SommarioScopo Valutare limpatto clinico negli anni dellecografia intraoperatoria (IOUS) nella identificazione delle metastasi epatiche rispetto alle altre metodiche di imaging. Materiali e metodi risultati delle ecografie intraoperatorie effettuate per lidentificazione delle metastasi epatiche in un periodo compreso tra gli anni 2000 e 2006 sono stati retrospettivamente revisionati e comparati con le metodiche di imaging preoperatorio: Ecografia (US), Tomografia Computerizzata (TC) e/o Risonanza Magnetica (RM). Tutti i casi sono stati patologicamente provati. Sono stati calcolati per anno i casi discordanti in termini di presenza/assenza di lesione focale epatica. Il confronto statistico e stato effettuato con il test di McNemar. Un valoredel p<0,05 e stato considerato statisticamente sig...
Most of the information in this chapter is obtained from 1, 2, 3, 6, 8 and 9 annexes. It is worthwhile to clarify that in most of the cases they are estimations of the available resources, such as: trash, geothermal, solar energy, wind energy, biomass and mini and micro-hydro-energy. In several cases punctual measurements have been made, which do not represent a generic value of a national reserve. [Spanish] La mayor parte de la informacion en este capitulo es obtenida de los anexos 1, 2, 3, 6, 8 y 9. Cabe aclarar que en la mayoria de los casos son estimaciones de los recursos disponibles, tales como: la basura, la geotermia, la energia solar, la energia eolica, la biomasa y, la mini y la micro-hidroenergia. En varios casos se han realizado mediciones puntuales, las cuales no representan un valor generico de una reserva nacional.
Aim of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity of virtual colonoscopy (CT colonography) in the identification of colorectal cancer and to define the limitations and the advantages of this imaging modality, as well as indications to the examination. It was examined prospectively 62 symptomatic patients aged 36 to 82 years (28 women and 34 men). All patients underwent both conventional and virtual colonoscopy on the same day; the conventional examination allowed exploration of the entire colon. Conventional colonoscopy identified 89 lesions 3-50 mm in diameter, namely 84 benign and 5 malignant lesions. No lesions were identified in 12 patients. CT colonography identified 52 of the 89 lesions, with 57.1% diagnostic accuracy. They were 11 false positives (82.5% positive predictive value and 52.2% specificity) and 37 false negatives (24.5% negative predictive value and 58.4% sensitivity). Sensitivity was significantly higher (85.7%) for polyps {>=} 1 cm. Virtual colonoscopy is an ...
Computed Tomography (CT) and, more recently, ultrasound (US), have proved excellent tools for quantifying adipose tissue distribution. Body fat distribution is an important factor in the treatment of obesity and its complications. In this work it is investigated the correlation between CT and US measurements in pediatric obesity. Forty obese children and adolescents aged 4.1-14.8 years were submitted to CT and US. Intra-abdominal, subcutaneous and total body fat were calculated (in cm{sup 2}), with the CT image analysis software. The rectus muscle-spine and rectus muscle-aorta distances, as indicative of visceral fat thickness, were measured on US images with(out) compression. The distance between skin fat and fat-rectus muscle interfaces was measured as subcutaneous fat thickness. US-CT findings have been compared with other morphometric variables-i.e., patient's (ideal) body weight and skin fold measures. A statistically significant correlation was found between the CT ...
Purpose: Cardiomyopathy is one of the major complications of {beta} thalassaemia major as a result of transfusion iron overload. The aim of our study is to evaluate with MR if there is any difference of iron deposition signal intensity (SI) or distribution between non-cardiopatic and cardiopatic thalassaemic patients in order to establish if there is a relationship between cardiopathy and iron deposition. Materials and methods: We studied 20 patients affected by {beta} thalassaemia major, of whom 10 cardiopatic and 10 non-cardiopatic, and 10 healthy volunteers as control group. Serum ferritin and left ventricular ejection fraction were calculated in thalassaemic patients. All patients were examinated using a 1.5 MR unit with ECG-gated GE cine-MR T2*-weighted, SE T1-weighted and GE T2*-weighted sequences. In all cases, using an adequate ROI, the myocardial and skeletal muscle signal intensity (SI), the myocardial/skeletal muscle signal intensity radio (SIR) and the SI average of the ...
Some of well known F{sub 2} layer anomalies might have their origin in lower atmosphere and some have extra terrestrial sources. It has been suggested that the phenomena occurring below the ionosphere such as thunderstorms, lightning/sprites, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes and above the phenomena like corona mass ejection, solar flares and extra terrestrial events may produce F{sub 2} layer signatures. In the present paper we have tried to summarize the effect of some phenomena occurring below the ionosphere like thunderstorms, lightning/sprites and seismic activity and the phenomena such as solar flares which occur above the ionosphere, on the ionospheric electron and ion temperatures. The paper also discusses possibilities. The ionospheric electron and ion temperatures were measured by the RrPAa payload aboard the Iindian SRrOSS-C2 satellite. The normal day's ion and electron temperatures have been compared to the temperatures recorded during the ...
It turns out of interest to Comision Federal de Electricidad and Petroleos Mexicanos to reduce costs of fuel oil, reducing the viscosity of the residues petroleum of high vacuum distillation emulsifying these with water. The parameters that define the characteristics of the emulsions are mainly the relation of their components, viscosity, size and drop distribution and its stability. The experimental work began producing emulsions in form of lots, using samples of approximately 500 milliliters of vacuum residue. In this first stage, at different concentrations, were examined eight different surfactants, as well as combinations among them, also seven different stabilizers were used. With these tests it has been managed to identify the concentrations, as well as the most adequate relations of surfactants and stabilizers for the production of emulsions of vacuum residues in water. The size and drop distribution has been determined by means of an optical LEICA microscope, model DMLS, that ...
The release of any potential radioactive pollutant to the environment during routine operation of a Nuclear Power Plant should be the subject of appropriate controls and assessments. It is impossible to monitor directly the dose contribution of normal releases because the environmental radioactivity levels are very small but source monitoring provides a means of assessing the radiation exposure of population groups, critical groups and individual members of the public. Derived emissions limits ( DELs ) are used to quantify the relationship between releases of radioactivity and doses to public - critical groups. CNE Cernavoda DELs are based on a pathway analysis conducted for Cernavoda site specific conditions and they were computed using a compartment transfer model. Annual air and water emissions for the most significant radionuclides between 1997 and 2008 are presented in terms of doses and can be observed that population ...
The purpose of this paper is to report the personal experience with helical CT evaluation of hepatocellular carcinoma treated with various percutaneous interventional procedures. From December 1996 to September 1998 it were examined with helical CT 41 patients (73 nodules in all) with hepatocellular carcinoma treated with percutaneous ablation therapies: conventional ethanol injection in 18 subjects (31 nodules), one-shot ethanol injection 3 (8 nodules), radiofrequency thermal ablation in 16 (25 nodules), and combined chemo embolization and ethanol injection in 4 (9 nodules). CT performed was 4-27 days after the last session, acquiring biphasic volumetric images in 14 patients and triphasic volumetric images in 27. A second treatment with subsequent CT study was performed for 28 lesions; 15 underwent 3 serial studies and 6 underwent 4 studies. Compared with pretreatment findings, the diameter was unchanged in 62% of the nodules and increased in 38%. Morphology was unchanged in 63% of ...
The paper investigates the functional endoscopic sinus surgery with the Messer-linger's technique which treats benign or inflammatory diseases of paranasal sinuses resistant to medical therapy. The goal of this type of surgery is to open the obstructed sinus ostia and restore normal aeration and mucociliary clearance. The computerized tomography permits an accurate assessment of extension and results of functional endoscopic sinus surgery. [Italian] L'articolo discute l'uso della tecnica di Messerklinger nella chirurgia funzionale endoscopica dei seni paranasali per il trattamento delle malattie benigne e delle infiammazioni croniche. Essa disostruisce gli osti sinusali ripristinando la normale areazione e la pulizia mucociliare. La tomografia computerizzata consente di valutare l'estensione e i risultati del trattamento chirurgico funzionale, soprattutto nel caso di insuccesso ...
The archaeological excavation of a rock shelter (Abrigo del Pozo) in one of the slopes of the Segura River (SE Spain) has revealed a exceptionally preserved sedimentary record spanning from the Paleolithic to the present-day, which includes an anomalous layer of stones (RFB) fallen from the roof. The sedimentary analysis of the stratigraphic sequence exhumed by the excavation indicates that human occupation of the rock shelter was controlled by fluvial environmental evolution. However, the RFB level resulted in a disturbance of human occupation and normal fluvial sedimentation. From the sedimentary and archaeological pieces of evidence, the RFB level has been interpreted as related to a palaeoearthquake responsible for the collapse of the roof and walls of the rock shelter. The palaeoearth...
The reduced polluting emissions make natural gas a quite interesting alternative fuel for automotive applications. Therefore a car diesel engine has been transformed into a dual fuel engine with pilot injection via the common rail injection system used to ignite the methane-air charge. Standard injection pumps show a certain instability at low flow rates and high engine speed. On the opposite the new common rail system allows to ignite the fuel in all conditions with an amount of gas oil less than 8% of the entire energy required by the engine was enough to ignite the fuel. Furthermore, a power increase has been obtained, with an overall efficiency equal to or even higher than a conventional engine. The article deals with a series of test carried out on 1929 cm{sup 3} direct injection turbo-charged engine and presents the preliminary results. [Italian] La riduzione delle emissioni inquinanti rende il metano un combustibile alternativo piuttosto interessante per applicazioni ...
In order to gain a wider knowledge of corrosion phenomena in OFHC (oxygen free high conductivity) copper pipes of the stator cooling circuit of a power plant turboalternator, a research program was laid out which is based on the use of an experimental loop simulating real operating conditions as closely as possible. The samples examined were either copper foils or hollow conductors of the type that is normally used in the stator cooling system, and the circulating fluid was high purity water with controlled O/sub 2/, H/sub 2/ and C0/sub 2/ contents. Investigations were focused on the kinetics of O/sub 2/ removal through catalytic resins covered with metallic palladium (at different temperatures and pressures) and on the kinetics of CO/sub 2/ removal through mixed bed resins. Subsequently, attention was directed to the corrosion of copper (in the form of foils or hollow conductors) under different experimental conditions simulating either optimal or anomalous ...
"La Universidad de Valencia tiene avanzado el diseno de un acelerador lineal de protones, cuya culminacion depende del compromiso del Consell en sufragar la plantilla que necesitaria el centro para estar operativo" (1 page).
Pumping is one of the means for storing vast quantities of energy. This article analyses its principles and ways of implementation with emphasis on its double aspect, e.g., on the one hand, off-peak power is transferred to the periods of heaviest load and is thus valorized, even when taking into account losses due to poor efficiency of operations in the pumping and turbine modes, and on the other hand, plants have great flexibility in operation, faciliting the permanent fitting of generation to demand.
Biogas-Compost Technology is being experimented in several research centers in Burkina Faso. This technology is about putting up prototypes in order to allow the use of fermentation products. Research on how to operate such technology, no matter small irrigation or domestic energy, has enabled the evaluation of the biogas-compost production and consumption. The implementation of such technology has made possible the agronomic valorization of fermentation residues, the improvement of the process of gas production, and the decrease of installation costs.
Endoreduplication represents a cell cycle variant during which multiple rounds of DNA replication occur without subsequent chromosome separation and cytokinesis, resulting into a cellular increase of the DNA content. Although the DNA ploidy level of cells is controlled by external stimuli such as light, currently limited knowledge is available on how environmental signals regulate the endoreduplication cycle at the molecular level. Previously, we have demonstrated that the conversion from the mitotic cell cycle into an endoreduplication cycle is mediated by the atypical E2F transcription factor DEL1 that operates as a repressor of endocycle onset. Here, we identified DEL1 as a transcriptional target of the classical E2Fb and E2Fc transcription factors that antagonistically control DEL1 transcript levels through competition for a single E2F cis-acting binding site. Correspondingly with the reported opposite effect of light ...
To evaluate the yield of SPIR sequences with fat suppression in the diagnosis of optic nerve lesions. T1 and T2 weighted fat suppressed SPIR imaging of the optic nerve improves anatomical definition, lesion detection and characterization in optic nerve conditions. [Italian] L'articolo analizza i vantaggi ricavabili dall'utilizzazione delle sequenze SPIR nella documentazione del decorso del nervo ottico e delle sue alterazioni nei pazienti con sospetto clinico e strumentale di malattia retrobulbare. L'utilizzo delle sequenze SPIR consente ottimale visualizzazione del nervo ottico e delle sue eventuali alterazioni senza gli artefatti che limitavano la qualita' delle immagini nelle prime sequenze RM con soppressione del segnale del grasso.
In this issue it has been investigated the yield of Helical CT in the study of lung vessels, the incidence of the angiogram sign and its actual value. July 1997 to December 1998, were studied 30 cases of pulmonary collapse of different origin. It was found 15 cases of passive collapse (10 from pleural effusion, 2 from diaphragmatic compression, 2 from traumatic pneumothorax, and 1 from isthmic aortic aneurysm), 12 cases of obstructive collapse (9 from bronchogenic carcinoma, 1 from mucoid obstruction, 1 from ilar lymphadenopathy, and 1 from mediastinal cancer), 2 cases of adhesive collapse and 1 case of round atelectasis. All the examinations were performed with the Helical technique during nonionic iodinated contrast agent injection (bolus, 300-350 mg/mL); it was used an automatic injector set at 2-3 mL/s. It was studied the images for the angiogram sign, that is hyperdense bands, usually longer than 2 cm, through the collapsed lung, which correspond to normal ...
In this article is reviewed the role of Computed Tomography (CT) in thoracic complications following ortho topic liver transplantation (OLT). In a post-OLT population of 567 patients transplanted in the Italian institutions, 100 patients (17.6%) were examined with chest CT. It was reviewed data relative to the total number of examinations, clinical and/or radiographic indications, the CT technique-i.e., conventional (with (out) intravenous, i.v., contrast material) or high-resolution (HRCT). It also reviewed the radiologic patterns and their correlation with the other clinical, bronchoscopic and/or laboratory results. Of 152 chest CT examinations, 45 (29.6%) were performed because of clinical indications, 31 (20.4%) because of a radiographic abnormality, 64 (42.1%) because of clinical and radiographic abnormality, 64 (42.1%) because of clinical and radiographic indications, while in 12 cases (7.9%) the reasons were unknown; 133/152 (87.5%) examinations had been performed with ...
The UK's reserves of crude oil could last another 300 years. This is the result it is hoped to obtain from tests currently being carried out in British Coal's liquefaction project of which the objective is to produce a high quality liquid fuel from coal. 1 fig.
Sommario La patologia polmonare acuta rappresenta una sfida quotidiana per il Radiologo d'Urgenza, al quale e richiesto di porre una diagnosi sulla base di un radiogramma del torace, eseguito spesso in condizioni tecniche precarie. La Tomografia Computerizzata (TC), pur essendo uno strumento decisivo per ovviare alla scarsa accuratezza del radiogramma del torace, non sempre e eseguibile in questi pazienti che necessitano di assistenza continua. Recentemente e stato proposto l'impiego dell'ecografia toracica per lo studio della patologia acuta. L'esame e eseguito rapidamente al letto del paziente e non necessita di apparecchiature particolari. In 168 pazienti con patologia toracica acuta e stato eseguito uno studio ecografico del torace a completamento dell'esame radiologico. Sono stati val...
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 ...
The main purpose of this work is to evaluate the role of CT in identifying other morphological signs of met static lymph node involvement from non small cell bronchogenic carcinoma. This is done to improve N staging, a critical step in this disease. In fact, since diameter is the only criterion used to distinguish normal form abnormal lymph nodes, mediastinal CT only has 80% diagnostic accuracy. 137 patients with known or suspected lung cancer were examined with Helical CT during early and late arterial phases (2 min. delay, 3 mm thickness, 5 mm inter slice gap) to depict node characteristics. Mediastinal lymph nodes, located according to the American Thoracic Society mapping, were considered normal when they were not visible or, if visible, less than 1 cm in diameter and of homogeneous density; lymph nodes over 1 cm in diameter and homogenous density were considered reactive. A lymph node was considered metastatic when, independent of size, ...
The paper discusses the methodology used at Electricidade de Portugal (EDP) in planning its electric power system. In particular, it considers a description of the methodology used by EDP for a more accurate definition of the input data required to characterize hydroelectric plants and the evaluation of their impact on an optimal long-term expansion plan. In addition, the paper describes an analysis of the results of studies, both with WASP-II and WASP-III, with and without pumped storage plants, respectively. Finally, the paper details the use of VALOR AGUA, in conjunction with WASP, for a better simulation of the hydroelectric system and which also permits to solve other problems closely connected such as the calculation of marginal production costs. (author).
A systematic approach is followed in order to identify realistic D-brane models at toric del Pezzo singularities. Requiring quark and lepton spectrum and Yukawas from D3 branes and massless hypercharge, we are led to Pati-Salam extensions of the Standard Model. Hierarchies of masses, flavour mixings and control of couplings select higher order del Pezzo singularities, minimising the Higgs sector prefers toric del Pezzos with dP3 providing the most successful compromise. Then a supersymmetric local string model is presented with the following properties at low energies: (i) the MSSM spectrum plus a local B-L gauge field or additional Higgs fields depending on the breaking pattern, (ii) a realistic hierarchy of quark and lepton masses and (iii) realistic flavour mixing between quark and lepton families with computable CKM and PMNS matrices, and CP violation consistent with observations. In this construction, kinetic terms are ...
Table of Contents: Overview of Organization and Contents of Document; Analytical Data Collection Efforts and Definition of Options; Description of Data Conventions; Statistical Methodology: Modified Delta-Lognormal Model; Estimation Under the Modified Del...
In this chart review the authors describe 51 cases of PSOAS abscess treated at Hospital Universitario del Valle in Cali, Colombia in the last 10 years. It is not a rare condition and require high index of suspicion. epidemiology, bacteriology, diagnosis and treatment are discussed.
3 Ago 2004 ... Siguiendo las recomendaciones de la OSTP, una parte del nuevo sistema estar? disponible en la base general para asegurar que toda la ...
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This guide is applied for the reload pattern's formation for mirror symmetry of a core room and in accordance with the Control Cell core technique (of the english Control Cell Core - CCC) for the PRESTO-B code. (Author)
The hospitals are important consumers of energy. At the General Hospital of Zone (HGZ) N of the IMSS in Aguscalientes (HGZ N . IMSS Ags.), the diesel oil is the main fuel that is used to satisfy the requirements of thermal energy of the hospital. According to the data collected by this author, this fuel represented in 2001, 75% of its total energy consumption and the 67.9% of its total costs in energy that ascended to $396.131 (December 2001 Dollars) Since this last amount represents an important percentage of the total expenses of the hospital (29.367 million dollars) it is important to determine the technical-economic possibilities of thermal energy saving of the hospital. The HGZ N 1 IMSS Ags. is located in a ampler conglomerate where the IMSS units are located, such as, the regional laundry, the sport unit, the center of social security, the familiar medicine unit N 1 and the hospital. Nevertheless departing from the installation of the electrical systems and the provision of steam ...
In Spiral CT, the pitch is the ratio of the distance to tabletop travels per 360 degrees rotation to nominal slice width, expressed in mm. Performing Spiral CT examination with pitch 2 allows to reduce examination time, exposure and contrast dose, and X-ray tube overload. The authors investigated the yield of pitch 2 in lung parenchyma studies, particular relative to diagnostic image quality. [Italian] Nella Tomografia Computerizzata (TC) spirale il rapporto tra la distanza percorsa dal lettino portapaziente in una rotazione e lo spessore nominale dello strato, entrambi espressi in millimetri, si definische pitch. Se i due valori del rapporto coincidono si avra' pitch uguale a 1, mentre raddoppiando la distanza percorsa dal lettino portapaziente, per il medesimo spessore nominale, conseguentemente raddoppia il pitch (pitch 2). Eseguire gli esami TC spirale utilizzando pitch 2, consente di ridurre la durata dell'esame, la dose di esposizione, il ...
The main purpose of this paper is to stress the importance of CT depiction of the mandibular incisive canal. This anatomical structure contains a major neurovascular bundle and is thus very important in the planning of mandibular implants in the canine-incisive area. The importance of careful assessment of the mandibular canal course before implantology is now widely recognized. The same holds true for the canine-incisive region in the jaw, to detect the incisive canal if present and prevent any complications from its accidental damage. CT with a dedicated software showed the incisive canal in a large number of patients, which calls for precise reporting of its presence, course, and relationships with teeth. [Italian] Scopo di questo lavoro e' sottolineare l'importanza di rilevare e segnalare la visibilita' con Tomografia Computerizzata del canale incisivo mandibolare, struttura anatomica al cui interno decorre un fascio vasculo nervoso e ...
The diagnostic imaging findings in hepatic amoebiasis and the capabilities of percutaneous drainage have already been described but some debate is open on both diagnosis and treatment. It is reported the experience with the ultrasound (US) and Computed Tomography (CT) studies of the hepatic amoebic abscess and its management. [Italian] I reperti con diagnostica per immagini nell'amebiasi epatica e le possibilita' del drenaggio percutaneo sono stati gia' illustrati; esistono tuttavia controversie sul piano sia diagnostico che terapeutico. Obiettivo di questo lavoro e' quello di riportare l'esperienza personale nella diagnostica con ecografia e tomografia computerizzata (TC) e nel trattamento degli ascessi amebici del fegato.
Red mud (Rm) is the main by-product of the Bayer process for alumina extraction from bauxite, and grey slurries (GS) are generated during the granite rocks transformation processes. the huge volume of those wastes generated every year suppose a serious environmental problem. Recent works by our group demonstrate the efficiency of both types of muds as corrosion inhibitors for iron and steel in alkaline media containing chlorides. The elemental analysis of these slurried shows that Al{sup 3}+ is the main common element. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to study the effect of the soluble Al{sup 3}+ in the electrochemical behaviour of iron in alkaline media, in presence and absence of chlorides. The electrochemical study using Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) together with surface analysis techniques allowed to conclude that Al{sup 3}+ blocks the surface of steel in alkaline media chloride increasing the steel resistance to chlorides attack. ...
In this work it is intended a methodology to validate a new version of the software used for monitoring the reactor core, which requires of the evaluation of the thermal limits settled down in the Operation Technical Specifications, for the Unit 2 of Laguna Verde with ARTS (improvements to the APRMs, Rod Block Monitor and Technical specifications). According to the proposed methodology, those are shown differences found in the thermal limits determined with the new versions and previous of the core monitoring software. Author)
One of ENEA's many activities consists in dealing with the analysis of information strategies. In this case the analysis concerns an environmental issue, the ozone hole which, in spite of the consideration given by the media, is not sufficiently highlighted, as well as in the case of climate changes issue. A survey of the coverage of four daily newspapers was realized; the time period covered by the analysis spans form January 1996 to December 1997, 77 articles in total. The newspapers involved are: La Repubblica, Il Corriere della Sera, L'Unita' on a national scale, and Il Resto del Carlino on a regional scale. The number of articles analyzed is divided as follows: 26 for the Repubblica, 24 for the Corriere della Sera, 21 for the Unita', 6 for the Resto del Carlino. The purpose of the work was to detect quality and quantity indicators of the Italian press about the ozone hole issue and possible environmental ...
The paper reports the results of a preliminary experience with volume rendering technique of virtual computerized tomography colonoscopy and compares it with endoscopy and surgery showing its capability in detecting colon and rectal cancers. [Italian] Scopo del lavoro e' riportare l'esperienza personale preliminare nell'uso della colonscopia TC virtuale confrontando i risultati con quelli dell'endoscopia e dei riscontri operatori, dimostrandone l'efficacia nella diagnosi delle malattie tumorali del colon-retto.
Sommario I lipomi del collo e della testa in genere si verificano nel tessuto sottocutaneo superficiale. Quelli sottofasciali intramuscolari sono molto rari. Riportiamo di seguito il caso di una donna di 53 anni con un lipoma sottofasciale localizzato nello spazio antero-laterale del collo. La diagnosi della lesione e stata ottenuta con esame clinico e confermata con Ecografia (US) e Tomografia Computerizzata (TC). La lesione, caratterizzata da capsula e aspetto fibrolipomatoso, e stata escissa con intervento chirurgico.
France has committed herself to keep in 2010 the same levels of greenhouse gas emissions as those of 1990, i.e. 144 millions of tons of carbon equivalent (MtCe). However, taking into account the existing pollution abatement measures and the measurements performed so far, the greenhouse gases level should reach 160 MtCe in 2010. Therefore, the inter-ministry commission on greenhouse effect decided on November 27, 1998 to elaborate a new national plan of fight against greenhouse effect. The elaboration of the new plan has fallen under the responsibility of the inter-ministry mission of greenhouse effect (MIES). The new plan was presented by the prime minister, L. Jospin, on January 19, 2000. This document summarises the content of the new plan: architecture (modalities of elaboration, content), measures for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (industry, transportation sector, buildings, agriculture-forestry, wastes valorization, development of renewable ...
Geothermal systems and fields are analysed giving particular evidence to the value of the geothermal source as an important natural source of energy. The paper analyses hydrothermal systems and describes the international experimental studies on the use of geothermal reservoirs in hot rocks with geopressured and magmatic systems. Experts are optimistic as far as the use of this innovative source of energy is possible in the medium-short term. [Italian] Si analizzano i sistemi e i campi geotermici, sottolineando il valore della fonte geotermica come risorsa naturale ragguardevole d'energia. Vengono descritti i sistemi idrotermali e gli esperimenti condotti a livello internazionale sull'utilizzo di serbatoi geotermici in rocce calde con sistemi geopressurizzati e magmatici. L'ottimismo degli esperti sull'utilizzo di questa innovativa sorgente d'energia in tempi medio-brevi.
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' vital functions and shock state. CT of the ...
The geological structure of Mesita del Buey at Technical Area 54 (TA-54) was examined using precise surveying of the contact between units 1v and 2 of the Tshirege Member of the Bandelier Tuff at 3.5 km along the north wall of Pajarito Canyon and 0.6 km along the north wall of a tributary to Canada del Buey. Estimated structure contours on this contact indicate typical strikes of N40E to N70E along this part of Mesita del Buey, although the apparent strike of the tuff is E-W at the western part of the survey. Typical dips are 1.0{degree} to 2.0{degree} to the east or southeast, with an estimated maximum dip of 3.2{degree} near the west end of Material Disposal Area G. Thirty seven faults with vertical displacements of 5 to 65 cm were observed in outcrop along the Pajarito Canyon traverse, and, due to the incomplete exposure of the unit 1v-unit 2 contact, many more faults of this magnitude undoubtedly exist. The faults have ...
The symposium had four areas in analytical methodology to study global environmental change: air; water, wastes and speciation, analytical methodology and environmental management. The symposium had 24 conferences and papers.
Aim of this retrospective study was to assess the capability of contrast-enhanced helical computerised tomography (CT) in sigmoid diverticulitis, especially relative to selection of the appropriate treatment. The findings of 41 patients were reviewed from 1998 to 1999 June. Contrast-enhanced helical CT is the imaging modality of choice in assessing mild or severe acute diverticulitis because it provides useful information for appropriate treatment planning in the emergency setting. This technique is most useful in questionable cases and in patients with suspected severe diverticulitis where a choice must be made between different treatment options. [Italian] Scopo di questo studio retrospettivo e' illustrare i molteplici aspetti radiologici della flogosi diverticolare sigmoidea con tomografia computerizzata (TC) spirale, con specifico riguardo alle implicazioni terapeutiche che scaturiscono dall'analisi e dal confronto dei reperti TC con i riscontri clinici e ...
Neutralizing an acidic fluid consists of adding a sodium hydroxide solution to neutralize the H group of acids, therefore increasing the pH. The injection of sodium hydroxide has to be continuous and at a proper depth inside the well to protect against the corrosion of casing and surface equipment. Neutralization is a common practice used in geothermal fields, such as at The Geysers in the US and Miravalles in Costa Rica-places where aggressive fluids cause problems for extracting and using geothermal fluids commercially. A zone surrounding wells H-4, H-16 and H-29 in the northern section of the Los Humeros, Pue., geothermal field, known as the Colapso Central, has shown evidence of aggressively acidic fluids. Several wells drilled in the area had to be repaired, thus plugging and isolating the deepest production zones. Well H-43 was drilled two years ago in the northern zone of the field, and even though it is not located in the aggressive-fluid zone, the well presents mineralogical ...
The results of a histological study of normal osteoid tissue in man, the monkey, the dog, and the rat, using thin microtome sections of plastic-embedded undecalcified bone, are described. Osteoid tissue...Full Text Available
This paper reports some technical contributes related to the Kyoto Protocol and its application in Italian decision making policy. [Italian] Il presente volume raccoglie una decina di contributi tecnici originariamente preparati o commissionati dall'ENEA, Ente Nazionale per le Nuove Tecnologie, l'Energia e l'Ambiente, in vista della Conferenza Nazionale Energia e Ambiente. Questa fotografia di una situazione in rapida evoluzione e' stata preparata da esperti del settore che contribuiscono a redigere il materiale tecnico di base utilizzato dai negoziatori nazionali durante le trattative internazionali e dai responsabili nazionali per avviare il processo di presa di decisioni in materia.
Purpose of this item is to report the CT patterns of pancreatic mesenchymal lesions and to investigate the capabilities and limitations of this technique in terms of characterization. In selected cases, CT can provide virtually diagnostic information (lipoma and teratoma), or at least highly suggestive findings (NHL, plexiform neurofibroma, lymphangioma). Moreover, knowledge of the variable morphostructural patterns of mesenchymal hisototypes (SCH, Sarcoma etc.) permits to include them in the differential diagnosis of pancreatic masses. [Italian] Scopo di questo rapporto e' descrivere gli aspetti semeiologici dei tumori mesenchimali del pancreas con la TC verificandone le possibilita e i limiti per la caratterizzazione. Pur nella rarita' dei reperti considerati, la TC puo' consentire l'effettiva caratterizzazione in alcuni casi (lipoma, neurofibroma plessiforme, linfangioma) o includere anche istotipi meno comuni (Schwannoma, ...
Objetivo La generacion local de citocinas es un factor patogenico en el dano por isquemia-reperfusion en la disfuncion precoz del injerto. Este estudio analiza la expresion en tejido pulmonar de ARN mensajero de interleucina-8 (ARNm de IL-8) y su relacion con los cambios intersticiales pulmonares en un modelo experimental de isquemia-reperfusion pulmonar normotermica. MATERIAL Y METODOS Se estudiaron 16 conejos de la raza Nueva Zelanda en 3 grupos de estudio: a) basal; b) isquemia (lobulo inferior derecho tras isquemia de 1, 2 o 3 h), y c) reperfusion (lobulos superior y medio derechos tras 1 h de isquemia y 1, 2 o 3 h de reperfusion). Se deter- mino la expresion del ARNm de IL-8 mediante transcripcion inversa y reaccion en cadena de la polimerasa y estudio la infiltracion intersticial por...
The Water Frame work Directive (December 2000) proposes integrated water management in regard to both quality and quality. A mathematical model has therefore been produced at the CEIT and EPTISA research centre, in collaboration with the Ebro Hydrographic. Confederation (CHE), to predict water quality and thus begin integrated management of it in the river basins. A description is given of the characteristics of the simulation tool. The hydraulic model is based on the numerical (weighted, four-point implicit) resolution of the complete Saint Venant equations. The quality model is based on the IWA River Water Quality Model Number 1 which has clear advantages (consistency, mass balance and easy integration with the biological models of the waste water treatment plants and the collector networks compared to traditional models. The experimental validation, which includes calibration in wintertime of the hydraulic and quality models most representative coefficients was assessed on the basis ...
After a short review of the classical simplified expressions able to evaluate the seepage path in the core of a river levee, this paper first discusses the results obtained assuming the Dupuit approximation. Dimensionless nomographs are then showed, obtained by means of numerical integration of the seepage equations, These nomographs allow a quick levee design to be developed, after the definition of flood hydrography, seepage and embankment characteristics. [Italian] Dopo un sintetico richiamo di alcune classiche formulazioni semplificate per la determinazione dell'andamento della linea di infiltrazioner in un rilevato arginale, nell'articolo vengono presentati e discussi i risultati conseguiti prima assumendo la sola ipotesi di Dupuit e, successivamente, risolvendo l'equazione completa del moto di filtrazione. In particolare, vengono forniti abachi adimensionali che consentono, una volta fissate le caratteristiche ...
SommarioNei Paesi occidentali il rischio di malattie cardiovascolari e notevolmente aumentato negli ultimi decenni. Di pari passo, il miglioramento prognostico delle malattie cardiovascolari, l'invecchiamento e l'aumento della vita media della popolazione generale stanno rivelando un crescente numero di casi di malattia renale cronica d'origine vascolare. E del tutto plausibile pensare che nei prossimi anni il numero di pazienti anziani con malattia vascolare aterosclerotica, che sara inserito nei programmi di dialisi cronica, aumentera rapidamente. Questo fara lievitare in modo drammatico i costi sociali ed economici della dialisi configurando una vera emergenza clinica. In questo scenario epidemiologico, la diagnosi precoce della malattia ischemica cronica del rene e la definizione di nu...
The paper investigates computerized tomography capabilities in showing vascular complications secondary to intestinal obstruction and for assessing the site and cause of obstruction. [Italian] Scopo del lavoro e' lo studio dell'uso della tomografia computerizzata nel riconoscimento di complicanze vascolari secondarie ad occlusione intestinale e della presenza, della natura e della sede dell'ostacolo alla canalizzazione intestinale.
The study reports ultrasonography and computerise tomography findings in 16 patients with amoebic abscesses, 12 of whom lived in a temperate peripheral area north-east of Naples (Italy). All patients have a clinical-diagnostic condition called sub-urban amoebiasis. The personal experience with the US guided therapeutic drainage of amoebic abscess with repeated cavity washing, which is important for positive parasitology. Combined US and CT assessment facilitated the diagnosis of amoebiasis and its differentiation from pyogenic abscess and hepatoma. [Italian] La colonizzazione epatica rappresenta la localizzazione piu' comune dell'amebiasi extraintestinale e gli ascessi epatici ne costituiscono la manifestazione piu' frequente sviluppandosi nel 3-9 % dei pazienti affetti da infezione parassitaria. Diversi studi confermano che la terapia medica dell'amebiasi risulta piu' efficace quando viene associato il drenaggio percutaneo degli ascessi ...
The paper investigates the yield and the role of the computerized tomography in diagnosing abdominal gunshot wounds, with their rich and varied radiological signs and associated injuries, and subsequently used in the diagnosis. [Italian] Scopo del lavoro e' riportare l'esperienza personale nell'uso della tomografia computerizzata per riconoscere le lesioni da arma da fuoco dell'addome e nelle fasi successive dell'approfondimento diagnostico.
Bone integrity and mineral status were studied with a noninvasive method in uremic patients with severe secondary hyperparathyroidism undergoing maintenance hemodialysis. [Italian] Gli autori propongono un metodo non invasivo per studiare la densita' minerale e le caratteristiche geometriche e biomeccaniche dell'osso nei pazienti uremici affetti da iperparatiroidismo secondario grave.
In this work some examples of studies performed with the use of microzooplankton as biological indicator are reported. [Italian] Scopo del lavoro e' quello di dimostrare come lo studio della distribuzione del microzooplancton in ambienti aquatici, possa permettere la caratterizzazione trofica dell'ambiente oggetto di studio. Il microzooplancton, infatti, essendo un componente fondamentale della catena trofica di differenti ambienti acquatici, puo' essere considerato un buon {sup i}ndicatore biologico{sup .} E' quindi riportata un'ampia ed approfondita analisi sistematica, necessaria al fine di individuarne le diverse specie dalla cui presenza (oltreche' dal numero degli esemplari) e' possibile desumere lo stato chimico-fisico e trofico di un determinato ambiente acquatico. Sono poi indicati i diversi metodi per il campionamento, la conservazione, la concentrazione ed il conteggio ...
Nowadays, unlike in the past, companies have to operate in a context of sustainable development, in which the economic and social development, production and consumption have to take into account the medium and long term impact on environment. The article sets forth some considerations about these subjects, which are assuming a growing importance in the management of companies: the variable environment may for instance be a factor of discrimination between being competitive or not. In order to characterise the context within which the environmental management has to be applied, some basic concepts about environmental management systems, Life Cycle Assessment, and Eco labeling are illustrated. As an example of application of the methodology described, a brief reference to the Italgas Group Environmental Report is given. [Italian] Oggi, a differenza del passato, le imprese si trovano ad operare in un contesto di sviluppo sostenibile, nel quale l'evoluzione ...
Mutations in the FGD1 gene have been shown to cause Aarskog-Scott syndrome (AAS), or facio-digito-genital dysplasia (OMIM#305400), an X-linked disorder characterized by distinctive genital and skeletal developmental abnormalities with a broad spectrum of clinical phenotypes. To date, 20 distinct mutations have been reported, but little phenotypic data are available on patients with molecularly confirmed AAS. In the present study, we report on our experience of screening for mutations in the FGD1 gene in a cohort of 60 European patients with a clinically suspected diagnosis of AAS. We identified nine novel mutations in 11 patients (detection rate of 18.33%), including three missense mutations (p.R402Q; p.S558W; p.K748E), four truncating mutations (p.Y530X; p.R656X; c.806delC; c.1620delC), one in-frame deletion (c.2020_2022delGAG) and the first reported splice site mutation (c.1935+3A>C). A recurrent mutation (p.R656X) was ...
In front of the risks linked with the increase of the greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere, the decision makers must take into consideration first, the scientific advice of climatic change experts, and second, the considerable inertia of the climatic system. Thus, any action implemented so far will have an impact all along the 21. century and later whatever the future human activities. The aim of this memento is to sensibilize the decision makers about the possible consequences of their choice in terms of volume of greenhouse gases and of medium- and long-term evolution: 1 - stakes, role of local decision-makers (greenhouse effect and climatic change, France's international commitment, stakes, liabilities of local decision makers, decentralization laws, local plans of fight against greenhouse effect, public information and dialogue); 2 - urbanism and transports (urban displacements, alternatives to individual cars, collective transportation systems, parking, inter-region ...
The principal mathematical tools frequently available for calculations in Nuclear Engineering, including coupled neutron-gamma radiations shielding problems, involve the full Transport Theory or the Monte Carlo techniques. The Multigroup Albedo Method applied to shieldings is characterized by following the radiations through distinct layers of materials, allowing the determination of the neutron and gamma fractions reflected from, transmitted through and absorbed in the irradiated media when a neutronic stream hits the first layer of material, independently of flux calculations. Then, the method is a complementary tool of great didactic value due to its clarity and simplicity in solving neutron and/or gamma shielding problems. The outstanding results achieved in previous works motivated the elaboration and the development of this study that is presented in this dissertation. The radiation balance resulting from the incidence of a neutronic stream into a shielding composed by ...
The principal mathematical tools frequently available for calculations in Nuclear Engineering, including coupled neutron-gamma radiations shielding problems, involve the full Transport Theory or the Monte Carlo techniques. The Multigroup Albedo Method applied to shieldings is characterized by following the radiations through distinct layers of materials, allowing the determination of the neutron and gamma fractions reflected from, transmitted through and absorbed in the irradiated media when a neutronic stream hits the first layer of material, independently of flux calculations. Then, the method is a complementary tool of great didactic value due to its clarity and simplicity in solving neutron and/or gamma shielding problems. The outstanding results achieved in previous works motivated the elaboration and the development of this study that is presented in this dissertation. The radiation balance resulting from the incidence of a neutronic stream into a shielding composed by 'm' ...
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 muscolotendinous junction (74%), not even ...
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) technique in all patients. In the patients with suspected chest and abdomen involvement CT was performed from the ...
The aim of this work is to provide a comprehensive and consistent description of the complexity of laws regulating the field of biotechnology, mainly focusing on the definition of items to be patented, which is one of the most important and also controversial issues within the new 98/44/EC set of rules. As biotechnology is a specialist and multidisciplinary field, it has begun by giving a general description of the field, outlining the grounds for the new rules, and then thoroughly examined and evaluated previous national and international laws especially with regard to patenting. This was followed by an evaluation of what can be patented according to the new instructions by systematically assessing the section defining items to be patented in the field of biotechnology. It is used to be a matter of opinion whether biotechnological material was to be considered a discovery or an invention, the former being impatentable according to patenting laws. The new law pays particular attention ...
The analysis of oceanographic lidar systems measurements is often carried out with semi-empirical methods, since there is only a rough understanding of the effects of many environmental variables. The development of techniques for interpreting the accuracy of lidar measurements is needed to evaluate the effects of various environmental situations, as well as of different experimental geometric configurations and boundary conditions. A Monte Carlo simulation model represents a tool that is particularly well suited for answering these important questions. The PREMAR-2F Monte Carlo code has been developed taking into account the main molecular and non-molecular components of the marine environment. The laser radiation interaction processes of diffusion, re-emission, refraction and absorption are treated. In particular are considered: the Rayleigh elastic scattering, produced by atoms and molecules with small dimensions with respect to the laser emission wavelength (i.e. water molecules), ...
Mycobacterium xenopi is one of the most common agents responsible for nontubercolar mycobacterial pulmonary disease on AIDS patients. These lesions have been studied with conventional radiography while CT has been used in patients with aspecific mycobacterioses or non-AIDS pulmonary conditions from Mycobacterium xenopi. 12 AIDS patients were examined. They had pulmonary lesions from Mycobacterium xenopi, patients age ranged 30 to 46 years. All patients had CD4 blood levels lower than 250 cells/mL and Mycobacterium xenopi in the sputum. All patients underwent a standard chest radiograph and a CT examination. CT images were evaluated by three radiologists independently and the definitive diagnosis was made in the presence of a fourth radiologist. Chest CT showed parenchymal consolidation in 66% of cases, associated with bilateral basal bands in 16% of cases. Consolidation was unilateral in 41% of cases and most frequently involved the right lower lobe. Bilateral reticular interstitial ...
The new industrial political tools based on the sustainable development of productive activities, and originating at the Rio Conference in 1992, late introduced by the European Union, the Government and voluntary organizations (ISO, CEM, UNI) are gradually entering the market, thereby underling their effect in terms of industrial competitiveness. The main tools were examined in the report and mostly refer to the voluntary ones which, in surpassing the command and control logic, increasingly tend to get close to traditional fiscal, tariff and financial ones. Voluntary agreements, environmental management systems (EMAS, ISO14000), the risk prevention systems (UNI 10617), certification (Ecolabel, ISO 14040) and environment communications tools (environment balance sheet, environmental report, environmental statement) are synthetically described. Finally, the tools regarding the incentives still under Government concern an their diffusion are examined. [Italian] I nuovi strumenti di ...
Most waste water treatment plants have processes to remove nutrients in order to avoid eutrophication in water receiving bodies. Regarding phosphorus removal. the most common option is chemical precipitation with ferric or aluminical precipitation with ferric or aluminium salts. We show here the successful experience carried out by the WWTP of Blanes and the company Safloc. A method ato remove phosphorus from waste water was developed by adding sodium aluminate. The use of this compound has turned out to be a sustainable way for this purpose in terms of costs, reliability and minimization of sludge production. (Author)
A multi-technique approach was employed to study a decorated Egyptian wooden sarcophagus (XXV?XXVI dynasty, Third Intermediate Period), belonging to the Museo del Vicino Oriente of the Sapienza University of Rome. Portable non-invasive unilateral NMR was applied to evaluate the conservation state of the sarcophagus. Moreover, using unilateral NMR, a non-invasive analytical protocol was established to detect the presence of organic substances on the surface and/or embedded in the wooden matrix. This protocol allowed for an educated sampling campaign aimed at further investigating the state of degradation of the wood and the presence of organic substances by 13C cross polarization magic angle spinning (CPMAS) NMR spectroscopy. The composition of the painted layer was analysed by optical micr...
The pollution of the aquatic zones grows with the time, principally due to industrial and urban settlements, among others, in the surroundings of these sites. The sources of this pollution can be identified by the study of the characteristics of the sediment, this gives relevant information to evaluate any aquatic system. Once the sediment is obtained, a series of preliminary tests are carry out (loss of ignition, 210{sup P}b dating) to be sure that we have a sedimentary core that hans .t be mixed, once this has be done we determine radionuclides, heavy metals and organic compounds. (Author) 2 refs.
In this work it is made a study of the structure and electric properties of chlorate polyethylene (PE-CI) with double and simple bonds obtained by continuous plasma with resistive coupling to 13.5 MHz. The synthesis conditions are power between 10 and 14 W and pressure of (6-7) x 10{sup -2} Torr. The synthesized PE-Cl in that way is soluble in acetone what indicates that probably is formed of short chains and not it shows the generalized inter crossing that is presented in some syntheses by plasma and that it can degrade the electric properties of these polymers. The IR and XPS analysis show the vibration of the C-C, C=C and C-CI bonds. The morphology of the polymer after being dissolved shows a compact and flat configuration. The electric conductivity has an approximately lineal behavior in an interval of 35 to 90% of relative humidity. (Author)
A plan has been put forth to strategically thin northern California forests to reduce fire danger and improve forest health. The resulting biomass residue, instead of being open burned, can be converted into ethanol that can be used as a fuel oxygenate or an octane enhancer. Economic potential for a biomass-to-ethanol facility using this softwood biomass was evaluated for two cases: Stand-alone and co-located. The co-located case refers to a specific site with an existing biomass power facility owned by Wheelabrator Environmental Systems Inc. near Martell, California. A two-stage dilute acid hydrolysis process is used for the production of ethanol from softwoods, and the residual lignin is used to generate steam and electricity. For a plant processing 800 dry tonnes per day of feedstock, the co-located case is an economically attractive concept. Total estimated capital investment is approximately $ 70 million for the co-located case. The resulting internal rate of return is about 24% ...
DVR project concerns the creation of a virtual reality OpenGL system for desktop applications in archaeology. The main goal is the creation of a 3D information system using the real time interaction of OpenGL environments. The first case study implemented is the Vettii House, one of the most important and outstanding monuments in Pompei. The virtual reconstruction of these architectural models is based on very detailed photogrammetric surveys and it is connected with information layers and archaeometric data-bases regarding the state of conservation of walls, structures and any type of materials of the monument. A full 3D interface characterizes the system, comprising a high resolution texturing with detailed volumetric and geometric data. Finally, for the future, the project plans to fit the system for scientific and end users through the installation of stations on site.
Itaipu Binacional has taken a decision of executing a technological updating for the energy measurement system through the substitution of the current system by other one equipped with digital devices. The main reasons for that were the following: a) The equipment in operation were of an outdated generation b) The accuracy class of the existing equipment was of 0.5%, but the tendency for invoicing measurements was to install meters with accuracy class of 0.2% in the enterprises c) The requirements of ONS/MAE, in Brazil, which establishes the minimum requisites to be attended by invoicing measurement systems.
Lisy ME, Jarvis KB, DelBello MP, Mills NP, Weber WA, Fleck D, Strakowski SM, Adler CM. Progressive neurostructural changes in adolescent and adult patients with bipolar disorder.-Bipolar Disord 2011: 13: 396-405. 2011 The Authors.-Journal compilation 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Objectives:- Several lines of evidence suggest that bipolar disorder is associated with progressive changes in gray matter volume (GMV), particularly in brain structures involved in emotional regulation and expression. The majority of these studies however, have been cross-sectional in nature. In this study we compared baseline and follow-up scans in groups of bipolar disorder and healthy subjects. We hypothesized bipolar disorder subjects would demonstrate significant GMV changes over time. Methods:- A total of 58 ...
This article examines the successive reinterpretations of one of Cuba?s foundational texts, namely the Espejo de paciencia (?Model of Patience??, 1608) by Silvestre de Balboa, as a baroque poem. The revalorization of the baroque by twentieth-century Cuban authors and critics has been explained as a consequence of the erasure of indigenous cultures and the subsequent imposition of a metropolitan culture. In this sense, the baroque is supposed to be paradigmatic for ?roots thinking?? about nation-building and culture. The readings of Balboa?s poem by neo-baroque writers such as Jos? Lezama Lima, Cintio Vitier and Severo Sarduy, however, put forward a transhistorical vision of the baroque and Cubanhood as an eternal and immutable phenomenon or, alternatively, a reading that privileges the tec...
The kinetics of alkaline hydrolysis of methylparathion was studied at different temperatures (0-50 Centigrade) in the p H range of 8-12 by ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy. Optimum p H and wavelength conditions were defined to carry out the simultaneous determination of methylparathion and one of its hydrolysis product, paranitrophenol, in buffered aqueous medium. Based on the experimental data and the mathematical equation of the kinetics, a rate constant (k) of first-order and an activation energy (Ea) of 9.2 Kcal/mol, were estimated. (Author) activation energy (Ea) of 9.2 Kcal/mol, were estimated. (Author)
The enzymatic activity characterization of the cellulolytic complex obtained from Trichoderma reesei QM 9414 and the influence of the enzymatic hydrolysis conditions on the hydrolysis yield are studied. Pure cellulose and native or alkali pretreated biomass Onopordum nervosum have been used as substrates. The values of pH, temperature, substrate concentration and enzyme-substrate ratio for the optimum activity of that complex, evaluated as glucose and reducing sugars production, have been selected. Previous studies on enzymatic hydrolysis of 0. nervosum have shown a remarkable effect of the alkaline pretreatments on the final hydrolysis yield. (Author) 10 refs.
Aim of the work was to describe computerised tomography (CT) findings of calcified renal metastases focusing on differential diagnosis problems. Abdominal CT scans of 8000 patients with tumor, performed from 1984 to 1998, have been retrospectively reviewed. [Italian] Scopo del lavoro e' quello di descrivere gli aspetti con tomografia computerizzata delle metastasi renali calcificate enfatizzando le problematiche diagnostico differenziali. Sono state valutate retrospettivamente le indagini TC addominali di 8000 pazienti affetti da tumore nel periodo 1984-1998, analizzando le lesioni calcificate riscontrate.
We studied telomeric DNA in leukemic cells as well as in normal T cells, B cells, monocytes, polymorphonuclear leukocytes, and bone marrow hematopoietic progenitor cells. No marked differences were...Full Text Available
Normal brain development requires a series of highly complex and interrelated steps. This process presents many opportunities for errors to occur, which could result in developmental defects...Full Text Available
Information is provided about standardization and unification of rules for manufacturing normal electrical equipment designed for operating in underground shafts when there is no danger of explosion of gas, dust or steam. An analysis is made of the requirements included in the CEMA standard and in the state standard.
AbstractQuantities and types of ceramides and their relationships to physical properties of the horn covering the claws of clinically normal cows and cows with subclinical laminitis were...Full Text Available
Normal cells, both in vivo and in vitro, become quiescent after serial cell proliferation. During this process, cells can develop immortality with genomic instability,...Full Text Available
Shell model calculations are reported for the properties of normal parity states of /sup 7/Li, /sup 8/Li and /sup 9/Li. Fits to new experimental data are displayed, some ambiguities resolved, and structure information provided for help in further investigations.
Glycoprotein 60 (gp60) is a normal plasma protein (mean concentration in normal serum 34 micrograms/ml) that is present in increased levels (mean concentration 97 micrograms/ml) in the sera of patients...Full Text Available
IntroductionNormal and neoplastic breast tissues are comprised of heterogeneous populations of epithelial cells exhibiting various degrees of maturation and differentiation. While...Full Text Available
Normal mouse epidermis constitutively expresses prostaglandin-H synthase 1 (PGHS-1) but no PGHS-2. Acute inflammation and epidermal hyperplasia, (hyperplastic transformation), as evoked in adult mouse...Full Text Available
Approximately 20% to 30% of patients who undergo coronary arteriography for the evaluation of chest pain are found to have normal coronary arteries. These patients have a survival rate comparable to...Full Text Available
A case of severe intractable angina pectoris with normal angiography is presented. Following video assisted thoracic sympathectomy the patient died of heart failure. Microvascular cardiac amyloidosis...Full Text Available
A first, partial, assessment is included of the low- to medium-temperature geothermal reserves in 20 Mexican States and their aggregate value. The assessment covers about 29.16% of the identified geothermal-surface manifestations in the public database. For reserve assessments, we use the volumetric method, supplemented with Montecarlo simulations and statistics, to quantify inherent uncertainties. Our estimations are presented on a state-by-state basis. We estimate the aggregated reserves of the 20 states as between 7.7 x 1016 and 8.6 x 1016 kJ, with 90% confidence. The most likely reservoir temperatures range between 60-180 degrees Celsius, with a mean of 111 degrees Celsius. Such massive amounts of recoverable energy-and the associated temperatures-are potentially important for the economic development of nearby localities and the nation. [Spanish] En este trabajo se hace una primera estimacion, parcial, de las reservas geotermicas de temperatura intermedia a baja de Mexico. La ...
The normal-incommensurate phase transition in K2ZnCl4 was studied by neutron scattering measurements. A well-defined soft phonon behavior was not observed above the normal-incommensurate transition temperature of Tsub(i)=288C. Diffuse scattering develops around(h,0,1 +- 0.3) as temperature approaches Tsub(i) from above, and the peak intensity obeys a Curie-Weiss law above Tsub(i). The results indicate that the normal-incommensurate phase transition in K2ZnCl4 can be interpreted as an order-disorder process.
Macrocephaly was defined as a head measuring larger than 98th percentile. We have evaluated CT findings and head growth curves in 25 infants with large heads. Ten (40%) of 25 infants with large heads were normal developmentally and neurologically. Five (20%) of those were mentally retarded. The other 10 infants (40%) included hydrocephalus (4 cases), malformation syndrome (3 cases), brain tumor (1 case), metabolic disorder (1 case) and degenerative disorder (1 case). Their head growth curves were typed as (I), (II) and (III): Type (I) (excessive head growth curve to 2 SDs above normal); Type (II) (head growth curve gradually approached to 2 SDs above normal); Type (III) (head growth curve parallel to 2 SDs above normal). Ten of macrocephaly with normal psychomotor development were studied clinically and radiologically in details. They were all male. CT pictures of those showed ...
To document the range of activity and patterns of normal surface kinesiological electromyography in normal children, 87 children ranging from age 3 to 18 years who were developing normally were evaluated at free walking speed. Analysis was performed on 6307 gait cycles from 11 different muscles with custom software. We devised an algorithm to do a computer-based KEMG curve pattern analysis to sort out curves that did not match the physiologic muscle activity pattern, We also devised a combined preset amplitude and statistics-based criteria to satisfactorily determine the onset/cessation of KEMG activity. The measurements of timing and duration of activity, body height and weight, body mass index, cadence, stride length, and age were obtained for statistical analysis. From the pattern recog...
Since 1977, precise leveling surveys have been carried out to determine whether there have been vertical terrain displacements and the subsidence speed rate in the Cerro Prieto Geothermal field area. The elevation contours for each leveling show since 1962 that there was a basin that involves the geothermal field. The differences in the last three levelings show a generalized subsidence between Cerro Prieto (BN 10049) and Imperial faults (BN CD-14). [Spanish] A partir de 1977 se realizan trabajos de nivelacion de precision, con el fin de conocer si existen desplazamientos verticales del terreno y cual es la velocidad de subsidencia que existe en el area del Campo Geotermico de Cerro Prieto. Las configuraciones de cotas para cada uno de los anos nivelados, muestran que desde 1962 existe una cuenca que incluye al campo geotermico; la diferencia de cotas obtenidas en las tres ultimas nivelaciones, indican una subsidencia generalizada entre la ...
This document presents the analysis of the simulation of the loss of coolant accident at uprate power conditions, that is 2027 MWt (105% of the current rated power of 1931MWt). This power was reached allowing an increase in the turbine steam flow rate without changing the steam dome pressure value at its rated conditions (1020 psiaJ. There are also presented the results of the simulation of the main steam isolation va/ve transient at overpressure conditions 1065 psia and 1067 MWt), for Laguna Verde Nuclear Power Station. Both simulations were performed with the best estimate computer code TRA C BF1. The results obtained in the loss of coolant accident show that the emergency core coolant systems can recover the water level in the core before fuel temperature increases excessively, and that the peak pressure reached in the drywell is always below its design pressure. Therefore it is concluded that the integrity of the containment is not challenged during a loss of coolant accident at ...
The new industrial political tools based on the sustainable development of productive activities, and originating at the Rio Conference in 1992, late introduced by the EU, the Government and voluntary organizations (ISO, CEM, UNI) are gradually entering the market, thereby underling their effect in terms of industrial competitiveness. The main tools were examined in the report and mostly refer to the voluntary ones which, in surpassing the 'command and control' logic, increasingly tend to get close to traditional fiscal, tariff and financial ones. Voluntary agreements, environmental management systems (EMAS, ISO 14001), the risk prevention systems (UNI 10617), certification (Eco label, ISO 14040) and environment communication tools (environment balance sheet, environmental report, environmental statement) are synthetically described. [Italian] I nuovi strumenti di politica industriale orientati allo sviluppo sostenibile delle attivita' produttive che traggono ...
The article provides a 1998 updated picture of Italy's and the world's photovoltaic market in terms of produced modules and total installed capacity, as well as market growth forecasts up to 2010. After a short description of the state-of-the-art of cell and module manufacturing, ana analysis of the cost of producing a photovoltaic kw is reported for different plant types: stand-alone plants with energy storage batteries, plants connected to low low voltage networks or intended for supporting medium voltage networks, hybrid plants with diesel sets. The article is concluded by illustrating ENEL's (Electric Power Production Company) engagement in the field of photovoltaic solar energy as regards theoretical studies, research and testing of new technologies, and installing plants; over nearly twenty years of activity, ENEL has designed and built a few hundreds of photovoltaic plants for a total capacity of about 4.000 kw, and is currently in the process of ...
The characteristics of fractures in unit 2 of the Tshirege Member of the Bandelier Tuff were documented in Pit 39, a newly excavated 13.7 m deep disposal pit at Material Disposal Area G on Mesita del Buey. The average spacing between fractures is about 1.0 to 1.3 m, the average fracture aperture is about 3 to 5 mm, and the average fracture dip is about 76o to 77o. Fracture spacing and dip in Pit 39 are generally consistent with that reported from other fracture studies on the Pajarito Plateau, although the fracture apertures in Pit 39 are less than reported elsewhere. Measured fracture orientations are strongly affected by biases imparted by the orientations of the pit walls, which, combined with a small data set, make identification of potential preferred orientations dlfflcult. The most prominent fracture orientations observed in Pit 39, about E-W and N20E, are often not well represented elsewhere on the Pajarito Plateau. Fracture fills contain smectite to about ...
It was generated the concentration curve of the Xe{sup 135} (t) during the TRIGA Mark III reactor operation cycle, for a continuous irradiation of 72 h to 1 MW of thermal power, as well as the accumulation curve of the isotope after the shutdown, for the fuel configuration No. 16 in the thermal column. The maximum negative reactivities generated by the Xe{sup 135} for operation times greater than 60 h to 1 MW and after the reactor shutdown its were of 1.968 {+-} 0.15 dollars and 2.30 {+-} 0.15 dollars respectively. When comparing these results with those theoretically calculated we find differences of the order of 3.6% and 5.34% which are understood inside the experimental error that on the average was of 7.6%. The results before mentioned have an important application during the start up process of the Reactor, when analyzing the value of the weekly reactivity excess of the core and when is choice the pattern of bars to use for experiments of but of 2 h, where is required to minimize ...
The new industrial political tools based on the Sustainable development of productive activities and originating at the Rio Conference in 1992, late introduced by the EU, the Government and voluntary organizations (ISO, CEM, UNI) are gradually entering the market, thereby underlying their effect in terms of industrial competitiveness. The main tools were examined in this report and mostly refer to the voluntary ones which, in surpassing the Command and Control logic, increasingly tend to get close to traditional fiscal, tariff and financial ones. [Italian] I nuovi strumenti di politica industriale orientali allo Sviluppo Sostenibile delle attivita' produttive che traggono origine dalla Conferenza di Rio del 1992 e sono stati introdotti successivamente da pare della Comunita' Europea, dal Governo e dagli Organismi di normazione volontaria (ISO, CEN, UNI), stanno gradualmente penetrando sul mercato facendo valere i loro effetti in termini di ...
This study compared rCBF pattern in normal adult and normal children using statistical parametric mapping (SPM). The purpose of this study was to determine distribution pattern not seen visual analysis in both groups. Tc-99m ECD brain SPECT was performed in 12 normal adults (M:F=11:1, average age 35 year old) and 6 normal control children (M:F=4:2, 10.5{+-}3.1y) who visited psychiatry clinic to evaluate ADHD. Their brain SPECT revealed normal rCBF pattern in visual analysis and they were diagnosed clinically normal. Using SPM method, we compared normal adult group's SPECT images with those of 6 normal children subjects and measured the extent of the area with significant hypoperfusion and hyperperfusion (p<0.001, extent threshold=16). The areas of both angnlar gyrus, both postcentral gyrus, both superior ...
Pulmonary clearance of an aerosol of "9"9Tc"m DTPA was measured in 21 non-smoking AIDS and pneumocystosis patients. The results were compared with those of pulmonary scintiscanning with gallium. All the patients exhibited increased clearance, evidence of a considerable alteration in alveolar permeability. This increase was also observed in patients with normal chest X-rays and normal blood gases. The average clearance in these patients was 6 #+-# 2% min"-"1 as compared with a normal 1.1 #+-# 0.3% min"-"1. Conversely, only four out of eight patients with normal chest X-rays had abnormal gallium scans. Clearance returned to normal after recovery. Measurement of DTPA clearance appears to be a very sensitive indicator for the detection and follow-up of pneumocystosis. However, it is not very specific since it can be increased by tobacco poisoning, drug abuse and the presence of ...
The purpose of this work is to investigate the possible role of Helical CT defecography in pelvic floor disorders by comparing the results of the investigations with those of conventional defecography. The series analyzed consisted of 90 patients, namely 62 women and 28 men, ranging in age 24-82 years. They were all submitted to conventional defecography, and 18 questionable cases were also studied with Helical CT defecography. The conventional examination was performed during the 4 standard phases of resting, squeezing, Valsalva and straining; it is used a remote-control unit. The parameters for Helical CT defecography were: 5 mm beam collimation, pitch 2, 120 KV, 250 m As and 18-20 degrees gantry inclination to acquire coronal images of the pelvic floor. The rectal ampulla was distended with a bolus of 300 mL nonionic iodinated contrast agent (dilution: 3g/cc). The patient wore a napkin and was seated on the table, except for those who could not hold the position and were thus ...
Gastric stromal tumors are an ill-defined group of lesions arising from muscle wall cells and characterized by extremely variable biological patterns. Thanks to modern immunohistochemical and ultrastructural techniques, four main classes of these lesions have been identified, namely: (1) tumors with differentiation toward smooth muscle cells; (2) tumors with differentiation toward neural elements; (3) tumors with differentiation toward neural elements; (3) tumors with dual differentiation toward either cell type. It was investigated the yield of CT in diagnosing and characterizing gastric stromal tumors. It was retrospectively reviewed the CT findings of 38 patients (15 men and 23 women; mean age 51 years) with pathologically proven gastric stromal tumors, namely 31 of myoid origin, 4 of neural origin, 2 with both muscle and neural differentiation, 1 lacking differentiation with either cell type. The myoid tumors involved gastric fundus in 9/13 and 5/7 benign lesions and lesions with ...
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 contrast agent administration and the pitch 2 technique. After a previous baseline ...
Normal maps between discrete groups $N\\rightarrow G$ were characterized[FS] as those which induce a compatible topological group structure on the homotopy quotient $EN\\times_N G$. Here we deal with topological group maps $N\\rightarrow G$ being normal in the same sense as above and hence forming a homotopical analogue to the inclusion of a topological normal subgroup in a reasonable way. We characterize these maps by a compatible simplicial loop space structure on $Bar_\\bullet(N,G)$, invariant under homotopy monoidal functors, e.g. Localizations and Completions. In the course of characterizing homotopy normality, we define a notion of a "homotopy action" similar to an $A_{\\infty}$ action on a space, but phrased in terms of Segal's 'special $\\Delta-$spaces' and seem to be of importance on its own right. As an application of the invariance of normal maps, we give a very short ...
A technique for quantitative analysis of growth plates in varus or valgus deformity about the knee has been developed. Computer-generated regions of interest are placed on magnification scintigraphs to divide distal femoral and proximal tibial physes into four equal segments. The ratio of counts in the medial half to counts in the lateral half was studied in 31 children (22 normal, 9 with angular deformity). Normal ratios were 0.74 to 0.98 for femora and 0.98 to 1.20 for tibias. In eight of nine patients with deformity, the ratio was abnormal; in two patients the ratio returned to normal when the deformity ceased to progress.
Studies on pupal irradiation of Earias vittella Fabricius, were undertaken to determine the optimum dose for sterile and competitive adults. Late pupae were irradiated with gamma radiation doses ranging from 150 to 300 Gy. Emerging adults were normal and without malformation. When males that emerged from irradiated pupae were crossed with normal female, fecundity as well as longevity was comparable to control, but there was drastic reduction in percent egg hatch in all the treatments. However, when females emerging from irradiated pupae were crossed with normal male, there was reduction in the fecundity as well as fertility and this effect was dose dependent. (author).
Variation of CT units, in organs, before and after using contrast enhancing medium was reviewed and personal experience was presented. In the normal brain CT units was little changed by contrast enhancement (CE), whereas remarkable change was observed at lesions. No difference of CT units was observed between the normal liver and hepatomas. The normal kidney had higher CE effect than hypernephromas suggesting an increase of the sensitivity. CE was not found in cysts or necrosis. The changes of CT units in the cases of cerebral diseases are tabled with various contrast medium and scanners.
Nov 8, 2010 ... Ihring Mission 11, the radiation dosimetry measurement system functioned normally and provided data on the Earth's trapped radiation belts ...
Despite a complex cascade of cellular events to reconstruct the damaged extracellular matrix, ligament healing results in a mechanically inferior scarred ligament. During normal healing, granulation...Full Text Available
... Briefly, a standard detonator (normally the Scale 1 Gap Test Donor, comprising an exploding bridgewire to initiate a low density PETN pellet and ...
Myriad genetic and epigenetic alterations are required to drive normal cells toward malignant transformation. These somatic events commandeer many signaling pathways that cooperate to endow aspiring...Full Text Available
Abstract. The pathogenesis of normal (intraocular) pressure glaucoma has remained unclear so far. As hospital-based studies showed an association of normal-pressure glaucoma with low systemic blood pressure, particularly at night, and with vasospastic symptoms, it has been hypothesized that a vascular factor may play a primary role in the pathogenesis of normal-pressure glaucoma. That assumption may, however, be contradicted by the morphology of the optic nerve head. Eyes with normal-pressure glaucoma and glaucomatous eyes with high-intraocular pressure can show a strikingly similar appearance of the optic nerve head, including a loss of neuroretinal rim, a deepening of the optic cup, and an enlargement of parapapillary atrophy. These features, however, are not found in any (other) vascula...
Knowledge about retinal photoreceptor signal transduction and the visual cycle required for normal eyesight has expanded exponentially over the past decade. Substantial progress in human genetics...Full Text Available
Unlike in normal rabbits, pulmonary rapidly adapting receptors (RARs) in rabbits with chronic mitral regurgitation (MR) do not respond to small changes in extravascular...Full Text Available
In order to provide a rational basis for the development of new insecticides, a thorough understanding of resistance mechanisms is necessary and this presupposes a detailed knowledge of the normal...Full Text Available
Standard pancreatic resections, such as pancreaticoduodenectomy, distal pancreatectomy, or total pancreatectomy, result in an important loss of normal pancreatic parenchyma and may cause impairment...Full Text Available
The goal of this experiment is to evaluate the usefulness of existing normal gravity two-phase flow heat transfer augmentation techniques under microgravity ...
In ozonization of polyfunctional and humic acids in icy acetic acid the whole of organic carbon can turn into a soluble form. Mono - and dicarboxylic acids of normal structure were found in the products of ozonization.
The KDP crystal was 10 cm long and cut such that the c-axis was 50.3* to the normal of its input face. We selected for study idler and signal beams ...
Abstract: The ability of melatonin as a potent antioxidant was used as a rationale for testing its antiapoptotic ability in normal cells. Recently, melatonin was shown to possess proapoptotic action by increasing reactive oxygen species in certain cancer cells. The modification of radiation-induced apoptosis by melatonin and the expression of apoptosis-associated upstream regulators were studied in normal mice splenocytes and Jurkat T leukemia cells. C57BL/6 mice were exposed to a single whole body X-ray radiation dose of 2 Gy with or without 250 mg/kg melatonin pretreatment. The Jurkat cells were divided into four groups of control, 1 mm melatonin alone, 4 Gy irradiation-only and melatonin pretreatment before irradiation. The highest level of apoptosis in the normal splenic white pulp was...
... a given ternary molten salt system under conditions which are greatly " different than the normal method of potentiometric titration, that is, high ...
Apparatus and method are described for the vaporization of liquid fuel oils to produce a gaseous mixture suitable for burning in a burner normally designed for operation utilizing natural gas.
In response to changes in workload, the heart grows or shrinks. Indeed, the myocardium is capable of robust and rapid structural remodeling. In the setting of normal, physiological demand, the...Full Text Available
... A second hydrometeor sampler (MRI Model 1220 ... The cloud particle probe normally installed in ... to the northeast showed no significant movement. ...
PurposeTo analyze the expression of apoptosis and cell proliferation molecules in pterygium tissues of Chinese patients.MethodsThirty-three pterygia...Full Text Available
Objective: To compare pediatric patients with periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) with normal children by using diffusion tensor MR imaging. Methods: Diffusion tensor images were obtained in 15 pediatric patients with PVL and 15 age-matched normal children. Regions of interest were drawn to measure the fractional anisotropy (FA) in bilateral posterior limb of internal capsule, bilateral optic radiation, genu of corpus callosum, and splenium of corpus callosum. The values of PVL patients and normal children were compared using non-dependent samples T-test. Results: The FA values of regions of interest prescribed were significantly lower in PVL patients than in normal children (P<0.01). Conclusion: Diffusion tensor imaging may reveal retard of myelination of fiber tracts in PVL patients. It can be a potential tool in evaluating the brain development of children. (authors)
Cutaneous scarring can cause patients symptoms ranging from the psychological to physical pain. Although the process of normal scarring is well described the ultimate cause of pathological scarring...Full Text Available
The editor of The Journal of Perinatal Education describes the contents of this issue, which offer a broad range of resources, research, and inspiration for childbirth educators.
Corrosion- and Wear Resistant Silicon Containing Chromium-Manganese and Nickel-Chromium-Manganese Nonmagnetic Steels with Increased Strength and Toughness for Reliable Work at Normal and Cryogenic Temperatures
Emerging evidence indicates that impaired cellular energy metabolism is the defining characteristic of nearly all cancers regardless of cellular or tissue origin. In contrast to normal cells, which...Full Text Available
pumped storage plants; but these must be built as well since there is no correspondence with the pump and turbine operating times governed by normal network ...
Adaptive radiation therapy for liver cancer has the potential to reduce normal tissue complications and enable dose escalation, allowing the potential for tumor control in this challenging site....Full Text Available
BackgroundMultiple myeloma is a hematologic malignancy associated with the development of a destructive osteolytic bone disease.ResultsMathematical...Full Text Available
In this thesis a study is made of the of voltage characteristics and reactive power control in the transmission network of the Electric Power Systems (EPS) with static compensators of VARs (SCVs). The necessity of voltage and reactive power control and the application of SCVs as a solution means for three representative operation stages of the EPS, considering balanced operation conditions and fundamental frequency is analyzed: Operation in the presence of incremental voltage changes, quasi-stationary operation or steady state and behavior at the occurrence of big disturbances. The application of SCVs to systems of integral transmission is in general a closed loop control system, reason why the analysis of the interaction of the system EPS-SCV is considered as an essential part of the voltage and reactive power control study. Firstly, the response analysis of the control loop is made for incremental voltage changes, representing the power system by means of its equivalent of Thevenin ...
Objetivo Estudiar la evolucion de un grupo de neumonias extrahospitalarias causadas por germenes atipicos (Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Legionella spp., Coxiella burnetii y Chlamydophila pneumoniae) en funcion del tratamiento empirico recibido. Pacientes y metodos Entre enero de 1996 y febrero de 2001 ingresaron en nuestra unidad 390 casos de neumonia, de los que 89 estaban causados por germenes atipicos. Los pacientes se dividieron retrospectivamente en 2 grupos segun el tratamiento empirico pautado: grupo A, al que se habia proporcionado cobertura frente a germenes atipicos (quinolonas o macrolidos), y grupo B, al que no se habia proporcionado dicha cobertura. Se estudio la evolucion segun las diferencias entre ambos grupos en la estancia hospitalaria, la resolucion radiologica, el reingreso e...
The document describes the outcome of the CSN/CIEMAT-00 interlaboratory test comparison among environmental radioactivity laboratories. the exercise was organised according to the ISO-43 and the ISO/IUPAC/AOAC Harmonized Protocol for the proficiency testing of analytical laboratories. the test sample was a soil containing environmental levels of K-40, Ra-226, Ac-228, Sr-90, Cs-137, Cs-134, Pu (239-240) y Am-241. the Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona prepared the material and reported adequate statistical studies of homogeneity. The results of the exercise were computed for 30 participating laboratories, and their analytical performance was assessed using the u-score approach. A raised percentage of satisfactory laboratory performance has been obtained for all the analysis, being the best performance in gamma measurements. The exercise has drawn that several laboratories have difficulties in the evaluation of combined uncertainty, mainly in analysis involving radiochemical steps. The ...
Before the implementation Water Framework directive, it was usual to forget that a good environment protection of the receiving waters needs a correct and coordinated operation of the subsystems of the water cycle, specially sewerage system, WWTP and receiving waters. This explains that most of the countries have focused their efforts in the treatment of dry weather flows forgetting the management of wet weather flows. Actually the idea that a sewerage system or a WWTP can not be planned or managed independently without considering the effects on the receiving waters is commonly accepted because not only each one of these systems must work correctly but also it is required a minimum impact in the receiving waters of the sewerage and WWTP overflows in dry and wet weather. All these links will affect the management strategy of the sewerage system (storm water detection tanks, gates, pumping stations, etc)., the interceptor, the WWTP and the receiving waters. Only an integral planning of ...
SommarioScopo In questo studio riportiamo i dati relativi all'ablazione percutanea con Radiofrequenza (RF) di HCC e trombosi neoplastica dei vasi portali. Pazienti e metodi Dieci pazienti (pz) cirrotici, 7 maschi e 3 femmine, eta media 68 anni, con 10 noduli di HCC e trombosi neoplastica dei vasi portali sono stati sottoposti ad ablazione percutanea con RF del trombo neoplastico e dell'HCC. La RF veniva ritenuta efficace quando alla TC con mdc si osservava la necrosi completa dell'HCC e al Color Doppler si osservava la ricanalizzazione completa dei vasi portali. Risultati La necrosi completa dell'HCC e la ricanalizzazione completa dei vasi portali si osservava in 7 (70%) dei 10 pazienti. Nei rimanenti 3 (30%) la necrosi dell'HCC e la ricanalizzazione dei vasi portali non risultavano comple...
The document reports the main issues discussed during the first course-debate on quality controls in radiotherapy, held in Rome in December 3-4, 1998 and May 3-5 1999 in collaboration between the Istituto Superiore di Sanita' and the Istituto Regina Elena. The points considered critical to the quality assurance in radiotherapy by the participants are presented in relation to the total radiotherapy procedure. [Italian] Questo documento e' dedicato al primo corso-dibattito sui controlli di qualita' in radioterapia svoltosi a Roma il 3-4 dicembre 1998 e il 3-5 maggio 1999 in collaborazione tra l'Istituto Superiore di Sanita' e l'Istituto Regina Elena. Esso presenta gli argomenti ritenuti critici per l'assicurazione di qualita' in radioterapia in relazione all'intera procedura radioterapica, in base alle esperienze dei partecipanti.
Introduccion y objetivos Aunque los bloqueos de rama (BR) se consideran hallazgos frecuentes, la informacion sobre su prevalencia real en la poblacion general es escasa, y es inexistente en los pacientes en dialisis. El objetivo es establecer la prevalencia del BR completo en la poblacion que inicia dialisis y los factores relacionados con su aparicion. Como analisis adicional, se explora su asociacion con la mortalidad y con la aparicion de un evento cardiovascular. Metodos Se incluyo a los pacientes que iniciaron dialisis en nuestro centro entre el 1 de noviembre de 2003 y el 31 de diciembre de 2006. Todos fueron sometidos a valoracion cardiologica al inicio de dialisis. Determinamos el BR y su relacion con factores clinicos y parametros ecocardiograficos y bioquimicos. Los pacientes fue...
The purpose of this work is to describe the radiological appearance of overlooked malignant pulmonary lesions at CT and to analyze the reasons of misdiagnosis. Ten patient with pulmonary lesion (PML) overlooked at forst CT examination were selected among patients with lung cancer. Endobronchial location of the tumors and their small size were the most frequent causes of misdiagnosis of PML at chest CT in the series. However, a systematic evaluation of CT scans can reduce the percentage of missed lesions. [Italian] Scopo del presente lavoro e' di descrivere le caratteristiche radiologiche delle lesioni polmonari maligne non identificate con la Tomografia Computerizzata (TC) e definire le possibili cause di errore. Sono stati esaminato 10 pazienti con tumore polmonare. Le sedi endobronchiale e centrale nonche' le piccole dimensioni delle lesioni polmonari maligne rappresentano le cause piu' frequenti di errore diagnostico della TC. La ...
The possibility of oxidizing at a PbO{sub 2} anode the phenols and polyphenols, present in the olive oil mill wastewater, has been studied as a pre-treatment for the submission of such wastewater to the traditional biological treatments. The results obtained operating at current densities ranging 500 to 2000 A/m{sup 2} show that it is possible to reduce the concentration of the phenolic components, which interfere with the biological treatments, down to low values without decreasing too much the total organic content of the wastewater. [Italian] E' stata studiata la possibilita' di ossidare anodicamente i componenti fenolici delle acque reflue di frantoio, quale pretrattamento delle stesse prima del loro invio ai processi di trattamento biologico. I risultati ottenuti impiegando PbO{sub 2} quale materiale anodico e operando con densita' di corrente comprese tra 500 e 2000 A/m{sup 2} mostrano come sia possibile eliminare, o almeno ...
Water from small scale purification plants is a low cost alternative for consumers in comparison to the bottled commercial presentations. Because of its low cost per liter, the consumption of this product has increased in recent years, stimulating in turn the installation of purification systems for these small businesses. The purpose of this study was to estimate the efficiency of small scale purification systems located in the cities of Zacatecas and Guadalupe, Zacatecas, to reduce the radioactive content of water. It was measured the total alpha and beta activity in water samples of entry and exit to process, through the liquid scintillation technique. In general it was observed that the process is more efficient in removing alpha that beta activity. The fraction of total alpha activity removed varied between 27 and 100%, while between 0 and 77% of the total beta activity was removed by the analyzed plants. In all cases, the total radioactivity level was lower than the maximum ...
The effect of steam explosion treatment on the enzymatic hydrolysis yield of two different lignocellulosic substrates is studied. Raw materials have been pretreated in a pilot plant designed to work in batch and equipped with a reactor vessel of 2 1 working volume where biomass was heated at the desired temperature and then exploded and recovered in a cyclone. Temperatures from 190 to 230 degree celsius and reaction times from 2 to 8 min. have been assayed. The efficiency of the steam explosion treatment has been evaluated on the composition of the lignocellulosic materials as well as on their enzymatic hydrolysis yield using a cellulolytic complex from T. reesel. Results show a high solubilization rate of hemicelluloses and variable losses of cellulose and lignin depending on the conditions tested. Enzymatic hydrolysis yields of both substrates experimented remarkable increments, corresponding the highest values obtained to 210 degree celsius; 2 min. and 21O degree celsius; 4 min. for ...
The behaviour of bare aluminium is studied in atmospheric exposure at 11 natural testing stations with salinity levels ranging between 2.1 and 684 mg Cl''- m''-2 d''-1. In atmospheres of low or moderate aggressivity aluminium behaves as a passive material, though the insignificant corrosion that is produced is sufficient to spoil its appearance. In contrast, at salinity levels of 50 mg Cl''- m''-2 ''-1 or above, aluminium is susceptible to pitting corrosion even in the first year of atmospheric exposure, or in the second year at salinities of {<=} 10 mg Cl''- m''-2 d''-1. For comparative purposes, results are included for aluminium protected with an anodic film of 28 {mu}m thickness exposed at the same testing stations. A 28 {mu}m anodic film, correctly sealed, prevents the risk of localised corrosion even in the most ...
This work was made with the purpose to complete information about the hydrolysis constants of Europium (III) in high ion strength media. So it was determined at a ion forces media 4, 5 and 6 M of sodium perchlorate at 303 K. The method used was the potentiometric with the aid of the Super quad computer program. In high ion strength media, the measurements of p H do not correspond directly to negative logarithm of the concentration of hydrogen ions, by this it is necessary to calibrate the electrode in these conditions. The Europium was hydrolized at pC{sub H} values greater 6 in all cases. The potentiometric method used under the described experimental conditions is adequate to determine the hydrolysis constants of Europium (III). According to the results and diagrams of chemical species of Europium obtained we can conclude that the hydrolysis constants, differ by its distribution but not in its identity. (Author)
The photodegradation of two well known recalcitrant compounds was studied. At this aim, a photosystem constituted by titanium dioxide and polyaniline, both immobilised in a PVC membrane, and a sunlight simulating irradiation source was used. The optimisation of the experimental conditions, ph, ionic strength and, when operating on soils, humic acid concentration, allowed the photodegradation of Paraquat at a nearly 100% extent, while, an oxidation by hypochlorite was needed to degrade cyanuric acid. [Italian] E' stata studiata la fotodegradazione di due composti notoriamente recalcitranti a questo tipo di rimozione. Con un sistema fotocatalitico costituito da biossido di titanio e polianilina immobilizzati in una membrana di PVC ed operando con luce solare simulata e' possibile, ottimizzando le condizioni sperimentali di pH, forza ionica e - operando su terreno - concentrazione di acidi umici, ottenere la degradazione del paraquat fino a valori ...
Many social Web sites allow users to publish content and annotate with descriptive metadata. In addition to flat tags, some social Web sites have recently began to allow users to organize their content and metadata hierarchically. The social photosharing site Flickr, for example, allows users to group related photos in sets, and related sets in collections. The social bookmarking site Del.icio.us similarly lets users group related tags into bundles. Although the sites themselves don't impose any constraints on how these hierarchies are used, individuals generally use them to capture relationships between concepts, most commonly the broader/narrower relations. Collective annotation of content with hierarchical relations may lead to an emergent classification system, called a folksonomy. While some researchers have explored using tags as evidence for learning folksonomies, we believe that hierarchical relations described above offer a high-quality source of evidence ...
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 l'evoluzione e il ...
The ruptured offshore oil well 80 miles from Mexican town of Ciudad del Carmen, which poured 8000 barrels of light oil a day into the Gulf of Mexico, provided marine scientists with the opportunity to monitor the spill and see what happens to petroleum hydrocarbons in sea water. Scientists followed changes in viscosity, surface tension, and buoyancy of individual oil globs as they moved through the water and interacted with the surface slick. Using gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy, chemists are gaining an understanding of the unique characteristics of the oil. Computer-generated models projected the slick's movement in the Gulf in response to wind and wave pressures, but the sophisticated system did not give an accurate daily prediction. Immediate damage to fish, turtles, and sea birds was documented by tagging. Long-term effects will take longer to ascertain since 25 years is generally required to flush oil out of sediments. Fishermen do not agree ...
The front-end electronics system for the anode signals of the CMS Endcap Muon cathode strip chambers has about 183000 channels. The purposes of the anode front-end electronics are to acquire precise muon timing information for bunch crossing number identification at the Level-1 muon trigger system and to provide a coarse radial position of the muon track. Each anode channel consists of an input protection network, amplifier, shaper, constant-fraction discriminator, and a programmable delay. The essential parts of the electronics include a 16-channel amplifier-shaper-discriminator ASIC CMP16 and a 16-channel ASIC D16G providing programmable time delay. The ASIC CMP16 was optimized for the large cathode chamber size (up to 3 x 2.5 m2) and for the large input capacitance (up to 200 pf). The ASIC combines low power consumption (30 mW/channel) with good time resolution (2 - 3 ns). The del ay ASIC D16G makes possible the alignment of signals with an accuracy of 2.2 ns. ...
Rectus sheath hematomas are a frequent but sometimes misdiagnosed disease in patients under anticoagulative drugs, hemodialysis, or simply in the elderly. The most frequent localization is in the lower part of the abdomen: the explanation lies in the anatomy of the abdominal wall, especially in the arcuate line of the rectus sheath. Aim of this work is to explain the reason of the almost constant location correlating the anatomy with the CT features. The rectus abdominis muscle lies between the aponeuroses of the transverse and oblique muscles which form the so called rectus sheath. This arrangement is found from the costal arch to a level approximately between the umbilicus and the pubic symphisis, where the rear layer of the rectus sheath ends with a curved edge, called the arcuate or semicircular line of Douglas. Beneath this line the aponeuroses of the three muscles pass in front of the rectus which is separated from the peritoneum only by the fascia trasversalis, a thin connective ...
The previous judgment of eutrophic state, once proposed for the Trasimeno Lake (Umbria region, Italy), has been revised. According to Vollenweider-OECD classification criterion, the lake waters are at present to be classified as mesotrophic waters, with phosphorus limitation. However this level of moderate productivity results to be conditioned by the hydrochemical characteristics of the lake waters, that control phosphorus concentrations independently from the loading coming from the basin, and prevent dangerous and massive algal blooms. Different processes of chemical nature, regulating the phosphorus amount in the lake waters, are then reviewed: adsorption of P/P0(4) onto suspended materials, particularly clay mineral particles, and direct precipitation as hydroxylapatite or co-precipitation with carbonates, are found to be the principal mechanisms that determine chemical removal of phosphorus from the water column. A preliminary mass balance of phosphorus subtracted from the system ...
A method to select, among several commercial diameter options, the most economic combination of pipeline networks is presented. These networks comply with the discharge conditions in the pipes and pressure in the knots. It is applied a static method for the hydraulics analysis of the Engineering Institute of the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM) and an optimization technique to reduce the number of calculations. [Spanish] Se presenta un metodo para seleccionar, de entre varias opciones de diametros comerciales, la combinacion que forma la red de tuberias mas economica que satisface las condiciones de gasto en los tubos y de presion en los nudos de la misma. Para el analisis hidraulico se emplea un metodo estatico del Instituto de Ingenieria de la Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM) y se aplica una tecnica de optimacion para reducir el numero de calculos y alcanzar la solucion.
Aim of the work was to describe the noninvasive assessment of bone mineral density, geometrical and biochemical properties in premenopausal women with dietary intake of phytoestrogens and comparison of these parameters with those of age-matched female subjects with Mediterranean dietary intake lacking in these substances. Volumetric cortical, trabecular and total mineral density and bone geometrical properties were evaluated with peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) at the distal radius of the non dominant forearm. pQCT showed higher bone mineral density (total and trabecular) and SSI values in premenopausal with dietary intake of phytoestrogens. Despite the lack of statistical significance, these preliminary results, should further support the few literature findings about the potential role of phytoestrogens consumption in preventing trabecular bone loss. However, further studies are warranted to evaluate definitively postmenopausal osteoporosis. [Italian] Scopo ...
Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) of lung perfusions permits to map functioning lung parenchyma with higher sensitivity than CT. Delivering higher radiations doses it used to increase local control in lung carcinoma; this strategy is based on radiobiological and clinical studies. Lung parenchyma is a dose-limiting tissue in patients irradiated for lung cancer. Functional mapping based on SPECT and CT findings permits to design radiation beams such as to minimize irradiation of functioning lung. [Italian] L'integrazione delle immagini diagnostiche aventi diverso contenuto informativo anatomico-funzionale puo' essere utilizzata nella radioterapia per migliorare le procedure diagnostiche e ottimizzare la geometria dell'irraggiamento. I sistemi per l'elaborazione di piani di radioterapia oggi in uso sono direttamente interfacciati con gli apparecchi di Tomografia Computerizzata (TC) e l'impiego di immagini provenienti da altre ...
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 l'utilita' della semeiologia della tomografia computerizzata in ...
The main purpose of this work is to report the personal experience with addition of contrast-enhanced multiphase helical CT to unenhanced CT (Lipiodol CT) in the evaluation of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma treated with chemoembolization and to analyze the present role of oily agent CT. It has been retrospectively reviewed the examinations of 42 consecutive patients submitted to global chemoembolization over a 2-year period. CT was performed 18-30 days after the treatment. The Lipiodol CT study was carried out with volume acquisitions. It has been considered as nodules all well-defined areas with dense oily agent uptake; uptake itself was classified as: 0=absent, I=lower than 10% of the tumor volume; II=lower than 50%, III=50%, IV=homogeneous. Contrast-enhanced helical CT was performed with the 2-phase technique in 28 patients and with the 3-phase technique in 14; it has been considered as nodules all well-defined and relatively homogeneous areas with hyper attenuation in the ...
A system and method for enabling human beings to communicate by way of their monitored brain activity. The brain activity of an individual is monitored and transmitted to a remote location (e.g. by satellite). At the remote location, the monitored brain activity is compared with pre-recorded normalized brain activity curves, waveforms, or patterns to determine if a match or substantial match is found. If such a match is found, then the computer at the remote location determines that the individual was attempting to communicate the word, phrase, or thought corresponding to the matched stored normalized signal.
The modes of action of the five major endo-(1----4)-beta-D-glucanases (I, II, III, IV and V) purified from Penicillium pinophilum cellulase were compared by h.p.l.c. analysis, with normal, 1-3H-labelled...Full Text Available
The metabolism of pentose-phosphate was investigated in Plasmodium falciparum-infected normal and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD)-deficient human red blood cells in vitro. 5'-Phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophosphate...Full Text Available
The multiplanar neurosonographic examination of the fetus enables superb visualization of brain anatomy during pregnancy. The examination may be performed using a transvaginal or a transfundal approach and it is indicated in patients at high risk for CNS anomalies or in those with a suspicious finding during a routine examination. The purpose of this paper is to present a description of the normal brain and of abnormal findings usually diagnosed late in pregnancy, including malformations of cortical development, infratentorial anomalies, and prenatal insults.
It was shown that the incorporation of "1"4C-linoleic acid in cerebrosides of normal and psoriatic human skin is different. In psoriatic epidermis and corium the turnover of this fatty acid is significantly elevated. It is suggested that in psoriasis the epidermal cell is not able to build up a regular carbohydrate sequences of lipids because the false carbohydrate chain activates the degradation of glycolipids and in compensating for the increased degradation raises the synthesis rate of glycolipids. (orig./MG).
Multiple-breath nitrogen washouts (MBNW) were performed with 21 adult dairy cows (seven normal cows tested on two days each, four clinically normal cows tested on six days, and ten cows with respiratory...Full Text Available
The extraction of cosmological parameters from microwave background observations relies on specific assumptions about the statistical properties of the data, in particular that the p-point distributions of temperature fluctuations are jointly-normal. Using a battery of statistical tests, we assess the multivariate Gaussian nature of the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) 1st year data. The statistics we use fall into three classes which test different aspects of joint-normality: the first set assess the normality of marginal (one-point) distributions using familiar univariate methods; the second involves statistics that directly assess joint-normality; and the third explores the evidence of non-linearity in the relationship between variates. We applied these tests to frequency maps, `foreground-cleaned' assembly maps and all-sky CMB-only maps. The assembly maps are of particular interest as ...
As reported previously (Namba et al., 1985), normal human fibroblasts were transformed by 60Co gamma-ray irradiation into immortal cells with abnormal karyotypes. These transformed cells (KMST-6), however, showed a low cloning efficiency in soft agar and no transplantability. However, upon treatment with Harvey murine sarcoma virus (Ha-MSV), the cells acquired elevated clonability in soft agar and transplantability in nude mice. Ha-MSV alone, however, did not convert normal human fibroblasts into either immortal or tumorigenic cells. The Ha-MSV-transformed KMST-6 cells showed an enhanced expression of the ras oncogene, but normal and 60Co gamma-ray-transformed cells did not. Our current data suggest that gamma rays worked against normal human cells as an initiator, giving rise to chromosome aberrations and immortality, and that Ha-MSV, probably through its ras oncogene, played a role in the progression ...
Bulk monomer MMA was impregnated into simul, a fuel wood of Bangladesh, under vacuum and under normal temperature and pressure conditions in order to compare the mode of impregnation and its effect on various characteristic parameters of wood plastic composites. Methanol (MeOH) was used as the swelling solvent with methylmethacrylate (MMA) at MMA: MeOH = 70:30, v/v. Impregnation of the bulk monomer was very high under vacuum compared to that at normal condition; but the difference of grafting of MMA to the wood cellulose under these two impregnating conditions was much lower as compared to that of the uptakes of impregnating solution MMA + MeOH under these two modes of impregnation. Incorporation of additives to MMA + MeOH has substantially enhanced grafting, tensile strength, bending strength and compression strength of the composite to such an extent that there is virtually very little difference between vacuum impregnation and ...
Serum ferritin levels were measured in 72 normal subjects and in 214 cases with various diseases by an immunoradiometric assay. In normal subjects, the serum ferritin levels were 27-230 ng/ml. Elevated serum ferritins were observed in most cases with iron excess and acute hepatitis. Markedly elevated levels were found in the majority of cases with acute leukemia, malignant lymphoma, hepatoma, and pancreatic cancer. High ferritin levels were also found in other malignant diseases. However, the range overlapped broadly with that of nonmalignant diseases. The serum ferritin correlated significantly with serum iron in normals and in those with iron deficiency anemia. In most nonmalignant cases, the serum ferritin and iron levels distributed on a regression line obtained from levels in normals and those with iron deficiency anemia. However, 92% of the malignant cases showed a serum ferritin to iron ratio ...
Quantitative bone scintigraphy was performed at 4 and 24 h after injection of {sup 99m}Tc-MDP. The lower thoracic and all the lumbar vertebrae were recorded in 37 patients with prostatic carcinoma before orchiectomy as well as two weeks, two and six months postoperatively. Fourteen patients had normal bone scintigrams. By means of the measured variation in the count rate between normal vertebrae, the criterion for a vertebra to be considered as abnormal was determined using the 4 h-uptake values. For patients with normal scintigrams the count rate at 24 h was below the 4 h level and the mean 24 h/4 h ratio was determined to be 0.85 {+-} 0.09 (1 SD). Normal vertebrae in patients with skeletal metastases had only slightly lower count rate values at 24 h than at 4 h. Abnormal vertebrae showed a higher count rate at 24 h, especially two weeks postoperatively, while a tendency towards lower values than at 4 ...
Quantitative bone scintigraphy was performed at 4 and 24 h after injection of "9"9"mTc-MDP. The lower thoracic and all the lumbar vertebrae were recorded in 37 patients with prostatic carcinoma before orchiectomy as well as two weeks, two and six months postoperatively. Fourteen patients had normal bone scintigrams. By means of the measured variation in the count rate between normal vertebrae, the criterion for a vertebra to be considered as abnormal was determined using the 4 h-uptake values. For patients with normal scintigrams the count rate at 24 h was below the 4 h level and the mean 24 h/4 h ratio was determined to be 0.85 #+-# 0.09 (1 SD). Normal vertebrae in patients with skeletal metastases had only slightly lower count rate values at 24 h than at 4 h. Abnormal vertebrae showed a higher count rate at 24 h, especially two weeks postoperatively, while a tendency towards lower values than at 4 h ...
We studied 64 ADHD children patients group (4 {approx} 15 ys, mean age: 8 {+-} 2.6 ys. M/F: 52/12) and 12 normal group (6 {approx} 7 ys, mean age: 9.4 {+-} 3.4 ys, M/F: 8/4) of the brain had been used to analysis of blood flow between normal and ADHD group. For analysis of Children ADHD, we used 12 children's mean brain images and made Template image of SPM99 program. In crease of blood flow (P-value 0.05), the result of normalized images to Template image to offer from SPM99 program, showed significant cluster in inter-Hemispheric and occipital Lobe, in the case of normalized images to children template image, showed inter-hemispheric and parietal lobe.
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 suggestive of ...
Oncospheres produced by a nonirradiated worm and oncospheres produced by a worm that had been subjected to high gamma radiation (successive generations of cysticercoids were irradiated with 15,000 r until a cumulative dose of 120,000 r was obtained) were compared. Radiation had no effect on the sizes of the embryos, the shell, and the median hooks. Radiation may have resulted in certain large, hookless embryos that did not occur in the normal worm. Two anomalies, reduced hook number and failure of growth, were more frequent in the normal than in the irradiated worm. This result, although surprising, can be explained by the high selection pressure operating under the experimental conditions. (auth)
Power loadings experienced by tokamak plasma-facing components during normal operation and during off-normal events are discussed. A model for power and particle flow in the tokamak boundary layer is presented and model predictions are compared to infrared measurements of component heating. The inclusion of the full three-dimensional geometry of the components and of the magnetic flux surface is very important in the modeling. Experimental measurements show that misalignment of component armour tile surfaces by only a millimeter can lead to significant localized heating. An application to the design of plasma-facing components for future machines is presented. Finally, thermal loads expected during tokamak disruptions are discussed. The primary problems are surface melting and vaporization due to localized intense heating during the disruption thermal quench and volumetric heating of the component armour and structure due to localised impact of ...
There is evidence that aged normal subjects have more difficulty in achieving automaticity than young subjects. The underlying central neural mechanism for this phenomenon is unclear. In the present study, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to investigate the effect of normal ageing on automaticity. Aged healthy subjects were asked to practice self-initiated, self-paced, memorized sequential finger movements with different complexity until they could perform the tasks automatically. Automaticity was evaluated by having subjects perform a secondary task simultaneously with the sequential movements. Although it took more time, most aged subjects eventually performed the tasks automatically at the same level as the young subjects. Functional MRI results showed that, for bot...
RIFLE criteria have been used to determine the incidence of acute kidney dysfunction (AKD) after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). However, no studies have focused on the incidence of AKD after OLT in patients with normal pre-OLT kidney functions. Using the RIFLE criteria, we determined the incidence and risk factors for AKD after OLT in patients with normal pre-OLT kidney function. We retrospectively analyzed the records of 112 patients who underwent OLT from January 2000 to February 2009 with normal prior kidney function. We investigated three levels of renal dysfunction outlined in the RIFLE criteria: risk (R); injury (I); and failure (F). Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative variables were collected. AKD occurred in 64 (57%) OLTs with risk, injury, and failure frequenc...
Serum heat-stable alkaline phosphatase (HSAP) level in 649 cases of normal pregnancy and 164 cases of high-risk pregnancy is measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA). The results indicate that the HSAP level in normal pregnancy increased proportionally with gestation weeks (r = 0.9843). In 33 cases of pregnancy induced hypertension and 21 cases of intrauterine fetal growth retardation, the HSAP level is significantly low. In 7 cases of neonatal asphyxia and 26 cases of fetal distress, the HSAP level in the mother's serum is also low. In 53 cases of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, the HSAP level is similar to those of normal pregnancy. This study illustrates that HSAP RIA can play an important role in the evaluation of placental function and fetal prognosis for cases of high-risk pregnancy.
Experiments were designed to elucidate whether or not the irradiated bone marrow cells receive any stimulation for the self-replication and differentiation from normal 'stromal' cell colonies in the bone marrow cell culture in vitro. When irradiated or unirradiated bone marrow cells were overlaid on the normal adherent cell colonies, the proliferation of haemopoietic stem cells was supported, the degree of the stimulation depending on the starting cellular concentration. There was, however, no significant changes in the concentration of either CFUs or CFUc regardless of the dose of irradiation on the bone marrow cells overlaid. This was a great contrast to the dose-dependent decrease of CFUs or CFUc within the culture in which both the stem cells and stromal cells were simultaneously irradiated. These results suggest that the balance of self-replication and differentiation of the haemopoietic stem cells is affected only when ...
One of the most common types of functions in mathematics, physics, and engineering is a sum of products, sometimes called a partition function. After "normalization," a sum of products has a natural graphical representation, called a normal factor graph (NFG), in which vertices represent factors, edges represent internal variables, and half-edges represent the external variables of the partition function. In physics, so-called trace diagrams share similar features. We believe that the conceptual framework of representing sums of products as partition functions of NFGs is an important and intuitive paradigm that, surprisingly, does not seem to have been introduced explicitly in the previous factor graph literature. Of particular interest are NFG modifications that leave the partition function invariant. A simple subclass of such NFG modifications offers a unifying view of the Fourier transform, tree-based reparameterization, loop calculus, and ...
Full text: A method to measure noise power spectrum of a full field digital mammography system is presented. The effect of X-ray radiation dose, size and configuration of region of interest on normalized noise power spectrum (NNPS) was investigated. Flat field images were acquired using RQA-M2 beam quality technique (Mo/Mo anode-filter, 28 kV, 2 mm Al) with different clinical radiation doses. The images were cropped at about 4 cm from the edge of the breast wall and then divided into different size of non-overlapping or overlapping segments. NNPS was determined through de trending, 2-D fast Fourier transformation and normalization. Our measurement shows that high radiation dose gave lower NNPS at a specific beam quality. (author)
A method to measure noise power spectrum of a full field digital mammography system is presented. The effect of X-ray radiation dose, size and configuration of region of interest on normalized noise power spectrum (NNPS) was investigated. Flat field images were acquired using RQA-M2 beam quality technique (Mo/Mo anode-filter, 28 kV, 2 mm Al) with different clinical radiation doses. The images were cropped at about 4 cm from the edge of the breast wall and then divided into different size of non-overlapping or overlapping segments. NNPS was determined through detrending, 2-D fast Fourier transformation and normalization. Our measurement shows that high radiation dose gave lower NNPS at a specific beam quality.
We present sufficient conditions that imply duality for the algebras of local observables in all Abelian sectors of all locally normal, irreducible representations of a field algebra if twisted duality obtains in one of these representations. It is verified that the Yukawa/sub 2/ model satisfies these conditions, yielding the first proof of duality for the observable algebra in all coherent charge sectors in this model. This paper also constitutes the first verification of the assumptions of the axiomatic study of the structure of superselection sectors by Doplicher, Haag and Roberts in an interacting model with nontrivial sectors. The existence of normal product states for the free Fermi field algebra and, thus, the verification of the funnel property for the associated net of local algebras are demonstrated.
Critical current density and dissipation of four sintered YBCO filaments were measured using a continuous DC power supply. Each sample exhibited somewhat different characteristics from the others even though 3 of the 4 samples are from the same batch. The data suggest that it is possible for the YBCO filament to be in a state of stable equilibrium when part of the filament is in the flux-flow state and part of the filament is in the normal state (local hot spots). This behavior may be advantageous for resistive fault current limiters because the intermediate state (partly flux-flow and partly normal) has an overall resistance much higher than that of the flux-flow state but it does not lead to thermal runaway (burnout) or excessive heating compared to a YBCO filament driven into normal state over its entire length. Two of the samples were broken as a result of local burnout.
Substantially genetically stable continuous human cell lines derived from normal human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC) and processes for making and using the same. In a preferred embodiment, the cell lines are derived by treating normal human mammary epithelial tissue with a chemical carcinogen such as benzo(a)pyrene. The novel cell lines serve as useful substrates for elucidating the potential effects of a number of toxins, carcinogens and mutagens as well as of the addition of exogenous genetic material. The autogenic parent cells from which the cell lines are derived serve as convenient control samples for testing. The cell lines are not neoplastically transformed, although they have acquired several properties which distinguish them from their normal progenitors. 2 tabs.
Presented here is the calculation of the diffusion of radionuclides from the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant under normal operation on the basis of Gaussian model. The model is modified partially considering practical situation, and monitoring meteorological data are adopted. By using the AIRDOS-EPA computer code, the average annual ground-level concentration distribution of radionuclides from Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant in 2001 was obtained, the atmospheric dispersion factor and ground deposition rate were also acquired. These calculated results can provide information for understanding the effect on radiation environment due to Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant under normal operation. (authors)
The purpose of this work is to investigate whether any morphometric or densitometric are detectable in the kidneys of type 2 diabetic patients. 40 diabetic patients were examined and of 20 non-diabetics (the control group) were submitted to triphasic helical CT for different abdominal conditions. The type 2 diabetic patients were 23 men and 17 women, mean age 62 years, while the nondiabetic controls were 12 men and 8 women, mean age 58 years. All the CT images were analyzed using the Multiplanar Reconstruction (MPR) software. It was evaluated morphometric features, such as the presence of parenchymal or vascular calcifications, axial and coronal renal diameters, coronal renal area, and cortico medullary ratio, and densitometric and functional features, such as unenhanced renal density, cortical and medullary density in the arterial phase, parenchymal density in the nephrographic phase, and contrast elimination. It was also compared the results in the subgroups of patients with those in ...
The side effects of cancer therapy on normal tissues limit the success of therapy. Generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been implicated for numerous chemotherapeutic agents including doxorubicin...Full Text Available
... AFSOC could look at several aircraft as candidates, including the C-27J, C-130J, and KC-767. ... C-130 aircraft (except C-130J) are normally limited ...
Osteoporotic vertebral fractures often lead to pain and disability. They can be successfully treated, and possibly prevented, by injecting cement into the vertebral body, a procedure known as vertebroplasty....Full Text Available
The effect of 5,5′-diphenylhydantoin on thyroxine metabolism was examined in five normal volunteers. Intravenous injection of radiothyroxine was followed by a 10-12 day control and subsequent...Full Text Available
What do we mean when we say that a mental condition is a medical disorder rather than a normal form of human suffering or a problem in living? The status of psychiatry as a medical discipline depends...Full Text Available
Previous studies have shown that salicylates and protein-calorie malnutrition independently compromise maturation and growth of infants. In the present study, pregnant rats were fed normal-and low-protein...Full Text Available
We use a novel normal mode analysis of an elastic network model drawn from configurations generated during microsecond all-atom molecular dynamics simulations to analyze the mechanism of auto-inhibition...Full Text Available
Breast cancer is a leading cause of female deaths worldwide. In Malaysia, it is the most common form of female cancer while Infiltrating ductal carcinoma (IDC) is the most common form of breast cancer....Full Text Available
In many dinoflagellate species, the plastid genome has been proposed to exist as a limited number of single-gene minicircles, and many genes normally found in the plastid genome are nuclear-encoded....Full Text Available
IgA from normal human serum, a myeloma IgA and human colostral IgA were found to inhibit the IgG-dependent phagocytosis of Candida albicans (CA) blastospores by polymorphonuclear leucocytes...Full Text Available
Commercial feed rations containing sulfamethazine at the level of 110 ppm were fed for a period of 65 days to market pigs in a study simulating normal farm practices. The levels of sulfamethazine at...Full Text Available
Background & Aimsβ-catenin signaling within the canonical Wnt pathway is essential for pancreas development. However, the pathway is normally down-regulated...Full Text Available
The stability of prothrombin and factor VII was studied using accelerated degradation tests in three preparations of freeze-dried pooled normal plasmas. In a previous report (Brozović, Gurd,...Full Text Available
A novel soft commutated direct current (DC) motor is introduced. The current of the commutated coil is intentionally drained before the brush disconnects the coil. This prevents the spark generation that normally occurs in conventional DC motors. A similar principle can be applied for DC generators.
BackgroundMicrovascular injury plays a key role in normal tissue radiation responses. Statins, in addition to their lipid-lowering effects, have vasculoprotective...Full Text Available
The normal physiological contraction of the urinary bladder, which is required for voiding, is predominantly mediated by muscarinic receptors, primarily the M3 subtype, with the M2...Full Text Available
Serum protein and lipid concentrations as well as the serum protein binding of propranolol, diazepam and phenytoin were measured in normal weight and obese volunteers. Concentrations of alpha 1-acid...Full Text Available
In systems of fast decimal counters, there are three problems to be resolved: to study a bistable having a short switching time, to form with the aid of three bistables a circuit divisible by 5, and to normalize the input pulses. The solutions to these problems for the nonsecond scaler are presented. (J.S.R.)
IntroductionIrradiation of normal, non-malignant bone during cancer therapy can lead to atrophy and increased risk of fracture at several skeletal sites, particularly...Full Text Available
The levels of glucose, sugar phosphates, and adenosine phosphates were determined in primary leaves of intact bean plants during normal senescence and compared to leaves in which senescence was delayed...Full Text Available
The nitrite-reducing activity of the normal susceptible biotype of lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L.) was strongly inhibited by atrazine in the assay medium, both in the case of the...Full Text Available
A brief survey is given of some ways in which heat, which would normally be lost from a cupola furnace, is being recovered, either as hot water, steam, or electricity. Examples are provided of heat-recovery systems in Germany, Italy, and America. (author).
French ... Orig. Title Scintigraphie osseuse quantifiee chez l'enfant et l'adolescent - repartition selon l'age des taux de fixation de diverses pieces osseuses normales.
BackgroundSmall laboratory fish share many anatomical and histological characteristics with other vertebrates, yet can be maintained in large numbers at low cost for lifetime studies....Full Text Available
Pulmonary function tests were performed on seven adult dairy cows with an expanded lung field (ExLF) and the results were compared to the values from seven cows with normal lung fields. The cows with...Full Text Available
Placental and placental-like alkaline phosphatase (PLAP) levels in the culture media of 87 cell lines of neoplastic and 'normal' origin were measured by a conventional immunosorbent enzymatic assay...Full Text Available
A series of 53 cases of primary hemifacial spasm have been evaluated by means of blink reflexes and their results compared with a normal control group. Reflex responses were obtained by percutaneous...Full Text Available
The pharmacokinetics of oral fluoroquinolone antibiotics in normal volunteers have been studied extensively; however, limited patient data exist. Enoxacin steady-state pharmacokinetics and bioavailability...Full Text Available
The epigenome consists of non–sequence-based modifications, such as DNA methylation, that are heritable during cell division and that may affect normal phenotypes and predisposition...Full Text Available
The contribution of the parietal cortex to episodic memory is a fascinating scientific puzzle. On one hand, parietal lesions do not normally yield severe episodic memory deficits, but on the...Full Text Available
Patients with pancreatic cancer normally present with advanced disease that is lethal and notoriously difficult to treat. Survival has not improved dramatically, despite routine use of chemotherapy...Full Text Available
It has been discovered that iron(III) chloride complexes supported on activated charcoal oxidize phosphine under normal conditions. The process accelerates as the concentration of the chloride ions and the proton acid increases.
The intercalated disk (ID) is a complex structure that electromechanically couples adjoining cardiac myocytes into a functional syncitium. The integrity of the disk is essential for normal cardiac function,...Full Text Available
It is shown that calculation of the anomalous expectation values for the massless Gross-Neveu model in the Hartree-Fock approximation indicates the presence of an ordinary chiral phase transition if the coupling constant has the normal sign (g > 0) and of a different transition of the superconductivity type if g < 0.
Ocular movements were studied electro-oculographically in 10 normal subjects and 10 patients with alternating strabismus. Fixation and pursuit movements and to a less extent the saccadic movements were...Full Text Available
Borrelia burgdorferi produces potent cell-activating molecules capable of stimulating polyclonal proliferation and immunoglobulin production by murine B lymphocytes and cytokine production by a variety...Full Text Available
Left ventricular aneurysm (LVA) is one of the most important complications of myocardial infarction LVA is strictly defined as a distinct area of abnormal left ventricular diastolic contour with systolic...Full Text Available
The inflammatory process has direct effects on normal and abnormal wound healing. Hypertrophic scar formation is an aberrant form of wound healing and is an indication of an exaggerated function of...Full Text Available
A study of the joint evolution of the normal- and neutron-star components of massive binaries opens with a classification scheme and the analytic expressions to be applied in Paper II for computer simulation of the observable properties of such systems.
A number of studies have examined the functional roles of individual muscles during normal walking, but few studies have examined which are the primary muscles that respond to changes in external...Full Text Available
1. In normal rats and rats with bladder hypertrophy secondary to outflow obstruction, undergoing continuous cytometry, we examined the responses to the selective alpha 1-adrenoceptor antagonist doxazosin...Full Text Available
BackgroundCD26 (dipeptidyl peptidase IV, DPPIV) is a 110 kDa surface glycoprotein expressed in most normal tissues, and is a potential novel therapeutic target for selected cancers....Full Text Available
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
Iron is a central element in the metabolism of normal and malignant cells. Abnormalities in iron and ferritin expression have been observed in many types of cancer. Interest in characterizing iron compounds...Full Text Available
A rebreathing method was developed for measuring diffusing lung capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) in a hyperbaric environment. Twenty two professional naval divers with normal lung function were included...Full Text Available
In this study, the essential oil from lotus flower extract, including petals and stamens, was assessed with regard to its effects on melanogenesis in human melanocytes. The lotus flower essential oil...Full Text Available
Serial studies of iron transport in patients on maintenance dialysis showed normal or raised values in almost all subjects and a transient increase soon after the start of dialysis in three. These...Full Text Available
Regulation of localized extracellular pH (pHo) maintains normal organ function. An alkaline microclimate overlying the duodenal enterocyte brush border protects the mucosa from luminal acid....Full Text Available
The three main subspecies of the Culex pipiens complex—pipiens, fatigans and molestus—have similar “normal” levels of susceptibility to insecticides....Full Text Available
... protein is abundant in cytosolic portions of malignant epithelial tissue (Fig. 3A). In contrast, the degree of CCTβ staining in normal epithelial tissue (Fig. 3B) or connective tissues was much weaker ......
Increased clouds and precipitation normally decrease the diurnal temperature range (DTR) and thus have commonly been offered as explanation for the trend of reduced DTR observed for many land areas...Full Text Available
Exercise-training might be a logical method to reverse muscle atrophy and weakness in patients treated with glucocorticoids. The purpose of the present investigation was to establish whether a treatment...Full Text Available
Stem cells of the human prostate gland have not yet been identified utilizing a structural biomarker. We have discovered a new prostatic epithelial cell phenotype-expressing cytokeratin 6a (Ck6a+...Full Text Available
This study addresses the mechanism of transport of the H2-receptor antagonist, cimetidine, by the human placenta. A 4-h recycling perfusion of a single placental cotyledon of normal, term, human placenta...Full Text Available
The comparative analysis of plant hormones was undertaken on a 1-naphthaleneacetic acid tolerant mutant and normal tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum cv Xanthi) plantlets. The mutant plantlet...Full Text Available
In Lepidoptera, forewings and hindwings are mechanically coupled and flap in synchrony. Flight is anteromotoric, being driven primarily by action of the forewings. Here we report that lepidopterans...Full Text Available
... different personal wellness goals for you. HIV Health Management With a good medical team and a desire to reach wellness goals , people with HIV can have a virtually normal lifespan. Take the HIV Wellness Quiz Test your knowledge and find out where you need to learn ...
γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic transmission is critical for normal cortical function and is likely abnormal in a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders. We tested the in...Full Text Available
ObjectiveTo investigate the impact white matter hyperintensities (WMH) detected on MRI have on motor dysfunction and cognitive impairment in non-demented elderly...Full Text Available
Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling is involved in skeletal development of the vertebrate. Gain-of-function mutations of FGF receptors (FGFR) cause craniosynostosis, premature fusion of the skull,...Full Text Available
Aim—To study p53 expression in relation to proliferative status in normal and nondysplastic, dysplastic and malignant lesions of the oral mucosa.Method—The...Full Text Available
Severance of the ureter beyond the renal papilla causes a fall in urinary osmolality, which suggests that exchange of water or solute between urine and renal parenchyma normally occurs in the intact...Full Text Available
Increasing evidence of links between climate change, anthropogenic stress and coral disease underscores the importance of understanding the mechanisms by which reef-building corals resist infection...Full Text Available
The effect of feedback and materials on perceptual learning was examined in normal hearing listeners exposed to cochlear implant simulations. Generalization was most robust when feedback paired...Full Text Available
In the present study we have used the alkaline elution technique to study the effect of misonidazole (MISO) on the initial amount of DNA cross-linking in various normal and neoplastic tissues of C3H...Full Text Available
Drugs used for the inhibition of DNA viruses, such as iododeoxyuridine, adenine arabinoside, or trifluorothymidine, are not biochemically selective in their action and also interfere with normal cellular...Full Text Available
BackgroundOur motor actions normally generate sensory events, but how do we know which events were self generated and which have external causes? Here we use temporal adaptation...Full Text Available
Bone metastases of an Ewing's sarcoma were detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), when bone scan, CT and plain films were still normal. This is due to the ability of MRI to detect intramedullary metastases before involvement of the cortex. (Auth.).
IntroductionRadiotherapy outcomes might be further improved by a greater understanding of the individual variations in normal tissue reactions that determine tolerance. Most published...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-type glutamate receptor expressed at excitatory glutamatergic synapses is required for learning and memory and is critical for normal brain...Full Text Available
Oocyte-cumulus cell bidirectional communication is essential for normal development of the oocyte and cumulus cells (CCs) within the follicle. We showed recently that addition of recombinant growth...Full Text Available
The temporal fine structure (TFS) of sound contributes significantly to the perception of music and speech in noise. The evaluation of new strategies to improve TFS delivery in cochlear implants (CIs)...Full Text Available
Normal reproductive functioning may require secretion of LH independently of FSH. Variation in GnRH pulse frequency and inhibin negative feedback are mechanisms for differential gonadotropin regulation;...Full Text Available
BackgroundSexual function is impaired in women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) as compared to normal controls. We examined disease specific determinants of different aspects...Full Text Available
Aim: To create nomograms for renal size as measured from DMSA renal studies, and to test the nomograms for their ability to separate normal from abnormal kidneys. Method: Renal length was measured from posterior oblique views and renal area from posterior views. Results from 253 patients with bilateral normal kidneys were used to create nomograms for renal size relative to patient age, body height, weight or body surface area (BSA). The nomograms enclosed 95% of the normal kidneys, thus indicating the range for 95% confidence limits, and hence the specificity. Each nomogram was then tested against 46 hypertrophied kidneys and 46 damaged kidneys. Results: The results from nomograms of renal length and renal area, compared to age, body height, body weight and BSA are presented. For each nomogram, the range is presented as a fraction of the mean value, and the number of abnormal kidneys (hypertrophied or damaged) outside the ...
Dermal dendritic cells from eleven cases of mycosis fungoides (MF) (six patch and five plaque stage), two cases of pre-MF, and five specimens of normal human skin, were characterized immunohistochemically...Full Text Available
Objective: Creatine and phosphocreatine (PCr) are important compounds in the normal energy metabolism of muscle. Recently, it has been shown that dietary creatine (5 to 20 g/day)...Full Text Available
Normal healthy volunteers underwent broncho-alveolar lavage and the cells obtained were cultured for 24 h and 48 h, either alone or in the presence of the corticosteroid, Budesonide. Cell differentials...Full Text Available
Splenectomy or pretreatment of adult hamsters with cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) increased the lethality of the TC-83 vaccine strain of Venezuelan encephalitis virus (VEE), inoculated subcutaneously, from 12% for normal hamsters to 75 and 76% respectively. A...
Experimental Klebsiella pneumoniae pneumonia was used to study the influence of cyclophosphamide-induced leukopenia on the relative therapeutic efficacy of continuous and intermittent (6-h intervals)...Full Text Available
Spontaneous rupture of membranes (ROM) is a normal component of labor and delivery. Premature ROM (PROM) refers to rupture of the fetal membranes prior to the onset of labor irrespective of gestational...Full Text Available
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been implicated to play key roles in normal physiological functions, and altered expression of specific miRNAs has been associated with a number of diseases. It is of great interest...Full Text Available
BackgroundPregnancy is accompanied by several hemodynamic, biochemical and hematological changes which revert to normal values after labor. The mean values of these parameters have...Full Text Available
BackgroundInvestigation of the functioning of the brain in living systems has been a major effort amongst scientists and medical practitioners. Amongst the various disorder of the...Full Text Available
BackgroundWhite spot syndrome (WSS) is a viral disease that affects most of the commercially important shrimps and causes serious economic losses to the shrimp farming industry worldwide....Full Text Available
We describe a decision support system to distinguish among hematology cases directly from microscopic specimens. The system uses an image database containing digitized specimens from normal...Full Text Available
Sera from multiple sclerosis patients with relapsing-remitting disease and normal subjects were tested for antibody to myelin basic protein by a sensitive radioimmunoassay. The results showed a marginally...Full Text Available
To determine the relative importance of different metabolites of vitamin D in bone growth and development, weanling male rat pups suckled by vitamin D-deficient mothers were given either calcitriol...Full Text Available
The paper deals with sixteen cases of acetabular fractures studied with CT. After a short description of the normal CT findings, the different kind of fractures are reported. The usefulness of CT examination in evaluating acetabular fractures and their complications is confirmed both in conservative treatment and surgical approach.
Total and differential leucocyte counts were measured in cord blood samples obtained by cordocentesis (n = 316) or at elective caesarean section (n = 11) from normal fetuses of between 18 and 40 weeks'...Full Text Available
Proposals that adaptation with left-shifting prisms induces neglect-like symptoms in normal individuals rely on a dissociation between the post-adaptation performance of individuals trained...Full Text Available
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a critical role in normal development as well as retinal vasculature disease. During retinal vascularization, VEGF is most strongly expressed by not yet...Full Text Available
Validation of body-mass relationships requires a careful statistical analysis of data of normal weight individuals. BMI (ratio between body mass and square of body height) and BSI values (ratio between...Full Text Available
BackgroundNormal and pathological processes entail the production of oxidative substances that can damage biological molecules and harm physiological functions. Organisms have evolved...Full Text Available
ObjectivesThis study was designed to evaluate the normal development of the nasal septum in Koreans using sagittal MRI for the valuable clinical information on septal procedures.MethodsTwo...Full Text Available
SummaryFor mammalian somatic cells the importance of microtubule cytoskeleton integrity in interphase cell cycle progression is uncertain. The loss, diminishment, or stabilization...Full Text Available
Normal urinary bladder function requires contraction and relaxation of the detrusor smooth muscle (DSM). The DSM undergoes compensatory hypertrophy in response to partial bladder outlet obstruction...Full Text Available
The aim of this study was to survey the expression of an embryonic cytokine gene, MK, in the normal organs and neoplastic tissues of adults. Northern analysis showed that MK mRNA was exclusively expressed...Full Text Available
We offer a plausible interpretation of some experiments on the reversal of neoplastic transformations in plants. We suggest that normal cells and tumorous cells represent multiple stable-steady states...Full Text Available
PurposeHyperglycemia and hypertension contribute to the development of diabetic retinopathy, and this may involve alterations in the normal retinal cell cycle. In this work, we examined...Full Text Available
Accurate segmentation of tissue microarrays is a challenging topic because of some of the similarities exhibited by normal tissue and tumor regions. Processing speed is another consideration...Full Text Available
A simplification of Sandell's method for estimating nickel in urine is described. Nickel is a normal constituent of most articles of food and between 0·01 and 0·03 p.p.m. are found in...Full Text Available
BackgroundDuring normal breathing, the mesothelial surfaces of the lung and chest wall slide relative to one another. Experimentally, the shear stresses induced by...Full Text Available
To determine if medium and long chain fatty acids can be appropriately metabolized by species that normally produce 16 and 18 carbon fatty acids, homogenates of developing Cuphea wrightii, Carthamus...Full Text Available
We study luminosities of millisecond pulsars in globular clusters by fitting the observed luminosity distribution with single and double power laws. We use simulations to model the observed distribution as the brighter part of some parent distribution for Terzan 5 and try to find a model which simultaneously agrees with the observed diffuse radio flux, total predicted number of pulsars and observed luminosity distribution. We find that wide ranges of parameters for log-normal and power-law distributions give such good models. No clear difference between the luminosity distributions of millisecond pulsars in globular clusters and normal disk pulsars was seen.
Hydrogen and helium cosmic ray nuclei spectra gathered from 1976 to 1993 have been corrected to the top of the atmosphere and normalized at high rigidities. The variation of these primary cosmic ray fluxes above 400 MeV/nucleon has been examined as a function of the phase of the solar cycle with the force-field approximation model. The intensity of the normalized fluxes between solar maximum and minimum conditions varies by a factor of 6 for hydrogen and a factor of 4.3 for helium at the lowest rigidities considered.
Single-shot spin-echo diffusion-weighted echo-planar imaging using a phased-array multicoil was performed to distinguish between normal and cirrhotic livers. Sets of 6 images with different b-value were acquired with breath-holding. Significant differences were observed between controls and cirrhosis cases in the signal ratios when the b-value was 383 s/mm{sup 2}, and apparent diffusion coefficients. (orig.)
Thirty-two patients with AIDS related complex (ARC) or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) underwent /sup 67/Ga scans as part of their evaluation. Three patterns of /sup 67/Ga biodistribution were found: lymph node uptake alone; diffuse pulmonary uptake; normal scan. Gallium-67 scans were useful in identifying clinically occult Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in seven of 15 patients with ARC who were asymptomatic and had normal chest radiographs. Gallium scans are a useful ancillary procedure in the evaluation of patients with ARC or AIDS.
nsive neutron-absorbing bricks from commercially available CaB/sub 6/ powder. The bricks are 2 x 3 x 5 in., and are strong enough to withstand normal handling. They last indefinitely; the ones described are now 7 years old, used and stored under normal room temperatures and humidities. The procedure is to make a thick, dry mud with the powder and water, followed by compression in a mold at pressures of about 1 ton/in./sup 2/ or more. The bricks are then baked for 2 hours or longer at a temperature of about 750 deg C. (auth)
Thermal striping is identified as one of the causes of thermal fatigue failure in nuclear power plants. Numerical studies of thermal striping require three-dimensional, unsteady turbulent modeling that resolves both large and small-scale turbulent motions. Benchmark studies were carried out using the LES turbulence model solved by the commercial CFD code FLUENT. Two types of mixing tee configurations were modeled to evaluate the performance of the CFD code. The simulation results presented in normalized average temperature and normalized fluctuating temperatures are in good agreement with measurements.
ObjectivesNot EnteredDescriptionMethane hydrate in an ice-like substance consisting of molecules of methane gas combined chemically with water. It is stable at high pressures and low temperatures. Since the ocean floor is normally cold, but temperatures increase with depth inside the Earth, such conditions normally prevail for a few hundred meters below the seafloor where the ocean depth is more than a few hundred metres. Methane beneath the ocean floor is formed by the decomposition of organic material. At the edges of the co [continued...
The LANL 2.5-cell, normal-conducting radio-frequency (NCRF) injector has been fabricated. We present initial results of low-power RF measurements (cavity Q, cavity field map, coupling beta, etc.) of the NCRF injector. The measured cavity Q and relative fields are found to be in good agreement with the design calculations and earlier measurements of Glidcop properties. However, the coupling beta of the ridge-loaded waveguides is found to be significantly higher than the design point. The impact of these low-power measurement results on the planned high-power RF and electron beam tests will be discussed.
Feasibility of using sterile females for population suppression of Earias vittella (Fabricius) was evaluated by conducting studies on mating competitiveness of radiation sterilized females, both in individual pairs and in simulated large population conditions. Results showed that sterility induced by using a 10:1:1 ratio (sterile female: normal female: normal male) in single pair experiments and also in simulated large population conditions was more than 99.0 per cent. Release of radiation- sterilized females of E. vittella in natural populations has thus an excellent potential for population suppression. (author)
Purpose : To obtain an emergency core cooling device in a FBR type reactor by utilizing heat pipes which are not actuated at usual operation condition but actuated reliably upon emergency. Constitution : A system for injecting heat medium into heat pipes is provided. By injecting the heat medium into the heat pipes upon emergency to actuate the heat pipes, the reactor core is cooled. During normal reactor operation, the inside of the heat pipes is evacuated from a vacuum pump and no heat medium is filled therein, whereby unnecessary heat loss during the normal operation can be prevented. (Ikeda, J.).
This report considers the effect of pipe-whip restraints and snubbers on the normal operation of piping systems in nuclear power plants. Also considered are the effect of these postulated event devices on reliability, economics, and the exposure of plant personnel to radiation. Field data were gathered from three nuclear power plants that had applied for Operating Licenses. Criteria, design philosophies, and data were obtained from the respective nuclear steam system suppliers, architects-engineers and utilities.
The utilization of the Ellis-formula for the determination of the tolerance of normal connective tissue is described. Beyond this, the formula is adapted to so-called critical organs. The individual suppositions implicated by the Ellis-formula are commented. Because of the verifyable congruency of the Ellis-formula with data obtained in clinical practice also by other authors, this conception is presented for the provisional determination of the limits of tolerance of normal tissue together with a computerized programme elaborated for use in different therapeutic techniques. (orig.).
Creep properties of modified 9 Cr-1 Mo steel, an alloy significantly improved in elevated-temperature strength over 2 1/4 Cr-1 Mo and other similar alloys, are presented here. Data are primarily on material in the normalized and tempered condition. Effects of variables such as isothermal annealing treatment, cold work, normalizing temperature, tempering temperature, notch, and biaxial stress state have also been examined. Data analysis and comparisons have shown that modified 9 Cr-1 Mo alloy is very insensitive in response to several material variables, heat treatments, and specimen design variables.
Computerized tomography of the adrenal glands was performed in 10 patients with Cushing's syndrome using a G.E. 8800 CT/T Body Scanner. The tomographic findings of unilateral adrenal masses in 4 patients were confirmed by surgery. In the remaining 6 patients, computerized tomography did not identify any masses, and both glands were well visualized and showed normal shape. In these patients, measurement of the adrenal glands revealed both normal (n=1) and enlarged glands (n=5). The findings of adrenalectomy (n=4) or transphenoidal surgery and follow-up (n=2) established the diagnosis of adrenal phyperplasia in all patients. (Author).
The review covers the development within the field of cleavable surfactants since 2003. Cleavable surfactants are amphiphiles in which a weak linkage has been deliberately inserted, normally, but not always, between the hydrophobic tail and the polar headgroup. Alkali labile linkages that have been used for the purpose include normal ester bonds, betaine esters, and carbonates. Ketals and ortho esters are example of bonds that are susceptible to acid hydrolysis. Several investigations deal with cationic ester-containing surfactants, both monomeric and dimeric species, the latter being gemini surfactants. Ester, amide and carbonate containing surfactants have been investigated with respect to enzyme catalyzed hydrolysis. The main incentive for the development of novel cleavable surfactants ...
Studies begun during the first year of this project on biopsies from spontaneous tumors in dogs and from human patients undergoing radiotherapy treatment were continued. The results indicate that significant fractions of the spontaneous tumors in dogs and cervical carcinomas in patients undergoing radiotherapy have a DNA content higher than normal diploid cells. The higher DNA content in tumor cells permits distinguishing them from normal cells in the biopsy material with the aid of flow microfluorometric (FMF) instrumentation or multiangle light-scatter spectrometry.
Abstract in english In the last decade it has been experimentally found a periodic domain pattern arising in smectic C* liquid crystals in surface stabilized bookshelf geometry. Such a periodic texture appears after switching-off an external electric field, even in strong anchoring conditions. It has a static character and can be bidimensional, being dependent on both directions normal to the smectic planes and normal to the cell plates. In the present work an explanation to this phenomenon (more) is proposed. According to our model in the antiferroelectric phase the biperiodic texture is a threshold phenomenon, appearing for values of the spontaneous polarization greater than a critical value, whereas in the ferroelectric phase this type of bidimensional instability is hindered.
Authors obtained T1-weighted MRI images of the femoral head after fracture of the femoral neck and classified the signals into four patterns to investigate the sequential changes of the femoral head. The T1-weighted MRI images obtained initially after femoral neck fracture showed a normal pattern in 10 of the 15 hip joints studied. MRI images obtained subsequently still showed the normal signal pattern in eight of the 10 hip joints which had shown the normal pattern in the first MRI, while two of the 10 joints subsequently showed a band pattern. The joint with the homogeneous pattern in the first MRI subsequently showed a band pattern. Of the three joints with an inhomogeneous pattern in the first MRI, two joints showed a subsequent band pattern, and the other a normal pattern. The joints which showed a band pattern continued to show a similar band pattern. Eventually, all hip joints studied showed a ...
Platelets from dogs with Basset Hound Hereditary Thrombopathy (BHT) display a thrombasthenia-like aggregation defect but have been shown to have normal amounts of platelet membrane glycoproteins IIb and IIIa (GP IIb-IIIa). In order to investigate the possibility of a functionally abnormal GPIIb-IIIa complex, which might be unable to bind fibrinogen after stimulation, fibrinogen binding in BHT was evaluated. Two canine fibrinogen preparations were used, one from BHT dogs and one from normal control dogs, as well as a human fibrinogen preparation. Platelets from BHT and normal dogs were activated with 1 x 10/sup -5/M ADP in the presence of /sup 125/I-labeled fibrinogen and the surface bound radioactivity quantitated. For all fibrinogen preparations, the amount of fibrinogen bound by BHT platelets was not significantly different than that bound by normal dog platelets. BHT platelets bound 23,972 +/- 3612 ...
A doubly Q-switched laser with both an acousto-optic (AO) modulator and a GaAs saturable absorber can obtain a more symmetric and shorter pulse with high pulse peak power, which has been experimentally proved. The key parameters of an optimally coupled doubly Q-switched laser with both an AO modulator and a GaAs saturable absorber are determined, and a group of general curves are generated for what we believe is the first time, when the single-photon absorption (SPA) and two-photon absorption (TPA) processes of GaAs are combined, and the Gaussian spatial distributions of the intracavity photon density and the initial population-inversion density as well as the influence of the AO Q-switch are considered. These key parameters include the optimal normalized coupling parameter, the optimal normalized GaAs saturable absorber parameters, and the normalized parameters of the AO Q-switch, which can maximize the output energy. ...
The blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) signal response to neural stimulation is influenced by many factors that are unrelated to the stimulus. These factors are physiological, such as the resting venous cerebral blood volume (CBV(v)) and vessel size, as well as experimental, such as pulse sequence and static magnetic field strength (B(0)). Thus, it is difficult to compare task-induced fMRI signals across subjects, field strengths, and pulse sequences. This problem can be overcome by normalizing the neural activity-induced BOLD fMRI response by a global hypercapnia-induced BOLD signal. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the BOLD normalization approach, gradient-echo BOLD fMRI at 1.5, 4, and 7 T and spin-echo BOLD fMRI at 4 T were performed in human subjects. For neural stimulation, subjects performed sequential finger movements at 2 Hz, while for global stimulation, subjects breathed a 5% CO(2) ...
Feasibility of using combined release of sterile males and sterile females for population suppression of Earias vittella (Fabricius) was evaluated on okra in two ways. In one study, a combined release of sterile males and sterile females was evaluated under simulated conditions in laboratory, a 10: 10: 1: 1 (sterile male: sterile female: normal female: normal male) ratio effected > 99% sterility. In the second study, in a field cage experiment, a combined release of sterile males and sterile females was evaluated using normal males and tethered normal females. In this experiment, the release of sterile males and sterile females in 10: 10: 1: 1 ratio caused complete 'shut off' of mating of normal females for first 2 days and indicated>93% reduction in the larval progeny in the next generation. The tethered females were allowed to mate only once. E. vittella females mate ...
Regional arterial CO2 tension (PaCO2) reactivity of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and the effect of PaCO2 on the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of CBF were investigated by using autoradiographically determined CBF in the rat middle cerebral artery occlusion model after a 2-h period under pentobarbital anesthesia to clarify the relation between PaCO2 reactivity, CBF heterogeneity, and the temporal cycling of CBF. PaCO2 was adjusted to one of four levels. CBF was determined in four cortical areas and white matter using the tissue fractionation of [14C]iodoantipyrine [( 14C]IAP) in combination with vessel mapping using in vivo 4% thioflavine S. Specific PaCO2 reactivity and CBF were normal in the nonischemic cortex, normal, although slightly depressed, in the border zone far from the ischemic core area, and depressed in the border zone adjacent to the ischemic core area (P less than 0.001) and the ischemic core (P less than 0.001). In normocapnic ...
To investigate the pattern of normal white-matter maturation as demonstrated by high-field-strength MR imaging, 82 normal infants were examined using a 1.5-T unit with spin-echo T1-weighted and T2-weighted pulse sequences. The infants ranged in age from 4 days to 2 years. The scans were assessed for qualitative changes of white matter relative to gray matter and correlated with the patient's age in 14 anatomic areas of the brain. The MR images showed that changes of brain maturation occur in an orderly manner, commencing in the brain stem and progressing to the cerebellum and the cerebrum. Changes from brain myelination were seen earlier on T1-weighted images than on T2-weighted images, possibly because of T1 shortening by the components of the developing myelin sheaths. The later changes on the T2-weighted images correlated best with the development of myelination, as demonstrated by histochemical methods. T1-weighted images were most useful ...
A study was performed to investigate the degree of similarities and differences in components of craniofacial complex between Korean twins and normal children by lateral cephalometric analysis. Dimensions of S-N, S-Ba, N-Ba, Go-Me, Ar-Go and Ar-Me were plotted against linear measurement and angles of N-S-Ba and gonial against angular measurement in twins and control groups. The lateral cephalograms of twin were composed of 88 twins aged from 7 to 12:44 males aged 10.65 and 44 females aged 9. 55, while those of 50 normalities were composed of 25 male and 25 female aged 10.9 respectively. In order to analyze growth proportion and sexual differences, twins were divided into 3 groups according to two year age intervals and the author compared male with female in 3 groups. For the purpose of observing similarities and differences in twins and normalities by sex, total twins were compared with normalities. ...
The twin-cities of El Paso and Juarez share the water resources of the Hueco Bolson aquifer and overlying Rio Grande aquifer. Both aquifers span the international border between Mexico and the United States. Salinity in the Rio Grande aquifer varies widely, some parts of the shallow aquifer containing less than 1,000 mg/L total dissolved solids (TDS), other parts of the aquifer exceeding 5,000 mg/L TDS. One sizable part of the "Lower Valley" area, approximately 45 km below El Paso contains very dilute water near the outer edge of the floodplain. Historically it had been thought that the dilute waters in this location were derived from recharge from arroyos that drained proximal parts of the Hueco Bolson. Instead, our hydrogen and oxygen isotope data and carbon-14 data indicate that these dilute waters were derived from pre-dam infiltration of the Rio Grande. Relatively light and slightly evaporated pre-dam waters (-11.5 del O18) at the arroyos are also ...
Seafloor mapping and morphometric analysis of landslide scars can provide useful insights for marine geo-hazard assessment, as demonstrated by several studies performed on different geological settings. The availability of high-resolution multibeam bathymetry and long-range side scan sonar data on the submarine portions of Stromboli Volcano allow us to map and characterize the main mass-wasting features that affect, on the whole, about the 90% of its submarine extension. In particular, two main kinds of tsunamigenic landslides have been recognized and analyzed. Large-scale sector collapses (Fig. 1) are catastrophic events that mobilize 1-2 cubic kilometers of material, generating huge tsunami waves that may affect Stromboli and propagate in surrounding areas; related hazard is not very high, as they show recurrence periods of some (or more) thousand years. Conversely, medium-scale landslides are more hazardous, as they occur at higher frequency with respect to the previous events, i.e. ...
In this work some physicochemical properties and the thermal behavior and stability of sour sop or guanabana (Annona muricata) seed almond oil were studied by means of chemical, DSC and TG analysis. The results showed that the almond has 2.5% ash, 17.9% crude fiber, 15.7% protein, 26.0% de carbohydrates and 37.7% oil (dry base). The composition of almond oil showed 68.5% unsaturated fatty acids, mainly oleic and linoleic, and some palmitoleic acids, and 31.5% saturated, principally palmitic and stearic fatty acids; refraction index was 1.468 and saponification and iodine value were 168.2 and 87.0, respectively. DSC thermal analysis showed that oil crystallization initiates at -4.5 degree centigrade and ends at -79.0 degree centigrade with a crystallization enthalpy of 48.2 J/g; the oil melts in a temperature range from -42.4 to -16.9 degree centigrade, with a maximum peak at -15 degree centigrade and a fusion enthalpy of 80.5 J/g. The oil remained liquid at refrigeration temperatures ...
Nuclear magnetic resonance is a powerful technique that can be used in a wide range of applications, such as the structural characterization of high molecular weight molecules, conformational studies on enzymes in solution, enzyme-substrate or DNA-protein interactions, monitoring of cell metabolism in vivo, and for diagnostic purposes, employing spectroscopic and imaging techniques. This course was organized in order to introduce the participants to the fundamentals of NMR spectroscopy, and offer practical advice on performing NMR experiments on cell systems, cell and tissue extracts and animal models. The main implications regarding human experiments were also discussed. Finally the quantification of information and the interpretation of data were considered with regard to the main nuclei observed. [Italiano] La risonanza magnetica nucleare e` una delle tecniche spettroscopiche che meglio risponde all`ampio spettro di condizioni imposto dalla ricerca in biofisica e biomedicina. Il ...
Willow harvested in 2-to-3-year rotations has been touted as a reliable source of biomass. A newly designed harvester based on a round baler was developed in 2006. The third generation biobaler was evaluated in 2009 at 2 willow plantations in Quebec. The first site at Godmanchester was a three-year old regrowth with an estimated 52,000 stems/ha of large diameter willow. The biobaler with a flail cutter harvested three plots totalling 4,136 m{sup 2}. Total harvested biomass was 10.36 t DM in 42 bales. The harvest rate averaged 29 bale/h with an average bale size of 1.22 m wide by 1.30 m in diameter. Diesel fuel consumption averaged 0.81 L/bale. Measured losses averaged 11 per cent of the yield. The second site at Saint-Roch-del'Achigan was a two-year old growth with an estimated 49,000 stems/ha of large stem willow. The biobaler harvested seven plots totalling 15,740 m{sup 2}. Total harvest was 30.70 t DM in 148 bales. The first 14 bales were harvested with ...
This paper examines the technological, socio-economic and environmental feasibility of a proposal to strengthen the Italian commercial coastal shipping system as an alternative to bolstering existing road transport facilities in order to meet the requirements of increased trade in the new European free market. This prospect is of special importance to Italy due to its long coastlines. The principal elements taken into account are: investment capital, labour and energy requirements. The study first examines the supply and demand dynamics of the European transport system. Here, attention is given to energy consumption. This examination is followed by a review of the European situation with regard to normatives governing navigation and customs duties. Road, rail and maritime transport costs are compared, and an assessment is made of the economic feasibility of an integrated-means system of transport involving the coordinated use of special containers, tractor-trailers and interchangeable ...
Rice is a very important food staple that feeds more than half the world's population. Two major Asian cultivated rice (Oryza sativa L.) subspecies, japonica and indica, show significant phenotypic variation in their stress responses. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this phenotypic variation are still largely unknown. A common link among different stresses is that they produce an oxidative burst and result in an increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study, methyl viologen (MV) as a ROS agent was applied to investigate the rice oxidative stress response. We observed that 93-11 (indica) seedlings exhibited leaf senescence with severe lesions under MV treatment compared to Nipponbare (japonica). Whole-genome microarray experiments were conducted, and 1,062 probe sets were identified with gene expression level polymorphisms between the two rice cultivars in addition to differential expression under MV treatment, which were assigned as Core Intersectional Probesets ...
In this work the development of a third order scheme of finite differences centered in mesh is presented and it is applied in the numerical solution of those diffusion equations in multi groups in stationary state and X Y geometry. Originally this scheme was developed by Hennart and del Valle for the monoenergetic diffusion equation with a well-known source and they show that the one scheme is of third order when comparing the numerical solution with the analytical solution of a model problem using several mesh refinements and boundary conditions. The scheme by them developed it also introduces the application of numeric quadratures to evaluate the rigidity matrices and of mass that its appear when making use of the finite elements method of Galerkin. One of the used quadratures is the open quadrature of 4 points, no-standard, of Newton-Cotes to evaluate in approximate form the elements of the rigidity matrices. The other quadrature is that of 3 points of Radau ...
The puborectalis syndrome is a defecation disorder supported by the nonrelaxation of puborectalis sling with consequent dyschezia. They report on a series of 98 patients submitted to clinical examination, defecography, anorectal manometry, electromyography and intestinal transit time studies. The main symptoms of puborectalis syndrome in their patients were incomplete defecation (89 %) and intermittent evacuation (63 %); 28 % of patients turned to finger defecation. In all patients, defecography showed an abnormal increase in puborectalis impression on the posterior anorectal wall, reduced anorectal angle opening under straining (mean value: 113 deg) and prolonged expulsion time with barium pooling in the ampulla (mean evacuation time: 38 seconds). Such anorectal abnormalities as rectal mucosal prolapse (47 cases) and anterior rectocele (36 cases) were also associated. In 33 of 98 patients (34 % of cases), sling assessment by bidigital palpation at preliminary clinical examination ...
Bowel infarction is a rare and typical condition of the elderly; despite improvements in diagnostic imaging and vascular surgery, bowel infarction remains a major cause of acute abdomen, with mortality rates ranging 70-80%. Diagnosis on often late because clinical signs, laboratory data and radiologic findings are a specific. The authors investigated radiographic and particular CT patterns of intestinal infraction in 56 patients submitted to surgery within 12 hours of admission. We also report the CT findings of 5 of these patients who had reversible mesenteric ischemia. CT is more sensitive than radiography and does not exhibit the limitations of angiography (i.e., invasiveness, radiation exposure and complex organization). Therefore CT can presently be considered the method of choice in patients with suspected bowel infarction. [Italian] L'infarto intestinale rappresenta una malattia rara e tipica del soggeto anziano; nonostante il notevole ...
This document contains the technical proceedings of the 19 national seminar on the rational use of energy and exposition of equipment and services, organized by the Asociacion de Tecnicos y Pofesionistas en Aplicacion Energetica (ATPAE) (Association of Technicians and Professionals on Energy Application) conducted in Mexico City on September 21-25, 1998. This seminar encompassed subjects such as: energy saving in the energy sector, energy efficiency in industrial processes and practical developments, practical cases of energy saving in industry, energy saving in buildings, transportation, non-renewable energy utilization and environmental impact and eco-energies. [Espanol] Este documento contiene la memoria tecnica del 19 seminario nacional sobre el uso racional de la energia y exposicion de equipos y servicios, organizado por la Asociacion de Tecnicos y Profesionistas en Aplicacion Energetica (ATPAE), en Mexico, D.F, los dias 21-25 de septiembre de 1998. Este ...
Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (Hologic QDR-1000) was used to quantitatively analyze the diagnosis and prevention of osteoporosis. The peak bone mineral density (BMD) of the spine appeared in normal men in their twenties and in normal women in their thirties. There was acceleration of bone loss in the 50 to 60 year age bracket (premenopause and postmenopause) in normal women. On the contrary, the peak BMD of the femoral neck in normal men and women appeared in their twenties after which it decreased slightly with age. Comparison showed that the femoral neck BMD of normal women was lower than that of men throughout all ages. The fracture threshold, 0.756 g/cm[sup 2] for the spine, was obtained by scanning 73 females with spinal fractures, the mean BMDs for L2-L4 at the 90th percentile level were used as the fracture threshold. The fracture threshold of femoral neck fracture was the ...
Fetal MRI can be performed in the second and third trimesters. During this time, the fetal brain undergoes profound structural changes. Interpretation of appropriate development might require comparison with normal age-based models. Consultation of a hard-copy atlas is limited by the inability to compare multiple ages simultaneously. To provide images of normal fetal brains from weeks 18 through 37 in a digital format that can be reviewed interactively. This will facilitate recognition of abnormal brain development. T2-W images for the atlas were obtained from fetal MR studies of normal brains scanned for other indications from 2005 to 2007. Images were oriented in standard axial, coronal and sagittal projections, with laterality established by situs. Gestational age was determined by last menstrual period, earliest US measurements and sonogram performed on the same day as the MR. The software program used for viewing the ...
The {sup 252}Cf-source-driven noise analysis method has been used in measurements for subcritical configurations of fissile systems for a variety of applications including a dynamic measurement that was the first step in applying this method to monitor fuel in a future reprocessing plant These measurements showed that this method has potential to monitor many dynamic situations in processing plants such as in a continuous dissolver or batch dissolvers either to obtain the neutron multiplication factor k or to be used as a signature to verify that various processes are occurring in a repeatable or bounded way. This verification of normal operation would be by comparing noise analysis signatures for the process with reference signatures. Abnormal operation could be ascertained if the signature deviates by some specified amount from the reference signatures from normal operation. The deviations from normal could be specified ...
The delayed detonation model describes the observational properties of the majority of type Ia supernovae very well. Using numerical data from a three-dimensional deflagration model for type Ia supernovae, the intermittency of the turbulent velocity field and its implications on the probability of a deflagration-to-detonation (DDT) transition are investigated. From structure functions of the turbulent velocity fluctuations, we determine intermittency parameters based on the log-normal and the log-Poisson models. On the other hand, the analysis of the turbulent velocity fluctuations in the vicinity of the flame front by Roepke suggests a much higher probability of large velocity fluctuations on the grid scale in comparison to the log-normal intermittency model. Following Pan et al., we computed probability density functions for a DDT for the different distributions. Assuming that a DDT can occur in the stirred flame regime, as proposed by ...
Skeletal radiotracer (sup(99m)Tc-HEDP) uptake was quantitated with and without the aid of a computer in 30 chronic dialysis patients with histologic evidence of renal osteodystrophy. Before scintigraphy, elevated soft-tissue activity due to the absence of renal radiotracer excretion was reduced by hemodialysis. The results were compared with those of a normal group and with the results of the biochemical and the bone morphometric studies of these patients. In all patients the radiotracer uptake was elevated, often markedly. In several patients with minimal histologic bone disease, however, soft-tissue activity could not be normalized by hemodialysis although its influence on the quantitative data could be further reduced (but not excluded) by computer evaluation of skeletal radiotracer uptake. Since the latter technique clearly distinguished the majority of the patients from the normals, it appears that computerized ...
Skeletal radiotracer (sup(99m)Tc-HEDP) uptake was quantitated with and without the aid of a computer in 30 chronic dialysis patients with histologic evidence of renal osteodystrophy. Before scintigraphy, elevated soft-tissue activity due to the absence of renal radiotracer excretion was reduced by hemodialysis. The results were compared with those of a normal group and with the results of the biochemical and the bone morphometric studies of these patients. In all patients the radiotracer uptake was elevated, often markedly. In several patients with minimal histologic bone disease, however, soft-tissue activity could not be normalized by hemodialysis although its influence on the quantitative data could be further reduced (but not excluded) by computer evaluation of skeletal radiotracer uptake. Since the latter technique clearly distinguished the majority of the patients from the normals, it appears that computerized ...
A boron containing cement, which can be used as nuclear shielding material, is produced at pilot plant scale applying two different methods. In the first method, the raw mixture of a normal portland cement is mixed with pre-calcined colemanite, a calcium borate mineral, and clinkerized in a rotary kiln (borated-clinker). In the second method, the colemanite is mixed with an admixture, which contains mainly limestone and marl, and burnt in the rotary kiln to obtain a borated-lime composite. The borated-lime composite is then added to the normal portland cement clinker up to 2% B_2O_3 content for shielding purpose. The results have shown that the borated-clinker contained untolerable amount of free lime resulting in a decrease in compressive strength. The addition of the borated-lime composite to the normal portland cement clinker up to 1% B_2O_3 content did not alter the setting time and the volume expansion properties. The ...
Background: Hypoparathyroidism is one of the most important endocrine complications of thalassemia major. This study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of intracerebral calcifications in patients with thalassemia with and without hypoparathyroidism. Methods: 47 beta-thalassemia patients with hypoparathyroidism underwent a brain CT scan to investigate the presence and extent of intracerebral calcification. 30 age- and sex-matched beta-thalassemic patients with normal parathyroid function who had undergone brain CT for headache, or some other minor neurologic problems were also enrolled in the study serving as controls. The amount of intracerebral calcification, hematologic parameters, and some clinical findings were compared between both groups. Results: Intracerebral calcification was present in 54.2% of beta-thalassemia patients with hypoparathyroidism. The most frequent sites of calcification were basal ganglia, and frontoparietal areas of the brain. ...
Repetitive hydatidiform mole was observed in four pregnancies. The pregnancies presented with heavy bleeding and vomiting, but the post-evacuation courses were uncomplicated, with rapid regression of serum hCG levels. Cytogenetic investigations, analyses of restriction fragment length polymorphisms, and flow cytometry in three pregnancies were consistent with diploid, biparental conception as the origin of fetal tissue and molar and nonmolar villi. In one pregnancy, the analyses of cytogenetic markers suggested the coexistence of two different cell lines of dizygotic, biparental origin, whereas DNA analysis was consistent with a single conception. With incomplete genetic information, a hydatidiform mole with coexistent normal fetus is generally considered to result from dizygous twinning comprising an androgenetic complete mole and a normal conception. In the present gestations, the results based on several techniques applied on numerous ...
Dynamic quantitative bone scintigraphy was performed on 31 men with prostatic carcinoma before orchiectomy as well as 2 weeks, 2 and 6 months postoperatively. After injection of technetium methylene diphosphonate Tc 99m ("9"9"mTc-MDP) the count rate was recorded as serial images over the lower thoracic and all the lumbar vertebrae from 1 to 240 min post-injection. Thirteen men had normal bone scintigrams with no changes in "9"9"mTc-MDP content at the four different investigation times. Eighteen men had skeletal metastases. Throughout the study half of the abnormal vertebrae in these patients showed an abnormal count rate after only 6 min post-injection. After 1 h it was possible in almost all abnormal vertebrae to predict abnormal bone uptake. In response to therapy a 'flare phenomenon' with an increase in count rate was seen 2 weeks after orchiectomy followed by a decrease 2 months postoperatively in most of the abnormal vertebrae. The count rate decreased even ...
Based on techniques of organic solvent extraction and a thermal model experiments of coal-related hydrocarbon, the variation of coal structure and the character of deformed coal-related hydrocarbons were studied when the coal seam at Piagdingshan mine, China was modified by tectonic stress. The results show that the extraction ratio by n-hexane and benzene from the deformed coal approaches that form normal coal, but the extraction ratio by chloroform from the deformed coal is two times more than that from normal coal. The deformed coal has higher solvable low-molecular weight compounds than normal coal. The intermolecular force of deformed coal is relatively small. The deformed coal has low strength and high adsorption capacity, and these determine the outbreak of coal-gas outburst. The extraction yields by chloroform can be taken as an index of forecast risks of coal-gas outburst. The potentially of generating hydrocarbon ...
When postpartum cervical biopsy specimens were compared with biopsy specimens from nonpregnant women, they revealed a 12-fold decrease in mechanical strength, a 50% reduction in the concentrations of collagen and sulfated glycosaminoglycans, a 35% reduction in hyaluronic acid, an increase in collagen extractability, and a fivefold increase in collagenolytic activity. Primiparas with relatively high concentrations of collagen and hyaluronic acid had relatively long cervical dilatation times during established labor, suggesting a physiologic importance to these variables. This correlation was not found in multiparas, even though the mean values of the biochemical parameters tested were similar to those in primiparas. Second-trimester biopsy specimens taken from patients with cervical incompetence contained normal collagen concentrations, but relatively high collagen extractabilities and collagenolytic activities, exceeding normal postpartum ...
Citrate is an important naturally occurring inhibitor of calcium stone formation in urine. Urinary citrate excretion was examined in 43 consecutive patients with recurrent idiopathic calcium nephrolithiasis and in 50 normal controls by a specific enzymatic technique. Hypocitraturia (<1.6 mmol/24h) was found in 14 (33%) stone formers compared to 6 (12%) normal controls (p = 0.03). Citrate excretion expressed as citrate-creatinine ratio in 24 hour urine samples was significantly lower in the stone formers than in the healthy controls (p = 0.03), and significantly lower in healthy men, compared to healthy females (p = 0.006). There was a great variability in urinary citrate levels in both groups, and a considerable overlap in the urinary citrate excretion between normal subjects and stone formers. Factors other than urinary citrate excretion must therefore be of importance in the pathophysiology of calcium stone formation. ...
Autism is a pervasive developmental condition, characterized by impairments in non-verbal communication, social relationships and stereotypical patterns of behavior. A large body of evidence suggests that several aspects of face processing are impaired in autism, including anomalies in gaze processing, memory for facial identity and recognition of facial expressions of emotion. In search of neural markers of anomalous face processing in autism, much interest has focused on a network of brain regions that are implicated in social cognition and face processing. In this review, we will focus on three such regions, namely the STS for its role in processing gaze and facial movements, the FFA in face detection and identification and the amygdala in processing facial expressions of emotion. Much evidence suggests that a better understanding of the normal development of these specialized regions is essential for discovering the neural bases of face processing anomalies in ...
The aim of the present study was to test a mathematical model of the biochemical processes in the parathyroid glands responsible for the secretion of parathyroid hormone resulting from extracellular calcium reduction. A double exponential curve described the parathyroid hormone secretion induced by rapid lowering of blood-ionized calcium in humans with normal as well as abnormal parathyroid tissue. Our data show that it was possible to establish a simple mathematical model of the parathyroid hormone response to blood-ionized calcium lowering, sufficient to fit experimental data obtained from patients with abnormal and normal parathyroid tissue. The fitted parameters showed no significant differences between patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and controls. In primary hyperparathyroidism, the parathyroid hormone production and steady-state transport across the cell membrane were increased, probably due to the larger amount of ...
Low temperature Nonphotochemical Hole Burning (NPHB) Spectroscopy of the dye rhodamine 800 (MF680) was applied for the purpose of discerning differences between cultured normal and carcinoma ovarian surface epithelial (OSE) cells. Both the cell lines were developed and characterized at the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN), with the normal cell line having been transfected with a strain of temperature sensitive Simian Virus 40 Large T Antigen (SV40) for the purpose of extending the life of the cell culture without inducing permanent changes in the characteristics of the cell line. The cationic lipophilic fluorophore rhodamine 800 preferentially locates in in situ mitochondria due to the high lipid composition of mitochondria and the generation of a large negative membrane potential (relative to the cellular cytoplasm) for oxidative phosphorylation. Results presented for NPHB of MF680 located in the cells show significant differences between the two ...
Low temperature Nonphotochemical Hole Burning (NPHB) Spectroscopy of the dye rhodamine 800 (MF680) was applied for the purpose of discerning differences between cultured normal and carcinoma ovarian surface epithelial (OSE) cells. Both the cell lines were developed and characterized at the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN), with the normal cell line having been transfected with a strain of temperature sensitive Simian Virus 40 Large T Antigen (SV40) for the purpose of extending the life of the cell culture without inducing permanent changes in the characteristics of the cell line. The cationic lipophilic fluorophore rhodamine 800 preferentially locates in in situ mitochondria due to the high lipid composition of mitochondria and the generation of a large negative membrane potential (relative to the cellular cytoplasm) for oxidative phosphorylation. Results presented for NPHB of MF680 located in the cells show significant differences between the two ...
Total potassium was assayed in 150 normal weight and obese females (cervical carcinoma-52, endometrial carcinoma-25 and breast cancer-73) by measurements of 40K spontaneous radiation in a low-background chamber. Control group included 30 healthy and 25 obese females. Computations of body cell and extracellular mass and fat were carried out on the basis of the said measurements. Extracellular fluid volume was measured in 38 patients by X-ray fluorescence method using sodium bromide. The results pointed to a body cell mass deficit matched by increased extracellular mass due to a higher fat level in patients with breast, endometrial and cervical carcinoma. The said correlation was particularly pronounced in obese patients. The beneficial effect of treatment was more often observed in patients with normal body weight. PMID:3739295
Results of X-ray investigations of solid normal hydrogen are presented. Temperature dependences of the lattice parameteps, molar volumes, linear and volume expansion coefficients in the 2K-Tsub(melt) temperature range are obtaiped. An essential n-H/sub 2/ expansion anisotropy in the premelting temperature region is pointed out. It is shown that the hexagonal lattice parameter ratios over the whole investigated temperature range is considerably higher than for solid parahydrogen. A considerable difference in thermal expansion of normal hydrogen and parahydrogen in the low temperature region is revealed. It is caused by contribuation of a rotational subsystem, increasing with the temperature decrease to crystal expansion. A detailed analysis of solid n-H/sub 2/ thermodynamic properties is conducted. The data testifying to the presence of isomorphous phase transformation in the solid n-H/sub 2/ in the premelting temperature region are discussed.
Thrust faulting, folding, and penetrative compressional fabrics (e.g. spaced cleavage, pencils, and coal cleats) have been found in several outcrops within the central Deep River Basin (the southern Durham subbasin to the northern Wadesboro subbasin). The trend of these structures is nearly parallel to the basin, and may locally control the present geometry of the basin boundaries. These features are distributed throughout the stratigraphic section and across the entire width of the basin. In outcrops where relative timing can be determined, the compressional structures post-date all extensional and intrusive features associated with basin formation. In particular, thrusts cut across and displace basin-parallel normal faults and basin-normal cross-faults. All thrusts found to date verge northwest, and displacements of cross-fault boundaries indicate that transport was approximately 325[degree].
Thermal-fluid flow analysis and demonstration test were performed for a spent fuel storage system. The commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code, FLUENT was used for the numerical analysis. Effective thermal conductivities of a spent fuel assembly and a fuel basket were derived to optimize a thermal analysis model. Also, a porous model, which can simplify a complex configuration of a fuel assembly, was used in the thermal analysis. Demonstration test were performed to verify the thermal analysis method and procedure using a half scaled-down model and an electrically heated dummy fuel. The numerical analysis results were compared with the experimental data. Thermal analyses of the storage system were carried out for normal and off-normal conditions by using the verified analysis method.
New York City data indicate that seasonal and annual variations in dispersion-normalized air pollutant concentrations appear to accurately reflect changes in source emission patterns. The normalized concentrations make it possible to observe the impact of regulatory changes on ambient air quality without these impacts being obscured by meteorological fluctuations. It is found that numerical modeling techniques and regression analysis can be powerful tools for extracting information from large sets of air quality data. The use of differential, as opposed to absolute, pollutant concentration values will reduce artifact correlations caused by seasonal, weekly, or daily meteorological fluctuations and will permit more accurate estimation of the regression coefficients. This technique was successfully applied to a set of daily pollution measurements whose absolute concentrations were found not to yield a statistically significant fit by multiple ...
New York City data indicate that seasonal and annual variations in dispersion-normalized air pollutant concentrations appear to accurately reflect changes in source emission patterns. The normalized concentrations make it possible to observe the impact of regulatory changes on ambient air quality without these impacts being obscured by meteorological fluctuations. It is found that numerical modeling techniques and regression analysis can be powerful tools for extracting information from large sets of air quality data. The use of differential, as opposed to absolute, pollutant concentration values will reduce artifact correlations caused by seasonal, weekly, or daily meteorological fluctuations and will permit more accurate estimation of the regression coefficients. This technique was successfully applied to a set of daily pollution measurements whose absolute concentrations were found not to yield a statistically significant fit by multiple ...
Elevation of zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP) levels in the blood has served as an indicator of lead poisoning and iron deficiency anemia for many years. We have discovered that sublethal doses of whole body irradiation with x-rays also elevates ZPP 2-3-fold over normal levels. The ZPP level does not begin to increase until days 12-14 postirradiation and peaks between days 18 and 20 before returning to normal levels between days 28 and 35. Increasing the radiation dose delays the onset of the rise in ZPP, but does not affect the magnitude of the elevation. At lethal doses, ZPP elevation is not observed. Neither of the two previously described mechanisms that cause elevations of ZPP, namely iron deficiency and inhibition of ferrochelatase, are responsible for the radiation-induced elevation of ZPP. The elevation of ZPP appears to be correlated with the recovery of the hematopoietic system from radiation injury.
During the normal operation of a Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), radioactive releases into the atmosphere will be in small quantities. During major accidental situations, though the probability is extremely small, there may be significant release of radioactivity to the environment through the stack or at ground level. To study the external radiation exposure, if any, to the members of public due to releases during the normal operation of a nuclear power plant (NPP) and also to meet the requirement of emergency preparedness for the NPP site, continuous recording and analysis of environmental dose rate data is essential. This paper presents analysis of the gamma dose rates recorded by the Environmental Dose Logging Systems (EDLS) installed around the site during the last six years in the Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ) of Tarapur Atomic Power Station (TAPS). (author)
Reference failures, and their increase in affectively negative conditions (known as affective reactivity of speech), are more frequently observed in schizophrenia patients than in normal controls, but no information is available comparing schizophrenia with depression, ie, a mental disorder closely linked to the concept of affective reactivity. To address this gap in the literature, the present study compared 24 schizophrenia inpatients, 21 unipolar depression inpatients and 21 normal controls. Two 10-minute conversational speech samples (1 on negative and 1 on positive memories) were collected from each patient. The transcripts of the audiotaped interviews were analyzed blindly for frequencies of 6 types of referential failures, employing the Communication Disturbances Index, adapted for ...
The authors have performed I-123 IMP single- photon emission CT (SPECT) brain imaging on seven mildly demented patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and on seven normal subjects. Pixel-intensity histograms have been analyzed for the fraction of pixels in the lowest quartile of the intensity range. This fraction (F) averaged 17.7% (standard deviation [SD] = 4.3) in the AIDS group and 12.6 (SD = 4.7) in the normal group (P <.05). Regression analysis of neuropsychological testing (NPT) scores vs F yielded a correlation coefficient of.71. The presence or degree of atrophy did not correlate with F or NPT scores.
In this paper, four different types of pulsed eddy current (PEC) probe are designed and their performance of detecting wall thickness reduction is compared. By using the backward difference method in time and the finite element method in space, PEC signals from various thickness and materials are numerically calculated and three features of the signal are selected. Since PEC signals and features are obtained by various types and sizes of probe, the comparison is made through the normalized features which reflect the sensitivity of the feature to thickness reduction. The normalized features indicate that the shielded reflection probe provides the best sensitivity to wall thickness reduction for all three signal features. Results show that the best sensitivity to thickness reduction is achieved by the peak value, but also suggest that the time to peak can be a good candidate because of its linear relationship with the thickness variation.
The possibility of radio galaxies being random sample of otherwise normal elliptical galaxies is tested. Starting with the observed optical luminosity functions for elliptical galaxies, it is shown that the probability of an elliptical forming a radio source is a continuous, increasing function of optical luminosity, precisely proportional to square of the optical luminosity of the galaxy. Once the probability function is fixed, the luminosity function of normal elliptical galaxies is used as input for Monte Carlo simulations that reproduce the distribution of radio galaxies in the radio-optical luminosity plane. Our results show that radio galaxies are luminosity biased, but otherwise random sample of elliptical galaxies. This unified view of radio and non-radio ellipticals also explains the well known difference of 0.5 mag in average optical luminosity between FRI and FRII radio galaxies as a simple selection effect. Specifically, FRII appear ...
This paper presents a numerical study on the formation history of coalbed methane (CBM) reservoir in the southeast edge of Ordos Basin, China. The coal seams studied belong to the Late Palaeozoic coal-bearing series. These coal seams have a burial history and experienced the process of subsidence, rapid subsidence alternated with uplift and then uplift, sequentially, and underwent the geothermal actions at normal, extremely high, and then normal temperatures, respectively. Coal organic matter of the coal seams matured in the Triassic Period and in the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous Period. The results from numerical simulation reveal that CBM reservoir evolution history can be classified into five stages, namely primary, initial, stagnant, active and dissipative stages. In the first (pr...
Magnetization transfer contrast (MTC) on fast spin echo (FSE) images was evaluated in normal brain tissue as well as in brain tumors to better understand contrast of FSE images. On multislice FSE images, attenuation of the signal intensity of brain tissue due to MTC is observed. The rate of MTC (MTR) is obtained by comparing with additional single slice images. The effect of signal attenuation is greater on images with smaller interslice gap, larger number of slices, and longer echo train length. MTR of brain tumors is less than that of normal brain tissue. Among them, meningiomas have relatively high MTR, and cavernous malformation has relatively low MTR. Determination of MTC can be easily specified by obtaining multislice and single slice FSE images, and it may help differentiate brain tumors. (author).
The distribution of Lipiodol in the liver and lungs following arterial or portal injection was studied in normal (n=55) and cirrhotic rats (n=20). Using magnified xeroradiography and radioisotope labeled tracers, it was found that Lipiodol was deposited mainly in the liver and lung after either arterial or portal administration. In control rats after arterial injection, deposits in the lung peaked after 2 hours and gradually declined over 48 hours; whereas after portal injection, the deposit steadily increased for 48 hours. Twenty-five percent of cirrhotic rats demonstrated a Lipiodol-induced miliary pattern in the lung. An increased number of portosystemic shunts in cirrhotic rats was also noted. These results suggest that cirrhosis of the liver may be a potential risk factor for developing pulmonary complications after Lipiodol administration. (orig.).
A solid layer artificial pollution test was carried out to study the pollution performance of a new type of hybrid station post insulator used in suspension and tensile high voltage transmission lines. The structure of the separated silicone rubber shed and porcelain core hybrid insulator was shown. The new insulator showed excellent pollution performance under both HVAC and HVDC conditions. It also exhibited excellent aging performance in artificial aging tests. The mechanical strength of the hybrid insulator was also better than normal composite insulators. Another advantage revealed was the fact that separated silicone rubber sheds and porcelain core hybrid post insulators are easier to manufacture than normal porcelain post insulators and other hybrid insulators. 5 refs., 6 tabs., 1 fig.
The authors used studies of local cerebral metabolic rate for glucose (LCMRGlc) to examine development of cerebral organization in 5 days to 1 year old children. A group (n=8) of infants with diverse pediatric disorders allowed investigation of developmental changes in LCMRGlc, while also providing relevant clinical management information. Patients consisted of questionable and definite neonatal seizures, cerebral embolism from cardiac sources, and otherwise normal infants with facial nevi with consideration of Sturge-Weber. Gradual increase in cortical LCMRGlc coincides with suppression of intrinsic subcortical reflexes present in all newborns. Two retarded children (2 years old) showed LCMRGlc developmental patterns of a few days old, which corresponded to their functional and mental status. These studies illustrate great potential of PET to study normal and altered states of human brain development.
Color Doppler flow mapping (CDFM) was performed in 47 normal women ages 18-41 mean (m) 28 to determine the normal flow phenomena across each of the 4 heart valves. The group included: 15 elite marathon runners average run (ave.) 70 miles/week, heart rate (HR) 35-54 (m 45); 14 joggers ave. 40 mi/wkm HR 40-69 (m 53); and 17 controls 0 mi/wk, HR 49-93 (m 77). 2-D echo and CDFM defined the motion of each valve, including the presence of mitral valve prolapse (MVP), the ventricular inflow and outflow patterns and the presence of regurgitation.
Fetal MRI examines non-invasively the unborn fetus. Ultrafast MRI sequences effectively suppress fetal motion. Multiple case reports and studies have shown that fetal MRI is particularly helpful in the evaluation of the central nervous system. The high contrast-to-noise ratio, the high spatial resolution, the multiplanar capabilities, the large field of view and the simultaneous visualisation of fetal and maternal structures have proven to be advantageous. Fetal MRI is particularly helpful in the evaluation of the normal and pathological development of the brain. Despite the fact that no side effects have been reported or are to be expected, the use of MRI during pregnancy is still limited to the second and third trimester of pregnancy. Magnetic resonance imaging contrast media are not to be used as it passes the placenta. Ultrasound remains the primary screening modality for fetal pathology; fetal MRI can serve as an adjunct or second-line imaging modality. ...
Experiments of highly subcooled nucleate pool boiling of FC-72 with dissolved air were studied both in short-term microgravity condition utilizing the drop tower Beijing and in normal gravity conditions. The bubble behavior and heat transfer of air-dissolved FC-72 on a small scale silicon chip (10 ? 10 ? 0.5?mm3) were obtained at the bulk liquid subcooling of 41?K and nominal pressure of 102?kPa. The boiling heat transfer performance in low heat flux region in microgravity is similar to that in normal gravity condition, while vapor bubbles increase in size but little coalescence occurs among bubbles, and then forms a large bubble remains attached to the heater surface during the whole microgravity period. Thermocapillary convection may be an important mechanism of boiling heat transfer in ...
Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) is employed to study the changes in enthalpy of natural rubber latex samples when heated under a controlled temperature program. It is found that the mass normalized areas of the DSC curves between room temperature and 170??C for different latex samples are inversely proportional to the dry rubber content (DRC) of the samples, measured following the weighing and drying method. The changes in total enthalpy of the samples in this temperature range are interpreted as due to the variations in the quantity of water present in the samples. The measurements have been repeated by diluting selected samples with known quantities of water, and it is found that the normalized areas of the DSC curves are directly proportional to the amount of water added to the ...
Knowledge on environmental variability and how it is affected by disturbances is crucial for understanding patterns of biodiversity and determining adequate conservation strategies. The aim of this study is to assess environmental variability in patches undergoing post-fire vegetation recovery, identifying trends of change and their relevant drivers. We particularly evaluate: the value of three spectral indices derived from Landsat satellite data [Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Wetness Component of the Tasseled Cap Transformation (TCW)] for describing secondary succession; the effectiveness of three metrics (diversity, evenness and richness) as indicators of patch variability; and how thematic resolution can affect the perception of environme...
Pregraduate medical curricula are currently undergoing a reform process that is moving away from a traditional discipline-related structure and towards problem-based integrated forms of teaching. Imaging sciences, with their inherently technical advances, are specifically influenced by the effects of paradigm shifts in medical education. The teaching of diagnostic radiology should be based on the definition of three core competencies: in vivo visualization of normal and abnormal morphology and function, diagnostic reasoning, and interventional treatment. On the basis of these goals, adequate teaching methods and e-learning tools should be implemented by focusing on case-based teaching. Teaching materials used in the fields of normal anatomy, pathology, and clinical diagnosis may help diagnostic radiology to play a central role in modern pregraduate curricula. (orig.)
To examine the hormonal regulation of the ATP-dependent Ca{sup 2+} pump in the kidneys, the ATP-dependent Ca{sup 2+} uptake by the basolateral membrane vesicles in the renal cortex was measured using radioactive calcium ({sup 45}Ca{sup 2+}) in rats with vitamin D deficiency or rats undergoing thyroparathyroidectomy. The V{sub max} of the Ca{sup 2+} pump activity was increased not only by administering calcitriol, but also by normalizing the serum calcium level in vitamin D-deficient rats. PTH suppressed the Ca{sup 2+} pump activity in normocalcemic vitamin D-deficient rats. Thyroparathyroidectomy did not affect the Ca{sup 2+} pump activity in the kidneys of normal rats. It was concluded that the ATP-dependent Ca{sup 2+} pump activity was depressed by secondary hyperparathyroidism in vitamin D-deficient rats. (author).
To examine the hormonal regulation of the ATP-dependent Ca"2"+ pump in the kidneys, the ATP-dependent Ca"2"+ uptake by the basolateral membrane vesicles in the renal cortex was measured using radioactive calcium ("4"5Ca"2"+) in rats with vitamin D deficiency or rats undergoing thyroparathyroidectomy. The V_m_a_x of the Ca"2"+ pump activity was increased not only by administering calcitriol, but also by normalizing the serum calcium level in vitamin D-deficient rats. PTH suppressed the Ca"2"+ pump activity in normocalcemic vitamin D-deficient rats. Thyroparathyroidectomy did not affect the Ca"2"+ pump activity in the kidneys of normal rats. It was concluded that the ATP-dependent Ca"2"+ pump activity was depressed by secondary hyperparathyroidism in vitamin D-deficient rats. (author).
The magnetic three spin-1/2 model for nanometer-scale molecular cluster V15 is analyzed with the emphasis on the origin of the mixing of different spin levels in the resonance fields that is generally important for the problem of single molecular magnets. The zero-field splitting in the ground quadruplet (two Formula Not Shown levels) is shown to depend mainly on the normal component of AS exchange meanwhile the zero-field splitting in the excited Formula Not Shown multiplet is a second order effect with respect to in-plane components of AS exchange. The normal component of the AS exchange is shown to lead to the exact crossing of the magnetic sublevels at the arbitrary direction of the field. The positions of two crossing/anticrossing points in the ground manifold depend mainly on the iso...
The growth of a middle ear cholesteatoma behind a normal tympanic membrane is a rate though possible event. In such cases, CT may provide useful information for diagnosis. The results are presented of a CT study carried out on 14 patients affected with unilateral conductive hearing loss and with normal tympanic membrane. CT allowed the diagnosis of meddle ear cholesteatoma to be made in all cases. All patients were treated with surgery: 8 of them underwent tympanoplasty and 6 explorative tympanotomy. While the diagnosis of cholesteatoma was confirmed in 13 patients, in 1 case tympanosclerosis was diagnosed. CT diagnosis of middle ear cholesteatoma is based on the demonstration of a low-density soft-tissue mass, in association with bone erosion or ossicular dislocation. The author emphasizes the difficulty of a CT diagnosis of cholesteatoma in the patients with middle ear soft-tissue masses in the absence of bone alterations.
Brain CT images were reviewed of 98 schizophrenic patients and 90 healthy persons in relation to handedness and aging. CT images were further reconstructed to examine morphologically subtle changes in each region. Schizophrenic patients had progressive brain atrophy and dilated lateral ventricles, especially on the left side and in the posterior part of the lateral ventricle. These findings were more marked in left-handed than in right-handed schizophrenic patients. According to age groups, there were significant differences between schizophrenic and normal persons over the age of 40. The incidence of left handedness was significantly higher in schizophrenic patients in their fourties than the age-matched normal persons (31.4% vs 15.1%). Morphological abnormality and laterality might be due to the same pathologic consequences. (N.K.).
Most active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) exhibit particle size distributions with some degrees of asymmetry deviating from log-normality. A new log-skew-normal (L-S-N) distribution model is proposed for a systematic comparison of the asymmetry effect on content uniformity. The new model originated from the S-N model used by Azzalini gives a close approximation to real API particle size distribution. Monte-Carlo method was employed to simulate the dosage potency distribution. A high risk of over potency is uncovered when either the dose is low or API particle size distribution is positively skewed. This is due to the formation of pseudo heavy tail in potency distribution that decays slower than exponentially. Nomographs of API particle size versus dosage strength were constructed with a...
We present an empirical model for periodic variations of diurnal and sub-diurnal Earth rotation parameters (ERPs) that was derived based on the transformation of normal equation (NEQ) systems of Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observing sessions. NEQ systems that contain highly resolved polar motion and UT1-TAI with a temporal resolution of 15?min were generated and then transformed to the coefficients of the tidal ERP model to be solved for. To investigate the quality of this model, comparisons with empirical models from the Global Positioning System (GPS), another VLBI model and the model adopted by the conventions of the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS) were performed. The absolute coefficients of these models agree almost completely within 7.5?...
In this paper we present an approximation method for the convolution of two planar curves using pairs of compatible cubic B?zier curves with linear normals (LN). We characterize the necessary and sufficient conditions for two compatible cubic B?zier LN curves with the same linear normal map to exist. Using this characterization, we obtain the cubic spline approximation of the convolution curve. As illustration, we apply our method to the approximation of a font where the letters are constructed as the Minkowski sum of two planar curves. We also present numerical results using our approximation method for offset curves and compare our method to previous results.
A model is presented for describing the Amputee Independent Prosthesis Properties (AIPP) of complete assemblies of trans-tibial prosthetic components distal to the socket. This new AIPP model includes features of both lumped parameter and roll-over models and describes prosthesis properties that are of importance in stance phase, including prosthetic foot geometry, normal stiffness, shear stiffness, and damping (energy dissipation). Methods are described for measuring the parameters of the AIPP model using a custom test-rig, commercial load-cell, and a motion capture system. Example data are presented for five pylon angles reflecting the shank angles seen in normal gait. Through the inclusion of measured AIPP in future in-vivo studies comparing different prostheses more generic information, as opposed to product specific claims, will become more widely available to inform future designs, prescription, and alignment procedures. PMID:21831379
Techniques of chemical analysis, amino acid sequencing and autoradiography are being used to study the frequency of incorporation of normally noncoded amino acids into hemoglobins and seminal fluid proteins. We are studying, by the sequencing of radiolabeled proteins followed by the recovery of ["3H] isoleucine phenylthiohydantoin by high-performance liquid chromatography, the frequency at which normally noncoded isoleucine is incorporated into hemoglobin because of base-substitution mutations versus translational errors. Irradiation increases the isoleucine content of human hemoglobin and the frequency of substitution of isoleucine for specific amino acids in rabbit hemoglobin. Studies to date indicate that these techniques have been developed sufficiently for initial analysis of the potential of drugs and environmental pollutants to induce base-substitution mutations in mammalian somatic cells.
Transparency is essential for normal corneal function. Recent studies suggest that corneal cells express high levels of so-called corneal crystallins, such as aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) and transketolase (TKT) that contribute to maintaining cellular transparency. Stromal injury leads to the appearance of repair phenotype keratocytes, the corneal fibroblast and myofibroblast. Previous studies on keratocytes from species such as bovine and rabbit indicate that the transformation from the normal to repair phenotype is accompanied by a loss of corneal crystallin expression, which may be associated with loss of cellular transparency. Here we investigated if a similar loss occurs with human keratocyte repair phenotypes. Human corneal epithelial cells were collected by scraping and keratocytes...
Adaptive radiation therapy for liver cancer has the potential to reduce normal tissue complications and enable dose escalation, allowing the potential for tumor control in this challenging site. Using adaptive techniques to tailor treatment margins to reflect patient-specific breathing motions and image-guidance techniques can reduce the high dose delivered to surrounding normal tissues while ensuring that the prescription dose is delivered to the tumor. Several treatment planning and delivery techniques have been developed for use in the liver, including a margin to encompass the full breathing motion, mean position techniques, which evaluate the probability of tumor location during breathing, breath hold, gating, and tracking. Patient selection, clinical workflow, and quality assurance m...
ARIES-AT is a 1000MWe conceptual fusion power plant design with a very low projected cost of electricity. The design contains many innovative features to improve both the physics and engineering performance of the system. From the safety and environmental perspective, there is greater depth to the overall analysis than in past ARIES studies. For ARIES-AT, the overall spectrum of off-normal events to be examined has been broadened. They include conventional loss of coolant and loss of flow events, an ex-vessel loss of coolant, and in-vessel off-normal events that mobilize in-vessel inventories (e.g., tritium and tokamak dust) and bypass primary confinement such as a loss of vacuum and an in-vessel loss of coolant with bypass. This broader examination of accidents improves the robustness of ...
The progression of hip dysplasia was investigated in 116 military working dogs. Medical records were reviewed for any clinical history of hind-limb lameness. Pelvic radiographs were studied for evidence and degree of hip dysplasia, degenerative joint disease, or both. The number of months each dog worked was determined. Each dog's age at termination from service and cause of death (or euthanasia) were recorded. The mean months of work for normal and dysplastic dogs were evaluated using the Student's t-test. No significant difference was found in the total number of months worked between normal and dysplastic dogs (p greater than 0.05). PMID:8875358
The progression of hip dysplasia was investigated in 116 military working dogs. Serial pelvic radiographs were graded for degree of dysplasia and degenerative joint disease (DJD). Norberg angles, angles of inclination, and joint space widths were measured. There was a significant correlation between the Norberg angle and the degree of dysplasia (p less than 0.0001). Angles of inclination and joint space width measurements did not demonstrate a correlation to canine hip dysplasia. Dysplastic dogs had a significant estimated risk for development of DJD compared to normal dogs (p less than 0.0001; odds ratio of 70.2). Dogs with normal hip conformation at 24 months of age or older did not develop moderate nor severe DJD. PMID:8875357
This paper presents a design of fuzzy power system stabilizer (FPSS) using adaptive evolutionary computation (AEC). We have proposed an adaptive evolutionary algorithm which uses a genetic algorithm (GA) and an evolution strategy (ES) in an adaptive manner in order to take merits of two different evolutionary computations. FPSS shows better control performances than conventional power system stabilizer (CPSS) in three-phase fault with heavy load which is used when tuning FPSS. To show there robustness of the proposed FPSS, it is applied to damp the low frequency oscillations caused by disturbances such as three-phase fault with normal and light load, the angle deviation of generator with normal and light load and the angle deviation of generator with heavy load. Proposed FPSS shows better robustness than CPSS. (author). 15 refs., 13 figs., 3 tabs.
Historically the organizational models have followed an evolution that has underlined a parallel trend to the complexity of the market, introducing as different mechanisms of coordination. Up to yesterday the winning model it was that hierarchical that however it is not certainly immune from limits. Beginning from eight hundred and especially in the nine hundred experts of organization have studied an alternative or supplementary model to that hierarchical: the bureaucratic model. This last entrusts the organization of the firm to the norms and the procedures considering them like the best integrating mechanism of development of the organizations. Today it is not made that to speak of the model to net, but it would be a serious error if this had to a substitutive model thought of the precedents, that can work then without hierarchy and without alone procedures entirely thanks to the use of Internet. In the present job are individualized new models of management of the private firms and ...
In the geologic formation where the oil deposits are located, diverse types of rocks perform functions as structural elements, storage containers for hydrocarbon water and calorific energy, as well as impermeable barriers and transport means of the energy and the fluids. Among the most important properties that are used to describe these functions are the porosity, the permeability, the compressibility of the pores volume, the formation resistivity factor, the saturation exponent, the velocity of acoustic waves P and S, the relative permeability, the capillary pressures, the elastic constants and other mechanical properties, the thermal expansion, coefficient, the thermal conductivity, the thermal diffusivity and the specific heat. The execution of an ample variety of activities related to the stages of exploration, location, evaluation and development of the oil deposits, depends strongly on having a good knowledge of the magnitude and the spatial variability of these properties. The ...
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Hormone levels were examined in the venous blood in 54 men suffering from stage 2 alcoholism and in 30 normal subjects, using a radioimmunochemical assay. The alcoholics were found to have a statistically significant increase in prolactin and a decrease in testosterone. A definite ratio in the secretion of these hormones differing from that in the control group was elucidated. This ratio (prolactin-testosterone index) is proposed as a diagnostic test of alcoholism. PMID:6441404
The water and steam circuits of steam generators in pressurized-water nuclear power plants are described together with the mechanism of denting, and the corrosion of spacer plates that leads to cracks in tubes by constriction. The different chemical specifications applicable to the water of the secondary circuit of the generators in normal operation and on first commissioning are listed. The results obtained and the measurements of chemical values taken in operation on the water in the secondary circuits of steam generators at Fessenheim and Bugey are presented.
The water and steam circuits of steam generators in pressurized-water nuclear power plants are described together with the mechanism of denting, and the corrosion of spacer plates that leads to cracks in tubes by constriction. The different chemical specifications applicable to the water of the secondary circuit of the generators in normal operation and on first commissioning are listed. The results obtained and the measurements of chemical values taken in operation on the water in the secondary circuits of steam generators at Fessenheim and Bugey are presented.
We devised a three-dimensional method for estimation of cerebral development and myelination which measures cerebral volume using MRI. Accuracy of the system was estimated using cadaver brains. The mean percentage error in the calculated volumes compared with the real volumes was 2.33 %, range 0.00-5.33 %. We applied the method to the volume of both cerebral hemispheres (CH), basal ganglia, thalamus and internal capsule (BT), and myelinated white matter (WM) in 44 neurologically normal individuals (4 months to 28 years of age), 13 patients with spastic motor disturbances (2-25 years of age), and 9 patients with athetotic motor disturbances (2-23 years of age). In the neurologically normal cases, the volumes of CH, BT and WM increased with age; the volume of MW more slowly than that of CH. In cases with spastic motor disturbances, the volumes of CH, BT and WM were between -1.4 and 3.5 SD, -1.0 and -3.5 SD, and 0.0 and -5.2 SD respectively, of ...
Because of good thermal insulation of advanced energetic buildings and their good airtightness the air hygiene is insufficient. A normal ventilation behaviour by window opening consumes too much heating energy. A calculation method is shown taking into account a required air change number, flow rate and indoor air quality as thermal comfort in the rooms occupied by different number of persons. (GL)
Results of UBVRI observations of 127 stars in the field of Tauri dark clouds are presented. The distance of these clouds is 132+-10 pc. The reddening law in direction of the clouds is close to the normal one. The stars associated with the clouds have been picked out. The space density of these stars is several times higher than that in the Sun neighbourhood.
Tunneling spectroscopy of normal-insulator-superconductor junction is investigated theoretically. In anisotropic superconductors, differently from the case of isotropic superconductor, the effective pair potentials felt by quasiparticles depend on the direction of their motion. By taking this effect into account, it is shown that the conductance spectra strongly depend on the crystal orientation. Using Green`s function method, local density of states (LDOS) in superconductor is also calculated. The close relation between conductance spectra and LDOS is presented. The calculation is compared with experimental spectra of high-{Tc} superconductors.
Non-uniform radionuclide distribution in tumours will lead to a non-uniform absorbed dose. The aim of this study was to investigate how tumour control probability (TCP) depends on the radionuclide distribution in the tumour, both macroscopically and at the subcellular level. The absorbed dose in the cell nuclei of tumours was calculated for {sup 90}Y, {sup 177}Lu, {sup 103m}Rh and {sup 211}At. The radionuclides were uniformly distributed within the subcellular compartment and they were uniformly, normally or log-normally distributed among the cells in the tumour. When all cells contain the same amount of activity, the cumulated activities required for TCP = 0.99 (A-tilde{sub TCP=0.99}) were 1.5-2 and 2-3 times higher when the activity was distributed on the cell membrane compared to in the cell nucleus for {sup 103m}Rh and {sup 211}At, respectively. TCP for {sup 90}Y was not affected by different radionuclide distributions, whereas for {sup ...
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
To further optimize thermo-hydraulic capability of HCSB-TBM, two different thermo-hydraulic schemes would be proposed and investigated by relevant calculating and simulating of thermo-dynamics in normal and peak heat flux condition. With computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code FLUENT, the actual temperature distribution of key components of HCSB-TBM is simulated. (authors)
A 7-kb genomic segment containing the coding sequence for the Drosophila melanogaster Formosa variant of salivary gland secretion protein 3 (sgs3) has been inserted into the snw y, bw, st strain of...Full Text Available
Line conditioners control voltage isolated in external conductors. Changes of Stern-Delta connections involve voltage drop in a nonloaded external conductor and are therefore compensated. The payback period of a line conditioner lasts normally between one to three years, according to the investment cost for the alternative medium-sized voltage to be constructed. (GL)
A model of weightlessness in which the hindlimbs of rats are elevated by their tails at a 40 degrees angle to unload the hindlimbs while maintaining normal weight bearing on the forelimbs has been used to simulate certain conditions of space flight. When we used this model in growing rats, we found that growth in bone weight ceased by 1 week in the hindlimbs and lumbar vertebrae, whereas growth in bone weight in the forelimbs and cervical vertebrae remained unaffected. Within 2 weeks, however, the accretion of bone weight in the hindlimbs and lumbar vertebrae returned to normal despite continued skeletal unloading. Since bone weight in the growing rat is primarily determined by bone formation (bone resorption is modest), we investigated the effects of selective skeletal unloading on bone formation during 2 weeks of hindlimb elevation using radioisotope incorporation (with /sup 45/Ca and (/sup 3/H)proline) and histomorphometry (with tetracycline ...
The need is substantiated for using remote control of technological processes on blowout dangerous beds. A method is proposed for this control based on recording with the help of AGZ apparatus for gas release into the roadway. Distinguishing features are indicated for the change in methane concentration in the roadway with normal occurrence of the process and in the case of blowout of coal and gas.
A LOss of Electric Power(LOEP) experiment was conducted after a 30MW full power operation as one of the reactor performance tests to verify the design characteristics of the HANARO. The objective of LOEP test was to investigate the integral behaviors of the system and the components as well as the cooling characteristics when the electric power was lost unexpectedly. Through the test, it was confirmed that the residual heat from the core was safely removed by the natural convection cooling and the assistant power systems operated normally
The structure of newly synthesized proteoglycans from explant cultures of cartilage from joints subjected to transection of the anterior cruciate ligament (osteoarthritic) and from normal (non- or sham-operated) joints was examined. The structure of the products of proteoglycan turnover was also examined using explants of normal and osteoarthritic cartilage maintained in culture for a 48 h chase period. The findings were as follows: Newly synthesized (/sup 35/S)-proteoglycans extracted from cartilage explants from osteoarthritic joints whether examined 3 weeks, 3 months, or 6 months after surgery were larger than those from corresponding normal cartilage. This can be explained by the synthesis in osteoarthritic cartilage of abnormally long chondroitin sulfate chains on newly synthesised proteoglycans. The extracts also contained a newly formed small proteoglycan species that was unable to interact with hyaluronic acid. The ...
A carrier coprecipitation procedures has been developed for the removal of radioactive strontium from caustic liquid low-level waste (LLLW) generated at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The two-step treatment process involves the addition of normal Sr (as SrCl{sub 2}) to the waste matrix, which is composed primarily of 0.3 M NaOH and 0.6 M Na{sub 2}CO{sub 3}. The active Sr equilibrates with the normal Sr carrier and coprecipitates as SrCO{sub 3} at pH 13. A liquid/solid separation is made before the pH of the supernate is reduced to pH 8 with sulfuric acid. During the neutralization step, the aluminum is the waste precipitates as Al(OH){sub 3}. Further Sr decontamination is achieved as traces of active Sr sorb to the Al(OH){sub 3} that precipitates during the neutralization step. A final liquid/solid separation is made at pH 8 to remove the sorbed active Sr. Maximum Sr decontamination of the LLLW is obtained when at least 50 ppm ...
One normally identifies the prediction of tachyons with a higher spin problem. We show that the same phenomenon also happens with certain spin-1/2 equations, in exactly the same circumstances. Furthermore, we prove that these equations also have the defect of possessing solutions with complex energies, even with the smallest external fields. The consequences of these results are analyzed.
The fluorescence, absorption, infrared and Raman spectra of Sm_3Ga_5O_1_2 have been investigated. The energy-level schemes in the energy range 3000-16000 cm"-"1 have been determined. The number and symmetries of the Sm_3Ga_5O_1_2 crystal normal mode have been obtained by the molecular site group analysis and their comparison with the experiment has been made.
A review is made of the various brain imaging agents utilised in the post few years with their own characters and respective advantages: cerebral blood volume tracers, non diffusible tracers, diffusible tracers among which gases and lipophilic agents. Our results with IAMP and SPECT are presented in two different clinical application fields: normal pressure hydrocephalus and cerebral ischemia.
A review is made of the various brain imaging agents utilised in the post few years with their own characters and respective advantages: cerebral blood volume tracers, non diffusible tracers, diffusible tracers among which gases and lipophilic agents. Our results with IAMP and SPECT are presented in two different clinical application fields: normal pressure hydrocephalus and cerebral ischemia.
This review examines the characteristics of the compression-ignition type of dual-fuel engine and the combustion phenomena that affect these characteristics. The specific areas covered involve normal combustion processes, the nature and origin of engine knock, operation with LNG, and the effect of intake temperature on combustion efficiency and exhaust composition.
In this study, bone mineral density (BMD) of normal (CON), ovariectomized (OVX) and partially nephrectomized (NFR) rats was measured by 31P NMR spectroscopy; bone matrix density was...Full Text Available
The possibility of fabricating a superconductive vertex detector is discussed on the basis of a preliminary experiment. The experiment has shown that an indium strip 15 mm long, 20 ..mu..m wide and 0.1 ..mu..m thick is changed from the superconductive state to the normal state when struck by a single 5.4 MeV alpha particle.
This book is an anatomical reference for cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies in neonates and infants. It contains 122 clear, sharp MRI scans and drawings showing changes in the normal appearance of the brain and skull during development. Sections of the atlas depict the major processes of maturation: brain myelination, development of the corpus callosum, development of the cranial bone marrow, and iron deposition in the brain. High-quality scans illustrate how these changes appear on magnetic resonance images during various stages of development.
It is demonstrated that normal pitting can occur during oxidizing conditions in the repository. It is also concluded that a new theory for pitting corrosion has to be developed, as the present theory is not in accordance with all practical and experimental observations. A special variant of pitting, based on the growth of sulfide whiskers, is suggested to occur during reducing conditions. However, such a mechanism needs to be demonstrated experimentally. A simple calculational model of canister corrosion was developed based on the results of this study. 69 refs, 3 figs.
We illustrate serial HRCT findings over a 16-month period in a 35-year-old woman who had ingested paraquat. Initial areas of ground-glass opacity changed into areas of multiple air cysts on follow up scan obtained five months after ingestion. A further follow-up scan obtained 16 months after ingestion showed improvement, with increased lung volume and normalized lung architecture.
This book contains 49 chapters. Some of the titles are: Molecular, Genetic, and Clinical Aspects of the HLA System; The Normal Immune Response; Significance of the ABO Antigen System; The Role of Dialysis in the Management of End-Stage Renal Disease; Access for Dialysis; Patient Selection for Renal Transplantation; The Living Donor in Kidney Transplantation; and Kidney Preservation by Cold Storage.
A boundary value problem for Laplace?s equation in a bounded two-dimensional domain filled with a piecewise homogeneous medium is considered. The boundary of the inhomogeneity is assumed to be unknown. The inverse problem of determining the inhomogeneity boundary and the solution of the equation given the solution and its normal derivative on the boundary of the domain is discussed. Numerical methods are proposed for solving the inverse problem, and the results of numerical experiments are presented.
The main objective of the present thermal hydraulic analysis is to determine the thermal hydraulic characteristics of Wolsung-1 600 MWe CANDU-PHW reactor under normal operation. This is to verify and expedite the development of the nuclear fuel design and...
Conceptual and factual advances in understanding neuronal migration in the past two decades have provided new insight into the pathogenesis of brain malformations at the cellular, molecular, and functional levels. Some of these results may have direct implications in understanding the consequences of ionizing radiation on the fetal central nervous system in utero. (orig.).
Seventeen clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus (from the United States and Europe) selected for low (borderline)-level methicillin resistance (MIC of methicillin, 2 to 4 micrograms/ml; MIC of...Full Text Available
Recent literature indicates that torsion of the left ventricle (LV) is a promising predictor for response to cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT). Among patients with severe heart failure, 45 to 75% of patients show rigid body rotation, where the base and apex rotate in the same direction, instead of normal, opposite rotation. The occurrence of this phenomenon seems to be a good indicator for response to CRT. From this review, it can be concluded that LV torsion might be a welcome addition to current selection criteria.
The paper intends to lay down the fundamentals of normal mineralisation in the perinatal phase as a basis for investigations of disturbed mineralisation. Data are presented on the percentage area of the mineralized osseous tissue, the osteocyte density, and the mineral contents of healthy bones at this age. Comparative morphological examinations of thin bone sections and microradiographs give a picture of bone development at this age. (orig./AJ).
Testicular germ cell tumours (TGCTs) of adolescents and adults morphologically mimic different stages of embryogenesis. Established cell lines of these cancers are used as informative models to study...Full Text Available
"1"0"1Mo is an important radionuclide to determine the burn-up of nuclear fuels, but its half-life reference values had marked differences. It is described in detail the principles and processes of the position normalization method by two high purity germanium detectors to determinate the half-life of "1"0"1Mo. (authors)
... The larvae's only hope for survival is if the antibiotic tetracycline is present -because it mops up the enzyme. The developers hope male GM mosquitoes will compete with normal males for females so that repeated releases cut numbers of A. aegypti in dengue-prone areas. The mosquitoes will be released in the inland districts of Bentong in the state of Pahang, and Alor Gajah and Melaka in the state of Malacca, according to the National Biosafety Board. Each location will have two release phases: the first at a site ...
This study evaluates the frequency and functions of immunocompetent T cells at the clonal level in solid human lung tissue versus peripheral blood. Enzymatic digestion of slices of histologically normal...Full Text Available
Reduced glutathione levels in erythrocytes of 14 Enga New Guinea Highlanders had a mean value of 50.1 mg/100 ml (S 5.9) which was significantly lower than the mean value of 67.9 mg/100 ml (S 9.7) found in 16 normal Caucasian Australians (P less than .001). PMID:1061442
We show, assuming the consistency of one measurable cardinal, that it is consistent for there to be exactly kappa+ many normal measures on the least measurable cardinal kappa. This answers a question of Stewart Baldwin. The methods generalize to higher cardinals, showing that the number of lambda strong compactness or lambda supercompactness measures on P_kappa(lambda) can be exactly lambda+, if lambda>kappa is a regular cardinal. We conclude with a list of open questions. Our proofs use a critical observation due to James Cummings.
Isolated situs inversus of the stomach with otherwise normal position of the thoracic and abdominal viscera is an extremely rare anomaly occurring in two distinct forms. Because of its close relationship to the liver, the right-sided stomach may produce interesting and confusing changes in the liver scan. Two cases illustrate the radiologic features of the two principal types of isolated congenital dextrogastria and the effect of one type on the liver scan.
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.).
The authors have found that heat-inactivated serum (57/sup 0/C for 1 hour) from normal chickens reduces the proliferation of mitogen-stimulated chicken and murine splenocytes as well as some transformed mammalian lymphoblastoid cell lines. Greater than a 50% reduction in /sup 3/H-thymidine incorporation was observed when concanavalin A (Con A)-activated chicken splenocytes that were cultured in the presence of 10% autologous or heterologous serum were compared to mitogen-stimulated cells cultured in the absence of serum. Normal chicken serum (10%) also caused greater than 95% suppression of /sup 3/H-thymidine incorporation by bovine (EBL-1 and BL-3) and gibbon ape (MLA 144) transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines. The only cell line tested that was not inhibited by chicken serum was an IL-2-dependent, murine cell line. Chicken serum also inhibited both /sup 3/H-thymidine incorporation and IL-2 synthesis by Con A-activated murine splenocytes. ...
... Research Center, Washington DC May 23 BBC NEws: US used Nuclear Weapons in Afghanistan Jalalabad: New reference levels based on recent samples show uranium levels 45 times normal. New bioassay studies identify uranium internal contamination in Spin Gar (Tora Bora) area and the City ...
A discussion is presented of the 750-KeV chopper experience with both proton and negative ion beams and the ability of these systems to tailor the Linac beam to the diverse requirements of its users; normal accelerator injection, neutron therapy beam, and electron cooling experiments. This flexibility plus a cleaner beam pulse, improved thyratron operation, and mechanical modularity are the results of recent improvements. Additional benefits have been increased reliability and ease of service to the 750-KeV chopper. 3 refs.
Four new mutants are described whose phenotypic expression affects the length of the head of bacteriophage T4D. All mutants produce some phenotypically normal phage particles. Mutant pt21-34...Full Text Available
... The male GM mosquitoes mate with normal females to produce larvae that die unless the antibiotic tetracycline is present. In tetracycline's absence an enzyme accumulates to a toxic level, killing the larvae. The developers hope the strategy could be combined with other mosquito control methods to reduce transmission in dengue-prone areas. Ricarda Steinbrecher, a geneticist and co-director of EcoNexus -a UK-based non-profit research organisation -expressed surprise ...
... The male GM mosquitoes mate with normal females to produce larvae that die unless the antibiotic tetracycline is present. In tetracycline's absence an enzyme accumulates to a toxic level, killing the larvae. The developers hope the strategy could be combined with other mosquito control methods to reduce transmission in dengue-prone areas. Ricarda Steinbrecher, a geneticist and co-director of EcoNexus - a UK-based non-profit research organization - ...
An experiment of heat transfer to CO{sub 2}, which flows upward and downward in a circular tube with an inner diameter of 6.32 mm, was carried out with mass flux of 285-1200 kg/m{sup 2} s and heat flux of 30-170 kW/m{sup 2} at pressures of 7.75 and 8.12 MPa, respectively. The corresponding Reynolds number at the tube test section inlet ranges from 1.8 x 10{sup 4} to 3.8 x 10{sup 5}. The tube inner diameter corresponds to the equivalent hydraulic diameter of the fuel assembly sub-channel, which is being studied at KAERI. Among the tested correlations, the Bishop correlation predicted the experimental data most accurately, but only 66.9% of normal heat transfer data were predicted within {+-}30% error range. The Watts and Chou correlation, which is claimed to be valid for both the normal and deteriorated heat transfer regime, showed unsatisfactory performance. A significant decrease in Nusselt number was observed in the range of 10{sup ...
The prediction of faults on high voltage transmission lines requires the detection of incipient faults, which is implemented by detection of the radio noise due to contaminated insulators, insulation deterioration, and improver connections. It is shown that the radio noise due to incipient faults is separable and identifiable from normal transmission line radio noise, hence faults can be predicted.
A nonperturbing 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) method was used to monitor the equilibrium distribution of carboxyl 13C-enriched fatty acids (FA) between distinct binding sites on human serum albumin,...Full Text Available
HEDL is conducting an experimental transient testing program to evaluate the performance of prototypic Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) fuel pins up to the cladding integrity limit. The relationship is described of the HEDL/TREAT transient overpower test program to the confirmation of FFTF fuel pin design bases via the FFTF fuel pin design procedure.
Over the past ten years face segmentation has developed rapidly and various algorithms have been proposed. In this paper we will demonstrate a face detection system based on skin color and the spaces RGB, normalized RGB, HSV and YCbCr are concentrated here. Through combing them the more accurate face region will be detected.
Due to the intensity and vast number of subjects, this Bremen experts' discussion, too, could discuss only part of the problem of the possibilitiy to quantify the radiation hazard. One preliminary result is that there is no scientific proof of the harmlessness of radiation exposure during normal operation of a nuclear power plant, either within the plant or in its vicinity. Other results are that some important questions can not be answered yet, and that there are important hints on the dangers even of low radiation doses. (GL).
After each archwire was ligated into a bracket with a 0.010-in stainless steel wire, both stainless steel and beta-titanium archwires (0.017- x 0.025-in) were slid through commercially pure titanium brackets (0.018-in slot size) at 34 degrees C in both the dry and wet conditions. As controls, stainless steel archwire versus stainless steel bracket couples were used with comparable dimensions. The drawing forces were measured at 5 angulations (0 degrees, 3 degrees, 7 degrees, 9 degrees, and 11 degrees ) for 5 normal forces (nominally 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, and 1.0 kg). Regression lines were determined for each frictional couple (P <.05). In the passive configuration, the kinetic frictional coefficients of control and test couples in the dry condition were comparable to previously reported values at 0.11 +/- 0.01 for stainless steel versus stainless steel, 0.12 +/- 0.00 for stainless steel versus titanium, and 0.26 +/- 0.02 for beta-titanium versus titanium. As the ...
To determine if the enhanced glycemic response to epinephrine in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is the result of increased adrenergic sensitivity per se, increased glucagon...Full Text Available
We have previously shown that lymphocyte β2-adrenoceptors (AR) are under cyclical control of sex-steroid hormones with greater receptor density during the luteal phase of the menstrual...Full Text Available
In normal subjects, apolipoprotein E (apo E) is present on very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) (fraction I) and on particles of a size intermediate between VLDL and low density lipoproteins (LDL) (fraction...Full Text Available
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.
We determined the Na/K x-ray intensity ratio in frozen sections of myocardial tissues obtained at autopsy from patients who died from various causes, using electron probe analysis. We have been able to distinguish between the ischemically injured and normal cells. The method is simple, fast, and dependable even when the duration of ischemia is only 30 minutes.
The objective of SCK-CEN's R and D programme on decision strategy research are (1) to support and advise the Belgian authorities on specific problems concerning existing and potential hazards from exposure to ionising radiation, both in normal and emergency situations; (2) to perform research on relevant topics that might have an important impact on decision making related to nuclear applications, including social and economic sciences. Main achievements in this area in 1999 are described.
The temporal evolution of linear toroidal ion temperature gradient (ITG) modes is studied based on a kinetic integral equation including an initial condition. It is shown how to evaluate the analytic continuation of the integral kernel as a function of a complex-valued frequency, which is useful for analytical and numerical calculations of the asymptotic damping behavior of the ITG mode. In the presence of the toroidal {nabla}B-curvature drift, the temporal dependence of the density and potential perturbations consists of normal modes and a continuum mode, which correspond to contributions from poles and from an integral along a branch cut, respectively, of the Laplace-transformed potential function of the complex-valued frequency. The normal modes have exponential time dependence with frequencies and growth rates determined by the dispersion relation while the continuum mode, which has a ballooning structure, shows a power law decay ...
Fission yeast S. pombe is assumed to be a good model for cloning of human DNA repair genes, because human gene is normally expressed in S. pombe and has a very similar protein sequence to yeast protein. We have tried to elucidate the DNA repair mechanisms of S. pombe as a model system for those of mammals. (J.P.N.)
The uncertainty associated with the sorption coefficient, or K{sub d} value, is one of the key uncertainties in estimating risk associated with burying low-level nuclear waste in the subsurface. The objective of this study was to measure >648 K{sub d} values and provide a measure of the range and distribution (normal or log-normal) of radionuclide K{sub d} values appropriate for the E-Area disposal site, within the Savannah River Site, near Aiken South Carolina. The 95% confidence level for the mean K{sub d} was twice the mean in the Aquifer Zone (18-30.5 m depth), equal to the mean for the Upper Vadose Zone (3.3-10 m depth), and half the mean for the Lower Vadose Zone (3.10-18 m depth). The distribution of K{sub d} values was log normal in the Upper Vadose Zone and Aquifer Zone, and normal in the Lower Vadose Zone. To our knowledge, this is the first report of natural radionuclide Kd variability ...
The Interim Decay Storage tank (IDS) will be located in a concrete cell in the FFTF reactor building. The tank will have capacity to store 112 driver fuel assemblies and 10 test assemblies in sodium. A criticality safety analysis for the design of the IDS tank was performed. From the analysis, it is concluded that under normal operating conditions and minor abnormal conditions that might shift the fuel, the IDS tank will remain adequately subcritical. (auth)
Human serum dopamine-β-hydroxylase (3,4-dihydroxyphenylethylamine, ascorbate:oxygen oxidoreductase, EC 1.14.17.1) has been measured in a normal adult population by both enzymatic assay and by...Full Text Available
An exhaustive compendium of normal and abnormal imaging is presented. The following systems and procedures are illustrated by over 2800 captioned illustrations: liver, spleen, and hepatobiliary imaging; perfusion and ventilation lung imaging; thyroid imaging; salivary gland imaging; bone imaging; brain imaging; radionuclide cisternography; blood flow studies; gallium imaging; nuclear cardiology; and renal imaging. Not included in the atlas are adrenal imaging procedures and emission computed tomography. (ERB)
Several computer assisted processing and display methods are evaluated using a series of 100 normal brain scintigrams, 50 of which have had single 'mathematical tumours' superimposed. Using a standard rating system, or in some cases quantitative estimation, LROC curves are generated for each method and compared. (author).
It has been postulated that fetal vascular abnormalities in aryl hydrocarbon receptor null (ahr−/−) mice may alter cardiovascular homeostasis in adulthood....Full Text Available
Lysozyme activities of serum and urine in normal subjects, patients with various leukemias, and a-bomb survivors were determined. The lysozyme activity was increased in the majority of the leukemia patients. Urinary lysozyme of a-bomb survivors could not be detected.
Afterheat represents an important consideration in design of conceptual fusion power reactors, particularly during normal or unplanned shutdown. Afterheat calculations have been undertaken for various generic designs, but with special reference to the Culham DEMO reactor. These calculations have included the redistribution of heating by gamma ray transport. Selected temperature response calculations have been undertaken. (author).
Acoustic waves propagation of in composite of water with embedded double-layered silicone resin/silver rods is considered. Approximate values of effective dynamical constitutive parameters are obtained. Frequency ranges of simultaneous negative constitutive parameters are found. Localized surface states on the interface between metamaterial and ``normal'' material are found. Doppler effect in metamaterial is considered. Presence of anomalous modes is shown.
The author discusses the accelerated aging tests performed using Hondo and Maya as aging resids with a commercial large pore hydrotreating catalyst. The results from these tests were compared with those obtained under a normal full life test. The test resid was a sample of a typical refinery charge and the activities for sulfur and vanadium removal were determined at 720"0F after successive brief periods of exposure to the heavier oils.
A computed tomography (CT) cut-off for differentiating neoplastic lesions (polyps/carcinoma) from normal colon in contrast-enhanced CT colonography (CTC) relating to the contrast phase and lesion size is determined. CT values of 64 colonic lesions (27 polyps <10 mm, 13 polyps {>=}10 mm, 24 carcinomas) were determined by region-of-interest (ROI) measurements in 38 patients who underwent contrast-enhanced CTC. In addition, the height (H) of the colonic lesions was measured in CT. CT values were also measured in the aorta (A), superior mesenteric vein (V) and colonic wall. The contrast phase was defined by xA + (1 - x)V using x as a weighting factor for describing the different contrast phases ranging from the pure arterial phase (x=1) over the intermediate phases (x=0.9-0.1) to the pure venous phase (x=0). The CT values of the lesions were correlated with their height (H), the different phases (xA + (1 - x)V) and the ratio [xA + (1 - x)V]/H. The CT ...
The purpose of this work is to characterize the role of the financial institutions in achieving sustainable development meaning a process of development which leaves at least the same amount of capital, natural and man-made, to future generations as current generations have access to. This makes it clear that sustainable development is about capital allocation and thus should be at the core of financial markets activity. On a more practical level the different ways banks affect environment are analyzed: as investors - supplying the investments with environmental perspective; as lenders - developing new financial products to encourage sustainable development; as valuers - estimating risks and opportunities in project-financing; as powerful stake holders - as shareholders and lenders they can exercise considerable influence over companies; - as polluters - while not dirty industries, financial institutions do consume natural resources. By the study of these environmental aspects it comes ...
To determine MTRs for normal structures and benign diseases in the breast two-dimensional magnetization transfer imaging was performed in 62 patients and in 3 young female volunteers. With regard to the MTRs of measurements in the normal breast tissues, fat tissues which is close to simple cysts in MTRs show little transfer of longitudinal magnetization. MTRs of the muscles was 15.15{+-}6.22%, which exceeded those of breast parenchyma. The breast parenchyma didn`t show the change of MTR value due to the difference of patient age and due to variable amount of fat and fibrous tissues. Breast parenchyma in the two young volunteers clearly showed biphasic change of MTR values in accordance with the menstrual cycle; little transfer value was due to hydration in the postovulatory period and high transfer value was due to dehydration in the preovulatory period. In the remaining one volunteer during lactation period, mammary parenchyma shows sever ...
In this study, adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) were cocultured with nucleus pulposus (NP) cells using a porous membrane to investigate the effect of NP cell phenotype on ASC chondrogenic differentiation. Human NP cells were collected from 14 patients and classified into two groups (normal vs. degenerative) depending on the level of type II collagen, aggrecan (AGG), type I collagen, and bax gene expression. Human ASCs were then cocultured with each group of NP cells on porous membranes in the absence of chondrogenic supplements. After 2 weeks, real-time-polymerase chain reaction results showed that ASCs cocultured with normal NP cells had much higher type II collagen and AGG gene expression than ASCs cocultured with degenerative NP cells. The production of AGG was also observed only in th...