plastic. At first, pushing hinge forming in a mold was made by a movable pin with the die built-in an actuator, and thin hinges of 0.07mm and 0.1mm thickness which were greatly less than the conventional forming limit (0.2mm and 0.6mm respectively) of polyacetal (POM) and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) could be formed. Hinge characteristics of POM (hinge thickness t < 0.4mm) and PBT (t < 0.7mm) which were made by the conventional forming and failed after 1 time, were improved respectively to 30,000 times or more and 300,000 times or more by pushing forming in the mold. The hinge characteristics were greatly affected by the plastic deformability of the hinge part resin and the improvement of deformability by the pushing forming were caused by the elimination of oriented layer and the expansion of hemispherical layer of the hinge part. 6 refs., 13 figs., 1 tab.
The chicken extracellular matrix glycoprotein ES/130 is necessary for epithelial-mesenchymal transformation in the developing hear and is also expressed in noncardiac chicken tissues such as limb and notochord. We have identified hES, the human homology of chicken ES/130. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis (FISH) localizes hES to human chromosome 20p11.2-p12. FISH analyses of individuals with 20p12 deletions and affected by Alagille syndrome exclude hES as a candidate gene for this disorder. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction studies reveal that hES is expressed in both fetal and adult human tissues and that hES expression in the left ventricle is increased in the failing adult heart. Further studies will evaluate how hES mutations may relate to congenital human cardiac and skeletal anomalies as well as cardiac remodeling in the adult. 16 refs., 2 figs.
Without stable hardware any program will fail. The frustration and expense of supporting bad hardware can drain an organization, delay progress, and frustrate everyone involved. At Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC), we have created a testing method that helps our group, SLAC Computer Services (SCS), weed out potentially bad hardware and purchase the best hardware at the best possible cost. Commodity hardware changes often, so new evaluations happen periodically each time we purchase systems and minor re-evaluations happen for revised systems for our clusters, about twice a year. This general framework helps SCS perform correct, efficient evaluations. This article outlines SCS's computer testing methods and our system acceptance criteria. We expanded the basic ideas to other evaluations such as storage, and we think the methods outlined in this article has helped us choose hardware that is much more stable and supportable than our previous ...
A 25m wind turbine blade was tested to failure when subjected to a flapwise load. With the test setup, it was possible to test the blade to failure at three diffe-rent locations. The objective of these tests is to learn about how a wind turbine blade fails when exposed to a large flapwise load and how failures propagate. The report shows also results from ultra sonic scan of the surface of the blade and it is seen to be very useful for the detection of defects, especially in the layer between the skin laminate and the load carrying main spar. Acoustic emission was successfully used as sensor for the detection of damages in the blade during the test. The report contains measurements of the total deflection of the blade, the local deflection of the skin and the load carrying main spar and also measurement of strain all as a function of the applied load and up to failure of the blade. The 'post mortem' analysis and description of how the damages ...
The Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) is a liquid-metal-cooled test reactor located on the Hanford Site. The FFTF is the only reactor of this type designed and operated with the intent of meeting the licensing requirements of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Unique characteristics of the FFTF that present special challenges related to leak rate testing include thin wall containment vessel construction, cover gas systems that penetrate containment, and a low-pressure design basis accident. The successful completion in 1986 of the third FFTF Integrated Leak Rate Test (ILRT) five days ahead of schedule and 10% under budget was a major achievement for the Westinghouse Hanford Company. The success of this operational safety test was due in large part to a special local area network (LAN) of three IBM PC/XT computers that monitored the sensor data, calculated the containment vessel leak rate, and displayed test results. The multiple computer configuration allowed continuous monitoring ...
Some of the smaller sports- und travel aircrafts are still propelled by piston engines. The first part of the article looks into some characteristic damage incidents that occur in aircraft engines. Not surprisingly, vibration fatigue failure happens most frequently. Apart from technical faults it is surprisingly lack of fuel that accounts for the high incidence of engine failure (one third). Flight turbines occasionally fail due to vibration fatigue of component parts. Added to this thermal fatigue cracks and damage due to overheating may occur in a gas turbine while the compressor parts may be affected by corrosion. (orig.) [German] Ein erheblicher Teil der kleineren Sport- und Reiseflugzeuge ist auch heute noch mit Kolbentriebwerken ausgestattet. Im ersten Teil des Aufsatzes werden daher einige charakteristische Schaeden an Flugmotoren vorgestellt. Als Versagensart dominiert erwartungsgemaess der Schwingbruch (Dauerbruch). Neben den technisch bedingten Stoerungen ...
Multiplex PCR is practically a reasonable choice for molecular marker-assisted selection in potato breeding. We had developed and were using a multiplex PCR method for selection of resistance genes to cyst nematode (H1), Potato virus X (Rx1) and late blight (R1 and R2). Since then, more reliable and tightly linked markers for H1 and R2, and a new marker for resistance to Potato virus Y (Ry chc ) were developed. In this article, all these superior markers, including a positive marker to eliminate PCR-failed samples, were incorporated into one multiplex PCR assay. Using the newly developed multiplex PCR technique, five plants potentially harboring all five resistance genes were selected from 96 hybrid plants approximately 5?h after DNA extraction, which is a third of the operation time compa...
One of inherent characteristics of CANDU reactor is positive void reactivity in contrast to other pressurized light water reactors. During the large break loss of coolant accident, power pulse will be occurred during short time of early phase of accident due to positive void reactivity. However the duration of this power pulse is short, energy due to power pulse would be accumulated in the cladding material and will affect the peak cladding temperature or number of failed fuel elements. Recently, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) indicated that the amount of void reactivity might be larger than the assumed values in safety analysis and this indication was based on the experimental data from ZED-2 facility. Based on that, the estimation of uncertainties due to the void reactivity during LBLOCA is the most important issue for CANDU safety analysis. In this study, a framework of uncertainty evaluation methodology for CANDU void reactivity and its impact on ...
The authors describe the different types of postoperative carcinoma recurrences, as seen on CT examinations of the chest, in 38 patients who underwent different surgical procedures for bronchogenic carcinoma (12 pneumonectomies, 22 lobectomies, 2 segmentectomies, and 2 atypical resections). The recurrences were classified as follows: 1) recurrence in the bronchial stump; 2) limph node enlargement; 3) recurrence in the thoracic wall; 4) recurrence in the residual lobe; 5) pleural effusion; 6) nodule in the contralateral lung. The CT findings, Correlated with those from plain chest radiographs and clinical simptoms, indicate a higher incidence of recurrences in the hilar region, either in the bronchial stump or as node after total and subtotal resection are separately analyzed. While after pneumonectomy plain chest radiographs fail to demonstrate the recurrence in most cases, so that CT is nearly always mandatory, after subtotal resection the diagnostic accuracy of ...
The circulation in microvascularized rib grafts has been compared with that in conventional rib grafts and in those augmented by a direct vascular bundle implantation into the bone grafts. A new experimental model has been designed to correlate vascular perfusion, bone scan patterns, tetracycline labeling, and histological findings in these bone grafts. Posterior microvascularized rib grafts were found to have a circulatory pattern identical to that of the normal rib. Failed microvascularized rib grafts were revascularized more slowly than conventional rib grafts. Vascular bundles implanted into rib grafts remained patent and increased the rate of revascularization. The stripping or preservation of periosteum had no observable effects on the rate or pattern of conventional rib graft revascularization. The circulation in rib grafts was accurately reflected in technetium 99 bone scans, as was the patency of the anastomoses of microvascularized rib grafts and of ...
This paper addresses the problem of blind separation of convolutive mixtures of BPSK and circular linearly modulated signals with unknown (and possibly different) baud rates and carrier frequencies. In previous works, we established that the Constant Modulus Algorithm (CMA) is able to extract a source from a convolutive mixture of circular linearly modulated signals. We extend the analysis of the extraction capabilities of the CMA when the mixing also contains BPSK signals. We prove that if the various source signals do not share any non zero cyclic frequency nor any non conjugate cyclic frequencies, the local minima of the constant modulus cost function are separating filters. Unfortunately, the minimization of the Godard cost function generally fails when considering BPSK signals that have the same rates and the same carrier frequencies. This failure is due to the existence of non-separating local minima of the Godard cost function. In order to achieve the ...
The neutron capture cross sections of the stable molybdenum isotopes have been measured with high energy resolution (#DELTA#E/E < approximately 0.2%), between 3 and 90 keV neutron energy, at the 40 m station of ORELA. Average resonance parameters are extracted for s- and p-wave resonances. The s-wave neutron strength function is close to 0.5x10"-"4 for all isotopes, but the p-wave strength function exhibits a well defined peak near A approximately 95. Both s- and p-wave radiative widths decrease markedly as further neutrons are added to the closed shell. The p-wave radiative widths are generally greater than the s-wave widths showing the presence of non-statistical #gamma#-decay mechanisms. Valence neutron theory fails to explain the magnitude of the p- to s-wave radiative width disparity and doorway state processes are invoked. In particular, the data for "9"8Mo appear to violate the usual valence theory, since the correlations between radiative and neutron ...
SNAP25 occurs on chromosome 20p12.2, which has been linked to schizophrenia in some samples, and recently linked to latent classes of psychotic illness in our sample. SNAP25 is crucial to synaptic functioning, may be involved in axonal growth and dendritic sprouting, and its expression may be decreased in schizophrenia. We genotyped 18 haplotype-tagging SNPs in SNAP25 in a sample of 270 Irish high-density families. Single marker and haplotype analyses were performed in FBAT and PDT. We adjusted for multiple testing by computing q values. Association was followed up in an independent sample of 657 cases and 411 controls. We tested for allelic effects on the clinical phenotype by using the method of sequential addition and 5 factor-derived scores of the OPCRIT. Nine of 18 SNPs had P values Irish family sample. Although we failed to replicate this in an independent sample, this gene should be further tested in other samples. PMID:19806613
Farmers' lung disease (FLD) is a pulmonary disease that results from repeated inhalation of antigens from mouldy hay or straw. The objective of this prospective study was to assess the reliability of four serological techniques in FLD diagnosis. Sera from 15 consecutive patients with FLD, 15 healthy control farmers and 30 urban controls were analysed using four serological techniques [electrosyneresis (ES), Ouchterlony double diffusion (DD), ELISA and Western blot (WB)] with four antigens (Absidia corymbifera, Eurotium amstelodami, Wallemia sebi and Saccharopolyspora rectivirgula). In the authors' region, ES on cellulose acetate with A. corymbifera antigen was the most relevant diagnostic tool for discriminating FLD patients from healthy exposed farmers (sensitivity 87 %, specificity 100 %). DD tests were in accordance with ES, but their discriminatory power was lower. No threshold indicating both good sensitivity and specificity could be established with ELISA. WB analysis ...
The integrity of the cables located in the target room is very important in the Fire PSA, because the CDF and CCDP are changed according to the results of a cable integrity that depends on the surrounding gas temperature. The conservative assumptions used in the Fire PSA typically specify that all of the equipment and cables of a room would fail when a fire happens in the room. But the realistic assessment of a fire risk by using a fire simulation tool has become necessary in the Fire PSA as described in the ANS Fire PRA Standard. This paper evaluates the cable integrity of eight pump rooms in the nuclear power plant by using the CFAST zone fire model. The upper layer gas temperature of each room is estimated, and an analysis based on the results of model simulations is used to judge the cable integrity. According to the analysis results, the integrity of the cable located in the upper layer in the pump rooms is maintained without any thermal damage, and the CCDP ...
Classical control theory has played a major role in the development of present-day technologies. Likewise, recently developed quantum optimal control methods can be applied to emerging quantum technologies, e.g. quantum information processing -- until now, at the level of a few qubits. However, such methods encounter severe limits when applied to many-body quantum systems: due to the complexity of simulating the latter, existing quantum control algorithms (requiring many iterations to converge) usually fail to yield a desired final state within an acceptable computational time. In contrast, we present here a strategy for controlling a vast range of non-integrable one-dimensional systems that is efficiently applicable to quantum many-body systems, as it can be merged with state-of-the-art tensor network simulation methods like the Density Matrix Renormalization Group. To demonstrate its potential, we employ it to solve a major issue in current optical-lattice ...
Inelastic scattering of 180 MeV {pi}{sup +} and {pi}{sup {minus}} from {sup 52}Cr shows an angular distribution for the 2{sub 2}{sup +} state at 2.96 MeV that differs greatly from the usual {ital L} = 2 shapes for 2{sup +} states. This state is perhaps the only case from pion-inelastic scattering in which standard distorted-wave impulse approximation models (including multistep and single-step responses) fail to reproduce the measured angular distribution. Furthermore, this unique excitation has been shown to have the features expected of a seniority-four proton excitation yet the pion data show charge symmetry. While coupled-channel calculations are not able to reproduce the pion data, they do agree with the shape observed for 42 MeV {alpha} particle scattering to this state, but the magnitude of the {alpha} scattering data is not consistent with a collective model and known {gamma} ray deexcitations. Scattering to the first and third 2{sup +} states of {sup 52}Cr ...
Inelastic scattering of 180 MeV #pi#"+ and #pi#"- from "5"2Cr shows an angular distribution for the 2_2"+ state at 2.96 MeV that differs greatly from the usual L = 2 shapes for 2"+ states. This state is perhaps the only case from pion-inelastic scattering in which standard distorted-wave impulse approximation models (including multistep and single-step responses) fail to reproduce the measured angular distribution. Furthermore, this unique excitation has been shown to have the features expected of a seniority-four proton excitation yet the pion data show charge symmetry. While coupled-channel calculations are not able to reproduce the pion data, they do agree with the shape observed for 42 MeV #alpha# particle scattering to this state, but the magnitude of the #alpha# scattering data is not consistent with a collective model and known #gamma# ray deexcitations. Scattering to the first and third 2"+ states of "5"2Cr with pions and #alpha# particles is also ...
In this paper, an amount of confining reinforcement required for the sufficient flexural ductility of reinforced concrete column was investigated. An equation to calculate the required confining reinforcement ratio was deduced from the analytical investigation and examination on the previous experimental data as to the effects of various factors on the required confining reinforcement ratio. The rotation angle required in plastic hinges, the axial force ratio, the material properties such as concrete strength, and the ratio of core area to the whole area of column sections were employed as the factors. From the examination of the equation, it was shown that the ultimate rotation in plastic hinges calculated by the equation was more conservative than the ultimate rotaion angle of members obtained by test column specimens. It was also indicated that the ultimate rotation angle of members of columns failed in shear was smaller than the ultimate rotation in plastic ...