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Sample records for levator ani defects

  1. Evaluation on levator ani muscle injuries after vaginal delivery with MRI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Yi; Gong Shuigen; Zhang Weiguo; Chen Jinhua; Tan Yong

    2006-01-01

    Objective: To explore the MRI finding of female normal levator ani muscle and the levator ani muscle injuries and to evaluate the correlation between childbirth and levator ani muscle injuries. Methods: One hundred asymptomatic nulliparous women (control group) and 200 vaginally primiparous women (study group) were selected as the object of this study. Moreover, the study group was divided into two subgroups: group A (100 cases) with stress incontinence, group B (100 cases) without clinical symptoms. Multiplanar proton density magnetic resonance images were obtained at 0.5 cm intervals from these study individuals. All images were used to analyze the differentiation of MRI features between normal levator ani muscle and levator ani muscle injuries. Results: No levator ani injuries were identified in the control group. Fifty-four primiparous women (27%) had visible injuries in their levator ani muscles, 42 in group A and 12 in group B. Injuries were identified in the puborectalis muscle in 49 cases and in the iliococcygeus muscle in 5 cases(χ 2 =41.447, P<0.01). Within the puborectalis muscle, both unilateral and bilateral partial defects were usually found. Iliococcygeus injuries showed that the iliococcygeus muscle was atrophied in MR images. Conclusion: Vaginal delivery was an important cause of the levator ani muscle injuries which could result in pelvic floor dysfunction and pelvic organs prolapsed. MRI was an effective examination method of the levator ani muscle injuries. (authors)

  2. Third- or Fourth-Degree Intrapartum Anal Sphincter Tears Are Associated With Levator Ani Avulsion in Primiparas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valsky, Dan V; Cohen, Sarah M; Lipschuetz, Michal; Hochner-Celnikier, Drorith; Daum, Hagit; Yagel, Itai; Yagel, Simcha

    2016-04-01

    We evaluated primiparous women with clinically diagnosed third- and fourth-degree and anal sphincter tears, to evaluate the rate of levator ani muscle injury compared to primiparous women without sphincter tears. Primiparous women delivering in our maternity ward with intrapartum diagnoses of third- or fourth-degree anal sphincter tears, repaired by the overlapping technique, were recruited to undergo 3-dimensional transperineal sonography of the pelvic floor anatomy, including the anterior and posterior compartments. Primiparas with uncomplicated vaginal deliveries were recruited as a comparison group. Patient files were examined, and maternal backgrounds and delivery and neonatal details were extracted for all patients. Ninety-four women with tears were recruited to the study group, and 464 women with normal vaginal deliveries constituted the comparison group. The groups differed significantly in the rates of levator ani defects: 38 of 94 women (40.4%) in the study group versus 75 of 464 (16.2%) in the comparison group (P tears are associated with levator ani avulsion. Knowledge of complex pelvic floor damage may allow for prompt referral to secondary preventive measures for pelvic floor disorders. © 2016 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.

  3. [Dynamic study of the female levator ani muscle using MRI 3D vectorial modeling].

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    Delmas, Vincent; Ami, Olivier; Iba-Zizen, Marie-Thérèse

    2010-06-01

    The levator ani muscle has a major role in the female pelvic floor, and is involved in the pathophysiology of pelvic prolapse and stress urinary incontinence. We conducted an anatomical and morphological study of this muscle using dynamic 3D vectorial reconstruction MRI, in order to analyze the contraction of two major components of the levator ani: the iliococcygeus and pubococcygeus. Three volunteer healthy continent nulliparous women aged from 19 to 22 underwent dynamic pelvic MRI. Coronal T2-weighted pelvic images were obtained in the supine position, at rest, holding back, and during Valsalva stress effort. 3D vectorial models were reconstructed by manual segmentation of the source images, and were set up on bony anatomic marks. Iliococcygeus and pubococcygeus volumes were measured in the three positions. Volumetrics, displacement and dynamic morphing changes were analyzed with 3D vectorial animation software. The urogenital hiatus extended more holding back (mean +4.31 mm) than on effort (mean +2.78 mm). The iliococcygeus lowered (mean -3.95 mm) and deviated outward (mean +3.01 mm). The basic tone of the iliococcygeus muscle gives it a dome shape, and its reflex contraction against abdominal strain ensures anal and urinary continence The levator ani is more than a pelvic diaphragm: it is a truly dynamic pelvic floor. Its points of support on the stiff osseous frame allow it to retain the pelvic organs. The levator ani muscle seems to prevent anal prolapse during stress strain.

  4. Anorectal pain and irritation: anal fissure, levator syndrome, proctalgia fugax, and pruritus ani.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vincent, C

    1999-03-01

    Anal fissures, proctalgia fugax, levator ani syndrome, and pruritus ani are common causes of anorectal pain and irritation. The clinician who obtains a thorough history and performs a complete examination can accurately diagnose these disorders. Ancillary tests seldom are helpful and rarely are necessary. Most patients suffering from these conditions readily respond to conservative therapy provided in the primary care practitioner's office.

  5. Epidermal growth factor and active caspase-3 expression in the levator ani muscle of dogs with and without perineal hernia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pérez-Gutiérrez, J F; Argüelles, J C; Iglesias-Núñez, M; Oliveira, K S; De La Muela, M Sánchez

    2011-07-01

    To perform a histological and immunohistochemical study of epidermal growth factor, transforming growth factor-alpha and their receptor, as well as the apoptotic signal active caspase-3 in the levator ani muscle of dogs with and without perineal hernia. Biopsy specimens of the levator ani muscle were obtained from 25 dogs with perineal hernia and 4 non-affected dogs and were processed for Masson and immunohistochemical staining. The affected dogs exhibited myopathological features, internalised nuclei, destruction and abnormal size of muscle fibres, which were replaced by collagen. The immunohistochemical study revealed active caspase-3, epidermal growth factor, transforming growth factor-alpha and epidermal growth factor receptor in the levator ani. Compared to the healthy muscle, transforming growth factor-alpha staining intensity was lower in the affected muscle, whereas epidermal growth factor receptor and active caspase-3 staining were higher. Pelvic diaphragm muscle weakening is the leading cause of perineal hernia in the dog. Survival and death signals expressed in these muscles may contribute to the pathogenesis of this disease. This study reports epidermal growth factor, transforming growth factor-alpha and epidermal growth factor receptor immunohistochemical expression in the skeletal muscle and suggests that perineal hernia in the dog is accompanied by levator ani muscle atrophy, increased expression of epidermal growth factor receptor, caspase-3 activation, and decreased expression of transforming growth factor-alpha. © 2011 British Small Animal Veterinary Association.

  6. Topographic Anatomy of the Anal Sphincter Complex and Levator Ani Muscle as It Relates to Intersphincteric Resection for Very Low Rectal Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsukada, Yuichiro; Ito, Masaaki; Watanabe, Kentaro; Yamaguchi, Kumiko; Kojima, Motohiro; Hayashi, Ryuichi; Akita, Keiichi; Saito, Norio

    2016-05-01

    Intersphincteric resection has become a widely used treatment for patients with rectal cancer. However, the detailed anatomy of the anal canal related to this procedure has remained unclear. The purpose of this study was to clarify the detailed anatomy of the anal canal. This is a descriptive study. Histologic evaluations of paraffin-embedded tissue specimens were conducted at a tertiary referral hospital. Tissue specimens were obtained from cadavers of 5 adults and from 13 patients who underwent abdominoperineal resection for rectal cancer. Sagittal sections from 9 circumferential portions of the cadaveric anal canal (histologic staining) and 3 circumferential portions from patients were studied (immunohistochemistry for smooth and skeletal muscle fibers). Longitudinal fibers between the internal and external anal sphincters consisted primarily of smooth muscle fibers that continued from the longitudinal muscle of the rectum. The levator ani muscle attached directly to the lateral surface of the longitudinal smooth muscle of the rectum. The length of the attachment was longer in the anterolateral portion and shorter in the posterior portion of the anal canal. In the lateral and posterior portions, the levator ani muscle partially overlapped the external anal sphincter; however, there was less overlap in the anterolateral portion. In the posterior portion, thick smooth muscle was present on the surface of the levator ani muscle and it continued to the longitudinal muscle of the rectum. We observed only limited portions in some surgical specimens because of obstruction by tumors. The levator ani muscle attaches directly to the longitudinal muscle of the rectum. The spatial relationship between the smooth and skeletal muscles differed in different portions of the anal canal. For intersphincteric resection, dissection must be performed between the longitudinal muscle of the rectum and the levator ani muscle/external anal sphincter, and the appropriate surgical lines

  7. Assessment of degree of trauma and levator ani muscle contraction function after pelvic floor reconstruction and traditional surgical treatment of pelvic organ prolapse

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chun-Hua Zhu

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To study the degree of trauma and levator ani muscle contraction function after pelvic floor reconstruction and traditional surgical treatment of pelvic organ prolapse. Methods: Patients with III-IV pelvic organ prolapse who received surgical treatment in our hospital between May 2011 and October 2015 were randomly divided into observation group who received vaginal hysterectomy combined with pelvic floor reconstruction and control group who received vaginal hysterectomy combined with colporrhaphy, and then the degree of trauma, urodynamics and levator ani muscle contraction function were compared between two groups of patients. Results: Operating time, intraoperative blood loss as well as serum CRP, IL-1β, TNF-α, Ins, NE and E content were not significantly different between two groups (P>0.05; 2 weeks after operation, maximum bladder volume and QMax of observation group were significantly higher than those of control group, PdetQMax, PdetMax and PVR were significantly lower than those of control group (P0.05, LAT under Valsalva maneuver was significantly more than that of control group while LHS under Valsalva maneuver was significantly less than that of control group (P<0.05. Conclusions: Pelvic floor reconstruction treatment of pelvic organ prolapse has equivalent degree of surgical trauma to traditional surgery, and has better effect on improving the urination function and levator ani muscle contraction function than traditional surgery.

  8. The Urethral Rhabdosphincter, Levator Ani Muscle, and Perineal Membrane: A Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hinata, Nobuyuki; Murakami, Gen

    2014-01-01

    Detailed knowledge of the anatomy of the rhabdosphincter and adjacent tissues is mandatory during urologic surgery to ensure reliable oncologic and functional outcomes. To characterize the levator ani (LA) function for the urethral sphincter, we described connective tissue morphology between the LA and urethral rhabdosphincter. The interface tissue between the LA and rhabdosphincter area in males contained abundant irregularly arrayed elastic fibers and smooth muscles. The male rhabdosphincter was positioned alongside the LA to divide the elevation force and not in-series along the axis of LA contraction. The male perineal membrane was thin but solid and extends along the inferior margin or bottom of the rhabdosphincter area. In contrast, the female rhabdosphincter, including the compressor urethrae and urethrovaginal sphincter muscles, was embedded in the elastic fiber mesh that is continuous with the thick, multilaminar perineal membrane. The inferomedial edge of the female LA was attached to the upper surface of the perineal membrane and not directly attached to the rhabdosphincter. We presented new diagrams showing the gender differences in topographical anatomy of the LA and rhabdosphincter. PMID:24877147

  9. Location of the levator veli palatini insertion following levator retropositioning, palatal pushback, and pharyngeal flap procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mulliken, J B; Giargiana, F A; Claybaugh, G J; Hoopes, J E

    1975-07-01

    A long-term cineradiographic follow-up study of twenty patients with velo-pharyngeal incompetence fails to demonstrate predictable retrodisplacement of the levator insertion following combined levator retropositioning, pushback, and pharyngeal flap procedures. Simple levator retropositioning gave posterior displacement in the two patients evaluated. Patients with normal or posterior levator insertions pre-operatively all demonstrated post-operative anterior displacement following pharyngeal flap procedures, either alone or in combination with pushback. Anterior levator displacement may be the result of scar contraction or division of the levator sling (during insetting of a pharyngeal flap). Pre-operative and post-operative speech evaluation demonstrated substantial improvement in all except 3 patients; 2 of the poor speech results were patients with demonstrated levator retrodisplacement on post-operative cineradiography.

  10. Levator Ani Necrosis: An Exceptional Complication Occurring after “High Intensity Focused Ultrasound” of the Prostate

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    Danny Badawy

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available High intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU is a minimally invasive treatment option that might be considered in the management of localized prostate cancer. It is a well-tolerated treatment with few minor urologic complications and no major toxicities. In this paper, we report to our knowledge the first case of levator ani necrosis in a patient treated with HIFU, manifesting as sturdy perineal pain, which took years of NSAID intake and serial MRIs to demonstrate partial improvement. Therefore, we regard HIFU as a serious potential treatment option that still requires longer follow-up data before its approval in the personalized treatment panel of prostate cancer.

  11. [Irritable bowel syndrome, levator ani syndrome, proctalgia fugax and chronic pelvic and perineal pain].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watier, Alain; Rigaud, Jérôme; Labat, Jean-Jacques

    2010-11-01

    To define functional gastrointestinal pain, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), levator ani syndrome, proctalgia fugax, the pathophysiology of these syndromes and the treatments that can be proposed. Review of articles published on the theme based on a Medline (PubMed) search and consensus conferences selected according to their scientific relevance. IBS is very common. Patients report abdominal pain and/or discomfort, bloating, and abnormal bowel habit (diarrhoea, constipation or both), in the absence of any structural or biochemical abnormalities. IBS has a complex, multifactorial pathophysiology, involving biological and psychosocial interactions resulting in dysregulation of the brain-gut axis associated with disorders of intestinal motility, hyperalgesia, immune disorders and disorders of the intestinal bacterial microflora and autonomic and hormonal dysfunction. Many treatments have been proposed, ranging from diet to pharmacology and psychotherapy. Patients with various types of chronic pelvic and perineal pain, especially those seen in urology departments, very often report associated IBS. This syndrome is also part of a global and integrated concept of pelviperineal dysfunction, avoiding a rigorous distinction between the posterior segment and the midline and anterior segments of the perineum. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  12. [Sonographic evaluation of the levator ani muscle in women with stress urinary incontinence].

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    Stachowicz, Norbert; Stachowicz, Sylwia; Smoleń, Agata; Morawska, Dorota; Kotarski, Jan

    2012-09-01

    Three-dimensional sonography has been used for about 15 years, not only to examine the female genital organs, but also the lower urinary tract and pelvic floor. Three-dimensional sonography offers more information than traditional two-dimensional sonography allowing for a dynamic representation of the examined structures and observation at any angle necessary. Translabial sonography is the best way of a sonographic examination of the lower urinary tract, because it does not affect the mutual relationship of any parts in the lower pelvic area, contrary to the transrectal or transvaginal probes. In order to establish proper treatment of the urinary incontinence symptoms, not only a functional examination of the lower urinary tract, but also a very accurate assessment of the statics of the female genital organs and pelvic floor need to be performed. The aim of the study was to rate the area and diameters of the limbs of the levator ani muscle using a three-dimensional (3D) translabial sonography in women with stress urinary incontinence without the female genital tract prolapse. The study group included 100 patients who were examined with the GE Kretz Voluson 730 (GE, Austria), equipped with 6-9 MHz translabial probe. The first group with stress urinary incontinence consisted of 50 women (mean age 56.22 (+/- 10.43) years) and the second group included 50 women without symptoms (mean age 49.40 (+/- 13.22) years). All cases of urinary stress incontinence in the first group were confirm by means of a urodynamic examination. Women in both groups had similar body weight (kilograms), mean (+/- SD): 26.88 (+/- 2.02) and 26.20 (+/- 4,14), respectively. Menopausal status in both groups was not statistically significant and amounted to 7.21 (+/- 8.71) in the group of women with stress urinary incontinence and 4.70 (+/- 6.32) in the group without symptoms. Mean (+/- SD) number of deliveries was significantly higher in the group of women with stress urinary incontinence than in

  13. Levator Syndrome

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Abscess Anorectal Fistula Foreign Objects in the Rectum Hemorrhoids Levator Syndrome Pilonidal Disease Proctitis Rectal Prolapse (See ... out other painful rectal conditions (such as thrombosed hemorrhoids , fissures , or abscesses ). The physical examination is often ...

  14. Histological evaluation of levator palpebralis superior muscle in patients with congenital blepharoptosis

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    Sevda Söker

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to examine levator palpebralis superior muscle histologically in patients with congenital blepharoptosis and to investigate the relationship between these findings and age, sex and degree of blefaroptosis in this patient group.Materials and methods: Levator muscle of 13 patients with congenital ptosis, who had applied to Dicle University Medical Faculty Ophthalmology Clinic and had undergone levator palpebralis superior muscle resection between january 2009-january 2010, has been examined histopathologically in Histology and Embriology Deparment. During preoperative period, ptosis amount, levator function (LF, tear functions, Bell’s phenomenon and jaw-winking phenomenon were evaluated. All patients underwent resection of levator palpebralis superior muscle. Received postoperative levator muscle was examined by light microscopy.Results: The average age of 9 (69.2% male and 4 (30.8% female cases were 10.61 ± 4.77 (4- 19 years. In histological examination, the quality and quantity of the levator muscle fibrils have been assessed. There was no relationship detected between histological features of levator palpebralis superior muscle and patient’s age and gender (p>0.05. Patients with weak levator palpebralis superior muscle were detected to have fatty degeneration histologically. The higher the levator palpebralis superior muscle function revealed decreased fatty degeneration and increased skeletal muscle fibrils.Conclusion: More ultrastructural studies in larger populations are needed to support the relationship between structure and function of levator palpebralis superior muscle in patients with congenital blepharoptosis.

  15. MRI role in morphological and functional assessment of the levator ani muscle: Use in patients affected by stress urinary incontinence (SUI) before and after pelvic floor rehabilitation

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    Del Vescovo, Riccardo, E-mail: r.delvescovo@unicampus.it; Piccolo, Claudia Lucia, E-mail: c.piccolo@unicampus.it; Vecchia, Nicoletta Della, E-mail: nico.dvecchia@libero.it; Giurazza, Francesco, E-mail: f.giurazza@unicampus.it; Cazzato, Roberto Luigi, E-mail: r.cazzato@unicampus.it; Grasso, Rosario Francesco, E-mail: r.grasso@unicampus.it; Zobel, Bruno Beomonte, E-mail: b.zobel@unicampus.it

    2014-03-15

    Objective: Pelvic floor dysfunctions affect a very high proportion of female population. Magnetic resonance imaging is the only technique able to provide a multiplanar overview of pelvic organs and muscles without the use of ionizing radiation. The aim of our prospective study is to objectively evaluate the effectiveness of perineal re-education applying MR technique. Materials and methods: 22 patients affected by stress urinary incontinence were enrolled in our prospective study. They underwent urogynaecological, urodynamic examinations, and a questionnaire about symptoms (ICIQ-UI) to investigate the degree of their interference with daily activities. Then they underwent a morphological and dynamic MR exam. Results: The pre-perineal rehabilitation MR examinations showed an asymmetry of the levator ani muscle in 87% of patients; the remaining 13% showed a muscular bilateral volume reduction. In the group with unilateral defect, the muscle total volume had values between 15 and 21 cm{sup 3}. Its overall volume was 34.2% smaller on the defective side (9.28 ± 0.26 cm{sup 3}) compared to the normal side (12.64 ± 12.31 cm{sup 3}, P < 0.001). In patients with a bilateral impairment, the muscle was replaced by fibro-fatty tissue, without a significant asymmetry between the two sides. The post-perineal rehabilitation MR tests showed three different degrees of response to therapy, with a “complete response” found in 67% of patients and no response in 13%. Conclusions: MR is an useful tool in the management of patients affected by stress urinary incontinence with indication for perineal rehabilitation. Its objective data allow to distinguish different types of response to therapy and, consequently, different outcomes in terms of additional treatments.

  16. MRI role in morphological and functional assessment of the levator ani muscle: Use in patients affected by stress urinary incontinence (SUI) before and after pelvic floor rehabilitation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Del Vescovo, Riccardo; Piccolo, Claudia Lucia; Vecchia, Nicoletta Della; Giurazza, Francesco; Cazzato, Roberto Luigi; Grasso, Rosario Francesco; Zobel, Bruno Beomonte

    2014-01-01

    Objective: Pelvic floor dysfunctions affect a very high proportion of female population. Magnetic resonance imaging is the only technique able to provide a multiplanar overview of pelvic organs and muscles without the use of ionizing radiation. The aim of our prospective study is to objectively evaluate the effectiveness of perineal re-education applying MR technique. Materials and methods: 22 patients affected by stress urinary incontinence were enrolled in our prospective study. They underwent urogynaecological, urodynamic examinations, and a questionnaire about symptoms (ICIQ-UI) to investigate the degree of their interference with daily activities. Then they underwent a morphological and dynamic MR exam. Results: The pre-perineal rehabilitation MR examinations showed an asymmetry of the levator ani muscle in 87% of patients; the remaining 13% showed a muscular bilateral volume reduction. In the group with unilateral defect, the muscle total volume had values between 15 and 21 cm 3 . Its overall volume was 34.2% smaller on the defective side (9.28 ± 0.26 cm 3 ) compared to the normal side (12.64 ± 12.31 cm 3 , P < 0.001). In patients with a bilateral impairment, the muscle was replaced by fibro-fatty tissue, without a significant asymmetry between the two sides. The post-perineal rehabilitation MR tests showed three different degrees of response to therapy, with a “complete response” found in 67% of patients and no response in 13%. Conclusions: MR is an useful tool in the management of patients affected by stress urinary incontinence with indication for perineal rehabilitation. Its objective data allow to distinguish different types of response to therapy and, consequently, different outcomes in terms of additional treatments

  17. NMR imaging of the anal levator and sphincter muscles in anorectal malformations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aoyagi, Hiroshi; Takahashi, Hideyo; Maie, Masahiko; Ohnuma, Naomi; Etoh, Takao; Iwai, Jun

    1986-01-01

    Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the anal levater and sphincter muscles was obtained on 4 normal volunteers and 11 patients with postoperative anorectal malformations (including 8 supra-levator type and 3 low type). Balloon catheter were inserted into the rectum and marked it as the center of a anal canal. Four normal subjects revealed the levater and sphincter muscles were thick and well developed in all sections (Sagittal, Transevse, Coronal). In most of the supra-levator type of anorectal malformations, thin levator and sphincter muscles were observed by Sagittal and Coronal scans. Transeverse scan revealed that the neorectum was not effectively pull-throughed into the puborectal muscle in one patient. Coronal scan showed the dameged external sphincter muscle. In three low types of anorectal malformations, the levator and the sphincter muscles were all well developed, but in one patient the external sphincter muscle existed at the posterior part of the anal canal. These observations were usefull in managing the postoperative care of anorectal malformations. (author)

  18. Predictive images of postoperative levator resection outcome using image processing software

    OpenAIRE

    Mawatari, Yuki; Fukushima, Mikiko

    2016-01-01

    Yuki Mawatari,1 Mikiko Fukushima2 1Igo Ophthalmic Clinic, Kagoshima, 2Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Life Science, Kumamoto University, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, Japan Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of processed images to predict postoperative appearance following levator resection.Methods: Analysis involved 109 eyes from 65 patients with blepharoptosis who underwent advancement of levator aponeurosis and Müller’s muscle complex (levator resection). P...

  19. Interest of retro-anal levator plate myorrhaphy in selected cases of descending perineum syndrome with positive anti-sagging test

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    Beco Jacques

    2008-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Levator plate sagging (LPS, usually called descending perineum syndrome, is one of the main defects encountered in perineology. This defect is classically associated with colo-proctologic functional troubles (dyschesia and anal incontinence but can also induce perineodynia, gynaecological and lower urinary tract symptoms. Methods A retrospective case series of nine female patients (mean age: 44.3 underwent an isolated retro-anal levator plate myorrhaphy (RLPM to treat symptomatic LPS confirmed by rectal examination and/or Perineocaliper®. An anti-sagging test (support of the posterior perineum must significantly improve the symptoms that were resistant to conservative treatment. The effect of the procedure on the symptoms of the 3 axes of the perineum (urological, colo-proctologic and gynecological and on perineodynia was evaluated during a follow up consultation more than 9 months after surgery. The effect of RLPM on the position of the anal margin and on the levator plate angle was studied using rectal examination, Perineocaliper® and retro-anal ultrasound. Results Before surgery, anti-sagging tests were positive for dyschesia, urinary urgency and pain. After a mean follow-up of 16.1 months, RLPM resolved or improved 2/2 cases of stress urinary incontinence, 3/5 of urinary urgency, 3/4 of dysuria, 3/3 of anal incontinence, 7/8 of dyschesia, 3/4 of cystocele, 4/5 of rectocele, 5/8 of dyspareunia and 6/7 of perineodynia. Rectal examination showed a complete suppression of sagging in 4 patients and an improvement in the 5 others. The mean reduction of perineal descent was 1.08 cm (extremes: 0–1.5. Using retro-anal ultrasound of the levator plate, the mean reduction of sagging was 12.67 degrees (extremes: 1 – 21. Conclusion Anti-sagging tests can be used before surgery to simulate the effect of RLPM. This surgical procedure seems to improve stress urinary incontinence, frequency, nocturia, urgency, dysuria, anal

  20. A Geometric Capacity-Demand Analysis of Maternal Levator Muscle Stretch Required for Vaginal Delivery.

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    Tracy, Paige V; DeLancey, John O; Ashton-Miller, James A

    2016-02-01

    Because levator ani (LA) muscle injuries occur in approximately 13% of all vaginal births, insights are needed to better prevent them. In Part I of this paper, we conducted an analysis of the bony and soft tissue factors contributing to the geometric "capacity" of the maternal pelvis and pelvic floor to deliver a fetal head without incurring stretch injury of the maternal soft tissue. In Part II, we quantified the range in demand, represented by the variation in fetal head size and shape, placed on the maternal pelvic floor. In Part III, we analyzed the capacity-to-demand geometric ratio, g, in order to determine whether a mother can deliver a head of given size without stretch injury. The results of a Part I sensitivity analysis showed that initial soft tissue loop length (SL) had the greatest effect on maternal capacity, followed by the length of the soft tissue loop above the inferior pubic rami at ultimate crowning, then subpubic arch angle (SPAA) and head size, and finally the levator origin separation distance. We found the more caudal origin of the puborectal portion of the levator muscle helps to protect it from the stretch injuries commonly observed in the pubovisceral portion. Part II fetal head molding index (MI) and fetal head size revealed fetal head circumference values ranging from 253 to 351 mm, which would increase up to 11 mm upon face presentation. The Part III capacity-demand analysis of g revealed that, based on geometry alone, the 10th percentile maternal capacity predicted injury for all head sizes, the 25th percentile maternal capacity could deliver half of all head sizes, while the 50th percentile maternal capacity could deliver a head of any size without injury. If ultrasound imaging could be operationalized to make measurements of ratio g, it might be used to usefully inform women on their level of risk for levator injury during vaginal birth.

  1. Predictive images of postoperative levator resection outcome using image processing software

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mawatari Y

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Yuki Mawatari,1 Mikiko Fukushima2 1Igo Ophthalmic Clinic, Kagoshima, 2Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Life Science, Kumamoto University, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, Japan Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of processed images to predict postoperative appearance following levator resection.Methods: Analysis involved 109 eyes from 65 patients with blepharoptosis who underwent advancement of levator aponeurosis and Müller’s muscle complex (levator resection. Predictive images were prepared from preoperative photographs using the image processing software (Adobe Photoshop®. Images of selected eyes were digitally enlarged in an appropriate manner and shown to patients prior to surgery.Results: Approximately 1 month postoperatively, we surveyed our patients using questionnaires. Fifty-six patients (89.2% were satisfied with their postoperative appearances, and 55 patients (84.8% positively responded to the usefulness of processed images to predict postoperative appearance.Conclusion: Showing processed images that predict postoperative appearance to patients prior to blepharoptosis surgery can be useful for those patients concerned with their postoperative appearance. This approach may serve as a useful tool to simulate blepharoptosis surgery. Keywords: levator resection, blepharoptosis, image processing, Adobe Photoshop® 

  2. Predictive images of postoperative levator resection outcome using image processing software.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mawatari, Yuki; Fukushima, Mikiko

    2016-01-01

    This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of processed images to predict postoperative appearance following levator resection. Analysis involved 109 eyes from 65 patients with blepharoptosis who underwent advancement of levator aponeurosis and Müller's muscle complex (levator resection). Predictive images were prepared from preoperative photographs using the image processing software (Adobe Photoshop ® ). Images of selected eyes were digitally enlarged in an appropriate manner and shown to patients prior to surgery. Approximately 1 month postoperatively, we surveyed our patients using questionnaires. Fifty-six patients (89.2%) were satisfied with their postoperative appearances, and 55 patients (84.8%) positively responded to the usefulness of processed images to predict postoperative appearance. Showing processed images that predict postoperative appearance to patients prior to blepharoptosis surgery can be useful for those patients concerned with their postoperative appearance. This approach may serve as a useful tool to simulate blepharoptosis surgery.

  3. High-resolution endovaginal MR imaging in stress urinary incontinence

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    Stoker, Jaap; Lameris, Johan S. [Department of Radiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 22700, 1100 DE, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Rociu, Elena [Department of Radiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 22700, 1100 DE, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Department of Radiology, Erasmus Medical Center, 3015 GD, Rotterdam (Netherlands); Bosch, J.L.H. Ruud [Department of Urology, Erasmus Medical Center, 3015 GD, Rotterdam (Netherlands); Messelink, Embert J. [Department of Urology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 22700, 1100 DE, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Department of Urology, Onze Lieve Vrouwe Gasthuis, 1091 HA, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Hulst, Victor P.M. van der [Department of Radiology, Onze Lieve Vrouwe Gasthuis, 1091 HA, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Groenendijk, Annette G. [Department of Gynecology, Onze Lieve Vrouwe Gasthuis, 1091 HA, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Eijkemans, Marinus J.C. [Department of Public Health, Erasmus Medical Center, 3015 GD, Rotterdam (Netherlands)

    2003-08-01

    The causes of stress urinary incontinence are not completely known. Recent papers have stressed the importance of more anatomical information, which may help to elucidate the mechanism of stress urinary incontinence. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of lesions of the urethral support mechanism and lesions (defects and scars, thinning) of levator ani muscle with endovaginal MRI in a case-control study. Forty women (median age 52 years, age range 40-65 years) - 20 patients with stress urinary incontinence (cases) and 20 age-matched healthy volunteers (controls) - underwent endovaginal MRI: axial, coronal, and sagittal T2-weighted turbo spin echo. The examinations were evaluated for the presence of lesions of urethral supporting structures and levator ani and scar tissue of the levator ani. The thickness of the levator ani muscle was measured. Lesions of the urethral support system and levator ani were significantly more prevalent in cases than in controls (p<0.01). Median levator ani thickness in patients was significantly lower than in healthy controls [2.5 mm (range 0.9-4.1 mm) vs 3.9 mm (range 1.4-7 mm)] (p<0.01). This study indicates a relationship between stress urine incontinence and the presence of lesions of the urethral support and levator ani and levator ani thinning. (orig.)

  4. Inter-rater reliability of assessment of levator ani muscle strength and attachment to the pubic bone in nulliparous women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Delft, K; Schwertner-Tiepelmann, N; Thakar, R; Sultan, A H

    2013-09-01

    The modified Oxford scale (MOS) has been found previously to have poor inter-rater reliability, whereas digital assessment of levator ani muscle (LAM) attachment to the pubic bone has been shown to have acceptable reliability. Our aim was to evaluate inter-rater reliability of the validated MOS and to develop a reliable classification system for digital assessment of LAM attachment, correlating this to findings on transperineal ultrasound (TPUS) examination. Evaluation of the MOS by palpation was performed in nulliparous women by two investigators. LAM attachment was evaluated using digital palpation, for which a novel classification system was developed with four grades based on the position of the attachment and presence of discernible muscle. Findings were compared with those on TPUS examination. Inter-rater reliability was assessed using Cohen's kappa statistic. Twenty-five nulliparous women were examined. There was agreement in MOS scores between the investigators in 64% of women (n = 16), with a kappa of 0.66 (indicating substantial agreement). There was agreement in palpation of LAM attachment using the new grading system in 96% of women (n = 24), with a kappa of 0.90 (indicating almost perfect agreement). TPUS examination did not show LAM avulsion in any woman, with the exception of one with a partial avulsion. In this group of nulliparous patients, there was substantial agreement between the two investigators in evaluation of the MOS and there was good agreement between grades of LAM attachment using the new classification system, which correlated with findings on TPUS examination. It therefore appears that these results are reproducible in nulliparous women and the techniques can be readily learned and reliably incorporated into clinical practice and research after appropriate training. Further research is required to establish clinical utility of the grading system for LAM attachment in postpartum women and in women with symptomatic pelvic organ

  5. Comparative study on conjoint fascial sheath suspension and levator muscle resection for moderate or severe congenital ptosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wei Lin

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available AIM:To compare the curative effect of conjoint fascial sheath(CSFsuspension and levator muscle resection for moderate or severe congenital ptosis. METHODS: Forty-three patients(74 eyeswith moderate or severe ptosis were treated by CSF suspension or levator muscle resection randomly, and followed up for 6mo. The normalization rates of the two operations were then compared by statistical method, and the complications of the two operations were analyzed.RESULTS: The two operations appeared no significant difference on the normalization rate for moderate congenital ptosis(P>0.05, while the normalization rate of CSF suspension on severe congenital ptosis was significantly higher than that of levator muscle resection(PCONCLUSION: CSF suspension is more effective on the treatment of severe congenital ptosis than levator muscle resection, and has advantages such as less trauma, repeatable, and less complication.

  6. Analysis of visual outcomes and complications following levator resection for unilateral congenital blepharoptosis without strabismus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shu-Ya Wu

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Background: It is challenging to manage congenital blepharoptosis, especially unilateral, because symmetry is difficult to achieve under general anesthesia and age at which the ptosis should be corrected is still controversial. The aim of our study is to analyze visual and surgical outcomes after levator resection for unilateral congenital blepharoptosis. Methods: Charts of patients with unilateral congenital blepharoptosis who underwent levator resection at the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital from 1991 through 2000 were reviewed. The resultant database was interrogated for demographic data, severity, surgical timing, visual outcomes, surgical outcomes, and complications. Results: Eighty-four children underwent levator resection for unilateral congenital blepharoptosis: 16.7% of these patients had amblyopia and 84.5% had surgical success following levator resection. Severe ptosis (p = 0.0288, p < 0.05 and surgery at less than 2 years of age (p = 0.0126, p < 0.05 were the important factors contributing to surgical failure. Age at surgery (p = 0.0058, p < 0.01 and amblyogenic ametropia (p = 0.0001, p < 0.001 were found to be significantly associated with the postoperative visual results. Conclusion: The levator resection provides satisfactory results both in function and cosmesis in patients with unilateral congenital blepharoptosis. Amblyogenic ametropia is the leading cause of amblyopia in the patients with unilateral isolated congenital blepharoptosis. However, patients with unilateral congenital blepharoptosis should have cycloplegic refraction as early as possible, and their visual status monitored until visual maturity.

  7. The effect of cleft maxillary distraction osteogenesis on the levator veli palatini and velopharyngeal function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Philip Kuo-Ting; Por, Yong-Chen; Liou, Eric Jein-Wein; Chang, Frank Chun-Shin

    2015-05-01

    Le Fort I maxillary distraction with the rigid external distraction (RED) device is performed to correct severe midface retrusion in cleft patients, but it may adversely affect velopharyngeal function. This study aims to investigate the angular changes in the levator veli palatini (LVP) and its influence on velopharyngeal function after maxillary distraction using 3-dimensional computed tomography (3D CT) scan volume rendered images. This was a retrospective study of 12 patients. Group 1 had no velopharyngeal function deterioration and group 2 had velopharyngeal function deterioration. Preoperative and 1 year postoperative CT scans were analyzed with Mimics v10 software. Segmentation of the LVP and the nasopharyngeal airway was performed and volumetric images were obtained. Six measurements were made: (1) the angle between the levator plane and the Frankfort horizontal, (2) the angle between the levator plane and the soft palate plane, (3) the angle between the 2 LVP muscles, (4) the pharyngeal depth, and (5, 6) the movement of the inferior pharyngeal point with respect to the horizontal and vertical planes. The independent samples t test, Mann-Whitney test, and paired t tests were used for statistical analyses (P < 0.05). Group 2 had statistically significant reduction in the angle between the levator plane and Frankfort horizontal as well as the soft palate plane. Group 1 had a statistically significant increase in the pharyngeal depth and movement of the inferior pharyngeal point with respect to the horizontal plane. A decrease in the angle between the levator plane and the Frankfort horizontal or the soft palate plane was associated with velopharyngeal function deterioration.

  8. The Relationship of Amount of Resection and Time for Recovery of Bell’s Phenomenon after Levator Resection in Congenital Ptosis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goel, Ruchi; Kishore, Divya; Nagpal, Smriti; Jain, Sparshi; Agarwal, Tushar

    2017-01-01

    Background: Recovery of Bell`s phenomenon after levator resection is unpredicatable. Delayed recovery can result in vision threatening corneal complications. Aim: To study the variability of Bell’s phenomenon and time taken for its recovery following levator resection for blepharoptosis and to correlate it with the amount of resection. Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted on 32 eyes of 32 patients diagnosed as unilateral simple congenital blepharoptosis who underwent levator resection at a tertiary care center between July 2013 and May 2015. Patients were followed up for 5 months and correction of ptosis, type of Bell`s, duration of Bell`s recovery and complications were noted. Results: The study group ranged from 16-25 years with 15:17 male: female ratio. There were 9 mild, 16 moderate and 7 severe ptosis. Satisfactory correction was achieved in all cases. Good Bell`s recovery occurred in 13 eyes on first post-op day, in 2-14 days in 19 eyes and 28 days in 1 eye. Inverse Bell`s was noted along with lid oedema and ecchymosis in 2 patients. Large resections (23-26mm) were associated with poor Bell`s on the first postoperative day (p=0.027, Fisher`s exact test). However, the duration required for recovery of Bell`s phenomenon did not show any significant difference with the amount of resection. (p=0.248, Mann Whitney test). Larger resections resulted in greater lagophthalmos (correlation=0.830, p<0.0001). Patients with recovery of Bell`s delayed for more than 7 days were associated with greater number of complications (p=0.001 Fisher`s Exact Test). Conclusion: Close monitoring for Bell`s recovery is required following levator resection. PMID:28584563

  9. Changes in Sunken Eyes Combined with Blepharoptosis after Levator Resection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuki Mawatari, MD, PhD

    2017-12-01

    Conclusions:. The principal aim of levator resection is to improve upper eyelid height and visual fields; however, this technique can alter the location of the eyebrow and upper orbital fat. The effects fill the hollowness of the upper eyelid and can remarkably improve sunken eyes.

  10. Levator claviculae muscle presenting as a hard clavicular mass: imaging study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruiz Santiago, F.; Lopez Milena, G.; Tristan Fernandez, J.M.; Chamorro Santos, C.

    2001-01-01

    We report a case of levator claviculae muscle presenting clinically as a hard mass in the clavicular area due to angular deformity of this bone. To our knowledge, this is the first report where the anomalous muscle shows this clinical presentation. (orig.)

  11. Comparative study on conjoint fascial sheath suspension and levator muscle resection for moderate or severe congenital ptosis

    OpenAIRE

    Wei Lin; Yang Xu; Fei-Lun Ye

    2016-01-01

    AIM:To compare the curative effect of conjoint fascial sheath(CSF)suspension and levator muscle resection for moderate or severe congenital ptosis. METHODS: Forty-three patients(74 eyes)with moderate or severe ptosis were treated by CSF suspension or levator muscle resection randomly, and followed up for 6mo. The normalization rates of the two operations were then compared by statistical method, and the complications of the two operations were analyzed.RESULTS: The two operations appeared no ...

  12. Cosmetic outcome of three sutures levator aponeurosis tuck procedure in congenital ptosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hussain, I.

    2006-01-01

    To determine the results of three sutures aponeurosis tuck procedure in patients with congenital ptosis. Twenty-four eyes of 20 patients (13 males and 7 females) with congenital ptosis were included in the study. All these lids had either good or fair levator function. Amount of ptosis in all lids were measured before surgery and their mean calculated. Single surgeon performed the three sutures levator aponeurosis tuck procedure on all these lids. Degree of ptosis, after surgery was measured on multiple occasions and mean of measures of last follow-up was calculated. At this stage, the patients' satisfaction level was also documented. Mean amount of ptosis was 3.25 +- 0.99 mm before surgery and 0.33 +- 0.56 mm after surgery (p < 0.0001). Satisfaction level of 18 (90%) patients was 70-90%, while in 2 (10%) patients it was 50-60%. (author)

  13. Repair of a submucous cleft palate by W-pushback and levator repositioning without incision to the nasal mucosa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hwang, Kun

    2012-03-01

    The author created an innovative method of W-pushback and levator repositioning without having to make an incision to the nasal mucosa for submucous cleft palate repair.The W-shaped mucoperiosteal flap is outlined where the 2 peaks of W are the alveolar processes of both canine teeth and the midpoint of W is the anterior limit of the cleft notch of the hard palate. A short incision, medial to and behind the maxillary tuberosity and curved forward onto the palate and extended forward just medial to the alveolar process, is joined by a second incision from the apex of the cleft to the region of the canine tooth. The W-shaped mucoperiosteal flap is raised until the midline notch of the hard palate is exposed. The nasal mucosa and abnormally inserted levator veli palatini muscle to the posterior border of the hard palate bone are detached. By leaving the nasal mucosa intact, the detached levator veli palatini muscle is approximated at the midline and so the zona pellucida is obliterated. The cleft uvulas are cut in half and closed. The approximated W-flap is joined to the small anterior flap by 1 or more sutures (the W-pushback).Three patients were operated on with this technique without serious complications.The author believes that this method can make the levator sling and increase the length of the soft palate without making an incision to the nasal mucosa.

  14. Association between levator hiatal dimensions on ultrasound during first pregnancy and mode of delivery

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Veelen, G. A.; Schweitzer, K. J.; van Hoogenhuijze, N. E.; van der Vaart, C. H.

    Objectives To determine the association between levator hiatal dimensions, measured using transperineal ultrasound, in women during their first pregnancy and the subsequent mode of delivery, stratified by the indication for intervention. Methods In this prospective observational study, 280

  15. Thixotropy of levator palpebrae as the cause of lagophthalmos after peripheral facial nerve palsy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Aramideh, M.; Koelman, J. H. T. M.; Devriese, P. P.; Speelman, J. D.; Ongerboer de Visser, B. W.

    2002-01-01

    Patients with facial nerve palsy are at risk of developing corneal ulceration because of lagophthalmos (incomplete closure of the affected eyelid). Lagophthalmos could result from thixotropy of the levator palpebrae muscle-that is, the formation of tight crossbridges between the actin and myosin

  16. Evaluating Z Scores to Quantify Levator Hiatal Distensibility by 3-Dimensional Ultrasonography in Nulliparas and Women With Pelvic Organ Prolapse.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wen, Lieming; Liu, Minghui; Zhao, Baihua; Qing, Zhenzhen

    2018-03-12

    To use Z scores to quantify hiatal distensibility and to test the performance of Z scores for levator hiatal areas in predicting substantial pelvic organ prolapse (POP). We undertook a retrospective study of the data from 145 nulliparas and 166 patients with POP who had a clinical POP examination with 3-dimensional translabial ultrasonography. Z scores were used to normalize levator hiatal areas of nulliparas. The Z score model for the hiatal area was built by the formula Z score = (measured value - predicted mean value)/predicted standard deviation and was used to evaluate hiatal ballooning in women with POP. Valid data were gathered from 134 nulliparas and 159 patients with POP. POP stage 1 was found in 46 women, stage 2 in 62, stage 3 in 43, and stage 4 in 8. We built the Z score model as follows: Z-Av = (measured value - 17.15)/3.11, where Av represented the minimal levator hiatal area on the maximum Valsalva maneuver. The levator hiatal area was strongly related to the POP stage (P < .001). On a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the cutoff of Z-Av was 1 for POP stage 2 or higher (sensitivity, 77%; specificity, 60%) and substantial POP on ultrasonography (sensitivity, 84%; specificity, 75%). Hiatal distensibility can be exactly evaluated by Z-Av. A Z-Av value of less than 1.0 was defined as a "normal hiatal expansion," 1 to 3 as "mild ballooning," 3 to 5 as "moderate ballooning," 5 to 7 as "marked ballooning," and 7 or greater as "severe ballooning." © 2018 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.

  17. Fetal extraperitoneal rectal perforation: a case report

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Buttock swelling from a perineal hernia through a levator ani defect has been reported previously [12]. There have also been similar presentations due to rupture of rectal diverticular duplications [6]. Apart from the embryological causes, rectal perforation has been also reported because of rectal thermometers or probes and ...

  18. Reliability of levator scapulae index in subjects with and without scapular downward rotation syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Ji-Hyun; Cynn, Heon-Seock; Choi, Woo-Jeong; Jeong, Hyo-Jung; Yoon, Tae-Lim

    2016-05-01

    The objective of this study was to introduce levator scapulae (LS) measurement using a caliper and the levator scapulae index (LSI) and to investigate intra- and interrater reliability of the LSI in subjects with and without scapular downward rotation syndrome (SDRS). Two raters measured LS length twice in 38 subjects (19 with SDRS and 19 without SDRS). For reliability testing, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), standard error of measurement (SEM), and minimal detectable change (MDC) were calculated. Intrarater reliability analysis resulted with ICCs ranging from 0.94 to 0.98 in subjects with SDRS and 0.96 to 0.98 in subjects without SDRS. These results represented that intrarater reliability in both groups were excellent for measuring LS length with the LSI. Interrater reliability was good (ICC: 0.82) in subjects with SDRS; however, interrater reliability was moderate (ICC: 0.75) in subjects without SDRS. Additionally, SEM and MDC were 0.13% and 0.36% in subjects with SDRS and 0.35% and 0.97% in subjects without SDRS. In subjects with SDRS, low dispersion of the measurement errors and MDC were shown. This study suggested that the LSI is a reliable method to measure LS length and is more reliable for subjects with SDRS. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Anterior Colporrhaphy Technique and Approach Choices: Turkey Evaluation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Serdar Aydın

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Aim: To evaluate the diversity in techniques and approaches for anterior colporrhaphy among operators in Turkey. Methods: A survey evaluating the preoperative examination, technique of anterior colporrhaphy, operation choice and postoperative care was presented to surgeons. We contacted via directly, mail or telephone. We used 28 item questionnaire. Results: Majority (87.9% was composed of young gynecologists. Urologists composed of the 9.5% of the study population. The rate of paravaginal defect evaluation was 75.9% and mostly by inspection the presence of vaginal rugae. The use of transperineal 3D pelvic floor ultrasonography was low (5.7%. The evaluation of levator ani muscle defect was 46.6%. The usage of the transperineal 3D ultrasonography for levator ani muscle defect was 19 percent of operators. There were diversity in use of hydrodissection, fascial plication, excision of vaginal mucosa and suture choice. Usage of mesh for anterior colporrhaphy was limited (17.8% and mostly in recurrent cases (12.2%. Paravaginal defect repair rate was 31.9%. The urinary catheter was generally removed one or two day after operation. Vaginal pack usually removed 24 hours after. Conclusion: Several techniques and approaches for anterior vaginal wall repair among operators in Turkey. The variety of techniques suggested that there is no consensus on best surgical technique.

  20. A pilot randomized trial of levator injections versus physical therapy for treatment of pelvic floor myalgia and sexual pain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zoorob, Dani; South, Mary; Karram, Mickey; Sroga, Julie; Maxwell, Rose; Shah, Aparna; Whiteside, James

    2015-06-01

    Our aim was to determine the effects of pelvic floor physical therapy (PT) and levator-directed trigger-point injections (LTPI) on sexual function and levator-related pelvic pain. A randomized trial among women with pelvic floor myalgia (PFM) was performed wherein participants received either PT or LTPI. Pain was assessed and 1 month posttreatment completion. Levator-based pain was assessed using a numeric rating scale (NRS) and the Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGI-I) scale. Sexual function was assessed using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). Twenty-nine women completed the study (17 had PT, 12 had LTPI). Both groups reported reduction in vaginal pain: mean NRS change from baseline of 4.47 [standard deviation (SD) 2.12) for PT and 4.67 (SD 1.72) for LTPI (p = 0.8)]. A >50 % improvement in NRS was documented among 59 % of women receiving PT and 58 % receiving LTPI (p = 1.0). Consistent with NRS scores, mean PGI-I score was 2.50 (SD 1.17) for PT and 2.17 (SD 1.01) for LTPI (p = 0.5). Mean change in FSFI favored PT [PT +8.87 (SD 5.60), LTPI +4.00 (SD 5.24), p = 0.04], reflecting improvement in the sexual pain domain favoring PT (p = 0.02). However, the time in weeks to effect improvement favored LTPI if controlling for the degree of change in NRS (p = 0.01) and FSFI (p = 0.01). Vaginal myalgia and sex-related pain improved with pelvic floor PT and LTPI. Time-to-effect improvement and significance of therapy are dependent on treatment type.

  1. Anatomical Cystocele Recurrence: Development and Internal Validation of a Prediction Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vergeldt, Tineke F M; van Kuijk, Sander M J; Notten, Kim J B; Kluivers, Kirsten B; Weemhoff, Mirjam

    2016-02-01

    To develop a prediction model that estimates the risk of anatomical cystocele recurrence after surgery. The databases of two multicenter prospective cohort studies were combined, and we performed a retrospective secondary analysis of these data. Women undergoing an anterior colporrhaphy without mesh materials and without previous pelvic organ prolapse (POP) surgery filled in a questionnaire, underwent translabial three-dimensional ultrasonography, and underwent staging of POP preoperatively and postoperatively. We developed a prediction model using multivariable logistic regression and internally validated it using standard bootstrapping techniques. The performance of the prediction model was assessed by computing indices of overall performance, discriminative ability, calibration, and its clinical utility by computing test characteristics. Of 287 included women, 149 (51.9%) had anatomical cystocele recurrence. Factors included in the prediction model were assisted delivery, preoperative cystocele stage, number of compartments involved, major levator ani muscle defects, and levator hiatal area during Valsalva. Potential predictors that were excluded after backward elimination because of high P values were age, body mass index, number of vaginal deliveries, and family history of POP. The shrinkage factor resulting from the bootstrap procedure was 0.91. After correction for optimism, Nagelkerke's R and the Brier score were 0.15 and 0.22, respectively. This indicates satisfactory model fit. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the prediction model was 71.6% (95% confidence interval 65.7-77.5). After correction for optimism, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 69.7%. This prediction model, including history of assisted delivery, preoperative stage, number of compartments, levator defects, and levator hiatus, estimates the risk of anatomical cystocele recurrence.

  2. Outcomes of vaginal hysterectomy and constricting colporrhaphy with concurrent levator myorrhaphy and high perineorrhaphy in women older than 75 years of age

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Töz E

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Emrah Töz, Aykut Özcan, Nesin Apaydin, İbrahim Uyar, Betül Kocakaya, Gülin Okay Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tepecik Education and Research Hospital, İzmir, Turkey Objectives: We performed constricting anterior and posterior colporrhaphy, levator myorrhaphy, and high perineorrhaphy with concurrent hysterectomy, and investigated the intraoperative complications, and short-term outcomes of these constricting procedures in patients aged 75 years or older.Methods: We searched our hospital database for cases, between January 2011 and January 2014, of women aged over 75 years who underwent surgery for pelvic organ prolapse of stage 2 or higher, via vaginal hysterectomy, constricting anterior and posterior colporrhaphy, levator myorrhaphy, and high perineorrhaphy, with or without treatment of urinary incontinence. All volunteers were evaluated via pelvic examination using the pelvic organ prolapse quantification system, the modified Decision Regret Scale–Pelvic Floor Disorders form, the Satisfaction Decision Scale–Pelvic Floor Disorders form, and the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory form.Results: Fifty-four patients were included in the study. The mean follow-up time was 24.4 months after constricting surgery (range: 8–44 months. There were four cases (7% of de novo urge incontinence (the symptoms resolved upon prescription of anticholinergic medication. Two patients developed de novo stress urinary incontinence after the procedure and were treated via transobturator sling surgery using Safyre T® polypropylene monofilament slings. No anatomical or subjective recurrence of prolapse was noted during the follow-up period. No patient required additional surgery for recurrence of prolapse.Conclusion: Constricting anterior and posterior colporrhaphy, levator myorrhaphy, and high perineorrhaphy with concurrent hysterectomy is a feasible, safe, and effective surgical option in elderly patients at low anesthesiological risk. The decision

  3. MR-defecography in obstructed defecation syndrome (ODS): technique, diagnostic criteria and grading.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piloni, V; Tosi, P; Vernelli, M

    2013-10-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of a magnetic resonance (MR)-based classification system of obstructive defecation syndrome (ODS) to guide physicians in patient management. The medical records and imaging series of 105 consecutive patients (90 female, 15 male, aged 21-78 years, mean age 46.1 ± 5.1 years) referred to our center between April 2011 and January 2012 for symptoms of ODS were retrospectively examined. After history taking and a complete clinical examination, patients underwent MR imaging according to a standard protocol using a 0.35 T permanent field, horizontally oriented open-configuration magnet. Static and dynamic MR-defecography was performed using recognized parameters and well-established diagnostic criteria. Sixty-seven out of 105 (64 %) patients found the prone position more comfortable for the evacuation of rectal contrast while 10/105 (9.5 %) were unable to empty their rectum despite repeated attempts. Increased hiatus size, anterior rectocele and focal or extensive defects of the levator ani muscle were the most frequent abnormalities (67.6, 60.0 and 51.4 %, respectively). An MR-based classification was developed based on the combinations of abnormalities found: Grade 1 = functional abnormality, including paradoxical contraction of the puborectalis muscle, without anatomical defect affecting the musculo-fascial structures; Grade 2 = functional defect associated with a minor anatomical defect such as rectocele ≤ 2 cm in size and/or first-degree intussusception; Grade 3 = severe defects confined to the posterior anatomical compartment, including >2 cm rectocele, second- or higher-degree intussusception, full-thickness external rectal prolapse, poor mesorectal posterior fixation, rectal descent >5 cm, levator ani muscle rupture, ballooning of the levator hiatus and focal detachment of the endopelvic fascia; Grade 4 = combined defects of two or three pelvic floor compartments, including cystocele, hysterocele, enlarged urogenital

  4. Normal anatomy of the anal wall and perianal spaces: An EUS, MRI and cadaveric correlative study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chung, Soo Young; Ryu, Sie Tae; Park, Ki Soon; Lee, Yul; Bae, Sang Hoon; Kang, Heung Sik

    1994-01-01

    To understand the normal endosonographic anatomy of the perianal spaces, and to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy and limitation of endorectal sonography(EUS), correlative study with MRI, cadaveric sectional image and cadaveric MRI were performed. EUS images of the normal 6 perianal spaces (pelvirectal, ischiorectal, intersphincteric, subcutaneous, central, submucous space) which were bounded by internal and external anal sphincters, rectal wall and levator ani muscle were correlated with MRI in 10 normal persons, cadaveric sectional images and cadaveric MRI in 2 cadavers. Pelvirectal space located superior to levator ani muscle could be demonstrable only on anterior wall scan but could not be visualized on lateral or posterior wall scan on EUS. Five perianal spaces located inferior to levator ani muscle were well seen on anterior, lateral, and posterior wall EUS. MRI was superior to EUS in the evaluation of pelvirectal and ischiorectal spaces but equal or inferior to EUS in the evaluation of intersphincteric, subcutaneous, central and submucous spaces. EUS was valuable in the evaluation of perianal spaces inferior to levator ani muscle but was limited in the evaluation of perianal spaces superior to levator ani muscle

  5. Defect forces, defect couples and path integrals in fracture mechanics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roche, R.L.

    1979-07-01

    In this work, it is shown that the path integrals can be introduced without any reference to the material behavior. The method is based on the definition in a continuous medium of a set of vectors and couples having the dimension of a force or a moment. More precisely, definitions are given of volume defect forces, surface defect forces, volume defect couples, and surface defect couples. This is done with the help of the stress working variation of a particule moving through the solid. The most important result is: the resultant of all the defect forces included in a volume V is the J integral on the surface surrounding V and the moment resultant is the L integral. So these integrals are defined without any assumption on the material constitutive equation. Another result is the material form of the virtual work principle - defect forces are acting like conventional forces in the conventional principles of virtual work. This lead to the introduction of the energy momentum tensor and of the associated couple stress. Application of this method is made to fracture mechanics in studying the defect forces distribution around a crack [fr

  6. A study to evaluate the effect of manual therapy and exercise on the levator plate in women with pelvic organ prolapse.

    OpenAIRE

    Whelan, Maeve

    2013-01-01

    Introduction Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) symptoms, severity and pelvic floor muscle (PFM) strength have been shown to improve significantly with pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT). In this study, a new approach to conservative treatment of POP was investigated by the addition of manual physiotherapy to conventional PFMT. Aim & Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of internal manual therapy and PFMT on the levator plate angle (LPA) in women with stage I or I...

  7. Anatomy of the pubovisceral muscle origin: Macroscopic and microscopic findings within the injury zone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jinyong; Betschart, Cornelia; Ramanah, Rajeev; Ashton-Miller, James A; DeLancey, John O L

    2015-11-01

    The levator ani muscle (LA) injury associated with vaginal birth occurs in a characteristic site of injury on the inner surface of the pubic bone to the pubovisceral portion of the levator ani muscle's origin. This study investigated the gross and microscopic anatomy of the pubic origin of the LA in this region. Pubic origin of the levator ani muscle was examined in situ then harvested from nine female cadavers (35-98 years). A combination of targeted feature sampling and sequential sampling was used where each specimen was cut sequentially in approximately 5 mm thick slices apart in the area of known LA injury. Histological sections were stained with Masson's trichrome. The pubovisceral origin is transparent and thin as it attaches tangentially to the pubic periosteum, with its morphology changing from medial to lateral regions. Medially, fibers of the thick muscle belly coalesce toward multiple narrow points of bony attachment for individual fascicles. In the central portion there is an aponeurosis and the distance between muscle and periosteum is wider (∼3 mm) than in the medial region. Laterally, the LA fibers attach to the levator arch where the transition from pubovisceral muscle to the iliococcygeal muscle occurs. The morphology of the levator ani origin varies from the medial to lateral margin. The medial origin is a rather direct attachment of the muscle, while lateral origin is made through the levator arch. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  8. Musculo-nasomucosal unit with complete lateral bony freeing and medial rotation for ideal C-shape restoration and retropositioning of the levator veli palatini.

    Science.gov (United States)

    El-Shazly, Mohamed

    2012-11-01

    No definitive procedure for cleft repair has been identified yet as the gold standard. Accordingly, this work tried to appraise the hypothesis that if the bony detachment and full retropositioning of the levator veli palatini muscle can ideally present an anatomical C-shape muscular sling restoration and if this is accompanied with pushback palatoplasty, would this present a better result in terms of tissue fistulation and phonetic impairment? A series of 74 different degrees of palatal clefts were operated by pushback palatoplasty combined with a modified approach of the levator vili palatini. This muscle was dissected only from the oral mucosa while kept attached to the nasal one as a musculo-nasomucosal unit. This unit was completely detached from the bony margin of the hard palate and then medially rotated and retropositioned in a typical C-shape mobile sling. Evaluations included suture line assessment and fistula development, and following the child's need for speech therapy. There were no intraoperative complications. Definite anterior fistulae with nasal air and foot leakage were observed in 2 cases. Four cases had postoperative velopharyngeal incompetence with a need for speech therapy. Tension-free closure, lower risk of fistula, good restoration of velopharyngeal functions, ability to be performed on all cleft types, ability to provide a good intraoperative exposure, and being a single stage seem to be the most important advantages of this unpublished technique.

  9. The Conserved ATM Kinase RAG2-S365 Phosphorylation Site Limits Cleavage Events in Individual Cells Independent of Any Repair Defect

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Susannah L. Hewitt

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Many DNA lesions associated with lymphoid malignancies are linked to off-target cleavage by the RAG1/2 recombinase. However, off-target cleavage has mostly been analyzed in the context of DNA repair defects, confounding any mechanistic understanding of cleavage deregulation. We identified a conserved SQ phosphorylation site on RAG2 365 to 366 that is involved in feedback control of RAG cleavage. Mutation of serine 365 to a non-phosphorylatable alanine permits bi-allelic and bi-locus RAG-mediated breaks in the same cell, leading to reciprocal translocations. This phenomenon is analogous to the phenotype we described for ATM kinase inactivation. Here, we establish deregulated cleavage itself as a driver of chromosomal instability without the associated repair defect. Intriguingly, a RAG2-S365E phosphomimetic rescues the deregulated cleavage of ATM inactivation, reducing the incidence of reciprocal translocations. These data support a model in which feedback control of cleavage and maintenance of genome stability involves ATM-mediated phosphorylation of RAG2.

  10. Efficacy of pelvic floor muscle training and hypopressive exercises for treating pelvic organ prolapse in women: randomized controlled trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bruno Teixeira Bernardes

    Full Text Available CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Previous studies have shown that women with pelvic floor dysfunctions present decreased cross-sectional area (CSA of the levator ani muscle. One way to assess the effects of training programs is to measure the CSA of the muscle, using ultrasonography. The aim here was to evaluate the efficacy of pelvic floor muscle training and hypopressive exercises for increasing the CSA of the levator ani muscle in women with pelvic organ prolapse. DESIGN AND SETTING: Prospective randomized controlled trial at the Urogynecology outpatient clinic of Universidade Federal de São Paulo. METHODS: Fifty-eight women with stage II pelvic organ prolapse were divided into three groups for physiotherapy: a pelvic floor muscle training group (GI; a hypopressive exercise group (GII; and a control group (GIII. The patients underwent transperineal ultrasonographic evaluation using a transducer of frequency 4-9 MHz. The (CSA of the levator ani muscle was measured before physiotherapy and after 12 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: The groups were homogeneous regarding age, number of pregnancies, number of vaginal deliveries, body mass index and hormonal status. Statistically significant differences in CSA were found in GI and GII from before to after the treatment (P < 0.001, but not in relation to GIII (P = 0.816. CONCLUSIONS: The CSA of the levator ani muscle increased significantly with physiotherapy among the women with pelvic organ prolapse. Pelvic floor muscle training and hypopressive exercises produced similar improvements in the CSA of the levator ani muscle.

  11. Disgust, but not anger provocation, enhances levator labii superioris activity during exposure to moral transgressions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whitton, Alexis E; Henry, Julie D; Rendell, Peter G; Grisham, Jessica R

    2014-02-01

    Physical disgust is elicited by, and amplifies responses to, moral transgressions, suggesting that moral disgust may be a biologically expanded form of physical disgust. However, there is limited research comparing the effects of physical disgust to that of other emotions like anger, making it difficult to determine if the link between disgust and morality is unique. The current research evaluated the specificity of the relationship between disgust and morality by comparing links with anger, using state, physiological and trait measures of emotionality. Participants (N=90) were randomly allocated to have disgust, anger or no emotion induced. Responses to images depicting moral, negative non-moral, and neutral themes were then recorded using facial electromyography. Inducing disgust, but not anger, increased psychophysiological responses to moral themes. Trait disgust, but not trait anger, correlated with levator labii responses to moral themes. These findings provide strong evidence of a unique link between physical disgust and morality. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Structural Failure Sites in Anterior Vaginal Wall Prolapse: Identification of a Collinear Triad.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Luyun; Lisse, Sean; Larson, Kindra; Berger, Mitchell B; Ashton-Miller, James A; DeLancey, John O L

    2016-10-01

    To test the null hypothesis that six factors representing potential fascial and muscular failure sites contribute equally to the presence and size of a cystocele: two vaginal attachment factors (apical support and paravaginal defects), two vaginal wall factors (vaginal length and width), and two levator ani factors (hiatus size and levator ani defects). Thirty women with anterior-predominant prolapse (women in a case group) and 30 women in a control group underwent three-dimensional stress magnetic resonance imaging. The location of the anterior vaginal wall at maximal Valsalva was identified with the modified Pelvic Inclination Coordinate System and the six factors measured. Analysis included repeated-measure analysis of variance, logistic regression, and stepwise linear regression. We identified a collinear triad consisting of apical location, paravaginal location, and hiatus size that were not only the strongest predictors of cystocele size, but were also highly correlated with one another (r=0.84-0.89, P<.001) for the presence and size of the prolapse. Together they explain up to 83% of the variation in cystocele size. Among the less significant vaginal factors, vaginal length explained 19% of the variation in cystocele size, but no significant difference in vaginal width existed. Women in the case group were more likely to have abnormalities in collinear triad factors (up to 80%) than vaginal wall factors (up to 23.3%). Combining the strongest collinear triad with the vaginal factors, the model explained 92.5% of the variation in cystocele size. Apical location, paravaginal location, and hiatus size are highly correlated and are strong predictors of cystocele presence and size.

  13. The Effect of Commonly Performed Exercises on the Levator Hiatus Area and the Length and Strength of Pelvic Floor Muscles in Postpartum Women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siff, Lauren N; Hill, Audra J; Walters, Samantha J; Walters, Ginny; Walters, Mark D

    2018-05-02

    The aim oft his study was to compare the effects of 10 common exercises to traditional pelvic floor muscle (PFM) contractions (Kegel) on levator hiatus (LH) area and PFM length and strength. This is a cross-sectional study of 15 healthy postpartum women. Ten exercises were studied. These were common variations of leg, core, and back exercises used in yoga, Pilates, strength training, and physical therapy. Each participant performed all 10 exercises at a single visit in 2 examination settings: transperineal ultrasound and perineometry. Ultrasound measured the LH area and PFM length, and perineometry measured the muscle strength (peak squeeze pressure). Kegel generates an increase in squeeze pressure (24.3 cm H2O), shortens the muscles (-0.46 cm) and narrows the LH (-0.13 cm). The bird-dog and plank exercises were not different from Kegel in any measurement. While the leg-lift ultrasound dimensions are similar to Kegel, leg lifts generated peak squeeze pressures stronger than any other exercise (including Kegel). Whereas ultrasound dimensions were similar to Kegel, tucked and untucked squats and thigh adductions generated weaker contractions than Kegel. While crunch generated a squeeze pressure similar to Kegel, the ultrasound dimensions showed a significantly wider LH and longer muscle than Kegel. Bridge, clam, and plié exercises affected the PFMs differently than Kegel in all measures. Bird-dog, plank, and leg-lift exercises should be evaluated as alternative exercises to Kegel as they affect PFM strength and length and LH area similarly to Kegel, and leg lifts generate a stronger contraction than Kegel.

  14. Extrusion product defects: a statistical study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qamar, S.Z.; Arif, A.F.M.; Sheikh, A.K.

    2003-01-01

    In any manufacturing environment, defects resulting in rework or rejection are directly related to product cost and quality, and indirectly linked with process, tooling and product design. An analysis of product defects is therefore integral to any attempt at improving productivity, efficiency and quality. Commercial aluminum extrusion is generally a hot working process and consists of a series of different but integrated operations: billet preheating and sizing, die set and container preheating, billet loading and deformation, product sizing and stretching/roll-correction, age hardening, and painting/anodizing. Product defects can be traced back to problems in billet material and preparation, die and die set design and maintenance, process variable aberrations (ram speed, extrusion pressure, container temperature, etc), and post-extrusion treatment (age hardening, painting/anodizing, etc). The current paper attempts to analyze statistically the product defects commonly encountered in a commercial hot aluminum extrusion setup. Real-world rejection data, covering a period of nine years, has been researched and collected from a local structural aluminum extrusion facility. Rejection probabilities have been calculated for all the defects studied. The nine-year rejection data have been statistically analyzed on the basis of (i) an overall breakdown of defects, (ii) year-wise rejection behavior, (iii) breakdown of defects in each of three cost centers: press, anodizing, and painting. (author)

  15. A new fundamental hydrogen defect in alkali halides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morato, S.P.; Luety, F.

    1978-01-01

    Atom hydrogen in neutral (H 0 ) and negative (H - ) form on substitutional and interstitial lattice sites gives rise to well characterized model defects in alkali-halides (U,U 1 ,U 2 ,U 3 centers), which have been extensively investigated in the past. When studying the photo-decomposition of OH - defects, a new configuration of atomic charged hidrogen was discovered, which can be produced in large quantities in the crystal and is apparently not connected to any other impurity. This new hidrogen defect does not show any pronounced electronic absorption, but displays a single sharp local mode band (at 1114cm -1 in KCl) with a perfect isotope shift. The defect can be produced by various UV or X-ray techniques in crystais doped with OH - , Sh - or H - defects. A detailed study of its formation kinetics at low temperature shows that it is primarily formed by the reaction of a mobile CI 2 - crowdion (H-center) with hidrogen defects [pt

  16. Formation of topological defects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vachaspati, T.

    1991-01-01

    We consider the formation of point and line topological defects (monopoles and strings) from a general point of view by allowing the probability of formation of a defect to vary. To investigate the statistical properties of the defects at formation we give qualitative arguments that are independent of any particular model in which such defects occur. These arguments are substantiated by numerical results in the case of strings and for monopoles in two dimensions. We find that the network of strings at formation undergoes a transition at a certain critical density below which there are no infinite strings and the closed-string (loop) distribution is exponentially suppressed at large lengths. The results are contrasted with the results of statistical arguments applied to a box of strings in dynamical equilibrium. We argue that if point defects were to form with smaller probability, the distance between monopoles and antimonopoles would decrease while the monopole-to-monopole distance would increase. We find that monopoles are always paired with antimonopoles but the pairing becomes clean only when the number density of defects is small. A similar reasoning would also apply to other defects

  17. A study of point defects in quenched stainless steels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kheloufi, Khelifa.

    1977-07-01

    Thin foils of stainless steels (18%Cr, 14%Ni) containing boron (50x10 -6 ) and stabilised with titanium have been quenched at different rates in order to observe secondary defects by transmission electron microscopy. A rapid quenching in gallium has not given any secondary defects either before or after annealing. But samples quenched from temperatures greater than 800 0 C-900 0 C exhibit a dislocation density approximately 10 9 cm/cm 3 . A vacancy concentration less than 10 -6 has been observed by positron annihilation technique. After a moderate quenching, any secondary defects has been observed. It is thus clear that boron does not favour the secondary defects formation as does phosphorus [fr

  18. Sagging Eye Syndrome or Nemaline Rod Myopathy? Divergence Insufficiency with Levator Dehiscence as an Overlapping Symptom between Two Diagnoses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stephanie S. L. Cheung

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available A 78-year-old woman complained of gradual, painless onset of horizontal binocular diplopia associated with progressive axial weakness. Physical examination revealed esotropia that was greater at distance than at near vision, bilateral levator dehiscence, and normal abducting saccadic speeds. Given the age of the patient and compatible clinical findings, the diagnosis of Sagging Eye Syndrome (SES was made. However, further work-up with a muscle biopsy suggested Sporadic Late-Onset Nemaline Myopathy (SLONM as the cause of her progressive muscle weakness. Although rare, external ophthalmoplegia has been described in the literature as a presenting symptom in SLONM. To elucidate the pathological mechanism for the patient’s diplopia, an MRI of the orbits was performed, which revealed findings consistent with SES. This case aims to highlight the importance of integrating clinical findings during the diagnostic process and serves as a reminder that diplopia can be a common symptom for an uncommon diagnosis.

  19. 40 CFR 1068.501 - How do I report emission-related defects?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... shipped replacement parts for any individual component is high enough that good engineering judgment would... after you learn that the number of defects exceeds a threshold. Send us an updated defect report anytime... sampled data. Make adjusted calculations to take into account any bias that may remain. (h) Investigation...

  20. 49 CFR 215.121 - Defective car body.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Defective car body. 215.121 Section 215.121..., DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RAILROAD FREIGHT CAR SAFETY STANDARDS Freight Car Components Car Bodies § 215.121 Defective car body. A railroad may not place or continue in service a car, if: (a) Any portion of...

  1. RCFT with defects: Factorization and fundamental world sheets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fjelstad, Jens; Fuchs, Jürgen; Stigner, Carl

    2012-01-01

    It is known that for any full rational conformal field theory, the correlation functions that are obtained by the TFT construction satisfy all locality, modular invariance and factorization conditions, and that there is a small set of fundamental correlators to which all others are related via factorization - provided that the world sheets considered do not contain any non-trivial defect lines. In this paper we generalize both results to oriented world sheets with an arbitrary network of topological defect lines.

  2. Dark matter from cosmic defects on galactic scales?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guerreiro, N.; Carvalho, J. P. M. de; Avelino, P. P.; Martins, C. J. A. P.

    2008-01-01

    We discuss the possible dynamical role of extended cosmic defects on galactic scales, specifically focusing on the possibility that they may provide the dark matter suggested by the classical problem of galactic rotation curves. We emphasize that the more standard defects (such as Goto-Nambu strings) are unsuitable for this task but show that more general models (such as transonic wiggly strings) could in principle have a better chance. In any case, we show that observational data severely restricts any such scenarios.

  3. Platelet rich fibrin in jaw defects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nica, Diana; Ianes, Emilia; Pricop, Marius

    2016-03-01

    Platelet rich fibrin (PRF) is a tissue product of autologous origin abundant in growth factors, widely used in regenerative procedures. Aim of the study: Evaluation of the regenerative effect of PRF added in the bony defects (after tooth removal or after cystectomy) Material and methods: The comparative nonrandomized study included 22 patients divided into 2 groups. The first group (the test group) included 10 patients where the bony defects were treated without any harvesting material. The second group included 12 patients where the bony defects were filled with PRF. The bony defect design was not critical, with one to two walls missing. After the surgeries, a close clinically monitoring was carried out. The selected cases were investigated using both cone beam computer tomography (CBCT) and radiographic techniques after 10 weeks postoperatively. Results: Faster bone regeneration was observed in the bony defects filled with PRF comparing with the not grafted bony defects. Conclusions: PRF added in the bony defects accelerates the bone regeneration. This simplifies the surgical procedures and decreases the economic costs.

  4. If Your Child Has a Heart Defect (For Parents)

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Videos for Educators Search English Español If Your Child Has a Heart Defect KidsHealth / For Parents / If ... has any of these symptoms. Caring for Your Child Parenting kids with heart defects includes learning about ...

  5. Androgen receptors in the pelvic diaphragm muscles of dogs with and without perineal hernia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mann, F A; Nonneman, D J; Pope, E R; Boothe, H W; Welshons, W V; Ganjam, V K

    1995-01-01

    Levator ani and coccygeus muscle estrogen and androgen receptors were measured in 6, healthy, > or = 5-year-old, noncastrated, male Beagles (controls) and in 24 dogs with perineal hernia. Estrogen and androgen receptor analyses were performed on levator ani and coccygeus muscle specimens obtained from control dogs at the time of castration; contralateral levator ani and coccygeus muscle specimens were assayed 2 months after castration. During herniorrhaphy of dogs with perineal hernia, levator ani (non-castrated, n = 12; castrated, n = 7) and/or coccygeus (noncastrated, n = 5; castrated, n = 4) muscle biopsy specimens were obtained for estrogen and androgen receptor analyses. For estrogen and androgen receptor assays, each muscle biopsy specimen was homogenized in Tris-EDTA-glycerol buffer, and centrifuged at 30,000 x g; extracts were used for binding with ligands: [3H]methyltrienolone (3HR1881) for androgen receptors, and [3H]estradiol-17 beta for estrogen receptors. Extracts were incubated overnight at 0 to 4 C. Nonspecific binding was estimated, using 100-fold concentration of cold ligands. Bound and free hormones were separated, using hydroxylapatite batch assay. Receptor numbers for each tissue were calculated as femtomoles (fmol) per milligram of protein. Quantified data were compared between precastration and postcastration controls, using a paired t-test. One-way ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc test were used to compare values for precastration controls, postcastration controls, castrated dogs with perineal hernia, and noncastrated dogs with perineal hernia. Significance was set at P < 0.05.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

  6. Topological defects from the multiverse

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jun; Blanco-Pillado, Jose J.; Garriga, Jaume; Vilenkin, Alexander

    2015-05-01

    Many theories of the early universe predict the existence of a multiverse where bubbles continuously nucleate giving rise to observers in their interior. In this paper, we point out that topological defects of several dimensionalities will also be produced in de Sitter like regions of the multiverse. In particular, defects could be spontaneously nucleated in our parent vacuum. We study the evolution of these defects as they collide with and propagate inside of our bubble. We estimate the present distribution of defects in the observable part of the universe. The expected number of such nearby defects turns out to be quite small, even for the highest nucleation rate. We also study collisions of strings and domain walls with our bubble in our past light cone. We obtain simulated full-sky maps of the loci of such collisions, and find their angular size distribution. Similarly to what happens in the case of bubble collisions, the prospect of detecting any collisions of our bubble with ambient defects is greatly enhanced in the case where the cosmological constant of our parent vacuum is much higher than the vacuum energy density during inflation in our bubble.

  7. Topological defects from the multiverse

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Jun [Institute of Cosmology, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155 (United States); Blanco-Pillado, Jose J. [Department of Theoretical Physics, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 48080 Bilbao (Spain); IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, 48013, Bilbao (Spain); Garriga, Jaume [Departament de Fisica Fonamental i Institut de Ciencies del Cosmos, Universitat de Barcelona, Marti i Franques, 1, 08028, Barcelona (Spain); Vilenkin, Alexander [Institute of Cosmology, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155 (United States)

    2015-05-28

    Many theories of the early universe predict the existence of a multiverse where bubbles continuously nucleate giving rise to observers in their interior. In this paper, we point out that topological defects of several dimensionalities will also be produced in de Sitter like regions of the multiverse. In particular, defects could be spontaneously nucleated in our parent vacuum. We study the evolution of these defects as they collide with and propagate inside of our bubble. We estimate the present distribution of defects in the observable part of the universe. The expected number of such nearby defects turns out to be quite small, even for the highest nucleation rate. We also study collisions of strings and domain walls with our bubble in our past light cone. We obtain simulated full-sky maps of the loci of such collisions, and find their angular size distribution. Similarly to what happens in the case of bubble collisions, the prospect of detecting any collisions of our bubble with ambient defects is greatly enhanced in the case where the cosmological constant of our parent vacuum is much higher than the vacuum energy density during inflation in our bubble.

  8. Topological defects from the multiverse

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Jun; Vilenkin, Alexander; Blanco-Pillado, Jose J.; Garriga, Jaume

    2015-01-01

    Many theories of the early universe predict the existence of a multiverse where bubbles continuously nucleate giving rise to observers in their interior. In this paper, we point out that topological defects of several dimensionalities will also be produced in de Sitter like regions of the multiverse. In particular, defects could be spontaneously nucleated in our parent vacuum. We study the evolution of these defects as they collide with and propagate inside of our bubble. We estimate the present distribution of defects in the observable part of the universe. The expected number of such nearby defects turns out to be quite small, even for the highest nucleation rate. We also study collisions of strings and domain walls with our bubble in our past light cone. We obtain simulated full-sky maps of the loci of such collisions, and find their angular size distribution. Similarly to what happens in the case of bubble collisions, the prospect of detecting any collisions of our bubble with ambient defects is greatly enhanced in the case where the cosmological constant of our parent vacuum is much higher than the vacuum energy density during inflation in our bubble

  9. Accurate defect die placement and nuisance defect reduction for reticle die-to-die inspections

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wen, Vincent; Huang, L. R.; Lin, C. J.; Tseng, Y. N.; Huang, W. H.; Tuo, Laurent C.; Wylie, Mark; Chen, Ellison; Wang, Elvik; Glasser, Joshua; Kelkar, Amrish; Wu, David

    2015-10-01

    Die-to-die reticle inspections are among the simplest and most sensitive reticle inspections because of the use of an identical-design neighboring-die for the reference image. However, this inspection mode can have two key disadvantages: (1) The location of the defect is indeterminate because it is unclear to the inspector whether the test or reference image is defective; and (2) nuisance and false defects from mask manufacturing noise and tool optical variation can limit the usable sensitivity. The use of a new sequencing approach for a die-to-die inspection can resolve these issues without any additional scan time, without sacrifice in sensitivity requirement, and with a manageable increase in computation load. In this paper we explore another approach for die-to-die inspections using a new method of defect processing and sequencing. Utilizing die-to-die double arbitration during defect detection has been proven through extensive testing to generate accurate placement of the defect in the correct die to ensure efficient defect disposition at the AIMS step. The use of this method maintained the required inspection sensitivity for mask quality as verified with programmed-defectmask qualification and then further validated with production masks comparing the current inspection approach to the new method. Furthermore, this approach can significantly reduce the total number of defects that need to be reviewed by essentially eliminating the nuisance and false defects that can result from a die-to-die inspection. This "double-win" will significantly reduce the effort in classifying a die-to-die inspection result and will lead to improved cycle times.

  10. Momentum conserving defects in affine Toda field theories

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bristow, Rebecca; Bowcock, Peter [Department of Mathematical Sciences, Durham University,Durham, DH1 3LE (United Kingdom)

    2017-05-30

    Type II integrable defects with more than one degree of freedom at the defect are investigated. A condition on the form of the Lagrangian for such defects is found which ensures the existence of a conserved momentum in the presence of the defect. In addition it is shown that for any Lagrangian satisfying this condition, the defect equations of motion, when taken to hold everywhere, can be extended to give a Bäcklund transformation between the bulk theories on either side of the defect. This strongly suggests that such systems are integrable. Momentum conserving defects and Bäcklund transformations for affine Toda field theories based on the A{sub n}, B{sub n}, C{sub n} and D{sub n} series of Lie algebras are found. The defect associated with the D{sub 4} affine Toda field theory is examined in more detail. In particular classical time delays for solitons passing through the defect are calculated.

  11. Functional disorders of the anus and rectum

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whitehead, W; Wald, A; Diamant, N; Enck, P; Pemberton, J; Rao, S

    1999-01-01

    In this report the functional anorectal disorders, the etiology of which is currently unknown or related to the abnormal functioning of normally innervated and structurally intact muscles, are discussed. These disorders include functional fecal incontinence, functional anorectal pain, including levator ani syndrome and proctalgia fugax, and pelvic floor dyssynergia. The epidemiology of each disorder is defined and discussed, their pathophysiology is summarized and diagnostic approaches and treatment are suggested. Some suggestions for the direction of future research on these disorders are also given.


Keywords: fecal incontinence; pelvic floor dyssynergia; anismus; proctalgia fugax; levator ani syndrome; constipation; Rome II PMID:10457046

  12. Estudo anatômico do músculo levantador do lábio superior An anatomical study of the levator labii superioris muscle

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L.M. Ferreira

    1997-09-01

    Full Text Available Os autores descrevem as características anatômicas do músculo levantador do lábio superior por meio de dissecações em cadáveres. OBJETIVO. Contribuir ao estudo dos músculos da mímica, estudando os seus detalhes anatômicos e suas relações, ajudando na realização de retalhos da face. MÉTODOS. Foram dissecadas 20 peças de cadáveres, verificando-se suas inserções, comprimento, largura, espessura, relações, inervação e irrigação. RESULTADOS. Em todos os casos, o músculo levantador do lábio superior apresentou inserção proximal na margem inferior da órbita e inserção distal de dois tipos: por meio de fibras laterais sobrepondo-se superficialmente ao músculo orbicular do lábio e de fibras profundas interdigitando-se, formando parte do embricamento do canto da boca (70%; e mediante fibras sobrepondo-se superficialmente ao músculo orbicular do lábio (30%. A média do comprimento foi de 24,66mm e a média da espessura, de 3,57mm. A largura em nível da inserção distal foi, em média, de 11,2mm, enquanto que em nível da inserção proximal foi, em média, de 15,96mm. Relaciona-se anteriormente ao músculo levantador do ângulo da boca, posteriormente à porção distal do músculo zigomático menor (90% e posteriormente à porção média do músculo zigomático menor (10%. A inervação é feita pelo ramo inferior do nervo zigomático (n. facial e nervo infra-orbital (n. trigêmeo. Ramos da artéria angular irrigam a porção inferior do músculo e a artéria infra-orbital nutre a porção superior deste músculo.The authors describe the anatomical characteristics of the levator labii superioris muscle by dissection in cadavers. PURPOSE. We describe the characteristics of these muscle, the details and relations, hopefully contributing to the study of muscle of the face. METHODS. Twenty faces of cadavers were dissected. The following features were studied: origin, insertion, length, width, thickness, relations

  13. Nanocarbon: Defect Architectures and Properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vuong, Amanda

    The allotropes of carbon make its solid phases amongst the most diverse of any element. It can occur naturally as graphite and diamond, which have very different properties that make them suitable for a wide range of technological and commercial purposes. Recent developments in synthetic carbon include Highly Oriented Pyrolytic Graphite (HOPG) and nano-carbons, such as fullerenes, nanotubes and graphene. The main industrial application of bulk graphite is as an electrode material in steel production, but in purified nuclear graphite form, it is also used as a moderator in Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors across the United Kingdom. Both graphene and graphite are damaged over time when subjected to bombardment by electrons, neutrons or ions, and these have a wide range of effects on their physical and electrical properties, depending on the radiation flux and temperature. This research focuses on intrinsic defects in graphene and dimensional change in nuclear graphite. The method used here is computational chemistry, which complements physical experiments. Techniques used comprise of density functional theory (DFT) and molecular dynamics (MD), which are discussed in chapter 2 and chapter 3, respectively. The succeeding chapters describe the results of simulations performed to model defects in graphene and graphite. Chapter 4 presents the results of ab initio DFT calculations performed to investigate vacancy complexes that are formed in AA stacked bilayer graphene. In AB stacking, carbon atoms surrounding the lattice vacancies can form interlayer structures with sp2 bonding that are lower in energy compared to in-plane reconstructions. From the investigation of AA stacking, sp2 interlayer bonding of adjacent multivacancy defects in registry creates a type of stable sp2 bonded wormhole between the layers. Also, a new class of mezzanine structure characterised by sp3 interlayer bonding, resembling a prismatic vacancy loop has also been identified. The mezzanine, which is a

  14. A novel inspection system for cosmetic defects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hazra, S.; Roy, R.; Williams, D.; Aylmore, R.; Hollingdale, D.

    2013-12-01

    The appearance of automotive skin panels creates desirability for a product and differentiates it from the competition. Because of the importance of skin panels, considerable care is taken in minimizing defects such as the 'hollow' defect that occur around door-handle depressions. However, the inspection process is manual, subjective and time-consuming. This paper describes the development of an objective and inspection scheme for the 'hollow' defect. In this inspection process, the geometry of a panel is captured using a structured lighting system. The geometry data is subsequently analyzed by a purpose-built wavelet-based algorithm to identify the location of any defects that may be present and to estimate the perceived severity of the defects without user intervention. This paper describes and critically evaluates the behavior of this physically-based algorithm on an ideal and real geometry and compares its result to an actual audit. The results show that the algorithm is capable of objectively locating and classifying 'hollow' defects in actual panels.

  15. 49 CFR 229.75 - Wheels and tire defects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Wheels and tire defects. 229.75 Section 229.75....75 Wheels and tire defects. Wheels and tires may not have any of the following conditions: (a) A... two adjoining spots that are each two or more inches in length. (e) A seam running lengthwise that is...

  16. MR imaging of pelvic floor in stress urinary incontinence=20

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Young Rae; Park, Heung Jae; Kook, Shin Ho; Chung, Eun Chul [Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, College of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2000-04-01

    To demonstrate the anatomy of the female pelvic floor and to determine the anatomic differences between normal controls and women with stress urinary incontinence, using MRI. Five healthy, young, nulliparous women and 12 with stress urinary incontinence underwent MR imaging. We obtained FSE T2-weighted axial images, 3mm thick, of the region extending from the urethroversical junction to the perineal membrane. The following parameters were determined : angle, asymmetry and signal intensity of the levator ani muscles, the distance between the urethra and symphysis, and the presence, shape and angulation of urethropelvic ligament. In contrast to normal controls, frequent findings in women with stress incontinence were as follows : increased angle (43%), asymmetry (43%) and higher signal intensity (67%) of the levator ani muscles; increased distance between the urethra and symphysis; loss (43%), discontinuity (60%) and dorsal angulation (43%) of the urethropelvic ligament. In women with stress urinary incontinence, MRI clearly demonstrates the anatomy of the female pelvic floor, changes in the levator ani muscles, the distance between the urethra and symphysis, and the urethropelvic ligament. The modality can therefore be used to evaluate the anatomical changes occurring in cases of stress urinary incontinence. (author)

  17. Dental Enamel Defects and Celiac Disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Digestive System & How it Works Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome Dental Enamel Defects and Celiac Disease Celiac disease manifestations ... affecting any organ or body system. One manifestation—dental enamel defects—can help dentists and other health ...

  18. Successful use of botulinum toxin type a in the treatment of refractory postoperative dyspareunia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Amy J; Paraiso, Marie Fidela R

    2009-08-01

    Refractory dyspareunia presents a challenging therapeutic dilemma. A woman with defecatory dysfunction and dyspareunia presented with stage 2 prolapse. She underwent laparoscopic and vaginal pelvic floor reconstruction with excision of endometriosis. The patient experienced increased dyspareunia and de novo vaginismus postoperatively that were refractory to trigger point injections, physical therapy, and medical and surgical management. She underwent botulinum toxin type A injections into her levator ani muscles, which allowed her to have sexual intercourse again after 2 years of apareunia with no recurrence of pain for 12 months. Injecting botulinum toxin into the levator ani muscles shows promise for postoperative patients who develop vaginismus and do not respond to conservative therapy.

  19. [Treatment of eyelid retraction in Grave's disease by recession of the levator complex].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fichter, N; Schittkowski, M; Guthoff, R F

    2004-11-01

    The chronic stage in Grave's orbitopathy is characterised by fibrotic changes within the orbital soft tissues, especially the extraocular muscles. Retraction of the eyelids is a common clinical feature of this phenomenon. To solve this problem several techniques for lengthening the upper eyelid have been described with variable rates of success. In this report we describe our modified Harvey's technique for the correction of upper eyelid retraction which includes a complete recession of the Muller's muscle/levator complex from the tarsal plate without the interposition of a spacer. Finally only the skin and the superficial orbicularis muscle are sutured. We also report about our results with this procedure. 8 patients (1 male, 7 female) with lid retraction in Grave's ophthalmopathy were recorded who had undergone the modified lengthening technique by an external approach between 2001 and 2004. Four patients underwent a bilateral procedure and 1 patient showed a significant under-correction, necessitating reoperation. So a total of 13 procedures were included in this follow-up study. Beside the common ophthalmological examination, special interest was put in the difference of the two eyelid apertures in primary position pre- and postoperatively. Within a follow-up period of at least 3 months we recorded an averaged lengthening of the upper eyelid of 3.1 mm. The difference of the two eyelid apertures in primary position improved from 2.2 mm preoperatively to 1.0 mm postoperatively. Only 1 patient needed reoperation because of a significant under-correction. There were no late over-corrections observed. The modified Harvey's technique to lengthen the upper eyelid is a safe and effective method to reduce upper eyelid retraction in Grave's disease. An eventually required orbital decompression or extraocular muscle surgery has to be done before the lid surgery.

  20. Pelvic floor muscle lesions at endoanal MR imaging in female patients with faecal incontinence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Terra, Maaike P.; Vervoorn, Inge; Dobben, Annette C.; Stoker, Jaap; Beets-Tan, Regina G.H.; Deutekom, Marije; Bossuyt, Patrick M.M.; Wasser, Martin N.J.M.; Witkamp, Theo D.; Baeten, Cor G.M.I.

    2008-01-01

    To evaluate the frequency and spectrum of lesions of different pelvic floor muscles at endoanal MRI in women with severe faecal incontinence and to study their relation with incontinence severity and manometric findings. In 105 women MRI examinations were evaluated for internal anal sphincter (IAS), external anal sphincter (EAS), puborectal muscle (PM) and levator ani (LA) lesions. The relative contribution of lesions to differences in incontinence severity and manometric findings was studied. IAS (n=59) and EAS (n=61) defects were more common than PM (n=23) and LA (n=26) defects. PM and LA defects presented mainly with IAS and/or EAS defects (isolated n=2 and n=3). EAS atrophy (n=73) was more common than IAS (n=19), PM (n=16) and LA (n=9) atrophy and presented mainly isolated. PM and LA atrophy presented primarily with EAS atrophy (isolated n=3 and n=1). Patients with IAS and EAS lesions had a lower resting and squeeze pressure, respectively; no other associations were found. PM and LA lesions are relatively common in patients with severe faecal incontinence, but the majority of lesions are found in women who also have IAS and/or EAS lesions. Only an association between anal sphincter lesions and manometry was observed. (orig.)

  1. Defect branes as Alice strings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Okada, Takashi; Sakatani, Yuho

    2015-01-01

    There exist various defect-brane backgrounds in supergravity theories which arise as the low energy limit of string theories. These backgrounds typically have non-trivial monodromies, and if we move a charged probe around the center of a defect, its charge will be changed by the action of the monodromy. During the process, the charge conservation law seems to be violated. In this paper, to resolve this puzzle, we examine a dynamics of the charge changing process and show that the missing charge of the probe is transferred to the background. We then explicitly construct the resultant background after the charge transfer process by utilizing dualities. This background has the same monodromy as the original defect brane, but has an additional charge which does not have any localized source. In the literature, such a charge without localized source is known to appear in the presence of Alice strings. We argue that defect branes can in fact be regarded as a realization of Alice strings in string theory and examine the charge transfer process from that perspective.

  2. Defect branes as Alice strings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Okada, Takashi [Theoretical Biology Laboratory, RIKEN,Wako 351-0198 (Japan); Sakatani, Yuho [Department of Physics and Astronomy,Seoul National University, Seoul 151-747 (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-03-25

    There exist various defect-brane backgrounds in supergravity theories which arise as the low energy limit of string theories. These backgrounds typically have non-trivial monodromies, and if we move a charged probe around the center of a defect, its charge will be changed by the action of the monodromy. During the process, the charge conservation law seems to be violated. In this paper, to resolve this puzzle, we examine a dynamics of the charge changing process and show that the missing charge of the probe is transferred to the background. We then explicitly construct the resultant background after the charge transfer process by utilizing dualities. This background has the same monodromy as the original defect brane, but has an additional charge which does not have any localized source. In the literature, such a charge without localized source is known to appear in the presence of Alice strings. We argue that defect branes can in fact be regarded as a realization of Alice strings in string theory and examine the charge transfer process from that perspective.

  3. Defect sizing using automated ultrasonic inspection techniques at RNL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rogerson, A.; Highmore, P.J.; Poulter, L.N.J.

    1983-10-01

    RNL has developed and applied automated wide-beam pulse-echo and time-of-flight techniques with synthetic aperture processing for sizing defects in clad thick-section weldments and nozzle corner regions. These techniques were amongst those used in the four test plate inspections making up the UKAEA Defect Detection Trials. In this report a critical appraisal is given of the sizing procedures adopted by RNL in these inspections. Several factors influencing sizing accuracy are discussed and results from particular defects highlighted. The time-of-flight technique with colour graphics data display is shown to be highly effective in imaging near-vertical buried defects and underclad defects of height greater than 5 mm. Early characterisation of any identified defect from its ultrasonic response under pulse-echo inspection is seen as a desirable aid to the selection of an appropriate advanced sizing technique for buried defects. (author)

  4. Dislocation defect interaction in irradiated Cu

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schaeublin, R.; Yao, Z.; Spaetig, P.; Victoria, M.

    2005-01-01

    Pure Cu single crystals irradiated at room temperature to low doses with 590 MeV protons have been deformed in situ in a transmission electron microscope in order to identify the basic mechanisms at the origin of hardening. Cu irradiated to 10 -4 dpa shows at room temperature a yield shear stress of 13.7 MPa to be compared to the 8.8 MPa of the unirradiated Cu. Irradiation induced damage consists at 90% of 2 nm stacking fault tetrahedra, the remaining being dislocation loops and unidentified defects. In-situ deformation reveals that dislocation-defect interaction can take several forms. Usually, dislocations pinned by defects bow out under the applied stress and escape without leaving any visible defect. From the escape angles obtained at 183 K, an average critical stress of 100 MPa is deduced. In some cases, the pinning of dislocations leads to debris that are about 20 nm long, which formation could be recorded during the in situ experiment

  5. EVALUATION OF OUTCOME OF VARIOUS SURGICAL PROCEDURES FOR UPPER EYELID PTOSIS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nagaraju

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: There are various procedures available for ptosis correction. Successful outcome not only depends on correct technique but also choosing appropriate procedure for each patient. Selection of procedure is based on available levator function and also other factors like etiology, severity, Bell’s phenomenon etc. If such varied procedure s are performed in a group of patients based on standard criteria and results are evaluated systematically we can determine what works best for a given patient . AIM : Evaluation of outcome of various surgical procedures for upper eyelid ptosis . METHODOLOGY : 25 eyelids of 20 patients who presented to a tertiary centre in south India with complaint of drooping of upper lid were considered. All subjects underwent complete ocular examination corrected visual acuity and detailed ptosis evaluation with particular emphasis on measurement of levator muscle function, MRD1 (margin reflex distance - 1, palpebral fissure width in different gazes and margin crease distance. The effect of various factors like MRD1, MCD, levator function were assessed, the amount of correction required and appropriate surgical procedure was chosen. Surgical procedure of Levator resection, frontalis sling operation, anterior levator aponeurosis advancement, o r other ptosis correction procedures under appropriate anaesthesia were performed. Post - operative evaluation in terms of visual acuity, MRD, Interpalpebral fissure height, lid symmetry, lagophthalmos and complications (if any was done. RESULTS : Levator muscle resection was done in 28% of eyelids, frontal sling surgery in 60% of eyelids, Levator muscle plication in 8% eyelids and levator muscle disinsertion with frontal sling surgery in 4% eyes. Undercorrection was seen in about 44% of eyelids in varying degrees. 56% of the eyes had optimal correction. Symmetric correction was achieved in 76% of eyelids. CONCLUSION: The influence of various preoperative factors on the

  6. Maternal alcohol drinking pattern during pregnancy and the risk for an offspring with an isolated congenital heart defect and in particular a ventricular septal defect or an atrial septal defect

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Strandberg-Larsen, Katrine; Skov-Ettrup, Lise Skrubbeltrang; Grønbaek, Morten

    2011-01-01

    (VSD) or of an atrial septal defect (ASD). METHODS: Participants were 80,346 pregnant women who were enrolled into the Danish National Birth Cohort in 1996-2002 and gave birth to a live-born singleton without any chromosome anomalies. Twice during pregnancy these women were asked about their intake...... the early part of pregnancy was not statistical significantly associated with the prevalence of isolated VSD and ASD in offspring. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc....

  7. The method of diagnosis and classification of the gingival line defects of the teeth hard tissues

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olena Bulbuk

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available For solving the problem of diagnosis and treatment of hard tissue defects the significant role belongs to the choice of tactics for dental treatment of hard tissue defects located in the gingival line of any tooth. This work aims to study the problems of diagnosis and classification of gingival line defects of the teeth hard tissues. That will contribute to the objectification of differentiated diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in the dental treatment of various clinical variants of these defects localization. The objective of the study – is to develop the anatomical-functional classification for differentiated estimation of hard tissue defects in the gingival part, as the basis for the application of differential diagnostic-therapeutic approaches to the dental treatment of hard tissue defects disposed in the gingival part of any tooth. Materials and methods of investigation: There was conducted the examination of 48 patients with hard tissue defects located in the gingival part of any tooth. To assess the magnitude of gingival line destruction the periodontal probe and X-ray examination were used. Results. The result of the performed research the classification of the gingival line defects of the hard tissues was offered using exponent power. The value of this indicator is equal to an integer number expressed in millimeters of distance from the epithelial attachment to the cavity’s bottom of defect. Conclusions. The proposed classification fills an obvious gap in academic representations about hard tissue defects located in the gingival part of any tooth. Also it offers the prospects of consensus on differentiated diagnostic-therapeutic approaches in different clinical variants of location.  This classification builds methodological “bridge of continuity” between therapeutic and prosthetic dentistry in the field of treatment of the gingival line defects of dental hard tissues.

  8. Vortex pinning by point defect in superconductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liao Hongyin; Zhou Shiping; Du Haochen

    2003-01-01

    We apply the periodic time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau model to study vortex distribution in type-II superconductors with a point-like defect and square pinning array. A defect site will pin vortices, and a periodic pinning array with right geometric parameters, which can be any form designed in advance, shapes the vortex pattern as external magnetic field varies. The maximum length over which an attractive interaction between a pinning centre and a vortex extends is estimated to be about 6.0ξ. We also derive spatial distribution expressions for the order parameter, vector potential, magnetic field and supercurrent induced by a point defect. Theoretical results and numerical simulations are compared with each other and they are consistent

  9. Anorectal Disorders

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rao, Satish S. C.; Bharucha, Adil E.; Chiarioni, Giuseppe; Felt-Bersma, Richelle; Knowles, Charles; Malcolm, Allison; Wald, Arnold

    2016-01-01

    This report defines criteria and reviews the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and management of the following common anorectal disorders: fecal incontinence (FI), functional anorectal pain, and functional defecation disorders. FI is defined as the recurrent uncontrolled passage of fecal material for at least 3 months. The clinical features of FI are useful for guiding diagnostic testing and therapy. Anorectal manometry and imaging are useful for evaluating anal and pelvic floor structure and function. Education, antidiarrheals, and biofeedback therapy are the mainstay of management; surgery may be useful in refractory cases. Functional anorectal pain syndromes are defined by clinical features and categorized into 3 subtypes. In proctalgia fugax, the pain is typically fleeting and lasts for seconds to minutes. In levator ani syndrome and unspecified anorectal pain, the pain lasts more than 30 minutes, but in levator ani syndrome there is puborectalis tenderness. Functional defecation disorders are defined by ≥2 symptoms of chronic constipation or irritable bowel syndrome with constipation, and with ≥2 features of impaired evacuation, that is, abnormal evacuation pattern on manometry, abnormal balloon expulsion test, or impaired rectal evacuation by imaging. It includes 2 subtypes: dyssynergic defecation and inadequate defecatory propulsion. Pelvic floor biofeedback therapy is effective for treating levator ani syndrome and defecatory disorders. PMID:27144630

  10. Color Vision Defects in School Going Children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R K Shrestha

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Color Vision defect can be observed in various diseases of optic nerve and retina and also a significant number of people suffer from the inherited condition of red and green color defect. Methods: A cross-sectional descritptive study was designed with purposive sampling of students from various schools of Kathmandu Valley. All children were subjected to color vision evaluation using Ishihara Isochromatic color plates along with other examination to rule out any other causes of color deficiency. Results: A total of 2001 students were examined, 1050 male students and 951 females with mean age of 10.35 (±2.75 and 10.54 (±2.72 respectively. Among the total students examined, 2.1% had some form of color vision defects. Of the male population , 3.9% had color vision defects while none of the female was found with the deficiency. Conclusions: The prelevance of color vision defect in Nepal is significant and comparable with the prelevance quoted in the studies from different countries. Keywords:color vision; congenital red green color effect; Nepal; prevalence.

  11. Defects and defect processes in nonmetallic solids

    CERN Document Server

    Hayes, W

    2004-01-01

    This extensive survey covers defects in nonmetals, emphasizing point defects and point-defect processes. It encompasses electronic, vibrational, and optical properties of defective solids, plus dislocations and grain boundaries. 1985 edition.

  12. Electronic structure of point defects in semiconductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bruneval, Fabien

    2014-01-01

    This 'Habilitation a diriger des Recherches' memoir presents most of my scientific activities during the past 7 years, in the field of electronic structure calculations of defects in solids. Point defects (vacancies, interstitials, impurities) in functional materials are a key parameter to determine if these materials will actually fill the role they have been assigned or not. Indeed, the presence of defects cannot be avoided when the temperature is increased or when the material is subjected to external stresses, such as irradiation in the nuclear reactors and in artificial satellites with solar radiations. However, in many cases, defects are introduced in the materials on purpose to tune the electronic transport, optical or even magnetic properties. This procedure is called the doping of semiconductors, which is the foundation technique for transistors, diodes, or photovoltaic cells. However, doping is not always straightforward and unexpected features may occur, such as doping asymmetry or Fermi level pinning, which can only be explained by complex phenomena involving different types of defects or complexes of defects. In this context, the calculations of electronic structure ab initio is an ideal tool to complement the experimental observations, to gain the understanding of phenomena at the atomic level, and even to predict the properties of defects. The power of the ab initio calculations comes from their ability to describe any system of electrons and nuclei without any specific adjustment. But although there is a strong need for numerical simulations in this field, the ab initio calculations for defects are still under development as of today. The work presented in this memoir summarizes my contributions to methodological developments on this subject. These developments have followed two main tracks. The first topic is the better understanding of the unavoidable finite size effects. Indeed, defects in semiconductors or insulators are generally present in

  13. 7 CFR 51.1564 - External defects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... FRESH FRUITS, VEGETABLES AND OTHER PRODUCTS 1,2 (INSPECTION, CERTIFICATION, AND STANDARDS) United States...) in the aggregate. Artificial Coloring When unsightly or when concealing any defect causing damage or... the surface area of the potato When its severity causes a wrinkling of the skin over more than 50...

  14. Posterior sagittal rectopexy in the treatment of recurrent rectal ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    USA) was then passed in the seromuscular coat of the rectum passing in ... coat of the back of the rectum to fix it. Lastly, skin ... seeds, regulation of the bowel habit, treatment of any existing ... damage of the levator ani and development of post-.

  15. Risk of central nervous system defects in offspring of women with and without mental illness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ayoub, Aimina; Fraser, William D; Low, Nancy; Arbour, Laura; Healy-Profitós, Jessica; Auger, Nathalie

    2018-02-22

    We sought to determine the relationship between maternal mental illness and the risk of having an infant with a central nervous system defect. We analyzed a cohort of 654,882 women aged less than 20 years between 1989 and 2013 who later delivered a live born infant in any hospital in Quebec, Canada. The primary exposure was mental illness during pregnancy or hospitalization for mental illness before pregnancy. The outcomes were neural and non-neural tube defects of the central nervous system in any offspring. We computed risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between mental disorders and risk of central nervous system defects in log-binomial regression models adjusted for age at delivery, total parity, comorbidity, socioeconomic deprivation, place of residence, and time period. Maternal mental illness was associated with an increased risk of nervous system defects in offspring (RR 1.76, 95% CI 1.64-1.89). Hospitalization for any mental disorder was more strongly associated with non-neural tube (RR 1.84, 95% CI 1.71-1.99) than neural tube defects (RR 1.31, 95% CI 1.08-1.59). Women at greater risk of nervous system defects in offspring tended to be diagnosed with multiple mental disorders, have more than one hospitalization for mental disease, or be 17 or older at first hospitalization. A history of mental illness is associated with central nervous system defects in offspring. Women hospitalized for mental illness may merit counseling at first symptoms to prevent central nervous system defects at pregnancy.

  16. 7 CFR 42.106 - Classifying and recording defects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... example of unrelated defects, a can may be seriously rusted, may have a bad dent along the seam, and the label may also be detached from the can because of improper gluing. In this case it is unlikely that any...

  17. Male reproductive effects of octylphenol and estradiol in Fischer and Wistar rats

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hossaini, Alireza; Dalgaard, Majken; Vinggaard, Anne

    2003-01-01

    to vehicle or 400 mg/kg bw of 4-tert-octylphenol administrated orally by gavage. Estradiol benzoate, at a dose of 40 mug/kg bw, was used as positive control agent. Treatment with estradiol benzoate decreased serum levels of testosterone, LH, FSH, inhibin and increased prolactin. Additionally, estradiol...... benzoate decreased the weight of all investigated reproductive organs, decreased sperm production and increased seminiferous tubular degeneration in both strains. More progressive effects on testis weight and histopathology were observed in the Fischer rats. Oral administration of octylphenol at 400 mg....../kg bw to both rat strains increased prolactin levels but had no effect on LH, FSH, testosterone or inhibin. In the octylphenol-treated Fischer rats the weights of the seminal vesicles and the levator ani/bulbocavernosus muscle were significantly decreased, whereas only the levator ani...

  18. Pupillary anomaly masquerading as a glaucomatous visual field defect: a case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tey Adrian

    2004-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Patients are often referred to ophthalmologists with focal visual field defects on routine testing, possibly related to a potential diagnosis of glaucoma. However, examination of the individual patient's ocular characteristics as well as facial characteristics may often reveal a cause of the visual field defect. Case presentation We describe a patient who was found to have a superior visual field defect on routine testing by the optician. Repeat perimetry with pharmacological dilatation of the pupil revealed that the cause of the field defect was related to an eccentric inferiorly displaced pupil, secondary to trauma some years previously. Discussion Individual patient characteristics, including both ocular, as well as facial, need to be considered, when interpreting any visual field defect.

  19. Vertebral defect, anal atresia, cardiac defect, tracheoesophageal fistula/esophageal atresia, renal defect, and limb defect association with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome in co-occurrence

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bjørsum-Meyer, Thomas; Herlin, Morten; Qvist, Niels

    2016-01-01

    Background: The vertebral defect, anal atresia, cardiac defect, tracheoesophageal fistula/esophageal atresia, renal defect, and limb defect association and Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome are rare conditions. We aimed to present two cases with the vertebral defect, anal atresia, cardiac...... defect, tracheoesophageal fistula/esophageal atresia, renal defect, and limb defect association and Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser co-occurrence from our local surgical center and through a systematic literature search detect published cases. Furthermore, we aimed to collect existing knowledge...... in the embryopathogenesis and genetics in order to discuss a possible link between the vertebral defect, anal atresia, cardiac defect, tracheoesophageal fistula/esophageal atresia, renal defect, and limb defect association and Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome. Case presentation: Our first case was a white girl...

  20. 24 CFR 3288.20 - Reporting a defect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... writing, including, but not limited to, e-mail, written letter, certified mail, or fax. The existence of... email. Persons who report an alleged defect by telephone should make a contemporaneous note of the... made using any of the following methods: (1) In writing at: HUD, Office of Regulatory Affairs and...

  1. Surgical anatomy and histology of the levator palpebrae superioris muscle for blepharoptosis correction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Đorđević Boban

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Background/Aim. The detailed knowledge of the architecture of the upper eyelid is very important in numerous upper eyelid corrective surgeries. The article deals with the detailed anatomy of the major components of the upper lid, which are commonly seen in surgical practice. Methods. This study was conducted on 19 human cadavers (12 adults and 7 infants without pathologic changes in the orbital region and eyelids. Anatomic microdissection of the contents of the orbita was performed bilaterally on 12 orbits from 6 unfixed cadavers (3 male and 3 female. Micromorphologic investigations of the orbital tissue were performed on 8 en bloc excised and formalin-fixed orbits of infant cadavers. Specimens were fixed according to the Duvernoy method. An intra-arterial injection of 5% mixture of melt formalin and black ink was administered into the carotid arterial system. Using routine fixation, decalcination, dehydration, illumination, impregnation and molding procedures in paraplast, specimens were prepared for cross-sections. Results. The measurement of the muscle length and diameter in situ in 6 nonfixed cadavers (12 orbits showed an average length of the levator palpbrae superioris (LPS muscle body of the 42.0 ± 1.41 mm on the right, and 40.3 ± 1.63 mm on the left side. In all the cases, the LPS had blood supply from 4 different arterial systems: the lacrimal, supratrochlear, and supraorbital artery and muscle branches of the ophthalmic artery. The LPS muscle in all the specimens was supplied by the superior medial branch of the oculomotor nerve. The connective tissue associated with the LPS muscle contains two transverse ligaments: the superior (Whitnall’s and intermuscular transverse ligaments (ITL. The orbital septum in all the specimens originated from the arcus marginalis of the frontal bone, and consisted of two layers - the superficial and the inner layer. In addition, a detailed histological analysis revealed that the upper eyelid

  2. Surgical anatomy and histology of the levator palpebrae superioris muscle for blepharoptosis correction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Djordjević, Boban; Novaković, Marijan; Milisavljević, Milan; Milićević, Sasa; Maliković, Aleksandar

    2013-12-01

    The detailed knowledge of the architecture of the upper eyelid is very important in numerous upper eyelid corrective surgeries. The article deals with the detailed anatomy of the major components of the upper lid, which are commonly seen in surgical practice. This study was conducted on 19 human cadavers (12 adults and 7 infants) without pathologic changes in the orbital region and eyelids. Anatomic microdissection of the contents of the orbita was performed bilaterally on 12 orbits from 6 unfixed cadavers (3 male and 3 female). Micromorphologic investigations of the orbital tissue were performed on 8 en bloc excised and formalin-fixed orbits of infant cadavers. Specimens were fixed according to the Duvernoy method. An intra-arterial injection of 5% mixture of melt formalin and black ink was administered into the carotid arterial system. Using routine fixation, decalcination, dehydration, illumination, impregnation and molding procedures in paraplast, specimens were prepared for cross-sections. The measurement of the muscle length and diameter in situ in 6 nonfixed cadavers (12 orbits) showed an average length of the levator palpbrae superioris (LPS) muscle body of the 42.0 +/- 1.41 mm on the right, and 40.3 +/- 1.63 mm on the left side. In all the cases, the LPS had blood supply from 4 different arterial systems: the lacrimal, supratrochlear, and supraorbital artery and muscle branches of the ophthalmic artery. The LPS muscle in all the specimens was supplied by the superior medial branch of the oculomotor nerve. The connective tissue associated with the LPS muscle contains two transverse ligaments: the superior (Whitnall's) and intermuscular transverse ligaments (ITL). The orbital septum in all the specimens originated from the arcus marginalis of the frontal bone, and consisted of two layers--the superficial and the inner layer. In addition, a detailed histological analysis revealed that the upper eyelid's crease was formed by the conjoined fascia including the

  3. Radiographic detection of artificial intra-bony defects in the edentulous area.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Assche, N; Jacobs, R; Coucke, W; van Steenberghe, D; Quirynen, M

    2009-03-01

    Since intra-bony pathologies might jeopardize implant outcome, their preoperative detection is crucial. In sixteen human cadaver bloc sections from upper and lower jaws, artificial defects with progressively increasing size (n=7) have been created. From each respective defect, analogue and digital intra-oral radiographs were taken, the latter processed via a periodontal filter and afterwards presented in black-white as well as in colour, resulting in three sets of 7 images per bloc section. Eight observers were asked to diagnosis an eventual defect on randomly presented radiographs, and at another occasion to rank each set based on the defect size. The clinicians were only able to identify a defect, when the junctional area was involved, except for bony pieces with a very homogeneous structure. For longitudinal evaluation of healing bone (e.g. after tooth extraction), colour digital images can be recommended. These observations indicate that intra-oral radiographs are not always reliable for the detection of any intra-bony defect.

  4. Birth Defects

    Science.gov (United States)

    A birth defect is a problem that happens while a baby is developing in the mother's body. Most birth defects happen during the first 3 months of ... in the United States is born with a birth defect. A birth defect may affect how the ...

  5. Anorectal and Pelvic Pain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bharucha, Adil E; Lee, Tae Hee

    2016-10-01

    Although pelvic pain is a symptom of several structural anorectal and pelvic disorders (eg, anal fissure, endometriosis, and pelvic inflammatory disease), this comprehensive review will focus on the 3 most common nonstructural, or functional, disorders associated with pelvic pain: functional anorectal pain (ie, levator ani syndrome, unspecified anorectal pain, and proctalgia fugax), interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome, and chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome. The first 2 conditions occur in both sexes, while the latter occurs only in men. They are defined by symptoms, supplemented with levator tenderness (levator ani syndrome) and bladder mucosal inflammation (interstitial cystitis). Although distinct, these conditions share several similarities, including associations with dysfunctional voiding or defecation, comorbid conditions (eg, fibromyalgia, depression), impaired quality of life, and increased health care utilization. Several factors, including pelvic floor muscle tension, peripheral inflammation, peripheral and central sensitization, and psychosocial factors, have been implicated in the pathogenesis. The management is tailored to symptoms, is partly supported by clinical trials, and includes multidisciplinary approaches such as lifestyle modifications and pharmacological, behavioral, and physical therapy. Opioids should be avoided, and surgical treatment has a limited role, primarily in refractory interstitial cystitis. Copyright © 2016 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Non-perturbative embedding of local defects in crystalline materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cances, Eric; Deleurence, Amelie; Lewin, Mathieu

    2008-01-01

    We present a new variational model for computing the electronic first-order density matrix of a crystalline material in the presence of a local defect. A natural way to obtain variational discretizations of this model is to expand the difference Q between the density matrix of the defective crystal and the density matrix of the perfect crystal, in a basis of precomputed maximally localized Wannier functions of the reference perfect crystal. This approach can be used within any semi-empirical or density functional theory framework

  7. The problem of early continence recovery after radical prostatectomy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. A. Kachmazov

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. The highest rate of incontinence after radical prostatectomy (RP is observed in the first 2–6 months after surgery. In order  to decrease the period of incontinence, virous surgical methods aimed at preservation and reconstruction of structures participating  in the mechanism of urine retention has been developed and improved.The study objective is to evaluate effectiveness of an original method of formation of an urethral anastomosis in the early continence recovery.Materials and methods. Data on 126 patients who underwent retropubic RP were analyzed. Depending on the method of urethral anastomosis formation, patients were divided into 2 groups: in the 1st group (n = 52 the patients underwent PR with urethra suspension m. levator ani, in the 2nd (n = 74 – standard RP. In the 1st group, 6 ligatures were applied to the anterior and posterior urethra walls: at the 12 and 6 hour projections through the mucosa, submucosa, and smooth muscle; at the 10, 2, 4, and 8 hour projections – more laterally with capture of the m. levator ani medial margins. Continence recovery was evaluated on days 1, 7, and 14 after urinary catheter removal and then at days 30, 90, 180, and 365 after RP. The criteria of continence were absence of urine leakage at rest and during physical activity and a necessity of using a safety liner.Results. There weren’t any significant differences at day 1 after urinary catheter removal between the two groups (р > 0.05. In the 1st group, continence values at days 30, 90, and 180 after RP were significantly higher (57.7, 69.2, and 71.1 %, respectively compared to the 2nd group (35.1, 41.9, and 51.3 %, respectively (р <0.05.Conclusion. Results of this work show significant benefits of RP with urethra suspension m. levator ani compared to standard RP per continence recovery criteria at days 7, 14, 30, 90, and 180 after the surgery. The technique of urethra suspension m. levator ani is easy to perform and ensures

  8. Studies on defect detectability in banded stainless steel tubes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shyamsunder, M.T.; Rao, B.P.C.; Babu Rao, C.; Jayakumar, T.; Kalyanasundaram, P.; Baldev Raj

    1996-01-01

    During inspection of one batch of stainless steel cladding tubes, a few of the tubes gave rise to continuous large amplitude indications throughout the length of the tube. It was observed that the presence of any defects in such tubes would be impossible to detect, due to the poor signal-to-noise ratio. Detailed investigations regarding the surface profile of the tubes were carried out using a novel technique called the projected interferometry method revealed periodic diametral variations and the same were further confirmed by cross sectional profiling. The feasibility of detecting defects in such banded tubes, using eddy current testing were carried out on tubes with artificial defects. This paper discusses the use of three different eddy current methods and their relative performances for inspection. The specific advantages of the phased array eddy current testing method in unambiguous defect detection in situations similar to the one encountered during the present investigations are also discussed. (author)

  9. New concept of functional anorectal disorders. In relation to newly published ROME III

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takano, Masahiro

    2007-01-01

    In newly published Rome III, Functional anorectal disorders are divided into 7 disorders. F1 Functional fecal incontinence is divided into staining, soiling, seepage and leakage in the degree and urge and passive incontinences in the dynamics, of which the former is dysfunction of the rectum and the latter of the anus. For the treatment, the most effective is biofeedback therapy (BF). F2 Functional anorectal pain is divided into F2a Chronic proctalgia, F2a1 Levator ani syndrome, F2a2 Unspecified functional anorectal pain and F2b Proctalgia fugax. F2a1 Levator ani syndrome is defined as a pain caused by traction of the levator ani, but in my experience, only 4 (3.5%) among 116 cases accorded to the criteria making us dubious of the definition. As for F2b Proctalgia fugax, the cause has not yet been found. In these two F2a, various treatments are tried without significant effectiveness due perhaps to the unknown pathogenesis which I assume to be the neuralgia of pudendal nerve. F3 Functional defecation disorders consist of F3a Dyssynergic defecation and F3b Inadequate defecatory propulsion of which, the former is caused by paradoxical contraction or inadequate relaxation of the pelvic floor muscles and the latter caused by inadequate propulsive force in defecation. Their treatments are BF and defecatory enforcement. (author)

  10. Theory of defect interactions in metals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thetford, Roger.

    1989-09-01

    The state relaxation program DEVIL has been updated to use N-body Finnis-Sinclair potentials. Initial calculations of self-interstitial and monovacancy formation energies confirm that the modified program is working correctly. An extra repulsive pair potential (constructed to leave the original fitting unaltered) overcomes some deficiencies in the published Finnis-Sinclair potentials. The modified potentials are used to calculate interstitial energies and relaxation in the b.c.c. transition metals vanadium, niobium, tantalum, molybdenum and tungsten. Further adaptation enables DEVIL to model dislocations running parallel to any lattice vector. Periodic boundary conditions are applied in the direction of the dislocation line, giving an infinite straight dislocation. The energies per unit length of two different dislocations are compared with experiment. A study of migration of point defects in the perfect lattice provides information on the mobility of interstitials and vacancies. The total energy needed to form and migrate an interstitial is compared with that required for a vacancy. The interaction between point defects and dislocations is studied in detail. Binding energies for both self-interstitials and monovacancies at edge dislocations are calculated for the five metals. Formation energies of the point defects in the neighbourhood of the edge dislocation are calculated for niobium, and the extend of the regions from which the defects are spontaneously absorbed are found. (author)

  11. 48 CFR 52.215-10 - Price Reduction for Defective Certified Cost or Pricing Data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... Defective Certified Cost or Pricing Data. 52.215-10 Section 52.215-10 Federal Acquisition Regulations System... Text of Provisions and Clauses 52.215-10 Price Reduction for Defective Certified Cost or Pricing Data... or Pricing Data (OCT 2010) (a) If any price, including profit or fee, negotiated in connection with...

  12. The reliability of ultrasonic inspection and the critical defect size

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vasilchenko, G.S.; Bely, V.E.; Ovchinnikov, A.V.; Rivkin, E.Yu.

    1991-01-01

    The ability to detect fabrication and service-induced defects in the welded joints of components and pipelines in nuclear power stations by ultrasonic inspection when this is conducted by using standard instruments and procedures appears to be insufficient. This fact was confirmed by the research carried out in PISC program and other studies. In order to increase the accuracy of measurement and to obtain the additional information on the character of any defect in ultrasonic testing as well as the validity of applying nondestructive testing data to strength calculation, scientific researches have been promoted and carried out in the USSR in a program under the guidance of NPO CNIITMASH. The reliability of the ultrasonic control of welded joints and the ways and means for its improvement are discussed. The presentation of the parameters realized by the ultrasonic inspection of defects in the form of schema for the use in strength calculation is explained. The calculation of stress intensity factor, the estimation of critical defect size, and the estimation of acceptable defect size are reported. (K.I.)

  13. ANMS-ESNM position paper and consensus guidelines on biofeedback therapy for anorectal disorders

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rao, S. S. C.; Benninga, M. A.; Bharucha, A. E.; Chiarioni, G.; Di Lorenzo, C.; Whitehead, W. E.

    2015-01-01

    Anorectal disorders such as dyssynergic defecation, fecal incontinence, levator ani syndrome, and solitary rectal ulcer syndrome are common, and affect both the adult and pediatric populations. Although they are treated with several treatment approaches, over the last two decades, biofeedback

  14. Management of penile defects: a review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guizhong, Li; Feng, He; Guangling, Huang; Libo, Man; Kun, Liu; Yuming, Shen

    2012-06-01

    Penile amputation is a rare injury. Although, in principle, penile replantation can be performed using a variety of methods, few, if any, standardized procedures exist to deal with this medical emergency. The value of the various microsurgical techniques for replantation of the penis remains uncertain. This article provides a review of the management of penile defects and complications. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

  15. Gamma-induced defect production in ZrO2-Y2O3 crystals with different defectiveness

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ashurov, M.Kh.; Amonov, M.Z.; Rakov, A.F.

    2002-01-01

    Full text: The defectiveness degree of ZrO 2 -Y 2 O 3 crystals depends on stabilizer concentration. The work is aimed at study gamma-induced defect production in crystals with different concentration of stabilizer and defects generated by neutron irradiation. Absorption spectra were measured with Specord M-40. It was found, that after gamma-irradiation of as-grown crystals up to some dose the intensity of absorption band at 420 nm reaches the maximum level of saturation. The dose of saturation depends of the concentration of stabilizer. It means that gamma-radiation does not produce any additional defects of structure. The oxygen vacancies existing in as-grown crystals are filled by the radiation induced electrons. Since the number of oxygen vacancies depends on the stabilizer concentration, then all these vacancies can be occupied by electrons at different gamma-doses. In crystals pre-irradiated with different neutron fluences followed by gamma-irradiation, the intensity of absorption bands at 420 and 530 nm increases in two stages. The gamma-dose of the second stage beginning decreases as the neutron fluence grows. The first stage of the absorption increase is due to developing of vacancies existing in as-grown crystals. The second stage is caused by generation of additional vacancies as the result of non-radiative exciton decay near the existing structure damages. The decrease of the gamma-dose, when the second stage of vacancy accumulation begins, results from the neutron induced structure damage degree

  16. Two datasets of defect reports labeled by a crowd of annotators of unknown reliability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jerónimo Hernández-González

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Classifying software defects according to any defined taxonomy is not straightforward. In order to be used for automatizing the classification of software defects, two sets of defect reports were collected from public issue tracking systems from two different real domains. Due to the lack of a domain expert, the collected defects were categorized by a set of annotators of unknown reliability according to their impact from IBM's orthogonal defect classification taxonomy. Both datasets are prepared to solve the defect classification problem by means of techniques of the learning from crowds paradigm (Hernández-González et al. [1].Two versions of both datasets are publicly shared. In the first version, the raw data is given: the text description of defects together with the category assigned by each annotator. In the second version, the text of each defect has been transformed to a descriptive vector using text-mining techniques.

  17. Formation Energies of Native Point Defects in Strained layer Superlattices (Postprint)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-06-05

    1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302. Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law , no...Hamiltonian, tight-binding Hamiltonian, and Green’s function techniques to obtain energy levels arising from native point defects (NPDs) in InAs-GaSb and...GaSb systems and 2 designs of InAs-InAs 0.7 Sb 0.3 systems lattice matched to GaSb substrate. The calculated defect levels not only agree well with

  18. Defect-impurity interactions in irradiated germanium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cleland, J.W.; James, F.J.; Westbrook, R.D.

    1975-07-01

    Results of experiments are used to formulate a better model for the structures of lattice defects and defect-impurity complexes in irradiated n-type Ge. Single crystals were grown by the Czochralski process from P, As, or Sb-doped melts, and less than or equal to 10 15 to greater than or equal to 10 17 oxygen cm -3 was added to the furnace chamber after approximately 1 / 3 of the crystal had been solidified. Hall coefficient and resistivity measurements (at 77 0 K) were used to determine the initial donor concentration due to the dopant and clustered oxygen, and infrared absorption measurements (at 11.7 μ) were used to determine the dissociated oxygen concentration. Certain impurity and defect-impurity interactions were then investigated that occurred as a consequence of selected annealing, quenching, Li diffusion, and irradiation experiments at approximately 300 0 K with 60 Co photons, 1.5 to 2.0 MeV electrons, or thermal energy neutrons. Particular attention was given to determining the electrical role of the irradiation produced interstitial and vacancy, and to look for any evidence from electrical and optical measurements of vacancy--oxygen, lithium--oxygen, and lithium--vacancy interactions. (U.S.)

  19. 21 CFR 20.113 - Voluntary product defect reports.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... confidential commercial or financial information and in § 20.63 for personal privacy. (b) If the report is... would identify the person submitting the report and any data or information falling within the exemption... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Voluntary product defect reports. 20.113 Section...

  20. Hybrid closure of atrial septal defect: A modified approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kshitij Sheth

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available A 3.5-year-old girl underwent transcatheter closure of patent ductus arteriosus in early infancy during which time her secundum atrial septal defect (ASD was left alone. When she came for elective closure of ASD, she was found to have bilaterally blocked femoral veins. The defect was successfully closed with an Amplatzer septal occluder (ASO; St. Jude Medical, Plymouth, MN, USA using a hybrid approach via a sub-mammary mini-thoracotomy incision without using cardiopulmonary bypass. At the end of 1-year follow-up, the child is asymptomatic with device in a stable position without any residual shunt.

  1. Immobile defects in ferroelastic walls: Wall nucleation at defect sites

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, X.; Salje, E. K. H.; Ding, X.; Sun, J.

    2018-02-01

    Randomly distributed, static defects are enriched in ferroelastic domain walls. The relative concentration of defects in walls, Nd, follows a power law distribution as a function of the total defect concentration C: N d ˜ C α with α = 0.4 . The enrichment Nd/C ranges from ˜50 times when C = 10 ppm to ˜3 times when C = 1000 ppm. The resulting enrichment is due to nucleation at defect sites as observed in large scale MD simulations. The dynamics of domain nucleation and switching is dependent on the defect concentration. Their energy distribution follows the power law with exponents during yield between ɛ ˜ 1.82 and 2.0 when the defect concentration increases. The power law exponent is ɛ ≈ 2.7 in the plastic regime, independent of the defect concentration.

  2. Mean echogenicity and area of puborectalis muscle in women with stress urinary incontinence during pregnancy and after delivery

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van de Waarsenburg, Maria K; Withagen, Mariëlla I J; Grob, Anique T M; Schweitzer, Karlijn J; van Veelen, Greetje A; van der Vaart, Carl H

    2016-01-01

    INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Pregnancy and childbirth are risk factors for the development of stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Urinary continence depends on normal urethral support, which is provided by normal levator ani muscle function. Our objective was to compare mean echogenicity and the area

  3. Structural and functional ultrasound imaging of the pelvic floor during pregnancy and postpartum

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Grob, ATM

    2016-01-01

    This thesis focussed on the composition and functionality of the puborectalis muscle based on calculating echogenicity and strain from transperineal ultrasound recordings. It is its specific orientation that allows the levator ani muscle to lift (vertically in the standing posture) the pelvic organs

  4. Hydrostatic pressure effects on oxygen-related irradiation-produced defects in silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stein, H.J.; Samara, G.A.

    1989-01-01

    Hydrostatic pressure has been used to investigate the E c -0.164 eV acceptor level for the oxygen-vacancy (O-V) defect in γ-ray irradiated Si, and the annealing/formation of oxygen-related defects in neutron-irradiated Si. The acceptor level is found to move closer to the conduction band and away from the valence band. There is also a relatively large inward (outward) breathing mode lattice relaxation accompanying electron emission (capture) from this level. Both results reflect the antibonding nature of the level and are qualitatively consistent with the Watkins-Corbett model for the O-V defect. The annealing rate was found to increase with pressure for the O-V defect at 350 0 C with a derived activation volume of -4.5A 3 /defect, where the negative sign implies inward relaxation (contraction) on annealing. Pressure has relatively little effect on annealing of the C-Si-O C(3) defect which is interstitial in nature, but strongly favors the formation of the dioxygen defect. The intensity of the O 2 -V band after annealing at 20 kbar is 5 times higher than that following similar annealing at 0 kbar. This intensity is higher than that achievable by any isochronal or isothermal annealing steps at 0 kbar. These results are discussed qualitatively in terms of models for the various defects. (author)

  5. Methods of the Detection and Identification of Structural Defects in Saturated Metallic Composite Castings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gawdzińska K.

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Diagnostics of composite castings, due to their complex structure, requires that their characteristics are tested by an appropriate description method. Any deviation from the specific characteristic will be regarded as a material defect. The detection of defects in composite castings sometimes is not sufficient and the defects have to be identified. This study classifies defects found in the structures of saturated metallic composite castings and indicates those stages of the process where such defects are likely to be formed. Not only does the author determine the causes of structural defects, describe methods of their detection and identification, but also proposes a schematic procedure to be followed during detection and identification of structural defects of castings made from saturated reinforcement metallic composites. Alloys examination was conducted after technological process, while using destructive (macroscopic tests, light and scanning electron microscopy and non-destructive (ultrasonic and X-ray defectoscopy, tomography, gravimetric method methods. Research presented in this article are part of author’s work on castings quality.

  6. Defects in silicon carbide grown by fluorinated chemical vapor deposition chemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stenberg, Pontus; Booker, Ian D.; Karhu, Robin; Pedersen, Henrik; Janzén, Erik; Ivanov, Ivan G.

    2018-04-01

    Point defects in n- and p-type 4H-SiC grown by fluorinated chemical vapor deposition (CVD) have been characterized optically by photoluminescence (PL) and electrically by deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) and minority carrier transient spectroscopy (MCTS). The results are considered in comparison with defects observed in non-fluorinated CVD growth (e.g., using SiH4 instead of SiF4 as silicon precursor), in order to investigate whether specific fluorine-related defects form during the fluorinated CVD growth, which might prohibit the use of fluorinated chemistry for device-manufacturing purposes. Several new peaks identifying new defects appear in the PL of fluorinated-grown samples, which are not commonly observed neither in other halogenated chemistries, nor in the standard CVD chemistry using silane (SiH4). However, further investigation is needed in order to determine their origin and whether they are related to incorporation of F in the SiC lattice, or not. The electric characterization does not find any new electrically-active defects that can be related to F incorporation. Thus, we find no point defects prohibiting the use of fluorinated chemistry for device-making purposes.

  7. Infrared Thermography Characterization of Defects in Seamless Pipes Using an Infrared Reflector

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Hee Sang; Choi, Man Yong; Park, Jeong Hak; Lee, Jae Jung; Kim, Won Tae; Lee, Bo Young

    2012-01-01

    Infrared thermography uses infrared energy radiated from any objects above absolute zero temperature, and the range of its application has been constantly broadened. As one of the active test techniques detecting radiant energy generated when energy is applied to an object, ultrasound infrared thermography is a method of detecting defects through hot spots occurring at a defect area when 15-100 kHz of ultrasound is excited to an object. This technique is effective in detecting a wide range affected by ultrasound and vibration in real time. Especially, it is really effective when a defect area is minute. Therefore, this study conducted thermography through lock-in signal processing when an actual defect exists inside the austenite STS304 seamless pipe, which simulates thermal fatigue cracks in a nuclear power plant pipe. With ultrasound excited, this study could detect defects on the rear of a pipe by using an aluminium reflector. Besides, by regulating the angle of the aluminium reflector, this study could detect both front and rear defects as a single infrared thermography image.

  8. Studies of defects and defect agglomerates by positron annihilation spectroscopy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Eldrup, Morten Mostgaard; Singh, B.N.

    1997-01-01

    A brief introduction to positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS), and in particular lo its use for defect studies in metals is given. Positrons injected into a metal may become trapped in defects such as vacancies, vacancy clusters, voids, bubbles and dislocations and subsequently annihilate from...... the trapped state iri the defect. The annihilation characteristics (e.g., the lifetime of the positron) can be measured and provide information about the nature of the defect (e.g., size, density, morphology). The technique is sensitive to both defect size (in the range from monovacancies up to cavities...

  9. Assessment of pelvic floor by three-dimensional-ultrasound in primiparous women according to delivery mode: initial experience from a single reference service in Brazil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Araujo Júnior, Edward; de Freitas, Rogério Caixeta Moraes; Di Bella, Zsuzsanna Ilona Katalin de Jármy; Alexandre, Sandra Maria; Nakamura, Mary Uchiyama; Nardozza, Luciano Marcondes Machado; Moron, Antonio Fernandes

    2013-03-01

    To evaluate changes to the pelvic floor of primiparous women with different delivery modes, using three-dimensional ultrasound. A prospective cross-sectional study on 35 primiparae divided into groups according to the delivery mode: elective cesarean delivery (n=10), vaginal delivery (n=16), and forceps delivery (n=9). Three-dimensional ultrasound on the pelvic floor was performed on the second postpartum day with the patient in a resting position. A convex volumetric transducer (RAB4-8L) was used, in contact with the large labia, with the patient in the gynecological position. Biometric measurements of the urogenital hiatus were taken in the axial plane on images in the rendering mode, in order to assess the area, anteroposterior and transverse diameters, average thickness, and avulsion of the levator ani muscle. Differences between groups were evaluated by determining the mean differences and their respective 95% confidence intervals. The proportions of levator ani muscle avulsion were compared between elective cesarean section and vaginal birth using Fisher's exact test. The mean areas of the urogenital hiatus in the cases of vaginal and forceps deliveries were 17.0 and 20.1 cm(2), respectively, versus 12.4 cm(2) in the Control Group (elective cesarean). Avulsion of the levator ani muscle was observed in women who underwent vaginal delivery (3/25), however there was no statistically significant difference between cesarean section and vaginal delivery groups (p=0.5). Transperineal three-dimensional ultrasound was useful for assessing the pelvic floor of primiparous women, by allowing pelvic morphological changes to be differentiated according to the delivery mode.

  10. Defect modelling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Norgett, M.J.

    1980-01-01

    Calculations, drawing principally on developments at AERE Harwell, of the relaxation about lattice defects are reviewed with emphasis on the techniques required for such calculations. The principles of defect modelling are outlined and various programs developed for defect simulations are discussed. Particular calculations for metals, ionic crystals and oxides, are considered. (UK)

  11. Management of Anterior Skull Base Defect Depending on Its Size and Location

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernal-Sprekelsen, Manuel; Rioja, Elena; Enseñat, Joaquim; Enriquez, Karla; Viscovich, Liza; Agredo-Lemos, Freddy Enrique; Alobid, Isam

    2014-01-01

    Introduction. We present our experience in the reconstruction of these leaks depending on their size and location. Material and Methods. Fifty-four patients who underwent advanced skull base surgery (large defects, >20 mm) and 62 patients with CSF leaks of different origin (small, 2–10 mm, and midsize, 11–20 mm, defects) were included in the retrospective study. Large defects were reconstructed with a nasoseptal pedicled flap positioned on fat and fascia lata. In small and midsized leaks. Fascia lata in an underlay position was used for its reconstruction covered with mucoperiosteum of either the middle or the inferior turbinate. Results. The most frequent etiology for small and midsized defects was spontaneous (48.4%), followed by trauma (24.2%), iatrogenic (5%). The success rate after the first surgical reconstruction was 91% and 98% in large skull base defects and small/midsized, respectively. Rescue surgery achieved 100%. Conclusions. Endoscopic surgery for any type of skull base defect is the gold standard. The size of the defects does not seem to play a significant role in the success rate. Fascia lata and mucoperiosteum of the turbinate allow a two-layer reconstruction of small and midsized defects. For larger skull base defects, a combination of fat, fascia lata, and nasoseptal pedicled flaps provides a successful reconstruction. PMID:24895567

  12. Use of direct washing of chemical dispense nozzle for defect control

    Science.gov (United States)

    Linnane, Michael; Mack, George; Longstaff, Christopher; Winter, Thomas

    2006-03-01

    Demands for continued defect reduction in 300mm IC manufacturing are driving process engineers to examine all aspects of the chemical apply process for improvement. Historically, the defect contribution from photoresist apply nozzles has been minimized through a carefully controlled process of "dummy dispenses" to keep the photoresist in the tip "fresh" and remove any solidified material, a preventive maintenance regime involving periodic cleaning or replacing of the nozzles, and reliance on a pool of solvent within the nozzle storage block to keep the photoresist from solidifying at the nozzle tip. The industry standard has worked well for the most part but has limitations in terms of cost effectiveness and absolute defect elimination. In this study, we investigate the direct washing of the chemical apply nozzle to reduce defects seen on the coated wafer. Data is presented on how the direct washing of the chemical dispense nozzle can be used to reduce coating related defects, reduce material costs from the reduction of "dummy dispense", and can reduce equipment downtime related to nozzle cleaning or replacement.

  13. Spatial-time-state fusion algorithm for defect detection through eddy current pulsed thermography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, Xiang; Gao, Bin; Woo, Wai Lok; Tian, Gui Yun; Xiao, Xiao Ting

    2018-05-01

    Eddy Current Pulsed Thermography (ECPT) has received extensive attention due to its high sensitive of detectability on surface and subsurface cracks. However, it remains as a difficult challenge in unsupervised detection as to identify defects without knowing any prior knowledge. This paper presents a spatial-time-state features fusion algorithm to obtain fully profile of the defects by directional scanning. The proposed method is intended to conduct features extraction by using independent component analysis (ICA) and automatic features selection embedding genetic algorithm. Finally, the optimal feature of each step is fused to obtain defects reconstruction by applying common orthogonal basis extraction (COBE) method. Experiments have been conducted to validate the study and verify the efficacy of the proposed method on blind defect detection.

  14. Precise design-based defect characterization and root cause analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Qian; Venkatachalam, Panneerselvam; Lee, Julie; Chen, Zhijin; Zafar, Khurram

    2017-03-01

    that human operators will typically miss), to obtain the exact defect location on design, to compare all defective patterns thus detected against a library of known patterns, and to classify all defective patterns as either new or known. By applying the computer to these tasks, we automate the entire process from defective pattern identification to pattern classification with high precision, and we perform this operation en masse during R & D, ramp, and volume production. By adopting the methodology, whenever a specific weak pattern is identified, we are able to run a series of characterization operations to ultimately arrive at the root cause. These characterization operations can include (a) searching all pre-existing Review SEM images for the presence of the specific weak pattern to determine whether there is any spatial (within die or within wafer) or temporal (within any particular date range, before or after a mask revision, etc.) correlation and (b) understanding the failure rate of the specific weak pattern to prioritize the urgency of the problem, (c) comparing the weak pattern against an OPC (Optical Procimity Correction) Verification report or a PWQ (Process Window Qualification)/FEM (Focus Exposure Matrix) result to assess the likelihood of it being a litho-sensitive pattern, etc. After resolving the specific weak pattern, we will categorize it as known pattern, and the engineer will move forward with discovering new weak patterns.

  15. Effects of in-cascade defect clustering on near-term defect evolution

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Heinisch, H.L. [Pacific Northwest National Lab., Richland, WA (United States)

    1997-08-01

    The effects of in-cascade defect clustering on the nature of the subsequent defect population are being studied using stochastic annealing simulations applied to cascades generated in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The results of the simulations illustrates the strong influence of the defect configuration existing in the primary damage state on subsequent defect evolution. The large differences in mobility and stability of vacancy and interstitial defects and the rapid one-dimensional diffusion of small, glissile interstitial loops produced directly in cascades have been shown to be significant factors affecting the evolution of the defect distribution. In recent work, the effects of initial cluster sizes appear to be extremely important.

  16. Dirichlet topological defects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carroll, S.M.; Trodden, M.

    1998-01-01

    We propose a class of field theories featuring solitonic solutions in which topological defects can end when they intersect other defects of equal or higher dimensionality. Such configurations may be termed open-quotes Dirichlet topological defects,close quotes in analogy with the D-branes of string theory. Our discussion focuses on defects in scalar field theories with either gauge or global symmetries, in 3+1 dimensions; the types of defects considered include walls ending on walls, strings on walls, and strings on strings. copyright 1998 The American Physical Society

  17. Neuroradiologic findings in children with mitochondrial disorder: correlation with mitochondrial respiratory chain defects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Jinna; Lee, Seung-Koo; Kim, Dong Ik; Kim, Eung Yeop; Lee, Young-Mock; Lee, Joon Soo; Kim, Heung Dong

    2008-01-01

    Mitochondrial disorders are a heterogeneous group of disorders affecting energy metabolism that can present at any age with a wide variety of clinical symptoms. We investigated brain magnetic resonance (MR) findings in 40 children with defects of the mitochondrial respiratory chain (MRC) complex and correlated them with the type of MRC defects. Enrolled were 40 children with MRC defects in biochemical enzyme assay of the muscle specimen. Twenty-one children were found to have classical syndromes of mitochondrial disorders and 19 children presented nonspecific mitochondrial encephalomyopathies. Their brain MR imaging findings were retrospectively reviewed and correlated with the biochemical defect in the MRC complex. Children with MRC defects showed various neuroradiologic features on brain MR imaging that resulted from a complex genetic background and a heterogeneous phenotype. Rapid progression of atrophy involving all structures of the brain with variable involvement of deep gray and white matter are the most frequent MR findings in children with MRC defects in both classical syndromes of mitochondrial disorder and nonspecific mitochondrial encephalomyopathies. The type of biochemical defect in the MRC complex enzyme did not correlate with brain MR findings in child patients. (orig.)

  18. Neuroradiologic findings in children with mitochondrial disorder: correlation with mitochondrial respiratory chain defects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Jinna; Lee, Seung-Koo; Kim, Dong Ik [Yonsei University College of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Research Institute of Radiological Science, Seoul (Korea); Kim, Eung Yeop [Yonsei University College of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Research Institute of Radiological Science, Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Science, Seoul (Korea); Lee, Young-Mock; Lee, Joon Soo [Yonsei University College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Epilepsy Clinics, Severance Children' s Hospital, Brain Research Institute, Seoul (Korea); Kim, Heung Dong [Yonsei University College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Epilepsy Clinics, Severance Children' s Hospital, Brain Research Institute, Seoul (Korea); Yonsei University College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Seoul (Korea)

    2008-08-15

    Mitochondrial disorders are a heterogeneous group of disorders affecting energy metabolism that can present at any age with a wide variety of clinical symptoms. We investigated brain magnetic resonance (MR) findings in 40 children with defects of the mitochondrial respiratory chain (MRC) complex and correlated them with the type of MRC defects. Enrolled were 40 children with MRC defects in biochemical enzyme assay of the muscle specimen. Twenty-one children were found to have classical syndromes of mitochondrial disorders and 19 children presented nonspecific mitochondrial encephalomyopathies. Their brain MR imaging findings were retrospectively reviewed and correlated with the biochemical defect in the MRC complex. Children with MRC defects showed various neuroradiologic features on brain MR imaging that resulted from a complex genetic background and a heterogeneous phenotype. Rapid progression of atrophy involving all structures of the brain with variable involvement of deep gray and white matter are the most frequent MR findings in children with MRC defects in both classical syndromes of mitochondrial disorder and nonspecific mitochondrial encephalomyopathies. The type of biochemical defect in the MRC complex enzyme did not correlate with brain MR findings in child patients. (orig.)

  19. Neural Tube Defects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neural tube defects are birth defects of the brain, spine, or spinal cord. They happen in the ... that she is pregnant. The two most common neural tube defects are spina bifida and anencephaly. In ...

  20. The value of posterior levator repair in the treatment of anorectal incontinence due to rectal prolapse--a clinical and manometric study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Köhler, A; Athanasiadis, S

    2001-04-01

    When treating a complete rectal prolapse, the most important objective is elimination of the prolapse. In addition, restoration of sufficient anorectal continence is extremely important for the patients. We examined the value of posterior levator repair with respect to stabilization of the pelvic floor and to improvement in anorectal incontinence. In patients with disabling anorectal incontinence, a posterior levatorplasty can be concomitantly performed during operative removal of the prolapse. To facilitate evaluation of the operative results, we implemented a scoring system to judge the patients' subjective symptoms of incontinence; in addition, we performed manometric measurements of resting and squeezing pressures of the anal sphincter to objectify the anorectal incontinence. From 1991 to 1997, 84 patients (mean age 65+/-10 years, 38-91 years; 79 women, 5 men) with complete rectal prolapse and severe incontinence were operatively treated; corresponding follow-ups were done. The following procedures were performed: Frykmann-Goldberg, 28 patients; Wells, 18 patients; Ripstein, 22 patients; and perineal proctectomy, 16 patients. Incontinence for liquid and solid stools was present in all of these patients. Posterior levatorplasty was implemented in 38 patients, and in this group we found significantly better postoperative results, both clinically and in the manometric measurements. Continence was improved by 84% in the group with levatorplasty, but improvement was only 67% in the other group (Pdisadvantages. For this reason, levatorplasty can be part of operative procedures implemented in the treatment of a complete rectal prolapse accompanied by disabling anorectal incontinence.

  1. Do NiTi instruments show defects before separation? Defects caused by torsional fatigue in hand and rotary nickel-titanium (NiTi) instruments which lead to failure during clinical use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chakka, N V Murali Krishna; Ratnakar, P; Das, Sanjib; Bagchi, Anandamy; Sudhir, Sudhir; Anumula, Lavanya

    2012-11-01

    Visual and microscopic evaluation of defects caused by torsional fatigue in hand and rotary nickel titanium (NiTi) instruments. Ninety-six NiTi greater taper instruments which were routinely used for root canal treatment only in anterior teeth were selected for the study. The files taken include ProTaper for hand use, ProTaper Rotary files and Endowave rotary files. After every use, the files were observed visually and microscopically (Stereomicroscope at 10×) to evaluate the defects caused by torsional fatigue. Scoring was given according to a new classification formulated which gives an indication of the severity of the defect or damage. Data was statistically analyzed using KruskallWallis and Mann-Whitney U test. Number of files showing defects were more under stereomicroscope than visual examination. But, the difference in the evaluation methods was not statistically significant. The different types of defects observed were bent instrument, straightening/stretching of twist contour and partial reverse twisting. Endowave files showed maximum number of defects followed by ProTaper for hand use and least in ProTaper Rotary. Visible defects due to torsional fatigue do occur in NiTi instruments after clinical use. Both visual and microscopic examinations were efficient in detecting defects caused due to torsional fatigue. This study emphasizes that all files should be observed for any visible defects before and after every instrumentation cycle to minimize the risk of instrument separation and failure of endodontic therapy.

  2. Maternal and perinatal aspects of birth defects: a case-control study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Geiza Cesar Nhoncanse

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To assess the prevalence of congenital defects and to investigate their maternal and perinatal associated aspects by reviewing Birth Certificates. Methods: Among all born alive infants from January 2003 to December 2007 in Maternidade da Santa Casa de Misericórdia of São Carlos, Southeast Brazil (12,199 infants, cases were identified as the newborns whose Birth Certificates registered any congenital defect. The same sex neonate born immediately after the case was chosen as a control. In total, 13 variables were analyzed: six were maternal related, three represented labor and delivery conditions and four were linked to fetal status. The chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used to compare the variables, being significant p<0.05. Results: The prevalence of congenital defects was 0.38% and the association of two or more defects represented 32% of all cases. The number of mothers whose education level was equal or less than eight years was significantly higher among the group with birth defects (p=0.047. A higher frequency of prematurity (p<0.001 and cesarean delivery (p=0.004 was observed among children with birth defects. This group also showed lower birth weight and Apgar scores in the 1st and the 5th minute (p<0.001. Conclusions: The prevalence of congenital defect of 0.38% is possibly due to underreporting. The defects notified in the Birth Certificates were only the most visible ones, regardless of their severity. There is a need of adequate epidemiological monitoring of birth defects in order to create and expand prevention and treatment programs.

  3. Point defects in nickel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peretto, P.

    1969-01-01

    The defects in electron irradiated nickel (20 deg. K) or neutron irradiated nickel (28 deg. K) are studied by simultaneous analysis using the magnetic after-effect, electron microscopy and electrical resistivity recovery. We use zone refined nickel (99.999 per cent) which, for some experiments, is alloyed with a small amount of iron (for example 0.1 per cent Fe). The temperature dependant electrical recovery may be divided in four stages. The sub-stages I B (31 deg. K), I C (42 deg. K), I D (from to 57 deg. K) and I E (62 deg. K) of stage I are due to the disappearance of single interstitials into vacancies. The interstitial defect has a split configuration with a migration energy of about 0.15 eV. In the close pair which disappears in stage I B the interstitial is found to be in a 3. neighbour position whilst in stage I D it is near the direction from the vacancy. In stage I E there is no longer any interaction between the interstitial and the vacancy. The stage II is due to more complicated interstitial defects: di-interstitials for stage II B (84 deg. K) and larger and larger interstitial loops for the following sub-stages. The loops may be seen by electron microscopy. Impurities can play the role of nucleation centers for the loops. Stages III A (370 deg. K) and III B (376 deg. K) are due to two types of di-vacancies. During stage IV (410 deg. K) the single vacancies migrate. Vacancy type loops and interstitial type loops grow concurrently and disappear at about 800 deg. K as observed by electron microscopy. (author) [fr

  4. Growth of defect-free GaAsSbN axial nanowires via self-catalyzed molecular beam epitaxy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Manish; Deshmukh, Prithviraj; Kasanaboina, Pavan; Reynolds, C. Lewis, Jr.; Liu, Yang; Iyer, Shanthi

    2017-12-01

    Bandgap reduction of 10% by incorporation of a dilute amount of N is reported for the first time, in axial GaAsSb nanowires (NWs) grown on Si (111) via Ga-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. Impact of N incorporation on the surface morphology, NW growth kinetics, and their structural and optical properties were examined. Dilute nitride NWs with Sb composition of 7 at% did not exhibit any noticeable planar defects, as revealed by the absence of satellite twin peaks in the selected-area diffraction pattern and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy imaging. Point defects were also minimal in as-grown dilute nitride NWs, as ascertained from the comparison of low-temperature photoluminescence spectra as well as the shape and shift of Raman modes, with in situ annealed NWs in different ambients. Evidence of enhanced incorporation of N was found in the NWs in situ annealed in N ambient, but with deteriorated optical quality due to simultaneous creation of N-induced defects. The lack of any noticeable defects in the as-grown GaAsSbN NWs demonstrates the advantage of the vapor-liquid-solid mechanism responsible for growth of axial configuration over the vapor-solid growth mechanism for core-shell NWs as well as their thin film counterpart, which commonly exhibit N-induced point defects.

  5. Unclosed fascial defect: is it the risk to develop port-site hernia after laparoscopic cholecystectomy?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tangjaroen, Somard; Watanapa, Prasit

    2014-02-01

    Port-site hernia (PSH) is one of the complications after laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). Closure of the fascial defect has been mentioned to prevent such complication. However, the results are still controversial. The present study was done to clarify whether unclosed fascial defect was actually the risk factor for the development of PSH MATERIAL AND METHOD: Two hundred ninety four patients underwent LC by a single surgeon at Kalasin Hospital between 2007 and 2010. The procedure was done by using a four-port technique without closure of any fascial defects. The male:female ratio was 85:209, and the mean body mass index was 24.38 +/- 3.33 (SD). The mean operative time was 18.71 +/- 3.76 minutes and there was no postoperative wound infection. Patients were regularly followed-up and underwent both supine and upright physical examination. The mean duration of follow-up period was 4.94 +/- 1.31 years with the shortest follow-up period of two years. None of the patients in the present study developed PSH in any port sites during the follow-up period. Unclosed fascial defect may not have the significant risk factor of developing PSH after LC.

  6. Atomic defects in monolayer WSe2 tunneling FETs studied by systematic ab initio calculations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Jixuan; Fan, Zhiqiang; Chen, Jiezhi; Jiang, Xiangwei

    2018-05-01

    Atomic defects in monolayer WSe2 tunneling FETs (TFETs) are studied through systematic ab initio calculations aiming at performance predictions and enhancements. The effects of various defect positions and different passivation atoms are characterized in WSe2 TFETs by rigorous ab initio quantum transport simulations. It is suggested that the Se vacancy (VSe) defect located in the gate-controlled channel region tends to increase the OFF current (I off), whereas it can be well suppressed by oxygen passivation. It is demonstrated that chlorine (Cl) passivation at the source-side tunneling region can largely suppress I off, leading to an impressively improved on–off ratio (I on/I off) compared with that without any defect. However, it is also observed that randomly positioned atomic defects tend to induce significant fluctuation of the TFET output. Further discussions are made with focus on the performance-variability trade-off for robust circuit design.

  7. Association between antibiotic use among pregnant women with urinary tract infections in the first trimester and birth defects, National Birth Defects Prevention Study 1997 to 2011.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ailes, Elizabeth C; Gilboa, Suzanne M; Gill, Simerpal K; Broussard, Cheryl S; Crider, Krista S; Berry, Robert J; Carter, Tonia C; Hobbs, Charlotte A; Interrante, Julia D; Reefhuis, Jennita

    2016-11-01

    Previous studies noted associations between birth defects and some antibiotics (e.g., nitrofurantoin, sulfonamides) but not others (e.g., penicillins). It is unclear if previous findings were due to antibiotic use, infections, or chance. To control for potential confounding by indication, we examined associations between antibiotic use and birth defects, among women reporting urinary tract infections (UTIs). The National Birth Defects Prevention Study is a multi-site, population-based case-control study. Case infants/fetuses have any of over 30 major birth defects and controls are live-born infants without major birth defects. We analyzed pregnancies from 1997 to 2011 to estimate the association between maternally reported periconceptional (month before conception through the third month of pregnancy) use of nitrofurantoin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, or cephalosporins and specific birth defects, among women with periconceptional UTIs. Women with periconceptional UTIs who reported penicillin use served as the comparator. Periconceptional UTIs were reported by 7.8% (2029/26,068) of case and 6.7% (686/10,198) of control mothers. Most (68.2% of case, 66.6% of control mothers) also reported antibiotic use. Among 608 case and 231 control mothers reporting at least one periconceptional UTI and certain antibiotic use, compared with penicillin, nitrofurantoin use was associated with oral clefts in the offspring (adjusted odds ratio, 1.97 [95% confidence interval, 1.10-3.53]), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole use with esophageal atresia (5.31 [1.39-20.24]) and diaphragmatic hernia (5.09 [1.20-21.69]), and cephalosporin use with anorectal atresia/stenosis (5.01 [1.34-18.76]). Periconceptional exposure to some antibiotics might increase the risk for certain birth defects. However, because individual birth defects are rare, absolute risks should drive treatment decisions.Birth Defects Research (Part A) 106:940-949, 2016.© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals

  8. Efficacy of Connective Tissue with and without Periosteum in Regeneration of Intrabony Defects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vahid Esfahanian

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Background and aims. Connective tissue grafts with and without periosteum is used in regenerative treatments of bone and has demonstrated successful outcomes in previous investigations. The aim of present study was to evaluate the effec-tiveness of connective tissue graft with and without periosteum in regeneration of intrabony defects. Materials and methods. In this single-blind randomized split-mouth clinical trial, 15 pairs of intrabony defects in 15 pa-tients with moderate to advanced periodontitis were treated by periosteal connective tissue graft + ABBM (test group or non-periosteal connective tissue graft + ABBM (control group. Probing pocket depth, clinical attachment level, free gingi-val margin position, bone crestal position, crest defect depth and defect depth to stent were measured at baseline and after six months by surgical re-entry. Data was analyzed by Student’s t-test and paired t-tests (α=0.05. Results. Changes in clinical parameters after 6 months in the test and control groups were as follows: mean of PPD reduc-tion: 3.1±0.6 (P<0.0001; 2.5±1.0 mm (P<0.0001, CAL gain: 2.3±0.9 (P<0.0001; 2.2±1.0 mm (P<0.0001, bone fill: 2.2±0.7 mm (P<0.0001; 2.2±0.7 mm (P<0.0001, respectively. No significant differences in the position of free gingival margin were observed during 6 months compared to baseline in both groups. Conclusion. Combinations of periosteal connective tissue graft + ABBM and non-periosteal connective tissue graft + ABBM were similarly effective in treating intrabony defects without any favor for any group. Connective tissue and perio-steum can be equally effective in regeneration of intrabony defects.

  9. Defects quantization in industrial radiographs by image processing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Briand, F.Y.; Brillault, B.; Philipp, S.

    1988-01-01

    This paper refers to the industrial application of image processing using Non Destructive Testing by radiography. The various problems involved by the conception of a numerical tool are described. This tool intends to help radiograph experts to quantify defects and to follow up their evolution, using numerical techniques. The sequences of processings that achieve defect segmentation and quantization are detailed. They are based on the thorough knowledge of radiographs formation techniques. The process uses various methods of image analysis, including textural analysis and morphological mathematics. The interface between the final product and users will occur in an explicit language, using the terms of radiographic expertise without showing any processing details. The problem is thoroughly described: image formation, digitization, processings fitted to flaw morphology and finally product structure in progress. 12 refs [fr

  10. Diminuição da função do músculo levantador da pálpebra superior em pacientes submetidos à cirurgia de ptose palpebral involucional e dermatocálase Decrease of upper eyelid levator muscle function after involutional ptosis and dermatochalasis surgery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eliana Forno

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Avaliar a diferença da função do músculo levantador da pálpebra superior (FMLPS, distância margem reflexo (DMR1 e altura do sulco palpebral (AS antes e depois da cirurgia de blefaroplastia superior associada à correção de ptose palpebral. MÉTODOS: Quarenta e quatro pacientes com blefaroptose e dermatocálase foram incluídos. Intervenção: exploração do tendão do músculo levantador da pálpebra superior (MLPS durante a blefaroplastia, em portadores de blefaroptose e dermatocálase. Nos casos de desinserção, o tendão foi refixado ao tarso. Desfechos analisados: foram analisados de forma bilateral a diferença entre FMLPS, DMR1 e AS antes e depois da intervenção. A dependência entre os olhos foi corrigida por meio de equações de estimativa generalizada. Foi utilizada a correlação de Pearson para quantificar a dependência entre os olhos para FMLPS, DMR1 e AS. RESULTADOS: Houve diferença significante entre as medidas de FMLPS antes e depois da cirurgia, havendo redução da excursão do MLPS após a cirurgia, diminuindo, em média, 1,1 mm (P0,01. CONCLUSÃO: A função do músculo levantador da pálpebra superior diminui após a cirurgia para a correção da ptose.PURPOSE: To evaluate the differences between upper eyelid levator muscle function (UELMF, margin reflex distance (MDR1, and eyelid crease height (ECH before and after ptosis and dermatochalasis surgery. METHODS: Forty-four patients with blepharoptosis and dermatochalasis were enrolled. Intervention: An exploration of the levator tendon (LT during a blepharoplasty procedure in patients with blepharoptosis and dermatochalasis and in case of its disinsertion, the tendon was reattached to the tarsus. Measured outcome: The differences between UELMF, MDR1, ECH before and after surgery were evaluated bilaterally. Dependency between both eyes was corrected by generalized estimating equations. Pearson correlation was used to evaluate the dependency of the two

  11. On holographic defect entropy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Estes, John; Jensen, Kristan; O’Bannon, Andy; Tsatis, Efstratios; Wrase, Timm

    2014-01-01

    We study a number of (3+1)- and (2+1)-dimensional defect and boundary conformal field theories holographically dual to supergravity theories. In all cases the defects or boundaries are planar, and the defects are codimension-one. Using holography, we compute the entanglement entropy of a (hemi-)spherical region centered on the defect (boundary). We define defect and boundary entropies from the entanglement entropy by an appropriate background subtraction. For some (3+1)-dimensional theories we find evidence that the defect/boundary entropy changes monotonically under certain renormalization group flows triggered by operators localized at the defect or boundary. This provides evidence that the g-theorem of (1+1)-dimensional field theories generalizes to higher dimensions

  12. Defects in semiconductors

    CERN Document Server

    Romano, Lucia; Jagadish, Chennupati

    2015-01-01

    This volume, number 91 in the Semiconductor and Semimetals series, focuses on defects in semiconductors. Defects in semiconductors help to explain several phenomena, from diffusion to getter, and to draw theories on materials' behavior in response to electrical or mechanical fields. The volume includes chapters focusing specifically on electron and proton irradiation of silicon, point defects in zinc oxide and gallium nitride, ion implantation defects and shallow junctions in silicon and germanium, and much more. It will help support students and scientists in their experimental and theoret

  13. Classification of defects in honeycomb composite structure of helicopter rotor blades

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balasko, M.; Svab, E.; Molnar, Gy.; Veres, I.

    2005-01-01

    The use of non-destructive testing methods to qualify the state of rotor blades with respect to their expected flight hours, with the aim to extend their lifetime without any risk of breakdown, is an important financial demand. In order to detect the possible defects in the composite structure of Mi-8 and Mi-24 type helicopter rotor blades used by the Hungarian Army, we have performed combined neutron- and X-ray radiography measurements at the Budapest Research Reactor. Several types of defects were detected, analysed and typified. Among the most frequent and important defects observed were cavities, holes and or cracks in the sealing elements on the interface of the honeycomb structure and the section boarders. Inhomogeneities of the resin materials (resin-rich or starved areas) at the core-honeycomb surfaces proved to be an other important point. Defects were detected at the adhesive filling, and water percolation was visualized at the sealing interfaces of the honeycomb sections. Corrosion effects, and metal inclusions have also been detected

  14. Classification of defects in honeycomb composite structure of helicopter rotor blades

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balaskó, M.; Sváb, E.; Molnár, Gy.; Veres, I.

    2005-04-01

    The use of non-destructive testing methods to qualify the state of rotor blades with respect to their expected flight hours, with the aim to extend their lifetime without any risk of breakdown, is an important financial demand. In order to detect the possible defects in the composite structure of Mi-8 and Mi-24 type helicopter rotor blades used by the Hungarian Army, we have performed combined neutron- and X-ray radiography measurements at the Budapest Research Reactor. Several types of defects were detected, analysed and typified. Among the most frequent and important defects observed were cavities, holes and/or cracks in the sealing elements on the interface of the honeycomb structure and the section boarders. Inhomogeneities of the resin materials (resin-rich or starved areas) at the core-honeycomb surfaces proved to be an other important point. Defects were detected at the adhesive filling, and water percolation was visualized at the sealing interfaces of the honeycomb sections. Corrosion effects, and metal inclusions have also been detected.

  15. Utilization of shear stress for determination of activation energy of the defects created by neutron irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gonzalez, Hector C.; Miralles, Monica

    1996-01-01

    This paper describes an experimental technique used for the determination thermodynamical parameters such as activation energy using the thermal annealing of increments of Critical resolved Shear Stress of the defects created by neutron irradiation at 77 K. The doses chosen for this work was 3.1 x 10 16 n/cm 2 since the defects are stable to plastic deformation and the cascades of atomic displacements do not overlap. Specimens without any prior deformation were used allowing then the single addition of the initial stress to that due to the created defects. (author)

  16. Acoustic emission test on a 25mm thick mild steel pressure vessel with inserted defects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bentley, P.G.; Dawson, D.G.; Hanley, D.J.; Kirby, N.

    1976-12-01

    Acoustic emission measurements have been taken on an experimental mild steel vessel with 4 inserted defects ranging in severity up to 90% of through thickness. The vessel was subjected to a series of pressure excursions of increasing magnitude until failure occurred by extension of the largest inserted defect through the vessel wall. No acoustic emission was detected throughout any part of the tests which would indicate the presence of such serious defects or of impending failure. Measurements of acoustic emission from metallurgical specimens are included and the results of post test inspection using conventional NDT and metallographic techniques are reported. (author)

  17. Study of defects and vacancies in structural properties of Mn, co-doped oxides: ZnO

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Harish; Kaushik, A.; Alvi, P. A.; Dalela, B.; Dalela, S.

    2018-05-01

    The paper deals with the Structural properties on Mn, Co doped oxides ZnO samples using XRD, Positron Annihilation Lifetime (PAL) Spectra and Raman Spectra. The Mn, Co doped ZnO samples crystallize in a wurtzite structure without any impurity phases in XRD Spectra. The defect state of these samples has been investigated by using positron annihilation lifetime (PAL) spectroscopy technique in which all the relevant lifetime parameters are measured for all the spectra. The results are explained in the direction of doping concentration in these samples in terms of defects structure on Zn lattice site VZn and oxygen defects Vo.

  18. Disclinations, dislocations, and continuous defects: A reappraisal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kleman, M.; Friedel, J.

    2008-01-01

    Disclinations were first observed in mesomorphic phases. They were later found relevant to a number of ill-ordered condensed-matter media involving continuous symmetries or frustrated order. Disclinations also appear in polycrystals at the edges of grain boundaries; but they are of limited interest in solid single crystals, where they can move only by diffusion climb and, owing to their large elastic stresses, mostly appear in close pairs of opposite signs. The relaxation mechanisms associated with a disclination in its creation, motion, and change of shape involve an interplay with continuous or quantized dislocations and/or continuous disclinations. These are attached to the disclinations or are akin to Nye’s dislocation densities, which are particularly well suited for consideration here. The notion of an extended Volterra process is introduced, which takes these relaxation processes into account and covers different situations where this interplay takes place. These concepts are illustrated by a variety of applications in amorphous solids, mesomorphic phases, and frustrated media in their curved habit space. These often involve disclination networks with specific node conditions. The powerful topological theory of line defects considers only defects stable against any change of boundary conditions or relaxation processes compatible with the structure considered. It can be seen as a simplified case of the approach considered here, particularly suited for media of high plasticity or/and complex structures. It cannot analyze the dynamical properties of defects nor the elastic constants involved in their static properties; topological stability cannot guarantee energetic stability, and sometimes cannot distinguish finer details of the structure of defects.

  19. Fibrous metaphyseal defects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ritschl, P.; Hajek, P.C.; Pechmann, U.

    1989-01-01

    Sixteen patients with fibrous metaphyseal defects were examined with both plain radiography and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Depending on the age of the fibrous metaphyseal defects, characteristic radiomorphologic changes were found which correlated well with MR images. Following intravenous Gadolinium-DTPA injection, fibrous metaphyseal defects invariably exhibited a hyperintense border and signal enhancement. (orig./GDG)

  20. Intrinsic defects and spectral characteristics of SrZrO3 perovskite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Zhenzhang; Duan, He; Jin, Yahong; Zhang, Shaoan; Lv, Yang; Xu, Qinfang; Hu, Yihua

    2018-04-01

    First-principles calculations and experiment analysis were performed to study the internal relation between seven types of intrinsic defects and the persistent luminescence in SrZrO3 host material. The calculation shows that rich zirconium defects have the low energy cost and thus are easy to form. Zr vacancies are too high energy to play any role in defect which is related luminescence phenomenon of SrZrO3 phosphor. However, oxygen vacancies stand out as a likely candidate, because it can yield two carrier reservoirs: a fully-occupied singlet electron's reservoir which lies above the valence band maximum, and an empty triply degenerate hole's reservoir which is just below the conduction band minimum. Sr vacancies are not directly relevant to the persistent luminescence due to its too shallow electron trap level. The characteristics of these defects are fully explained by the equilibrium properties of SrZrO3. An experimental study of the thermoluminescence glow for these defects is conducted and the calculation is consistent with the experimental results. A mechanism of the persistent luminescence for SrZrO3:Pr3+, Eu3+ is explained according to oxygen vacancies trap center. Findings of this study may serve as theoretical references for controlling intrinsic traps by more refined experiments.

  1. Vertebral defect, anal atresia, cardiac defect, tracheoesophageal fistula/esophageal atresia, renal defect, and limb defect association with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome in co-occurrence: two case reports and a review of the literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bjørsum-Meyer, Thomas; Herlin, Morten; Qvist, Niels; Petersen, Michael B

    2016-12-21

    The vertebral defect, anal atresia, cardiac defect, tracheoesophageal fistula/esophageal atresia, renal defect, and limb defect association and Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome are rare conditions. We aimed to present two cases with the vertebral defect, anal atresia, cardiac defect, tracheoesophageal fistula/esophageal atresia, renal defect, and limb defect association and Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser co-occurrence from our local surgical center and through a systematic literature search detect published cases. Furthermore, we aimed to collect existing knowledge in the embryopathogenesis and genetics in order to discuss a possible link between the vertebral defect, anal atresia, cardiac defect, tracheoesophageal fistula/esophageal atresia, renal defect, and limb defect association and Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome. Our first case was a white girl delivered by caesarean section at 37 weeks of gestation; our second case was a white girl born at a gestational age of 40 weeks. A co-occurrence of vertebral defect, anal atresia, cardiac defect, tracheoesophageal fistula/esophageal atresia, renal defect, and limb defect association and Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome was diagnosed in both cases. We performed a systematic literature search in PubMed ((VACTERL) OR (VATER)) AND ((MRKH) OR (Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser) OR (mullerian agenesis) OR (mullerian aplasia) OR (MURCS)) without limitations. A similar search was performed in Embase and the Cochrane library. We added two cases from our local center. All cases (n = 9) presented with anal atresia and renal defect. Vertebral defects were present in eight patients. Rectovestibular fistula was confirmed in seven patients. Along with the uterovaginal agenesis, fallopian tube aplasia appeared in five of nine cases and in two cases ovarian involvement also existed. The co-occurrence of the vertebral defect, anal atresia, cardiac defect, tracheoesophageal fistula/esophageal atresia, renal

  2. ILT based defect simulation of inspection images accurately predicts mask defect printability on wafer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deep, Prakash; Paninjath, Sankaranarayanan; Pereira, Mark; Buck, Peter

    2016-05-01

    At advanced technology nodes mask complexity has been increased because of large-scale use of resolution enhancement technologies (RET) which includes Optical Proximity Correction (OPC), Inverse Lithography Technology (ILT) and Source Mask Optimization (SMO). The number of defects detected during inspection of such mask increased drastically and differentiation of critical and non-critical defects are more challenging, complex and time consuming. Because of significant defectivity of EUVL masks and non-availability of actinic inspection, it is important and also challenging to predict the criticality of defects for printability on wafer. This is one of the significant barriers for the adoption of EUVL for semiconductor manufacturing. Techniques to decide criticality of defects from images captured using non actinic inspection images is desired till actinic inspection is not available. High resolution inspection of photomask images detects many defects which are used for process and mask qualification. Repairing all defects is not practical and probably not required, however it's imperative to know which defects are severe enough to impact wafer before repair. Additionally, wafer printability check is always desired after repairing a defect. AIMSTM review is the industry standard for this, however doing AIMSTM review for all defects is expensive and very time consuming. Fast, accurate and an economical mechanism is desired which can predict defect printability on wafer accurately and quickly from images captured using high resolution inspection machine. Predicting defect printability from such images is challenging due to the fact that the high resolution images do not correlate with actual mask contours. The challenge is increased due to use of different optical condition during inspection other than actual scanner condition, and defects found in such images do not have correlation with actual impact on wafer. Our automated defect simulation tool predicts

  3. Tratamento do lagoftalmo paralítico com a utilização do implante de peso de ouro recoberto pela aponeurose do músculo levantador palpebral Paralytic lagophthalmos treatment with gold weight implants covered by levator palpebrae muscle aponeurosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sergio Lessa

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Demonstrar a redução das complicações e melhora do resultado estético da correção do lagoftalmo paralítico com utilização de implantes de peso ouro através do recobrimento pela aponeurose do músculo levantador palpebral. MÉTODOS:Foram estudados vinte e nove pacientes portadores de paralisia facial idiopática com evolução clínica superior a 4 anos submetidos à correção cirúrgica do lagoftalmo paralítico com a utilização de uma modificação da técnica do implante de peso de ouro recoberto pela aponeurose do músculo levantador palpebral (Gladstone,1996 entre junho de 1997 e dezembro de 2006. Nenhum deles havia se submetido previamente a tratamentos cirúrgicos. RESULTADOS:Todos os pacientes apresentaram adaptação favorável dos implantes. Não houve casos de extrusão, deslocamento ou infecção, com melhora significativa da sintomatologia clínica e redução do lagoftalmo paralítico no período de acompanhamento pós-operatório que variou de 8 meses a 4 anos. CONCLUSÃO:Através da ampla dissecção da aponeurose do músculo levantador palpebral para recobrimento completo do implante do peso de ouro nós obtivemos excelentes resultados. O contorno da superfície cutânea pré-tarsal apresentou-se homogêneo, evitou-se a extrusão do implante e, comparativamente aos resultados apresentados pela técnica inicialmente descrita por Gladstone na qual realizava-se apenas a plicatura da aponeurose do músculo levantador palpebral sobre o implante de ouro, obtivemos um melhor controle do posicionamento final da pálpebra superior após o recobrimento do implante.POURPOSE: To demonstrate an improvement in paralytic lagophthalmos surgical treatment complications and aesthetic results by covering the gold weight implants with the levator palpebrae muscle aponeurosis. METHODS:We studied a case series of twenty nine patients presenting idiopatic facial palsy with more than 4 years of clinical evolution, submitted to

  4. Defect detection based on extreme edge of defective region histogram

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zouhir Wakaf

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Automatic thresholding has been used by many applications in image processing and pattern recognition systems. Specific attention was given during inspection for quality control purposes in various industries like steel processing and textile manufacturing. Automatic thresholding problem has been addressed well by the commonly used Otsu method, which provides suitable results for thresholding images based on a histogram of bimodal distribution. However, the Otsu method fails when the histogram is unimodal or close to unimodal. Defects have different shapes and sizes, ranging from very small to large. The gray-level distributions of the image histogram can vary between unimodal and multimodal. Furthermore, Otsu-revised methods, like the valley-emphasis method and the background histogram mode extents, which overcome the drawbacks of the Otsu method, require preprocessing steps and fail to use the general threshold for multimodal defects. This study proposes a new automatic thresholding algorithm based on the acquisition of the defective region histogram and the selection of its extreme edge as the threshold value to segment all defective objects in the foreground from the image background. To evaluate the proposed defect-detection method, common standard images for experimentation were used. Experimental results of the proposed method show that the proposed method outperforms the current methods in terms of defect detection.

  5. Vortex trapping by tilted columnar defects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baladie, I.; Buzdin, A.

    2000-01-01

    The irradiation of high-T c superconductors by inclined heavy-ion beam can create columnar defects (CD's) practically at any angle towards the crystal c axis. We calculate the energy of a tilted vortex trapped on an inclined columnar defect within the framework of an electromagnetic model. Under a weak perpendicular magnetic field, and if the CD radius is larger than the superconducting coherence length, vortices always prefer to be on a tilted CD than to be aligned along the external field. We calculate also the interaction energy between two tilted vortices and find that large attractive regions appear. In particular, in the plane defined by c axis and the CD axis, tilted vortices attract each other at long distances, leading to the formation of vortex chains. The equilibrium distance between vortices in a chain is of the order of the magnitude of the in-plane London penetration depth. The existence of the inclined trapped vortices could be revealed by torque measurements, and could also lead to the anisotropy of the in-plane resistivity and the critical current

  6. Synthetic Defects for Vibrothermography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Renshaw, Jeremy; Holland, Stephen D.; Thompson, R. Bruce; Eisenmann, David J.

    2010-02-01

    Synthetic defects are an important tool used for characterizing the performance of nondestructive evaluation techniques. Viscous material-filled synthetic defects were developed for use in vibrothermography (also known as sonic IR) as a tool to improve inspection accuracy and reliability. This paper describes how the heat-generation response of these VMF synthetic defects is similar to the response of real defects. It also shows how VMF defects can be applied to improve inspection accuracy for complex industrial parts and presents a study of their application in an aircraft engine stator vane.

  7. PyCDT: A Python toolkit for modeling point defects in semiconductors and insulators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Broberg, Danny; Medasani, Bharat; Zimmermann, Nils E. R.; Yu, Guodong; Canning, Andrew; Haranczyk, Maciej; Asta, Mark; Hautier, Geoffroy

    2018-05-01

    Point defects have a strong impact on the performance of semiconductor and insulator materials used in technological applications, spanning microelectronics to energy conversion and storage. The nature of the dominant defect types, how they vary with processing conditions, and their impact on materials properties are central aspects that determine the performance of a material in a certain application. This information is, however, difficult to access directly from experimental measurements. Consequently, computational methods, based on electronic density functional theory (DFT), have found widespread use in the calculation of point-defect properties. Here we have developed the Python Charged Defect Toolkit (PyCDT) to expedite the setup and post-processing of defect calculations with widely used DFT software. PyCDT has a user-friendly command-line interface and provides a direct interface with the Materials Project database. This allows for setting up many charged defect calculations for any material of interest, as well as post-processing and applying state-of-the-art electrostatic correction terms. Our paper serves as a documentation for PyCDT, and demonstrates its use in an application to the well-studied GaAs compound semiconductor. We anticipate that the PyCDT code will be useful as a framework for undertaking readily reproducible calculations of charged point-defect properties, and that it will provide a foundation for automated, high-throughput calculations.

  8. Defect physics and electronic properties of Cu3PSe4 from first principles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foster, D. H.; Barras, F. L.; Vielma, J. M.; Schneider, G.

    2013-11-01

    The p-type semiconductor Cu3PSe4 has recently been established to have a direct band gap of 1.4 eV and an optical absorption spectrum similar to GaAs [Foster , Appl. Phys. Lett.APPLAB0003-695110.1063/1.3656760 99, 181903 (2011)], suggesting a possible application as a solar photovoltaic absorber. Here we calculate the thermodynamic stability, defect energies and concentrations, and several material properties of Cu3PSe4 using a wholly GGA+U method (the generalized gradient approximation of density functional theory with a Hubbard U term included for the Cu-d orbitals). We find that two low energy acceptor defects, the copper vacancy VCu and the phosphorus-on-selenium antisite PSe, establish the p-type behavior and likely prevent any n-type doping near thermal equilibrium. The GGA+U defect calculation method is shown to yield more accurate results than the more standard method of applying post-calculation GGA+U-based band-gap corrections to strictly GGA defect calculations.

  9. Effect of synthetic cell-binding peptide on the healing of cortical segmental bone defects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cakmak, G.; Bolukbasi, S.; Simsek, A.; Senkoylu, A.; Erdem, O.; Yilmaz, G.

    2006-01-01

    To determine the effect of inorganic bone matric/Pepgen P-15 (ABM/P-15) on the healing of a critical sized segmental defect in a rat radius using a radiological and histological grading system. We carried out this study at the Research Laboratories, Gazi University School of Medicine in 2004. Critical sized segmental defects were created in the radius of 36 Wistar rats. Thirteen defects were filled with ABM/P-15 Flow (gel form), 12 defects were filled with ABM/P-15, and 11 defects were used as a control group. The rats were sacrified at the tenth week, and healing of the defects was evaluated radiographically and histologically. The usage of ABM/P-15 and ABM/P-15 Flow were demonstrated to improve healing of segmental bone defects compared with the control group. Statistical evaluation showed that there were significant differences between control sites, and the sites treated with P-15 and P-15 Flow (p=0.011). The highest radiological and histological grades were achieved by P-15. Segmental cortical bone defects may be treated with ABM/P-15 instead of bone allografts, and autografts. According to the radiological and histological parameters measured in this study, the implantation of ABM/P-15 resulted in optimum healing of the segmental cortical bone defects. Pepgen P-15 has a positive effect on bone healing, without any immunogenic features and disease transmission risk. Therefore, ABM/P-15 can also be used for orthopedic surgery. (author)

  10. Quantifying defects in N-layer graphene via a phenomenological model of Raman spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Giro, Ronaldo; Archanjo, Braulio S.; Martins Ferreira, Erlon H.; Capaz, Rodrigo B.; Jorio, Ado; Achete, Carlos A.

    2014-01-01

    We construct a model to obtain the density of point defects in N-layer graphene by combining Raman spectroscopy and the TRIM (Transport Range of Ions in Matter) simulation package. The model relates the intensity (or area) ratio of graphene’s D and G bands to the defect density on each layer due to Ar + bombardment. Our method is effective for ion fluences ranging from 10 11 to ∼10 14 Ar + /cm −2 and it should be in principle extendable to any kind of ion and energy

  11. Quantifying defects in N-layer graphene via a phenomenological model of Raman spectroscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Giro, Ronaldo, E-mail: rgiro@br.ibm.com [Divisão de Metrologia de Materiais, Instituto Nacional de Metrologia, Qualidade e Tecnologia (Inmetro), Duque de Caxias, RJ 25250-020 (Brazil); Archanjo, Braulio S.; Martins Ferreira, Erlon H. [Divisão de Metrologia de Materiais, Instituto Nacional de Metrologia, Qualidade e Tecnologia (Inmetro), Duque de Caxias, RJ 25250-020 (Brazil); Capaz, Rodrigo B. [Divisão de Metrologia de Materiais, Instituto Nacional de Metrologia, Qualidade e Tecnologia (Inmetro), Duque de Caxias, RJ 25250-020 (Brazil); Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Caixa Postal 68528, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-972 (Brazil); Jorio, Ado [Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG 30123-970 (Brazil); Achete, Carlos A. [Divisão de Metrologia de Materiais, Instituto Nacional de Metrologia, Qualidade e Tecnologia (Inmetro), Duque de Caxias, RJ 25250-020 (Brazil); Departamento de Engenharia Metalúrgica e de Materiais, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Caixa Postal 68505, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21945-970 (Brazil)

    2014-01-15

    We construct a model to obtain the density of point defects in N-layer graphene by combining Raman spectroscopy and the TRIM (Transport Range of Ions in Matter) simulation package. The model relates the intensity (or area) ratio of graphene’s D and G bands to the defect density on each layer due to Ar{sup +} bombardment. Our method is effective for ion fluences ranging from 10{sup 11} to ∼10{sup 14} Ar{sup +}/cm{sup −2} and it should be in principle extendable to any kind of ion and energy.

  12. Defect-Induced Luminescence of a Self-Activated Borophosphate Phosphor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Bing; Liu, Beibei; Dai, Yazhou; Zhang, Jie

    2018-05-01

    A self-activated borophosphate phosphor Ba3BPO7 was prepared via typical solid-state reaction in thermal-carbon reduction atmosphere. The structural and luminescence properties were investigated using x-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Upon excitation with ultraviolet (UV) light, the as-prepared phosphor shows bright greenish-yellow emission with a microsecond-level fluorescence lifetime, which could result from the oxygen vacancies produced in the process of solid-state synthesis. The possible luminescence mechanism is proposed. Through the introduction of defects in the host, this work realizes visible luminescence in a pure borophosphate compound that does not contain any rare earth or transition metal activators, so it is helpful to develop defect-related luminescent materials in view of energy conservation and environmental protection for sustainable development.

  13. Complex genetics of glaucoma: defects in CYP1B1, and not MYOC ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    wide, affecting almost 60 million people (Quigley and Bro- man 2006). Defects ... Analysis of the family mem- ... both parents of the proband do not show any symptom of. POAG ... †These authors contributed equally to the work. .... stage of life.

  14. A clinical study on the efficacy of hydroxyapatite - Bioactive glass composite granules in the management of periodontal bony defects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tirthankar Debnath

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: In periodontal regeneration, several alloplastic materials are being used with a goal to reconstruct new osseous tissue in the infrabony defect sites. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of hydroxyapatite-bioactive glass (HA:BG composite granules in the management of periodontal bony defects. Materials and Methods: A randomized control study was conducted. Subjects with infrabony defects were divided into three groups. Test Group 1 (n = 10: Defect site was treated with HA:BG, with a biodegradable membrane. Test Group 2 (n = 10: Defect site was treated with HAP, with a biodegradable membrane. Control group (n = 10: Defect site was treated with open flap debridement with a biodegradable membrane Results: The healing of defects was uneventful and free of any biological complications. The gain in clinical attachment level, reduction of probing pocket depth, and defect fill were statistically significant in all three groups. TG1 sites showed significant defect fill than TG2 and CG sites. Conclusion: The performance of HA:BG was better compared to HAP and open flap debridement for the reconstruction of infrabony defects.

  15. Facts about Birth Defects

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... label> Information For… Media Policy Makers Facts about Birth Defects Language: English (US) Español (Spanish) Recommend on ... having a baby born without a birth defect. Birth Defects Are Common Every 4 ½ minutes, a ...

  16. Prevention of congenital defects induced by prenatal alcohol exposure (Conference Presentation)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheehan, Megan M.; Karunamuni, Ganga; Pedersen, Cameron J.; Gu, Shi; Doughman, Yong Qiu; Jenkins, Michael W.; Watanabe, Michiko; Rollins, Andrew M.

    2017-02-01

    Over 500,000 women per year in the United States drink during pregnancy, and 1 in 5 of this population also binge drink. Up to 40% of live-born children with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) present with congenital heart defects (CHDs) including life-threatening outflow and valvuloseptal anomalies. Previously we established a PAE model in the avian embryo and used optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging to assay looping-stage (early) cardiac function/structure and septation-stage (late) cardiac defects. Early-stage ethanol-exposed embryos had smaller cardiac cushions (valve precursors) and increased retrograde flow, while late-stage embryos presented with gross head/body defects, and exhibited smaller atrio-ventricular (AV) valves, interventricular septae, and aortic vessels. However, supplementation with the methyl donor betaine reduced gross defects, prevented cardiac defects such as ventricular septal defects and abnormal AV valves, and normalized cardiac parameters. Immunofluorescent staining for 5-methylcytosine in transverse embryo sections also revealed that DNA methylation levels were reduced by ethanol but normalized by co-administration of betaine. Furthermore, supplementation with folate, another methyl donor, in the PAE model appeared to normalize retrograde flow levels which are typically elevated by ethanol exposure. Studies are underway to correlate retrograde flow numbers for folate with associated cushion volumes. Finally, preliminary findings have revealed that glutathione, a key endogenous antioxidant which also regulates methyl group donation, is particularly effective in improving alcohol-impacted survival and gross defect rates. Current investigations will determine whether glutathione has any positive effect on PAE-related CHDs. Our studies could have significant implications for public health, especially related to prenatal nutrition recommendations.

  17. Botulinum neurotoxin type A injections for vaginismus secondary to vulvar vestibulitis syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bertolasi, Laura; Frasson, Emma; Cappelletti, Jee Yun; Vicentini, Silvana; Bordignon, Monia; Graziottin, Alessandra

    2009-11-01

    To investigate whether botulinum neurotoxin type A improves vaginismus and study its efficacy with repeated treatments. Outpatients were referred because standard cognitive-behavioral and medical treatment for vaginismus and vulvar vestibular syndrome failed. From this group, we prospectively recruited consecutive women (n=39) whose diagnostic electromyogram (EMG) recordings from the levator ani muscle showed hyperactivity at rest and reduced inhibition during straining. These women were followed for a mean (+/-standard deviation) of 105 (+/-50) weeks. Recruited patients underwent repeated cycles of botulinum neurotoxin type A injected into the levator ani under EMG guidance and EMG monitoring thereafter. At enrollment and 4 weeks after each cycle, women were asked about sexual intercourse; underwent EMG evaluation and examinations to grade vaginal resistance according to Lamont; and completed a visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, the Female Sexual Function Index Scale, a quality-of-life questionnaire (Short-Form 12 Health Survey), and bowel and bladder symptom assessment. At 4 weeks after the first botulinum neurotoxin type A cycle, the primary outcome measures (the possibility of having sexual intercourse, and levator ani EMG hyperactivity) both improved, as did the secondary outcomes, Lamont scores, VAS, Female Sexual Function Index Scales, Short-Form 12 Health Survey, and bowel-bladder symptoms. These benefits persisted through later cycles. When follow-up ended, 63.2% of the patients completely recovered from vaginismus and vulvar vestibular syndrome, 15.4% still needed reinjections (censored), and 15.4% had dropped out. Botulinum neurotoxin type A is an effective treatment option for vaginismus secondary to vulvar vestibular syndrome refractory to standard cognitive-behavioral and medical management. After patients received botulinum neurotoxin type A, their sexual activity improved and reinjections provided sustained benefits. III.

  18. Defect production in ceramics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zinkle, S.J. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States); Kinoshita, C. [Kyushu Univ. (Japan)

    1997-08-01

    A review is given of several important defect production and accumulation parameters for irradiated ceramics. Materials covered in this review include alumina, magnesia, spinel silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride and diamond. Whereas threshold displacement energies for many ceramics are known within a reasonable level of uncertainty (with notable exceptions being AIN and Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}), relatively little information exists on the equally important parameters of surviving defect fraction (defect production efficiency) and point defect migration energies for most ceramics. Very little fundamental displacement damage information is available for nitride ceramics. The role of subthreshold irradiation on defect migration and microstructural evolution is also briefly discussed.

  19. Defects in dilute nitrides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, W.M.; Buyanova, I.A.; Tu, C.W.; Yonezu, H.

    2005-01-01

    We provide a brief review our recent results from optically detected magnetic resonance studies of grown-in non-radiative defects in dilute nitrides, i.e. Ga(In)NAs and Ga(Al,In)NP. Defect complexes involving intrinsic defects such as As Ga antisites and Ga i self interstitials were positively identified.Effects of growth conditions, chemical compositions and post-growth treatments on formation of the defects are closely examined. These grown-in defects are shown to play an important role in non-radiative carrier recombination and thus in degrading optical quality of the alloys, harmful to performance of potential optoelectronic and photonic devices based on these dilute nitrides. (author)

  20. Genital and Urinary Tract Defects

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... conditions > Genital and urinary tract defects Genital and urinary tract defects E-mail to a friend Please fill ... and extra fluids. What problems can genital and urinary tract defects cause? Genital and urinary tract defects affect ...

  1. Classification and printability of EUV mask defects from SEM images

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, Wonil; Price, Daniel; Morgan, Paul A.; Rost, Daniel; Satake, Masaki; Tolani, Vikram L.

    2017-10-01

    Classification and Printability of EUV Mask Defects from SEM images EUV lithography is starting to show more promise for patterning some critical layers at 5nm technology node and beyond. However, there still are many key technical obstacles to overcome before bringing EUV Lithography into high volume manufacturing (HVM). One of the greatest obstacles is manufacturing defect-free masks. For pattern defect inspections in the mask-shop, cutting-edge 193nm optical inspection tools have been used so far due to lacking any e-beam mask inspection (EBMI) or EUV actinic pattern inspection (API) tools. The main issue with current 193nm inspection tools is the limited resolution for mask dimensions targeted for EUV patterning. The theoretical resolution limit for 193nm mask inspection tools is about 60nm HP on masks, which means that main feature sizes on EUV masks will be well beyond the practical resolution of 193nm inspection tools. Nevertheless, 193nm inspection tools with various illumination conditions that maximize defect sensitivity and/or main-pattern modulation are being explored for initial EUV defect detection. Due to the generally low signal-to-noise in the 193nm inspection imaging at EUV patterning dimensions, these inspections often result in hundreds and thousands of defects which then need to be accurately reviewed and dispositioned. Manually reviewing each defect is difficult due to poor resolution. In addition, the lack of a reliable aerial dispositioning system makes it very challenging to disposition for printability. In this paper, we present the use of SEM images of EUV masks for higher resolution review and disposition of defects. In this approach, most of the defects detected by the 193nm inspection tools are first imaged on a mask SEM tool. These images together with the corresponding post-OPC design clips are provided to KLA-Tencor's Reticle Decision Center (RDC) platform which provides ADC (Automated Defect Classification) and S2A (SEM

  2. Bremsstrahlung-induced highly penetrating probes for nondestructive assay and defect analysis

    CERN Document Server

    Selim, F A; Harmon, J F; Kwofie, J; Spaulding, R; Erickson, G; Roney, T

    2002-01-01

    Nondestructive assay and defect analysis probes based on bremsstrahlung-induced processes have been developed to identify elements and probe defects in large volume samples. Bremsstrahlung beams from (electron accelerators) with end-point energies both above and below neutron emission threshold have been used. Below neutron emission threshold these beams (from 6 MeV small pulsed linacs), which exhibit high penetration, create positrons via pair production inside the material and produce X-ray fluorescence (XRF) radiation. Chemical assays of heavy elements in thick samples up to 10 g/cm sup 2 thick are provided by energy dispersive XRF measurements. The pair-produced positrons annihilate within the material, thereby emitting 511 keV gamma radiation. Doppler broadening spectroscopy of the 511 keV radiation can be performed to characterize the material and measure defects in samples of any desired thickness. This technique has successfully measured induced strain due to tensile stress in steel samples of 0.64 cm...

  3. Application of Morphological Segmentation to Leaking Defect Detection in Sewer Pipelines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tung-Ching Su

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available As one of major underground pipelines, sewerage is an important infrastructure in any modern city. The most common problem occurring in sewerage is leaking, whose position and failure level is typically identified through closed circuit television (CCTV inspection in order to facilitate rehabilitation process. This paper proposes a novel method of computer vision, morphological segmentation based on edge detection (MSED, to assist inspectors in detecting pipeline defects in CCTV inspection images. In addition to MSED, other mathematical morphology-based image segmentation methods, including opening top-hat operation (OTHO and closing bottom-hat operation (CBHO, were also applied to the defect detection in vitrified clay sewer pipelines. The CCTV inspection images of the sewer system in the 9th district, Taichung City, Taiwan were selected as the experimental materials. The segmentation results demonstrate that MSED and OTHO are useful for the detection of cracks and open joints, respectively, which are the typical leakage defects found in sewer pipelines.

  4. 48 CFR 15.407-1 - Defective certified cost or pricing data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ...—Modifications. The clauses give the Government the right to a price adjustment for defects in certified cost or... recognize that the Government's right to a price adjustment is not affected by any of the following... certified, cost or pricing data, the Government has the right, under the clauses at 52.215-10, Price...

  5. Point defects and defect clusters examined on the basis of some fundamental experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zuppiroli, L.

    1975-01-01

    On progressing from the centre of the defect to the surface the theoretical approach to a point defect passes from electronic theories to elastic theory. Experiments by which the point defect can be observed fall into two categories. Those which detect long-range effects: measurement of dimensional variations in the sample; measurement of the mean crystal parameter variation; elastic X-ray scattering near the nodes of the reciprocal lattice (Huang scattering). Those which detect more local effects: low-temperature resistivity measurement; positron capture and annihilation; local scattering far from the reciprocal lattice nodes. Experiments involving both short and long-range effects can always be found. This is the case for example with the dechanneling of α particles by defects. Certain of the experimental methods quoted above apply also to the study of point defect clusters. These methods are illustrated by some of their most striking results which over the last twenty years have refined our knowledge of point defects and defect clusters: length and crystal parameter measurements; diffuse X-ray scattering; low-temperature resistivity measurements; ion emission microscopy; electron microscopy; elastoresistivity [fr

  6. Birth Defects (For Parents)

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Staying Safe Videos for Educators Search English Español Birth Defects KidsHealth / For Parents / Birth Defects What's in ... Prevented? Print en español Anomalías congénitas What Are Birth Defects? While still in the womb, some babies ...

  7. Defect of the Eyelids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Guanning Nina; Pelton, Ron W; Humphrey, Clinton D; Kriet, John David

    2017-08-01

    Eyelid defects disrupt the complex natural form and function of the eyelids and present a surgical challenge. Detailed knowledge of eyelid anatomy is essential in evaluating a defect and composing a reconstructive plan. Numerous reconstructive techniques have been described, including primary closure, grafting, and a variety of local flaps. This article describes an updated reconstructive ladder for eyelid defects that can be used in various permutations to solve most eyelid defects. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Effects of osteochondral defect size on cartilage regeneration using a double-network hydrogel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Higa, Kotaro; Kitamura, Nobuto; Goto, Keiko; Kurokawa, Takayuki; Gong, Jian Ping; Kanaya, Fuminori; Yasuda, Kazunori

    2017-05-22

    There has been increased interest in one-step cell-free procedures to avoid the problems related to cell manipulation and its inherent disadvantages. We have studied the chondrogenic induction ability of a PAMPS/PDMAAm double-network (DN) gel and found it to induce chondrogenesis in animal osteochondral defect models. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the healing process and the degree of cartilage regeneration induced by the cell-free method using DN gel are influenced by the size of osteochondral defects. A total of 63 mature female Japanese white rabbits were used in this study, randomly divided into 3 groups of 21 rabbits each. A 2.5-mm diameter osteochondral defect was created in the femoral trochlea of the patellofemoral joint of bilateral knees in Group I, a 4.3-mm osteochondral defect in Group II, and a 5.8-mm osteochondral defect in Group III. In the right knee of each animal, a DN gel plug was implanted so that a vacant space of 2-mm depth was left above the plug. In the left knee, we did not conduct any treatment to obtain control data. Animals were sacrificed at 2, 4, and 12 weeks after surgery, and gross and histological evaluations were made. The present study demonstrated that all sizes of the DN gel implanted defects as well as the 2.5mm untreated defects showed cartilage regeneration at 4 and 12 weeks. The 4.3-mm and 5.8-mm untreated defects did not show cartilage regeneration during the 12-week period. The quantitative score reported by O'Driscoll et al. was significantly higher in the 4.3-mm and 5.8-mm DN gel-implanted defects than the untreated defects at 4 and 12 weeks (p regeneration in defects between 2.5 and 5.8 mm, offering a promising device to establish a cell-free cartilage regeneration therapy and applicable to various sizes of osteochondral defects.

  9. Folic Acid and Birth Defects: A Case Study (Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Bager Hosseini

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of folic acid use in pregnancy for the reduction of neural tube defects (NTDs in the northwest region of Iran. We studied 243 women with pregnancies complicated by some forms of birth defect(s. These patients were identified by medical diagnostic tests as having a fetus with some types of congenital anomalies. The prevalence of NTDs among pregnant women who were referred for therapeutic termination of pregnancy was 24.7 percent. Consumption of folic acid prevented NTDs by 79 percent (Odds Ratio = 0.21, CI 95%: 0.12–0.40 and 94 percent (Odds Ratio = 0.06, CI 95%: 0.03–0.15 compared to pregnancies complicated by other anomalies and normal pregnancies, respectively. Hydrops fetalis, hydrocephaly, Down syndrome, and limb anomalies did not have any significant association with the folic acid use. Along with the advice for the consumption of folic acid for pregnant women, they should be offered prenatal screening or diagnostic tests to identify fetal abnormalities for possible termination of pregnancy.

  10. Influence of neutrophil defects on Burkholderia cepacia complex pathogenesis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura A. Porter

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available The Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc is a group of Gram-negative bacteria that are ubiquitous in the environment and have emerged as opportunistic pathogens in immunocompromised patients. The primary patient populations infected with Bcc include individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF, as well as those with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD. While Bcc infection in CF is better characterized than in CGD, these two genetic diseases are not obviously similar and it is currently unknown if there is any commonality in host immune defects that is responsible for the susceptibility to Bcc. CF is caused by mutations in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator, resulting in manifestations in various organ systems, however the major cause of morbidity and mortality is currently due to bacterial respiratory infections. CGD, on the other hand, is a genetic disorder that is caused by defects in phagocyte NADPH oxidase. Because of the defect in CGD, phagocytes in these patients are unable to produce reactive oxygen species, which results in increased susceptibility to bacterial and fungal infections. Despite this significant defect in microbial clearance, the spectrum of pathogens frequently implicated in infections in CGD is relatively narrow and includes some bacterial species that are considered almost pathognomonic for this disorder. Very little is known about the cause of the specific susceptibility to Bcc over other potential pathogens more prevalent in the environment, and a better understanding of specific mechanisms required for bacterial virulence has become a high priority. This review will summarize both the current knowledge and future directions related to Bcc virulence in immunocompromised individuals with a focus on the roles of bacterial factors and neutrophil defects in pathogenesis.

  11. Pathophysiology of Corneal Scarring in Persistent Epithelial Defects After PRK and Other Corneal Injuries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Steven E; Medeiros, Carla S; Santhiago, Marcony R

    2018-01-01

    To analyze corneal persistent epithelial defects that occurred at 3 to 4 weeks after -4.50 diopter (D) photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in rabbits and apply this pathophysiology to the treatment of persistent epithelial defects that occur after any corneal manipulations or diseases. Two of 168 corneas that had -4.50 D PRK to study epithelial basement membrane regeneration developed spontaneous persistent epithelial defects that did not heal at 3 weeks after PRK. These were studied with slit-lamp photographs, immunohistochemistry for the myofibroblast marker alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and transmission electron microscopy. Myofibroblasts developed at the stromal surface within the persistent epithelial defect and for a short distance peripheral to the leading edge of the epithelium. No normal epithelial basement membrane was detectable within the persistent epithelial defect or for up to 0.3 mm behind the leading edge of the epithelium, although epithelial basement membrane had normally regenerated in other areas of the zone ablated by an excimer laser where the epithelium healed promptly. A persistent epithelial defect in the cornea results in the development of myofibroblasts and disordered extracellular matrix produced by these cells that together cause opacity within, and a short distance beyond, the persistent epithelial defect. Clinicians should treat persistent epithelial defects within 10 days of non-closure of the epithelium to facilitate epithelial healing to prevent long-term stromal scarring (fibrosis). [J Refract Surg. 2018;34(1):59-64.]. Copyright 2018, SLACK Incorporated.

  12. Photographic guide of selected external defect indicators and associated internal defects in sugar maple

    Science.gov (United States)

    Everette D. Rast; John A. Beaton; David L. Sonderman

    1991-01-01

    To properly classify or grade logs or trees, one must be able to correctly identify defect indicators and assess the effect of the underlying defect on possible end products. This guide assists the individual in identifying the surface defect indicator and shows the progressive stages of the defect throughout its development for sugar maple. Eleven types of external...

  13. Photographic guide of selected external defect indicators and associated internal defects in yellow-poplar

    Science.gov (United States)

    Everette D. Rast; John A. Beaton; David L. Sonderman

    1991-01-01

    To properly classify or grade logs or trees, one must be able to correctly identify defect indicators and assess the effect of the underlying defect on possible end products. This guide assists the individual in identifying the surface defect indicator and shows the progressive stages of the defect throughout its development for yellow-poplar. Twelve types of external...

  14. Photographic guide of selected external defect indicators and associated internal defects in yellow birch

    Science.gov (United States)

    Everette D. Rast; John A. Beaton; David L. Sonderman

    1991-01-01

    To properly classify or grade logs or trees, one must be able to correctly identify defect indicators and assess the effect of the underlying defect on possible end products. This guide assists the individual in identifying the surface defect indicator and shows the progressive stages of the defect throughout its development for yellow birch. Eleven types of external...

  15. Distribution of defects in wind turbine blades and reliability assessment of blades containing defects

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stensgaard Toft, Henrik; Branner, Kim; Berring, Peter

    2009-01-01

    on the assumption that one error in the production process tends to trigger several defects. For both models additional information about number, type and size of the defects is included as stochastic variables. The probability of failure for a wind turbine blade will not only depend on variations in the material......In the present paper two stochastic models for the distribution of defects in wind turbine blades are proposed. The first model assumes that the individual defects are completely randomly distributed in the blade. The second model assumes that the defects occur in clusters of different size based...... properties and the load but also on potential defects in the blades. As a numerical example the probability of failure is calculated for the main spar both with and without defects in terms of delaminations. The delaminations increase the probability of failure compared to a perfect blade, but by applying...

  16. Entanglement entropy in integrable field theories with line defects II. Non-topological defect

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Yunfeng

    2017-08-01

    This is the second part of two papers where we study the effect of integrable line defects on bipartite entanglement entropy in integrable field theories. In this paper, we consider non-topological line defects in Ising field theory. We derive an infinite series expression for the entanglement entropy and show that both the UV and IR limits of the bulk entanglement entropy are modified by the line defect. In the UV limit, we give an infinite series expression for the coefficient in front of the logarithmic divergence and the exact defect g-function. By tuning the defect to be purely transmissive and reflective, we recover correctly the entanglement entropy of the bulk and with integrable boundary respectively.

  17. Periorbital cyst with bone defect in a dog

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ito, K.; Asano, K.; Urano, T.; Ogiwara, N.; Seki, M.; Kato, Y.; Sasaki, Y.; Teshima, K.; Kutara, K.; Edamura, K.; Shibuya, H.; Tanaka, S.

    2006-01-01

    A 4-year-old female Miniature Dachshund was referred with a chief complaint of right periorbital swelling that had not responded to antibiotic therapy. Ultrasonography and fine-needle aspiration revealed that the periorbital lesion had a cystic structure without any inflammatory or neoplastic cells. Computed tomography (CT) showed that the cyst occupied a defect in the periorbital maxillary, lacrimal, and frontal bones and had invaded the nasal cavity. The lesion was histologically suspected by incisional biopsy as an epithelial cyst

  18. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) Characterization Methods for Sigma=3 Twin Defects in Cubic Semiconductor (100) Wafers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Yeonjoon (Inventor); Kim, Hyun Jung (Inventor); Skuza, Jonathan R. (Inventor); Lee, Kunik (Inventor); King, Glen C. (Inventor); Choi, Sang Hyouk (Inventor)

    2017-01-01

    An X-ray defraction (XRD) characterization method for sigma=3 twin defects in cubic semiconductor (100) wafers includes a concentration measurement method and a wafer mapping method for any cubic tetrahedral semiconductor wafers including GaAs (100) wafers and Si (100) wafers. The methods use the cubic semiconductor's (004) pole figure in order to detect sigma=3/{111} twin defects. The XRD methods are applicable to any (100) wafers of tetrahedral cubic semiconductors in the diamond structure (Si, Ge, C) and cubic zinc-blend structure (InP, InGaAs, CdTe, ZnSe, and so on) with various growth methods such as Liquid Encapsulated Czochralski (LEC) growth, Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE), Organometallic Vapor Phase Epitaxy (OMVPE), Czochralski growth and Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) growth.

  19. Esthetic management of mucogingival defects after excision of epulis using laterally positioned flaps.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Yu-feng; Shu, Rong; Qian, Jie-lei; Lin, Zhi-kai; Romanos, Georgios E

    2015-03-01

    Epulis is a benign hyperplasia of the oral soft tissues. Surgical excision always extends to the periosteum and includes scaling of adjacent teeth to remove any possible irritants. The esthetics of the soft tissues may be compromised, however. This article studies three cases in which an immediate laterally positioned flap (LRF) was used to repair mucogingival defects after epulis biopsies. After 24 months, the color and shape of the surgical areas were healthy and stable, nearly complete root coverage was evident, and no lesions reoccurred. For repairing gingival defects after biopsy, LRF appears to be minimally traumatic while promoting esthetic outcomes.

  20. The automatic pelvic floor muscle response to the active straight leg raise in cases with pelvic girdle pain and matched controls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stuge, Britt; Sætre, Kaja; Ingeborg Hoff, Brækken

    2013-08-01

    The active straight leg raise (ASLR) test has been proposed as a clinical test for the assessment of pelvic girdle pain (PGP). Little is known about the activation of the pelvic floor muscles (PFM) during ASLR. The main aim of this study was to examine the automatic PFM contraction during ASLR. Specific aims were to compare automatic contraction to rest and to voluntary contraction, to compare PFM contraction during ASLR with and without compression and to examine whether there were any differences in PFM contraction between women with and without clinically diagnosed PGP during ASLR. Forty-nine pairs of women participated in a cross-sectional study with individual, one-to-one matched cases and controls. PFM was assessed by reliable and valid 3D ultrasound at rest, during voluntary and automatic contraction. Test-retest data for the levator hiatus during ASLR showed good repeatability. Significantly automatic PFM contractions occurred when ASLR tests were performed. There was a strong positive correlation between voluntary and automatic PFM contractions. Manual compression reduced the automatic PFM contraction during ASLR by 62-66%. There were no significant differences between cases and controls in reduction of levator hiatus or muscle length from rest to automatic contractions during ASLR. Interestingly, a significantly smaller levator hiatus was found in women with PGP than in controls, at rest, during an automatic contraction with ASLR and during voluntary contraction. In conclusion, a significant automatic PFM contraction occurred during ASLR, both in cases and in controls. Women with PGP had a significantly smaller levator hiatus than controls. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Basic Study on Term of Warranty Liability for Water Supply, Drainage, and Sanitation Arrangement Work Defect in Apartment Building

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Junmo; Seo, DeokSeok

    2017-06-01

    The defect lawsuit of the apartment which is the representative residential style of Korea continues and becomes a social problem. In the defect lawsuit, the term of warranty liability is a period that can demand the defect repair according to defect occurrence, and the exclusion period of the exercise of rights. However, the term of warranty liability stipulated in relevant laws such as Enforcement Decree of the Housing Act is being changed arbitrarily, without any established grounds. Therefore, a reasonable standard for establishing the term of warranty liability is required. In this study, the defects of water supply, drainage and sanitation arrangement work were studied. As a result of analyzing the number of defect occurrence in the apartment, it was shown that the defects in water supply, drainage and sanitation arrangement work occurred more than 80% in the 1st ∼ 2nd year after completion. However, the occurrence of defects from the 3rd year was extremely slight. On the other hand, it was confirmed that the defect occurrence continued until fairly late point of time as the end point of time of the defects was in the 7th to 9th years.

  2. Development of Geometry Normalized Electromagnetic System (GNES) instrument for metal defect detection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zakaria, Zakaria; Surbakti, Muhammad Syukri; Syahreza, Saumi; Mat Jafri, Mohd. Zubir; Tan, Kok Chooi

    2017-10-01

    It has been already made, calibrated and tested a geometry normalized electromagnetic system (GNES) for metal defect examination. The GNES has an automatic data acquisition system which supporting the efficiency and accuracy of the measurement. The data will be displayed on the computer monitor as a graphic display then saved automatically in the Microsoft Excel format. The transmitter will transmit the frequency pair (FP) signals i.e. 112.5 Hz and 337.5 Hz; 112.5 Hz and 1012.5 Hz; 112.5 Hz and 3037.5 Hz; 337.5 Hz and 1012.5 Hz; 337.5 Hz and 3037.5 Hz. Simultaneous transmissions of two electromagnetic waves without distortions by the transmitter will induce an eddy current in the metal. This current, in turn, will produce secondary electromagnetic fields which are measured by the receiver together with the primary fields. Measurement of percent change of a vertical component of the fields will give the percent response caused by the metal or the defect. The response examinations were performed by the models with various type of defect for the master curves. The materials of samples as a plate were using Aluminum, Brass, and Copper. The more of the defects is the more reduction of the eddy current response. The defect contrasts were tended to decrease when the more depth of the defect position. The magnitude and phase of the eddy currents will affect the loading on the coil thus its impedance. The defect must interrupt the surface eddy current flow to be detected. Defect lying parallel to the current path will not cause any significant interruption and may not be detected. The main factors which affect the eddy current response are metal conductivity, permeability, frequency, and geometry.

  3. Natural defects and defects created by ionic implantation in zinc tellurium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roche, J.P.; Dupuy, M.; Pfister, J.C.

    1977-01-01

    Various defects have been studied in ZnTe crystals by transmission electron microscope and by scanning electron microscope in cathodo-luminescence mode: grain boundaries, sub-grain boundaries, twins. Ionic implants of boron (100 keV - 2x10 14 and 10 15 ions cm -2 ) were made on these crystals followed by isochrone annealing (30 minutes) of zinc under partial pressure at 550, 650 and 750 0 C. The nature of the defects was determined by transmission electron microscope: these are interstitial loops (b=1/3 ) the size of which varies between 20 A (non-annealed sample) and 180A (annealed at 750 0 C). The transmission electron microscope was also used to make concentration profiles of defects depending on depth. It is found that for the same implant (2x10 14 ions.cm -2 ), the defect peak moves towards the exterior of the crystal as the annealing temperature rises (400 - 1000 and 7000 A for the three annealings). These results are explained from a model which allows for the coalescence of defects and considers the surface of the sample as being the principal source of vacancies. During the annealings, the migration of vacancies brings about the gradual annihilation of the implant defects. The adjustment of certain calculation parameters on the computer result in giving 2 eV as energy value for the formation of vacancies [fr

  4. Electrical stimulation to the trigeminal proprioceptive fibres that innervate the mechanoreceptors in Müller's muscle induces involuntary reflex contraction of the frontalis muscles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsuo, Kiyoshi; Osada, Yoshiro; Ban, Ryokuya

    2013-02-01

    The levator and frontalis muscles lack interior muscle spindles, despite consisting of slow-twitch fibres that involuntarily sustain eyelid-opening and eyebrow-raising against gravity. To compensate for this anatomical defect, this study hypothetically proposes that initial voluntary contraction of the levator fast-twitch muscle fibres stretches the mechanoreceptors in Müller's muscle and evokes proprioception, which continuously induces reflex contraction of slow-twitch fibres of the levator and frontalis muscles. This study sought to determine whether unilateral transcutaneous electrical stimulation to the trigeminal proprioceptive fibres that innervate the mechanoreceptors in Müller's muscle could induce electromyographic responses in the frontalis muscles, with monitoring responses in the orbicularis oculi muscles. The study population included 27 normal subjects and 23 subjects with aponeurotic blepharoptosis, who displayed persistently raised eyebrows on primary gaze and light eyelid closure. The stimulation induced a short-latency response in the ipsilateral frontalis muscle of all subjects and long-latency responses in the bilateral frontalis muscles of normal subjects. However, it did not induce long-latency responses in the bilateral frontalis muscles of subjects with aponeurotic blepharoptosis. The orbicularis oculi muscles showed R1 and/or R2 responses. The stimulation might reach not only the proprioceptive fibres, but also other sensory fibres related to the blink or corneal reflex. The experimental system can provoke a monosynaptic short-latency response in the ipsilateral frontalis muscle, probably through the mesencephalic trigeminal proprioceptive neuron and the frontalis motor neuron, and polysynaptic long-latency responses in the bilateral frontalis muscles through an unknown pathway. The latter neural circuit appeared to be engaged by the circumstances of aponeurotic blepharoptosis.

  5. Modeling the relationships among internal defect features and external Appalachian hardwood log defect indicators

    Science.gov (United States)

    R. Edward. Thomas

    2009-01-01

    As a hardwood tree grows and develops, surface defects such as branch stubs and wounds are overgrown. Evidence of these defects remain on the log surface for decades and in many instances for the life of the tree. As the tree grows the defect is encapsulated or grown over by new wood. During this process the appearance of the defect in the tree's bark changes. The...

  6. Repair of experimentally produced defects in rabbit articular cartilage by autologous chondrocyte transplantation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grande, D.A.; Pitman, M.I.; Peterson, L.; Menche, D.; Klein, M.

    1989-01-01

    Using the knee joints of New Zealand White rabbits, a baseline study was made to determine the intrinsic capability of cartilage for healing defects that do not fracture the subchondral plate. A second experiment examined the effect of autologous chondrocytes grown in vitro on the healing rate of these defects. To determine whether any of the reconstituted cartilage resulted from the chondrocyte graft, a third experiment was conducted involving grafts with chondrocytes that had been labeled prior to grafting with a nuclear tracer. Results were evaluated using both qualitative and quantitative light microscopy. Macroscopic results from grafted specimens displayed a marked decrease in synovitis and other degenerative changes. In defects that had received transplants, a significant amount of cartilage was reconstituted (82%) compared to ungrafted controls (18%). Autoradiography on reconstituted cartilage showed that there were labeled cells incorporated into the repair matrix

  7. Automatic classification of blank substrate defects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boettiger, Tom; Buck, Peter; Paninjath, Sankaranarayanan; Pereira, Mark; Ronald, Rob; Rost, Dan; Samir, Bhamidipati

    2014-10-01

    Mask preparation stages are crucial in mask manufacturing, since this mask is to later act as a template for considerable number of dies on wafer. Defects on the initial blank substrate, and subsequent cleaned and coated substrates, can have a profound impact on the usability of the finished mask. This emphasizes the need for early and accurate identification of blank substrate defects and the risk they pose to the patterned reticle. While Automatic Defect Classification (ADC) is a well-developed technology for inspection and analysis of defects on patterned wafers and masks in the semiconductors industry, ADC for mask blanks is still in the early stages of adoption and development. Calibre ADC is a powerful analysis tool for fast, accurate, consistent and automatic classification of defects on mask blanks. Accurate, automated classification of mask blanks leads to better usability of blanks by enabling defect avoidance technologies during mask writing. Detailed information on blank defects can help to select appropriate job-decks to be written on the mask by defect avoidance tools [1][4][5]. Smart algorithms separate critical defects from the potentially large number of non-critical defects or false defects detected at various stages during mask blank preparation. Mechanisms used by Calibre ADC to identify and characterize defects include defect location and size, signal polarity (dark, bright) in both transmitted and reflected review images, distinguishing defect signals from background noise in defect images. The Calibre ADC engine then uses a decision tree to translate this information into a defect classification code. Using this automated process improves classification accuracy, repeatability and speed, while avoiding the subjectivity of human judgment compared to the alternative of manual defect classification by trained personnel [2]. This paper focuses on the results from the evaluation of Automatic Defect Classification (ADC) product at MP Mask

  8. Holographic Chern-Simons defects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fujita, Mitsutoshi; Melby-Thompson, Charles M.; Meyer, René; Sugimoto, Shigeki

    2016-01-01

    We study SU(N) Yang-Mills-Chern-Simons theory in the presence of defects that shift the Chern-Simons level from a holographic point of view by embedding the system in string theory. The model is a D3-D7 system in Type IIB string theory, whose gravity dual is given by the AdS soliton background with probe D7 branes attaching to the AdS boundary along the defects. We holographically renormalize the free energy of the defect system with sources, from which we obtain the correlation functions for certain operators naturally associated to these defects. We find interesting phase transitions when the separation of the defects as well as the temperature are varied. We also discuss some implications for the Fractional Quantum Hall Effect and for 2-dimensional QCD.

  9. Exact scale-invariant background of gravitational waves from cosmic defects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Figueroa, Daniel G; Hindmarsh, Mark; Urrestilla, Jon

    2013-03-08

    We demonstrate that any scaling source in the radiation era produces a background of gravitational waves with an exact scale-invariant power spectrum. Cosmic defects, created after a phase transition in the early universe, are such a scaling source. We emphasize that the result is independent of the topology of the cosmic defects, the order of phase transition, and the nature of the symmetry broken, global or gauged. As an example, using large-scale numerical simulations, we calculate the scale-invariant gravitational wave power spectrum generated by the dynamics of a global O(N) scalar theory. The result approaches the large N theoretical prediction as N(-2), albeit with a large coefficient. The signal from global cosmic strings is O(100) times larger than the large N prediction.

  10. Computer code for the atomistic simulation of lattice defects and dynamics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schiffgens, J.O.; Graves, N.J.; Oster, C.A.

    1980-04-01

    The computer code COMENT used to simulate the effect of temperature, impurities, and pre-existing defects on radiation-induced defect production mechanisms, defect properties, defect migration, and defect stability. This report documents Version IV of COMENT (models, methods, and implementation) and defines current code options. Version IV of COMENT generates only face-centered-cubic (fcc) crystal lattices. However, an effort was made to structure COMENT to allow addition of new options with a minimum of change in the existing version of the code. This document describes the calling program and thirty-two user-defined subroutines. Fourteen subroutines (ALOYORD, DASPKA, DFCT, DSLOAN, DSLOIN, EXPAND, POT1, POT2, POT3, POT4, POT5, POT6, POT7, and THRMAL) are associated with the selection of program options; only a few of these are used in any given analysis. Seven of the other subroutines (CRYSTL, IEAF, INCBOX, LABLE, MINILAT, SPEFORS, and SQUEZ are used to establish a variety of arrays and conditions required for each analysis; most of them are used once in a given calculation. The remaining eleven subroutines (DAMP, DIRECT, IDDEF, NEAF, INBIN, FILBIN, FTBIN, PAC3, UNPAC3, PACF, and UNPACF) are used many times in each calculation; the last eight of these are used many times in each time step during the integration and, therefore, are written in COMPASS (CDC assembly language). The COMPASS subroutines are described in sufficient detail to permit easy conversion to some other assembly language or to FORTRAN

  11. Bone augmentation procedures in localized defects in the alveolar ridge: clinical results with different bone grafts and bone-substitute materials

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Simon Storgård; Terheyden, Hendrik

    2009-01-01

    PURPOSE: The objective of this review was to evaluate the efficacy of different grafting protocols for the augmentation of localized alveolar ridge defects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A MEDLINE search and an additional hand search of selected journals were performed to identify all levels of clinical...... evidence except expert opinions. Any publication written in English and including 10 or more patients with at least 12 months of follow-up after loading of the implants was eligible for this review. The results were categorized according to the presenting defect type: (1) dehiscence and fenestration...... periods. The heterogeneity of the available data did not allow identifying one superior grafting protocol for any of the osseous defect types under investigation. However, a series of grafting materials can be considered well-documented for different indications based on this review. There is a high level...

  12. A robust segmentation approach based on analysis of features for defect detection in X-ray images of aluminium castings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lecomte, G.; Kaftandjian, V.; Cendre, Emmanuelle

    2007-01-01

    A robust image processing algorithm has been developed for detection of small and low contrasted defects, adapted to X-ray images of castings having a non-uniform background. The sensitivity to small defects is obtained at the expense of a high false alarm rate. We present in this paper a feature...... three parameters and taking into account the fact that X-ray grey-levels follow a statistical normal law. Results are shown on a set of 684 images, involving 59 defects, on which we obtained a 100% detection rate without any false alarm....

  13. Point defects in solids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1978-01-01

    The principal properties of point defects are studied: thermodynamics, electronic structure, interactions with etended defects, production by irradiation. Some measuring methods are presented: atomic diffusion, spectroscopic methods, diffuse scattering of neutron and X rays, positron annihilation, molecular dynamics. Then points defects in various materials are investigated: ionic crystals, oxides, semiconductor materials, metals, intermetallic compounds, carbides, nitrides [fr

  14. Defect detection using transient thermography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mohd Zaki Umar; Ibrahim Ahmad; Ab Razak Hamzah; Wan Saffiey Wan Abdullah

    2008-08-01

    An experimental research had been carried out to study the potential of transient thermography in detecting sub-surface defect of non-metal material. In this research, eight pieces of bakelite material were used as samples. Each samples had a sub-surface defect in the circular shape with different diameters and depths. Experiment was conducted using one-sided Pulsed Thermal technique. Heating of samples were done using 30 kWatt adjustable quartz lamp while infra red (IR) images of samples were recorded using THV 550 IR camera. These IR images were then analysed with ThermofitTMPro software to obtain the Maximum Absolute Differential Temperature Signal value, ΔΤ m ax and the time of its appearance, τ m ax (ΔΤ). Result showed that all defects were able to be detected even for the smallest and deepest defect (diameter = 5 mm and depth = 4 mm). However the highest value of Differential Temperature Signal (ΔΤ m ax), were obtained at defect with the largest diameter, 20 mm and at the shallowest depth, 1 mm. As a conclusion, the sensitivity of the pulsed thermography technique to detect sub-surface defects of bakelite material is proportionately related with the size of defect diameter if the defects are at the same depth. On the contrary, the sensitivity of the pulsed thermography technique inversely related with the depth of defect if the defects have similar diameter size. (Author)

  15. A one-versus-all class binarization strategy for bearing diagnostics of concurrent defects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ng, Selina S Y; Tse, Peter W; Tsui, Kwok L

    2014-01-13

    In bearing diagnostics using a data-driven modeling approach, a concern is the need for data from all possible scenarios to build a practical model for all operating conditions. This paper is a study on bearing diagnostics with the concurrent occurrence of multiple defect types. The authors are not aware of any work in the literature that studies this practical problem. A strategy based on one-versus-all (OVA) class binarization is proposed to improve fault diagnostics accuracy while reducing the number of scenarios for data collection, by predicting concurrent defects from training data of normal and single defects. The proposed OVA diagnostic approach is evaluated with empirical analysis using support vector machine (SVM) and C4.5 decision tree, two popular classification algorithms frequently applied to system health diagnostics and prognostics. Statistical features are extracted from the time domain and the frequency domain. Prediction performance of the proposed strategy is compared with that of a simple multi-class classification, as well as that of random guess and worst-case classification. We have verified the potential of the proposed OVA diagnostic strategy in performance improvements for single-defect diagnosis and predictions of BPFO plus BPFI concurrent defects using two laboratory-collected vibration data sets.

  16. A One-Versus-All Class Binarization Strategy for Bearing Diagnostics of Concurrent Defects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Selina S. Y. Ng

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available In bearing diagnostics using a data-driven modeling approach, a concern is the need for data from all possible scenarios to build a practical model for all operating conditions. This paper is a study on bearing diagnostics with the concurrent occurrence of multiple defect types. The authors are not aware of any work in the literature that studies this practical problem. A strategy based on one-versus-all (OVA class binarization is proposed to improve fault diagnostics accuracy while reducing the number of scenarios for data collection, by predicting concurrent defects from training data of normal and single defects. The proposed OVA diagnostic approach is evaluated with empirical analysis using support vector machine (SVM and C4.5 decision tree, two popular classification algorithms frequently applied to system health diagnostics and prognostics. Statistical features are extracted from the time domain and the frequency domain. Prediction performance of the proposed strategy is compared with that of a simple multi-class classification, as well as that of random guess and worst-case classification. We have verified the potential of the proposed OVA diagnostic strategy in performance improvements for single-defect diagnosis and predictions of BPFO plus BPFI concurrent defects using two laboratory-collected vibration data sets.

  17. Groin defects seen at extra-peritoneal laparoscopic dissection during surgical treatment of athletic pubalgia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wikiel, Krzysztof J; Eid, George M

    2015-07-01

    Recently new disease process, often referred to as athletic pubalgia (AP), has been acknowledged by the medical community. The patients suffering from this ailment present with unilateral or bilateral chronic groin pain associated with physical activity without a clear diagnosis of a groin hernia. Though physical therapy and medical treatments are considered first line remedies, some believe that surgical treatment may have better, quicker, and more durable outcomes and procedures aimed at groin reinforcement seem to relieve most of symptoms in the majority of the patients. Despite many surgeons consistently noting rectus insertion or adductor thinning, multiple hernia defects are often seen during dissections and the clinical significance of these findings is still not known. Between 2007 and 2011, 40 patients underwent an extra-peritoneal laparoscopic reinforcement of rectus abdominals and insertion of adductor muscles for AP. All patients underwent wide and bilateral groin dissection and the findings were cataloged. All of the patients presented with groin defects upon wide dissection. Thirty-four patients (85%) presented with small bilateral indirect inguinal defects and 28 (70%) of these patients did not have any additional defects. Five patients (12.5%) were found to have only unilateral inguinal hernia defects. One patient presented with a small direct defect. In addition to these defects, five patients (12.5%) had additional unilateral femoral hernias, whereas no patient had solitary femoral hernia defects. AP is a new diagnostic entity with poorly understood etiology. It mostly affects young active adults, often involved in competitive sports and surgical methods may be most effective at achieving the cure. In our experience all of the patients presented with groin defects, though not all were the same. It is our belief that these defects, although likely not the only component, play a significant role in the pathophysiology of AP.

  18. Risk factors and birth prevalence of birth defects and inborn errors of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Children with any birth defect or metabolic errors of metabolism at birth or in the neonatology section were our sample for study. Control group was randomly selected from the cases with normal live births. Blood tests were performed for children suspected to suffer from genetic blood disorders. The principal BD as per the ...

  19. EUV actinic defect inspection and defect printability at the sub-32 nm half pitch

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huh, Sungmin; Kearney, Patrick; Wurm, Stefan; Goodwin, Frank; Han, Hakseung; Goldberg, Kenneth; Mochi, Iacopp; Gullikson, Eric M.

    2009-08-01

    Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask blanks with embedded phase defects were inspected with a reticle actinic inspection tool (AIT) and the Lasertec M7360. The Lasertec M7360, operated at SEMA TECH's Mask Blank Development Center (MBDC) in Albany, NY, has a sensitivity to multilayer defects down to 40-45 nm, which is not likely sufficient for mask blank development below the 32 nm half-pitch node. Phase defect printability was simulated to calculate the required defect sensitivity for a next generation blank inspection tool to support reticle development for the sub-32 nm half-pitch technology node. Defect mitigation technology is proposed to take advantage of mask blanks with some defects. This technology will reduce the cost of ownership of EUV mask blanks. This paper will also discuss the kind of infrastructure that will be required for the development and mass production stages.

  20. Relationship between defect density and charge carrier transport in amorphous and microcrystalline silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Astakhov, Oleksandr; Carius, Reinhard; Finger, Friedhelm; Petrusenko, Yuri; Borysenko, Valery; Barankov, Dmytro

    2009-01-01

    all spin-detected defects are also visible in the CPM spectra. Finally, the evaluation of CPM spectra in defect-rich microcrystalline silicon shows complete absence of any correlation between spin-detected defects and subband gap absorption determined from CPM: a result which casts considerable doubt on the usefulness of this technique for the determination of defect densities in microcrystalline silicon. The result can be related to the inhomogeneous structure of microcrystalline silicon with its consequences on transport and recombination processes

  1. Multiscale crystal defect dynamics: A coarse-grained lattice defect model based on crystal microstructure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lyu, Dandan; Li, Shaofan

    2017-10-01

    Crystal defects have microstructure, and this microstructure should be related to the microstructure of the original crystal. Hence each type of crystals may have similar defects due to the same failure mechanism originated from the same microstructure, if they are under the same loading conditions. In this work, we propose a multiscale crystal defect dynamics (MCDD) model that models defects by considering its intrinsic microstructure derived from the microstructure or material genome of the original perfect crystal. The main novelties of present work are: (1) the discrete exterior calculus and algebraic topology theory are used to construct a scale-up (coarse-grained) dual lattice model for crystal defects, which may represent all possible defect modes inside a crystal; (2) a higher order Cauchy-Born rule (up to the fourth order) is adopted to construct atomistic-informed constitutive relations for various defect process zones, and (3) an hierarchical strain gradient theory based finite element formulation is developed to support an hierarchical multiscale cohesive (process) zone model for various defects in a unified formulation. The efficiency of MCDD computational algorithm allows us to simulate dynamic defect evolution at large scale while taking into account atomistic interaction. The MCDD model has been validated by comparing of the results of MCDD simulations with that of molecular dynamics (MD) in the cases of nanoindentation and uniaxial tension. Numerical simulations have shown that MCDD model can predict dislocation nucleation induced instability and inelastic deformation, and thus it may provide an alternative solution to study crystal plasticity.

  2. First interim examination of defected BWR and PWR rods tested in unlimited air at 2290C

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Einziger, R.E.; Cook, J.A.

    1983-01-01

    A five-year whole rod test was initiated to investigate the long-term stability of spent fuel rods under a variety of possible dry storage conditions. Both PWR and BWR rods were included in the test. The first interim examination was conducted after three months of testing to determine if there was any degradation in those defected rods stored in an unlimited air atmosphere. Visual observations, diametral measurements and radiographic smears were used to assess the degree of cladding deformation and particulate dispersal. The PWR rod showed no measurable change from the pre-test condition. The two original artificial defects had not changed in appearance and there was no diametral growth of the cladding. One of the defects in BWR rod showed significant deformation. There was approximately 10% cladding strain at the defect site and a small axial crack had formed. The fuel in the defect did not appear to be friable. The second defect showed no visible change and no cladding strain. Following examination, the test was continued at 230 0 C. Another interim examination is planned during the summer of 1983. This paper discusses the details and meaning of the data from the first interim examination

  3. Leveling coatings for reducing the atomic oxygen defect density in protected graphite fiber epoxy composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaworske, D. A.; Degroh, Kim K.; Podojil, G.; McCollum, T.; Anzic, J.

    1992-11-01

    Pinholes or other defect sites in a protective oxide coating provide pathways for atomic oxygen in low Earth orbit to reach underlying material. One concept of enhancing the lifetime of materials in low Earth orbit is to apply a leveling coating to the material prior to applying any reflective and protective coatings. Using a surface tension leveling coating concept, a low viscosity epoxy was applied to the surface of several composite coupons. A protective layer of 1000 A of SiO2 was deposited on top of the leveling coating, and the coupons were exposed to an atomic oxygen environment in a plasma asher. Pinhole populations per unit area were estimated by counting the number of undercut sites observed by scanning electron microscopy. Defect density values of 180,000 defects/sq cm were reduced to about 1000 defects/sq cm as a result of the applied leveling coating. These improvements occur at a mass penalty of about 2.5 mg/sq cm.

  4. Surface defects and chiral algebras

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Córdova, Clay [School of Natural Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study,1 Einstein Dr, Princeton, NJ 08540 (United States); Gaiotto, Davide [Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics,31 Caroline St N, Waterloo, ON N2L 2Y5 (Canada); Shao, Shu-Heng [School of Natural Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study,1 Einstein Dr, Princeton, NJ 08540 (United States)

    2017-05-26

    We investigate superconformal surface defects in four-dimensional N=2 superconformal theories. Each such defect gives rise to a module of the associated chiral algebra and the surface defect Schur index is the character of this module. Various natural chiral algebra operations such as Drinfeld-Sokolov reduction and spectral flow can be interpreted as constructions involving four-dimensional surface defects. We compute the index of these defects in the free hypermultiplet theory and Argyres-Douglas theories, using both infrared techniques involving BPS states, as well as renormalization group flows onto Higgs branches. In each case we find perfect agreement with the predicted characters.

  5. Laterality defects in the national birth defects prevention study 1998-2007 birth prevalence and descriptive epidemiology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Little is known epidemiologically about laterality defects. Using data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS), a large multi-site case-control study of birth defects, we analyzed prevalence and selected characteristics in children born with laterality defects born from 1998 to 2007...

  6. Total diffusing power of perturbed lattices and dissymmetry of reflections. Case of groups of defects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tournarie, Max

    1959-01-01

    The total diffusing power for a crystallite of any form containing a centrosymmetric defect has been established. The antisymmetrical part of the deformation potential only contributes very slightly to the primary dissymmetry. We then go on to study the case of a group of defects of the same type. The calculation converges sufficiently to describe the thermal agitation of an infinite crystal. Reprint of a paper published in 'Comptes Rendus des Seances de l'Academie des Sciences', t. 248, p. 2103-2105, sitting of April 6, 1959 [fr

  7. Laser site selective spectroscopy of rare-earth defects in fluorites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Murdoch, K.M.

    1998-01-01

    Full text: Rare-earth (R 3+ ) doped fluorites (CaF 2 , SrF 2 , and BaF 2 ) have long been a model system for investigating the defect chemistry of crystalline solids. The trivalent R 3+ ions substitute for the divalent cations of the host and are charge compensated by the inclusion of additional interstitial fluoride ions (F - j ). A variety of R 3+ centres arise, including cubic symmetry R 3+ sites remote from any F - j , single R 3+ ions associated with one neighbouring F - j , and clusters of R 3+ associated with multiple F - j . Additional R 3+ centres are produced by chemical modifications involving the substitution of host anions or cations. Numerous experimental studies have shown that the relative populations of these centres are determined by the size of the R 3+ ions, the R 3+ concentration in the crystal, the crystals thermal history, and any pressure treatments. A considerable volume of theoretical work has also been presented to interpret these results. Laser site selective spectroscopy has proved a powerful technique for probing the defect chemistry of R 3+ doped fluorites. Some of the important results and conclusions of these experiments will be reviewed. A detailed account, with references to the original studies, has also been published recently

  8. Frequency of cardiac defects among children at echocardiography centre in a teaching hospital

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Malik, A.S.; Majeed, R.; Channer, M.S.; Saleem, M.I.

    2010-01-01

    Objective: To assess frequency of cardiac defects among children from birth to 12 years of age on each Methodology: A cross sectional study was conducted at echocardiography centre in coronary care unit at Bahawal Victoria Hby Paediatric Transthoracic echo probe; 2-D colour Doppler, Acuson CV-70 and Niemo-30 echocardiography machines. Mothers of children with cardiac defects were interviewed at the echocardiography centre. Variables included were A- Muscular plus Vascular defects; B- Valvular defects; C-Pericardial effusion; D- Dextrocardia and E- Congestive cardiac failure. History of children for sore throat followed by joint pains; history of mothers for drug intake (antihypertensive, antipyretic, anti-emetic, hypoglycaemic) as well as chronic diseases (diabetes mellitus, hypertension, anaemia) during pregnancy were surveyed. Parity of mothers, their cousin marriages, and family socio-economic status was also inquired. The results were tabulated, analyzed and finally subjected to suitable test of significant (SR of proportion) to find out statistical significant if any. Results: It was found that out of 150 patients, 76 (50.66%) were suffering from Cardiac muscular and Vascular defects, 61 (40.66%) Valvular defects, 7 (4.66%) Pericardial effusion, 2 (1.33%) Dextrocardia and 4 (2.66%) from Congestive Cardiac Failure. According to age, 54 (36%) were from birth to 3 years of age and 51 (34%) from 10 to 12 years. There was history of Rheumatic fever among 45 (30%) children. There were 106 (70.6%) children from lower socio-economic class and 79 (52.6%) parents had history of cousin marriages. Conclusion: Frequency of cardiac defects was more in children of male sex, lower socio-economic group, from birth to three years age and children from primipara mothers in our specified locality. Rheumatic fever, cousin's marriage, and prescribed drugs intake during pregnancy (for metabolic and hormonal disorders) were other contributors to cardiac defects. (author)

  9. Defects at oxide surfaces

    CERN Document Server

    Thornton, Geoff

    2015-01-01

    This book presents the basics and characterization of defects at oxide surfaces. It provides a state-of-the-art review of the field, containing information to the various types of surface defects, describes analytical methods to study defects, their chemical activity and the catalytic reactivity of oxides. Numerical simulations of defective structures complete the picture developed. Defects on planar surfaces form the focus of much of the book, although the investigation of powder samples also form an important part. The experimental study of planar surfaces opens the possibility of applying the large armoury of techniques that have been developed over the last half-century to study surfaces in ultra-high vacuum. This enables the acquisition of atomic level data under well-controlled conditions, providing a stringent test of theoretical methods. The latter can then be more reliably applied to systems such as nanoparticles for which accurate methods of characterization of structure and electronic properties ha...

  10. 48 CFR 1615.407-1 - Rate reduction for defective pricing or defective cost or pricing data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... defective pricing or defective cost or pricing data. 1615.407-1 Section 1615.407-1 Federal Acquisition... CONTRACTING METHODS AND CONTRACT TYPES CONTRACTING BY NEGOTIATION Contract Pricing 1615.407-1 Rate reduction for defective pricing or defective cost or pricing data. The clause set forth in section 1652.215-70...

  11. 48 CFR 1652.215-70 - Rate Reduction for Defective Pricing or Defective Cost or Pricing Data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... Defective Pricing or Defective Cost or Pricing Data. 1652.215-70 Section 1652.215-70 Federal Acquisition... CLAUSES AND FORMS CONTRACT CLAUSES Texts of FEHBP Clauses 1652.215-70 Rate Reduction for Defective Pricing or Defective Cost or Pricing Data. As prescribed in 1615.407-1, the following clause shall be...

  12. Point defects in platinum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Piercy, G.R.

    1960-01-01

    An investigation was made of the mobility and types of point defect introduced in platinum by deformation in liquid nitrogen, quenching into water from 1600 o C, or reactor irradiation at 50 o C. In all cases the activation energy for motion of the defect was determined from measurements of electrical resistivity. Measurements of density, hardness, and x-ray line broadening were also made there applicable. These experiments indicated that the principal defects remaining in platinum after irradiation were single vacant lattice sites and after quenching were pairs of vacant lattice sites. Those present after deformation In liquid nitrogen were single vacant lattice sites and another type of defect, perhaps interstitial atoms. (author)

  13. Analysis of defects near the surface and the interface of semiconductors by monoenergetic positron beam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uedono, Akira; Tanigawa, Shoichiro

    1989-01-01

    A monoenergetic low-speed positron beam line is constructed and a study is made on defects near the surface and the interface of semiconductors by using the beam line. Sodium-22 is used as beam source. Ion implantation, though being an essential technique for semiconductor integrated circuit production, can introduce lattice defects, affecting the yield and reliability of the resultant semiconductor devices. Some observations are made on the dependence of the Doppler broadening on the depth, and the ΔS-E relationship in P + -ion implanted SiO 2 (43nm)-Si. These observations demonstrate that monoenergetic positron beam is useful to detect hole-type defects resulting from ion implantation over a very wide range of defect density. Another study is made for the detection of defects near an interface. Positrons are expected to drift when left in an electric field with a gradient. Observations made here show that positrons can be concentrated at any desired interface by introducing an electric field intensity gradient in the oxide. This process also serves for accurate measurement of the electronic structure at the interface, and the effect of ion implantation and radiations on the interface. (N.K.)

  14. On the influence of extrinsic point defects on irradiation-induced point-defect distributions in silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vanhellemont, J.; Romano-Rodriguez, A.

    1994-01-01

    A semi-quantitative model describing the influence of interfaces and stress fields on {113}-defect generation in silicon during 1-MeV electron irradiation, is further developed to take into account also the role of extrinsic point defects. It is shown that the observed distribution of {113}-defects in high-flux electron-irradiated silicon and its dependence on irradiation temperature and dopant concentration can be understood by taking into account not only the influence of the surfaces and interfaces as sinks for intrinsic point defects but also the thermal stability of the bulk sinks for intrinsic point defects. In heavily doped silicon the bulk sinks are related with pairing reactions of the dopant atoms with the generated intrinsic point defects or related with enhanced recombination of vacancies and self-interstitials at extrinsic point defects. The obtained theoretical results are correlated with published experimental data on boron-and phosphorus-doped silicon and are illustrated with observations obtained by irradiating cross-section transmission electron microscopy samples of wafer with highly doped surface layers. (orig.)

  15. Point and line defects which are common to both degraded light emitting diodes and plastically deformed GaAs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liliental, Z.

    1983-01-01

    Similar dipoles with Burger's vector b = a/2 [101] (also referred to as dark line defects) were found in the active layer of degraded light emitting diodes (LED's) and in plastically deformed GaAs. The dependence of characteristic x-ray production of electron channeling conditions has been used in an electron microscope to study point defects in the neighbourhood of these dipoles. Our results are consistent with the occurence of I/sub As/, I/sub As/ +V/sub Ga/, V/sub Ga/ and IAs in descending order of likelihood. Of these, I/sub As/ +V/sub Ga/ can explain the dislocation climb without any extra point defects involved in such process

  16. Defect evolution in cosmology and condensed matter quantitative analysis with the velocity-dependent one-scale model

    CERN Document Server

    Martins, C J A P

    2016-01-01

    This book sheds new light on topological defects in widely differing systems, using the Velocity-Dependent One-Scale Model to better understand their evolution. Topological defects – cosmic strings, monopoles, domain walls or others - necessarily form at cosmological (and condensed matter) phase transitions. If they are stable and long-lived they will be fossil relics of higher-energy physics. Understanding their behaviour and consequences is a key part of any serious attempt to understand the universe, and this requires modelling their evolution. The velocity-dependent one-scale model is the only fully quantitative model of defect network evolution, and the canonical model in the field. This book provides a review of the model, explaining its physical content and describing its broad range of applicability.

  17. New nano-hydroxyapatite in bone defect regeneration: A histological study in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kubasiewicz-Ross, Paweł; Hadzik, Jakub; Seeliger, Julia; Kozak, Karol; Jurczyszyn, Kamil; Gerber, Hanna; Dominiak, Marzena; Kunert-Keil, Christiane

    2017-09-01

    Many types of bone substitute materials are available on the market. Researchers are refining new bone substitutes to make them comparable to autologous grafting materials in treatment of bone defects. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the osseoconductive potential and bone defect regeneration in rat calvaria bone defects treated with new synthetic nano-hydroxyapatite. The study was performed on 30 rats divided into 5 equal groups. New preproduction of experimental nano-hydroxyapatite material by NanoSynHap (Poznań, Poland) was tested and compared with commercially available materials. Five mm critical size defects were created and filled with the following bone grafting materials: 1) Geistlich Bio-Oss ® ; 2) nano-hydroxyapatite+β-TCP; 3) nano-hydroxyapatite; 4) nano-hydroxyapatite+collagen membrane. The last group served as controls without any augmentation. Bone samples from calvaria were harvested for histological and micro-ct evaluation after 8 weeks. New bone formation was observed in all groups. Histomorphometric analysis revealed an amount of regenerated bone between 34.2 and 44.4% in treated bone defects, whereas only 13.0% regenerated bone was found in controls. Interestingly, in group 3, no significant particles of the nano-HA material were found. In contrast, residual bone substitute material could be detected in all other test groups. Micro-CT study confirmed the results of the histological examinations. The new nano-hydroxyapatite provides comparable results to other grafts in the field of bone regeneration. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  18. Congenital Heart Defects and CCHD

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... and more. Stony Point, NY 10980 Close X Home > Complications & Loss > Birth defects & other health conditions > Congenital heart defects and ... in congenital heart defects. You have a family history of congenital heart ... syndrome or VCF. After birth Your baby may be tested for CCHD as ...

  19. Neutron diffraction and lattice defects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hamaguchi, Yoshikazu

    1974-01-01

    Study on lattice defects by neutron diffraction technique is described. Wave length of neutron wave is longer than that of X-ray, and absorption cross-section is small. Number of defects observed by ESR is up to several defects, and the number studied with electron microscopes is more than 100. Information obtained by neutron diffraction concerns the number of defects between these two ranges. For practical analysis, several probable models are selected from the data of ESR or electron microscopes, and most probable one is determined by calculation. Then, defect concentration is obtained from scattering cross section. It is possible to measure elastic scattering exclusively by neutron diffraction. Minimum detectable concentration estimated is about 0.5% and 10 20 - 10 21 defects per unit volume. A chopper and a time of flight system are used as a measuring system. Cold neutrons are obtained from the neutron sources inserted into reactors. Examples of measurements by using similar equipments to PTNS-I system of Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute are presented. Interstitial concentration in the graphite irradiated by fast neutrons is shown. Defects in irradiated MgO were also investigated by measuring scattering cross section. Study of defects in Ge was made by measuring total cross section, and model analysis was performed in comparison with various models. (Kato, T.)

  20. Varying stiffness and load distributions in defective ball bearings: Analytical formulation and application to defect size estimation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petersen, Dick; Howard, Carl; Prime, Zebb

    2015-02-01

    This paper presents an analytical formulation of the load distribution and varying effective stiffness of a ball bearing assembly with a raceway defect of varying size, subjected to static loading in the radial, axial and rotational degrees of freedom. The analytical formulation is used to study the effect of the size of the defect on the load distribution and varying stiffness of the bearing assembly. The study considers a square-shaped outer raceway defect centered in the load zone and the bearing is loaded in the radial and axial directions while the moment loads are zero. Analysis of the load distributions shows that as the defect size increases, defect-free raceway sections are subjected to increased static loading when one or more balls completely or partly destress when positioned in the defect zone. The stiffness variations that occur when balls pass through the defect zone are significantly larger and change more rapidly at the defect entrance and exit than the stiffness variations that occur for the defect-free bearing case. These larger, more rapid stiffness variations generate parametric excitations which produce the low frequency defect entrance and exit events typically observed in the vibration response of a bearing with a square-shaped raceway defect. Analysis of the stiffness variations further shows that as the defect size increases, the mean radial stiffness decreases in the loaded radial and axial directions and increases in the unloaded radial direction. The effects of such stiffness changes on the low frequency entrance and exit events in the vibration response are simulated with a multi-body nonlinear dynamic model. Previous work used the time difference between the low frequency entrance event and the high frequency exit event to estimate the size of the defect. However, these previous defect size estimation techniques cannot distinguish between defects that differ in size by an integer number of the ball angular spacing, and a third feature

  1. Defect-based graphene nanoribbon photodetectors: A numerical study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zarei, M. H.; Sharifi, M. J., E-mail: m-j-sharifi@sbu.ac.ir [Department of Electrical Engineering, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran 1983963113 (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2016-06-07

    Recently, some photodetectors based on graphene have been proposed. In all of these works, current generation was carried out by separation of photo-excited carriers using an electric field, either internal or external. In this work, a new method of producing current which is based on different transmission coefficients for electrons and holes when they travel toward any of the two contacts is proposed. To this end, a single Stone–Wales defect close to one of the two contacts was used to break the channel symmetry. In order to confirm the idea, the non-equilibrium Green's function formalism in real space in conjunction with the tight binding method was used in simulations. In addition, to clarify the results, we present a classical model in which different diffusion constants are assumed for the left going and the right going carriers. Additional simulations for different positions of the defect, different lengths of the ribbon, and different bias voltages were performed, and the results are included in this study.

  2. Is there any advantage to the acquisition of 24-hour thallium images, in the presence of persistent perfusion defects at 4 h after reinjection?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bobba, K.; Botvinick, E.H.; Sciammarella, M.G.; Starsken, N.F.; Zhu, Y.Y.; Lapidus, A.; Dae, M.W.

    1998-01-01

    We determined the incidence of delayed 24-h reversibility post thallium-201 reinjection and imaging at 4 h, as well as the prognostic and significance of such delayed reversibility. We studied 46 consecutive patients with persistent thallium-201 perfusion or incompletely reversible SPET perfusion defects acquired within 10 min after reinjection performed 4 h after stress. In 38 of 46 patients 24-h images showed no further reversibility beyond the post-reinjection 4-h study (group A). Eight of 46 patients demonstrated reversibility on 24-h imaging (group B). Of these eight, three patients showed no improvement compared with the post-stress images, with a mean perfusion score of the abnormal segments of 1.25±0.50 on the 4-h images, and of 3.00 on the 24-h images. Four patients presented with nine mixed regions. Four of these regions showed an improvement in the mean perfusion score of 2.50±0.58 on 4- and 24-h images. Two of them, with moderate/severe defects, demonstrated complete reversibility at 4-h post-reinjection imaging. In addition, five other regions presented no improvement at 4-h imaging, but showed an improvement in the mean perfusion score from 0.80±0.84 at 4-h to 3.30±0.89 at 24-h imaging. Two of these regions in one patient showed a severe perfusion score of 0 at 4 h, and complete reversibility at 24 hours. Another patient had three severe perfusion defects; two of them redistributed partially at 4 h and completely at 24 h. The remaining segment with a perfusion score of 0 at 4 h, presented complete reversibility at 24 h. Two patients revealed significant reversibility at 24 h in a region that was severely underperfused after post-reinjection imaging at 4 h. Among group B patients, 75% had recent acute ischemic syndrome, compared with only 13% in group A. Among 11 patients with unstable angina, six had evidence of delayed 24-h reversibility, compared with 2 of 35 patients without clinically acute ischemia. On follow-up, there were seven cardiac

  3. Is there any advantage to the acquisition of 24-hour thallium images, in the presence of persistent perfusion defects at 4 h after reinjection?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bobba, K.; Botvinick, E.H.; Sciammarella, M.G.; Starsken, N.F.; Zhu, Y.Y.; Lapidus, A.; Dae, M.W. [Nuclear Medicine Section, Department of Radiology, Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine, and the Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco (United States)

    1998-05-01

    We determined the incidence of delayed 24-h reversibility post thallium-201 reinjection and imaging at 4 h, as well as the prognostic and significance of such delayed reversibility. We studied 46 consecutive patients with persistent thallium-201 perfusion or incompletely reversible SPET perfusion defects acquired within 10 min after reinjection performed 4 h after stress. In 38 of 46 patients 24-h images showed no further reversibility beyond the post-reinjection 4-h study (group A). Eight of 46 patients demonstrated reversibility on 24-h imaging (group B). Of these eight, three patients showed no improvement compared with the post-stress images, with a mean perfusion score of the abnormal segments of 1.25{+-}0.50 on the 4-h images, and of 3.00 on the 24-h images. Four patients presented with nine mixed regions. Four of these regions showed an improvement in the mean perfusion score of 2.50{+-}0.58 on 4- and 24-h images. Two of them, with moderate/severe defects, demonstrated complete reversibility at 4-h post-reinjection imaging. In addition, five other regions presented no improvement at 4-h imaging, but showed an improvement in the mean perfusion score from 0.80{+-}0.84 at 4-h to 3.30{+-}0.89 at 24-h imaging. Two of these regions in one patient showed a severe perfusion score of 0 at 4 h, and complete reversibility at 24 hours. Another patient had three severe perfusion defects; two of them redistributed partially at 4 h and completely at 24 h. The remaining segment with a perfusion score of 0 at 4 h, presented complete reversibility at 24 h. Two patients revealed significant reversibility at 24 h in a region that was severely underperfused after post-reinjection imaging at 4 h. Among group B patients, 75% had recent acute ischemic syndrome, compared with only 13% in group A. Among 11 patients with unstable angina, six had evidence of delayed 24-h reversibility, compared with 2 of 35 patients without clinically acute ischemia. On follow-up, there were seven

  4. Effects of platelet-rich fibrin on healing of intra-bony defects treated with anorganic bovine bone mineral.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sezgin, Yasemin; Uraz, Ahu; Taner, I Levent; Çulhaoğlu, Rana

    2017-01-26

    Anorganic bovine bone mineral (ABBM) is extensively used in the treatment of intra-bony defects. Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) is a new-generation platelet concentrate with a simplified technique. Although certain studies have reported the use of PRF in the treatment of intra-bony defects, to date, none of them have evaluated its additive effects with ABBM. Therefore, a randomised, split-mouth clinical trial was conducted to compare healing of intra-bony defects treated with an ABBM-PRF combination with healing of those treated with ABBM alone. By using a split-mouth design, 15 paired intra-bony defects were randomly treated with either ABBM alone (control group) or ABBM-PRF combination (test group). Following clinical parameters and radiographical measurements were recorded at baseline and 6 months after treatment: plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), probing depth (PD), gingival recession (GR), clinical attachment level (CAL), vertical bone loss, depth of defect and defect angle. Preoperative clinical and radiographical measurements were similar for the test and control groups. Statistically significant reductions in GI, PD, CAL, vertical bone loss, depth of intra-bony defect and widening of defect angle were detected after treatment in both groups. With respect to inter-group analysis, gain in CAL was significantly greater in the test group than in the control group, whereas no inter-group differences were observed in any other parameter. The results of this study indicate that both therapies are effective in the treatment of intra-bony defects.

  5. Reconstruction of rat calvarial defects with human mesenchymal stem cells and osteoblast-like cells in poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid scaffolds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C Zong

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs can be used for xenogenic transplantation due to their low immunogenicity, high proliferation rate, and multi-differentiation potentials. Therefore, hMSCs are an ideal seeding source for tissue engineering. The present study evaluates the reconstruction effects of hMSCs and osteoblast-like cells differentiated from hMSCs in poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA scaffolds on the calvarial defect of rats. Two bilateral full-thickness defects (5mm in diameter were created in the calvarium of nonimmunosuppressed Sprague-Dawley rats. The defects were filled by PLGA scaffolds with hMSCs (hMSC Construct or with osteoblast-like cells differentiated from hMSCs (Osteoblast Construct. The defects without any graft (Blank Defect or filled with PLGA scaffold without any cells (Blank Scaffold were used as controls. Evaluation was performed using macroscopic view, histology and immunohistochemical analysis respectively at 10 and 20 weeks after transplantation. In addition, fluorescent carbocyanine CM-Dil was used to track the implanted cells in vivo during transplantation. The results showed that while both hMSC Construct and Osteoblast Construct led to an effective reconstruction of critical-size calvarial defects, the bone reconstruction potential of hMSC Construct was superior to that of Osteoblast Construct in non-autogenous applications. Our findings verify the feasibility of the use of xenogenic MSCs for tissue engineering and demonstrate that undifferentiated hMSCs are more suitable for bone reconstruction in xenotransplantation models.

  6. Osteogenic capacity of nanocrystalline bone cement in a weight-bearing defect at the ovine tibial metaphysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harms, Christoph; Helms, Kai; Taschner, Tibor; Stratos, Ioannis; Ignatius, Anita; Gerber, Thomas; Lenz, Solvig; Rammelt, Stefan; Vollmar, Brigitte; Mittlmeier, Thomas

    2012-01-01

    The synthetic material Nanobone(®) (hydroxyapatite nanocrystallines embedded in a porous silica gel matrix) was examined in vivo using a standardized bone defect model in the ovine tibial metaphysis. A standardized 6 × 12 × 24-mm bone defect was created below the articular surface of the medial tibia condyles on both hind legs of 18 adult sheep. The defect on the right side was filled with Nanobone(®), while the defect on the contralateral side was left empty. The tibial heads of six sheep were analyzed after 6, 12, and 26 weeks each. The histological and radiological analysis of the defect on the control side did not reveal any bone formation after the total of 26 weeks. In contrast, the microcomputed tomography analysis of the defect filled with Nanobone(®) showed a 55%, 72%, and 74% volume fraction of structures with bone density after 6, 12, and 26 weeks, respectively. Quantitative histomorphological analysis after 6, and 12 weeks revealed an osteoneogenesis of 22%, and 36%, respectively. Hematoxylin and eosin sections demonstrated multinucleated giant cells on the surface of the biomaterial and resorption lacunae, indicating osteoclastic resorptive activity. Nanobone(®) appears to be a highly potent bone substitute material with osteoconductive properties in a loaded large animal defect model, supporting the potential use of Nanobone(®) also in humans.

  7. Computer simulation of defect cluster

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kuramoto, Eiichi [Kyushu Univ., Kasuga, Fukuoka (Japan). Research Inst. for Applied Mechanics

    1996-04-01

    In order to elucidate individual element process of various defects and defect clusters of used materials under irradiation environments, interatomic potential with reliability was investigated. And for comparison with experimental results, it is often required to adopt the temperature effect and to investigate in details mechanism of one dimensional motion of micro conversion loop and so forth using the molecular dynamic (MD) method. Furthermore, temperature effect is also supposed for stable structure of defects and defect clusters, and many problems relating to alloy element are also remained. And, simulation on photon life at the defects and defect clusters thought to be important under comparison with equipment can also be supposed an improvement of effectiveness due to relation to theses products. In this paper, some topics in such flow was extracted to explain them. In particular, future important problems will be potential preparation of alloy, structure, dynamic behavior and limited temperature of intralattice atomic cluster. (G.K.)

  8. Norwegian Pitched Roof Defects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lars Gullbrekken

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The building constructions investigated in this work are pitched wooden roofs with exterior vertical drainpipes and wooden load-bearing system. The aim of this research is to further investigate the building defects of pitched wooden roofs and obtain an overview of typical roof defects. The work involves an analysis of the building defect archive from the research institute SINTEF Building and Infrastructure. The findings from the SINTEF archive show that moisture is a dominant exposure factor, especially in roof constructions. In pitched wooden roofs, more than half of the defects are caused by deficiencies in design, materials, or workmanship, where these deficiencies allow moisture from precipitation or indoor moisture into the structure. Hence, it is important to increase the focus on robust and durable solutions to avoid defects both from exterior and interior moisture sources in pitched wooden roofs. Proper design of interior ventilation and vapour retarders seem to be the main ways to control entry from interior moisture sources into attic and roof spaces.

  9. Congenital platelet function defects

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... pool disorder; Glanzmann's thrombasthenia; Bernard-Soulier syndrome; Platelet function defects - congenital ... Congenital platelet function defects are bleeding disorders that cause reduced platelet function. Most of the time, people with these disorders have ...

  10. Metallography of defects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Borisova, E.A.; Bochvar, G.A.; Brun, M.Ya.

    1980-01-01

    Different types of defects of metallurgical, technological and exploitation origin in intermediate and final products of titanium alloys, are considered. The examples of metallic and nonmetallic inclusions, chemical homogeneity, different grains, bands, cracks, places of searing, porosity are given; methods of detecting the above defects are described. The methods of metallography, X-ray spectral analysis, measuring microhardness are used

  11. RESIDUAL RESOURCE STUDY OF DEFECTIVE RAILS FOR TYPE P 50 CYCLE TEST OF ENDURANCE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. M. Yosyfovych

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. The paper is devoted to the study and evaluation of residual life for defective rails P50 operated on the roads of the Kyiv subway, which are taken out of service because of defects 11.1-2 on the side of the rolling surface of the rail head. Methodology. The studies were performed with the use of experimental methods: testing of samples of defective rails in the cyclical strength of the pulse machine and testing of defective rails in the static load limit on the hydraulic vertical press. Findings. The performed experiments indicate that on the tests basis in 2 million cycles is only a small development (increase in size 0.5-0.7 mm of existing code defects 11.2 as a result of shedding the particles of crumble out metal on the side of the rails head of working prototypes. The intensity and the catastrophic development of defects, such as 11.2, or transformation of these defects in defects such as 21.2 or 30G.2 did not happen in any case. Originality. For the first time in Ukraine with the theoretical calculations substantiated the greater possibility of defects formation of contact fatigue origin in the form of spall and jag of metal on the surface of the rail, at the edge of the head. It is the result of the creation of a high degree of stress nonequilibrium compression in this area, due to the high values of principal normal stresses and appearance of large shear stresses in the body of the head at a depth of 2.5-3.5 mm, exceeding the yield strength and metal endurance. The tests of experimental prototypes of defective rails on high cycle endurance (based № = 2,1h10 cycles with periodic defectoscopic control were conducted. Practical value. In experiments, the new data of the resistance ability to spall rail defects on the surface of the head of rolling on the code 11.1-2 long-term cyclic loading equal to operational magnitude at the wheel load test of 2 million cycles was obtained. That is, the defective rails can have residual life

  12. Changes in Serum Natriuretic Peptide Levels after Percutaneous Closure of Small to Moderate Ventricular Septal Defects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuksel Kaya

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. B-type natriuretic peptide has been shown to be a very sensitive and specific marker of heart failure. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of percutaneous closure of ventricular septal defects with Amplatzer septal occluders on brain natriuretic peptide levels. Methods. Between 2008 and 2011, 23 patients underwent successfully percutaneous ventricular septal defect closure in 4 cardiology centers. Brain natriuretic peptide levels were measured in nine patients (4 male, mean ages were 25.3±14.3 who underwent percutaneous closure with Amplatzer occluders for membranous or muscular ventricular septal defects were enrolled in the study. Brain natriuretic peptide levels were measured one day before and one month after the closure. Patients were evaluated clinically and by echocardiography one month after the procedure. Results. Percutaneous closures of ventricular septal defects were successfully performed in all patients. There was not any significant adverse event in patients group during followup. Decrease in brain natriuretic peptide levels after closure were statistically significant (97.3±78.6 versus 26.8±15.6, =0.013. Conclusion. Brain Natriuretic Peptide levels are elevated in patients with ventricular septal defects as compared to controls. Percutaneous closure of Ventricular Septal Defect with Amplatzer occluders decreases the BNP levels.

  13. Study on nano-structured hydroxyapatite/zirconia stabilized yttria on healing of articular cartilage defect in rabbit

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amir Sotoudeh

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available PURPOSE: Articular Cartilage has limited potential for self-repair and tissue engineering approaches attempt to repair articular cartilage by scaffolds. We hypothesized that the combined hydroxyapatite and zirconia stabilized yttria would enhance the quality of cartilage healing. METHODS: In ten New Zealand white rabbits bilateral full-thickness osteochondral defect, 4 mm in diameter and 3 mm depth, was created on the articular cartilage of the patellar groove of the distal femur. In group I the scaffold was implanted into the right stifle and the same defect was created in the left stifle without any transplant (group II. Specimens were harvested at 12 weeks after implantation, examined histologically for morphologic features, and stained immunohistochemically for type-II collagen. RESULTS: In group I the defect was filled with a white translucent cartilage tissue In contrast, the defects in the group II remained almost empty. In the group I, the defects were mostly filled with hyaline-like cartilage evidenced but defects in group II were filled with fibrous tissue with surface irregularities. Positive immunohistochemical staining of type-II collagen was observed in group I and it was absent in the control group. CONCLUSION: The hydroxyapatite/yttria stabilized zirconia scaffold would be an effective scaffold for cartilage tissue engineering.

  14. Defect-antidefect pair production via field oscillations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Digal, S.; Sengupta, S.; Srivastava, A.M.

    1997-01-01

    We show that the mechanism of vortex-antivortex pair production via field oscillations, earlier proposed by two of us for systems with first order transitions in the presence of explicit symmetry breaking, is in fact generally applicable. We further argue that this mechanism applies to all sorts of topological defects (e.g., strings, monopoles, textures) and for second order transitions as well (involving quench from high temperature). We also show this explicitly by numerically simulating the production of vortex-antivortex pairs by the decay of bubble walls for a U(1) global theory in the absence of any explicit symmetry breaking. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society

  15. Improvement of thermoelectric properties for half-Heusler TiNiSn by interstitial Ni defects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hazama, Hirofumi; Matsubara, Masato; Asahi, Ryoji; Takeuchi, Tsunehiro

    2011-01-01

    We have synthesized off-stoichiometric Ti-Ni-Sn half-Heusler thermoelectrics in order to investigate the relation between randomly distributed defects and thermoelectric properties. A small change in the composition of Ti-Ni-Sn causes a remarkable change in the thermal conductivity. An excess content of Ni realizes a low thermal conductivity of 2.93 W/mK at room temperature while keeping a high power factor. The low thermal conductivity originates in the defects generated by an excess content of Ni. To investigate the detailed defect structure, we have performed first-principles calculations and compared with x ray photoemission spectroscopy measurement. Based on these analyses, we conclude that the excess Ni atoms randomly occupy the vacant sites in the half-Heusler structure, which play as phonon scattering centers, resulting in significant improvement of the figure of merit without any substitutions of expensive heavy elements, such as Zr and Hf.

  16. A proposed defect tracking model for classifying the inserted defect reports to enhance software quality control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sultan, Torky; Khedr, Ayman E; Sayed, Mostafa

    2013-01-01

    NONE DECLARED Defect tracking systems play an important role in the software development organizations as they can store historical information about defects. There are many research in defect tracking models and systems to enhance their capabilities to be more specifically tracking, and were adopted with new technology. Furthermore, there are different studies in classifying bugs in a step by step method to have clear perception and applicable method in detecting such bugs. This paper shows a new proposed defect tracking model for the purpose of classifying the inserted defects reports in a step by step method for more enhancement of the software quality.

  17. Birth defects in infants born in 1998-2004 to men and women serving in the U.S. military during the 1990-1991 Gulf War era.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bukowinski, Anna T; DeScisciolo, Connie; Conlin, Ava Marie S; K Ryan, Margaret A; Sevick, Carter J; Smith, Tyler C

    2012-09-01

    Concerns about reproductive health persist among U.S. military members who served in the 1990-1991 Gulf War. This study explores the long-term impact of 1990-1991 Gulf War deployment on the prevalence of birth defects among infants of Gulf War veterans. Health care data from the Department of Defense Birth and Infant Health Registry and demographic and deployment information from the Defense Manpower Data Center were used to identify infants born between 1998 and 2004 to both male and female 1990-1991 Gulf War veterans. Multivariable logistic regression models estimated the adjusted odds of any birth defect and eight specific birth defects among infants of deployers versus non-deployers. In addition, birth defects were evaluated among infants born to 1990-1991 Gulf War veterans with deployment-specific exposures. Among 178,766 infants identified for these analyses, 3.4% were diagnosed with a birth defect in the first year of life. Compared to infants of non-deployers, infants of deployers were not at increased odds of being diagnosed with a birth defect, or any of eight specific birth defects, in the first year of life. A slightly increased prevalence of birth defects was observed among infants born to men who deployed to the 1990-1991 Gulf War for 153 to 200 days compared to those who deployed for 1 to 92 days. No other deployment-specific exposures were associated with birth defects in these infants. The 1990-1991 Gulf War deployers, including those with specific exposures of concern, were not found to be at increased risk for having infants with birth defects 7 to 14 years after deployment. Published 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  18. Implications of defect clusters formed in cascades on free defect generation and microstructural development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wiedersich, H.

    1992-12-01

    A large fraction of the defects produced by irradiation with energetic neutrons or heavy ions originates in cascades. Not only increased recombination of vacancy and interstitial defects but also significant clustering of like defects occur. Both processes reduce the number of point defects available for long range migration. Consequences of defect clustering in cascades will be discussed in a semi-quantitative form with the aid of calculations using a very simplified model: Quasi-steady-state distributions of immobile vacancy and/or interstitial clusters develop which, in turn, can become significant sinks for mobile defects, and, therefore reduce their lifetime. Although cluster sinks will cause segregation and, potentially, precipitation of second phases due to local changes of composition, the finite lifetime of clusters will not lead to lasting, local compositional changes. A transition from highly dense interstitial and vacancy cluster distributions to the void swelling regime occurs when the thermal evaporation of vacancies from small vacancy clusters becomes significant at higher temperatures. Unequal clustering of vacancies and interstitials leads to an imbalance of their fluxes of in the matrix and, hence, to unequal contributions to atom transport by interstitials and by vacancies even in the quasi-steady state approximation

  19. Characterization of point defects in monolayer arsenene

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Xiongyi; Ng, Siu-Pang; Ding, Ning; Wu, Chi-Man Lawrence

    2018-06-01

    Topological defects that are inevitably found in 2D materials can dramatically affect their properties. Using density functional theory (DFT) calculations and ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) method, the structural, thermodynamic, electronic and magnetic properties of six types of typical point defects in arsenene, i.e. the Stone-Wales defect, single and double vacancies and adatoms, were systemically studied. It was found that these defects were all more easily generated in arsenene with lower formation energies than those with graphene and silicene. Stone-Wales defects can be transformed from pristine arsenene by overcoming a barrier of 2.19 eV and single vacancy defects tend to coalesce into double vacancy defects by diffusion. However, a type of adatom defect does not exhibit kinetic stability at room temperature. In addition, SV defects and another type of adatom defect can remarkably affect the electronic and magnetic properties of arsenene, e.g. they can introduce localized states near the Fermi level, as well as a strongly local magnetic moment due to dangling bond and unpaired electron. Furthermore, the simulated scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and Raman spectroscopy were computed and the types of point defects can be fully characterized by correlating the STM images and Raman spectra to the defective atomistic structures. The results provide significant insights to the effect of defects in arsenene for potential applications, as well as identifications of two helpful tools (STM and Raman spectroscopy) to distinguish the type of defects in arsenene for future experiments.

  20. Beating Birth Defects

    Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

    Each year in the U.S., one in 33 babies is affected by a major birth defect. Women can greatly improve their chances of giving birth to a healthy baby by avoiding some of the risk factors for birth defects before and during pregnancy. In this podcast, Dr. Stuart Shapira discusses ways to improve the chances of giving birth to a healthy baby.

  1. Toward Intelligent Software Defect Detection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benson, Markland J.

    2011-01-01

    Source code level software defect detection has gone from state of the art to a software engineering best practice. Automated code analysis tools streamline many of the aspects of formal code inspections but have the drawback of being difficult to construct and either prone to false positives or severely limited in the set of defects that can be detected. Machine learning technology provides the promise of learning software defects by example, easing construction of detectors and broadening the range of defects that can be found. Pinpointing software defects with the same level of granularity as prominent source code analysis tools distinguishes this research from past efforts, which focused on analyzing software engineering metrics data with granularity limited to that of a particular function rather than a line of code.

  2. Anal and Rectal Disorders

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Abscess Anorectal Fistula Foreign Objects in the Rectum Hemorrhoids Levator Syndrome Pilonidal Disease Proctitis Rectal Prolapse The ... cancer Foreign objects in the anus and rectum Hemorrhoids Levator syndrome Pilonidal disease Proctitis Rectal prolapse Diagnosis ...

  3. Foreign Objects in the Rectum

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Abscess Anorectal Fistula Foreign Objects in the Rectum Hemorrhoids Levator Syndrome Pilonidal Disease Proctitis Rectal Prolapse (See ... Abscess Anorectal Fistula Foreign Objects in the Rectum Hemorrhoids Levator Syndrome Pilonidal Disease Proctitis Rectal Prolapse NOTE: ...

  4. Thyroid Medication Use and Birth Defects in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howley, Meredith M; Fisher, Sarah C; Van Zutphen, Alissa R; Waller, Dorothy K; Carmichael, Suzan L; Browne, Marilyn L

    2017-11-01

    Thyroid disorders are common among reproductive-aged women, with hypothyroidism affecting 2 to 3% of pregnancies, and hyperthyroidism affecting an additional 0.1 to 1%. We examined associations between thyroid medications and individual birth defects using data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS). The NBDPS is a multisite, population-based, case-control study that included pregnancies with estimated delivery dates from 1997 to 2011. We analyzed self-reported thyroid medication use from mothers of 31,409 birth defect cases and 11,536 unaffected controls. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using logistic regression for birth defects with five or more exposed cases, controlling for maternal age, race/ethnicity, and study center. Crude ORs and exact 95% CIs were estimated for defects with 3 to 4 exposed cases. Thyroid hormone was used by 738 (2.3%) case and 237 (2.1%) control mothers, and was associated with anencephaly (OR = 1.68; 95% CI, 1.03-2.73), holoprosencephaly (OR = 2.48; 95% CI, 1.13-5.44), hydrocephaly (1.77; 95% CI, 1.07-2.95) and small intestinal atresia (OR = 1.81; 95% CI, 1.04-3.15). Anti-thyroid medication was used by 34 (0.1%) case and 10 (<0.1%) control mothers, and was associated with aortic valve stenosis (OR = 6.91; 95% CI, 1.21-27.0). While new associations were identified, our findings are relatively consistent with previous NBDPS analyses. Our findings suggest thyroid medication use is not associated with most birth defects studied in the NBDPS, but may be associated with some specific birth defects. These results should not be interpreted to suggest that medications used to treat thyroid disease are teratogens, as the observed associations may reflect effects of the underlying thyroid disease. Birth Defects Research 109:1471-1481, 2017.© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. Aerial image measurement technique for automated reticle defect disposition (ARDD) in wafer fabs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zibold, Axel M.; Schmid, Rainer M.; Stegemann, B.; Scheruebl, Thomas; Harnisch, Wolfgang; Kobiyama, Yuji

    2004-08-01

    The Aerial Image Measurement System (AIMS)* for 193 nm lithography emulation has been brought into operation successfully worldwide. A second generation system comprising 193 nm AIMS capability, mini-environment and SMIF, the AIMS fab 193 plus is currently introduced into the market. By adjustment of numerical aperture (NA), illumination type and partial illumination coherence to match the conditions in 193 nm steppers or scanners, it can emulate the exposure tool for any type of reticles like binary, OPC and PSM down to the 65 nm node. The system allows a rapid prediction of wafer printability of defects or defect repairs, and critical features, like dense patterns or contacts on the masks without the need to perform expensive image qualification consisting of test wafer exposures followed by SEM measurements. Therefore, AIMS is a mask quality verification standard for high-end photo masks and established in mask shops worldwide. The progress on the AIMS technology described in this paper will highlight that besides mask shops there will be a very beneficial use of the AIMS in the wafer fab and we propose an Automated Reticle Defect Disposition (ARDD) process. With smaller nodes, where design rules are 65 nm or less, it is expected that smaller defects on reticles will occur in increasing numbers in the wafer fab. These smaller mask defects will matter more and more and become a serious yield limiting factor. With increasing mask prices and increasing number of defects and severability on reticles it will become cost beneficial to perform defect disposition on the reticles in wafer production. Currently ongoing studies demonstrate AIMS benefits for wafer fab applications. An outlook will be given for extension of 193 nm aerial imaging down to the 45 nm node based on emulation of immersion scanners.

  6. Involvement of sensory neurons in bone defect repair in rats

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Henmi, Akiko; Nakamura, Megumi; Echigo, Seishi; Sasano, Yasuyuki

    2011-01-01

    We investigated bone repair in sensory-denervated rats, compared with controls, to elucidate the involvement of sensory neurons. Nine-week-old male Wistar rats received subcutaneous injections of capsaicin to denervate sensory neurons. Rats treated with the same amount of vehicle served as controls. A standardized bone defect was created on the parietal bone. We measured the amount of repaired bone with quantitative radiographic analysis and the mRNA expressions of osteocalcin and cathepsin K with real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Quantitative radiographic analysis showed that the standard deviations and coefficients of variation for the amount of repaired bone were much higher in the capsaicin-treated group than in the control group at any time point, which means that larger individual differences in the amount of repaired bone were found in capsaicin-treated rats than controls. Furthermore, radiographs showed radiolucency in pre-existing bone surrounding the standardized defect only in the capsaicin-treated group, and histological observation demonstrated some multinuclear cells corresponding to the radiolucent area. Real-time PCR indicated that there was no significant difference in the mRNA expression levels of osteocalcin and cathepsin K between the control group and the capsaicin-treated group. These results suggest that capsaicin-induced sensory denervation affects the bone defect repair. (author)

  7. Functional disorders of the anus and rectum

    OpenAIRE

    Whitehead, W; Wald, A; Diamant, N; Enck, P; Pemberton, J; Rao, S

    1999-01-01

    In this report the functional anorectal disorders, the etiology of which is currently unknown or related to the abnormal functioning of normally innervated and structurally intact muscles, are discussed. These disorders include functional fecal incontinence, functional anorectal pain, including levator ani syndrome and proctalgia fugax, and pelvic floor dyssynergia. The epidemiology of each disorder is defined and discussed, their pathophysiology is summarized and diagnostic approaches and tr...

  8. Defect vectors and path integrals in fracture mechanics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roche, R.L.

    1979-01-01

    Several criteria have been proposed in Elastic Plastic Fracture Mechanics. One of the most interesting ones is the J 1 criterion where J 1 is a path integral surrounding the crack tip. Other path integrals (or surface integrals in 3D problems) can be used. But all these integrals are introduced on an elastic basis, though they are applied in plasticity. This paper shows that it is possible to introduce these integrals without any reference to the elastic behavior of the material. The method is based on the 'defect vector theory' which is an extension of the energy-momentum tensor theory. (orig.)

  9. Embedded defects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barriola, M.; Vachaspati, T.; Bucher, M.

    1994-01-01

    We give a prescription for embedding classical solutions and, in particular, topological defects in field theories which are invariant under symmetry groups that are not necessarily simple. After providing examples of embedded defects in field theories based on simple groups, we consider the electroweak model and show that it contains the Z string and a one-parameter family of strings called the W(α) string. It is argued that although the members of this family are gauge equivalent when considered in isolation, each member becomes physically distinct when multistring configurations are considered. We then turn to the issue of stability of embedded defects and demonstrate the instability of a large class of such solutions in the absence of bound states or condensates. The Z string is shown to be unstable for all values of the Higgs boson mass when θ W =π/4. W strings are also shown to be unstable for a large range of parameters. Embedded monopoles suffer from the Brandt-Neri-Coleman instability. Finally, we connect the electroweak string solutions to the sphaleron

  10. Study of residue type defect formation mechanism and the effect of advanced defect reduction (ADR) rinse process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arima, Hiroshi; Yoshida, Yuichi; Yoshihara, Kosuke; Shibata, Tsuyoshi; Kushida, Yuki; Nakagawa, Hiroki; Nishimura, Yukio; Yamaguchi, Yoshikazu

    2009-03-01

    Residue type defect is one of yield detractors in lithography process. It is known that occurrence of the residue type defect is dependent on resist development process and the defect is reduced by optimized rinsing condition. However, the defect formation is affected by resist materials and substrate conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to optimize the development process condition by each mask level. Those optimization steps require a large amount of time and effort. The formation mechanism is investigated from viewpoint of both material and process. The defect formation is affected by resist material types, substrate condition and development process condition (D.I.W. rinse step). Optimized resist formulation and new rinse technology significantly reduce the residue type defect.

  11. Strained interface defects in silicon nanocrystals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Benjamin G.; Stradins, Paul [National Center for Photovoltaics, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO (United States); Hiller, Daniel; Zacharias, Margit [IMTEK - Faculty of Engineering, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg (Germany); Luo, Jun-Wei; Beard, Matthew C. [Chemical and Materials Science, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO (United States); Semonin, Octavi E. [Chemical and Materials Science, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO (United States); Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States)

    2012-08-07

    The surface of silicon nanocrystals embedded in an oxide matrix can contain numerous interface defects. These defects strongly affect the nanocrystals' photoluminescence efficiency and optical absorption. Dangling-bond defects are nearly eliminated by H{sub 2} passivation, thus decreasing absorption below the quantum-confined bandgap and enhancing PL efficiency by an order of magnitude. However, there remain numerous other defects seen in absorption by photothermal deflection spectroscopy; these defects cause non-radiative recombination that limits the PL efficiency to <15%. Using atomistic pseudopotential simulations, we attribute these defects to two specific types of distorted bonds: Si-Si and bridging Si-O-Si bonds between two Si atoms at the nanocrystal surface. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  12. Craniotomy Frontal Bone Defect

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2018-03-01

    Mar 1, 2018 ... Defect reconstruction and fixation of the graft: The defect of ... where all loose fragments of fractured frontal bone was removed via the ... Mandible. • Ilium. • Allograft ... pediatric patients owing to skull growth. Thus, autologous ...

  13. Who named the quantum defect?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rau, A.R.P.; Inokuti, M.

    1997-01-01

    The notion of the quantum defect is important in atomic and molecular spectroscopy and also in unifying spectroscopy with collision theory. In the latter context, the quantum defect may be viewed as an ancestor of the phase shift. However, the origin of the term quantum defect does not seem to be explained in standard textbooks. It occurred in a 1921 paper by Schroedinger, preceding quantum mechanics, yet giving the correct meaning as an index of the short-range interactions with the core of an atom. The authors present the early history of the quantum-defect idea, and sketch its recent developments

  14. Fast algorithms for computing defects and their derivatives in the Regge calculus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brewin, Leo

    2011-01-01

    Any practical attempt to solve the Regge equations, these being a large system of non-linear algebraic equations, will almost certainly employ a Newton-Raphson-like scheme. In such cases, it is essential that efficient algorithms be used when computing the defect angles and their derivatives with respect to the leg lengths. The purpose of this paper is to present details of such an algorithm.

  15. Dental enamel defects in adult coeliac disease: prevalence and correlation with symptoms and age at diagnosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trotta, Lucia; Biagi, Federico; Bianchi, Paola I; Marchese, Alessandra; Vattiato, Claudia; Balduzzi, Davide; Collesano, Vittorio; Corazza, Gino R

    2013-12-01

    Coeliac disease is a condition characterized by a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations. Any organ can be affected and, among others, dental enamel defects have been described. Our aims were to study the prevalence of dental enamel defects in adults with coeliac disease and to investigate a correlation between the grade of teeth lesion and clinical parameters present at the time of diagnosis of coeliac disease. A dental examination was performed in 54 coeliac disease patients (41 F, mean age 37 ± 13 years, mean age at diagnosis 31 ± 14 years). Symptoms leading to diagnosis were diarrhoea/weight loss (32 pts.), anaemia (19 pts.), familiarity (3 pts.); none of the patients was diagnosed because of enamel defects. At the time of evaluation, they were all on a gluten-free diet. Enamel defects were classified from grade 0 to 4 according to its severity. Enamel defects were observed in 46/54 patients (85.2%): grade 1 defects were seen in 18 patients (33.3%) grade 2 in 16 (29.6%), grade 3 in 8 (14.8%), and grade 4 in 4 (7.4%). We also observed that grades 3 and 4 were more frequent in patients diagnosed with classical rather than non-classical coeliac disease (10/32 vs. 2/20). However, this was not statistically significant. This study confirms that enamel defects are common in adult coeliac disease. Observation of enamel defects is an opportunity to diagnose coeliac disease. Copyright © 2013 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. NDT detection and quantification of induced defects on composite helicopter rotor blade and UAV wing sections

    Science.gov (United States)

    Findeis, Dirk; Gryzagoridis, Jasson; Musonda, Vincent

    2008-09-01

    Digital Shearography and Infrared Thermography (IRT) techniques were employed to test non-destructively samples from aircraft structures of composite material nature. Background information on the techniques is presented and it is noted that much of the inspection work reviewed in the literature has focused on qualitative evaluation of the defects rather than quantitative. There is however, need to quantify the defects if the threshold rejection criterion of whether the component inspected is fit for service has to be established. In this paper an attempt to quantify induced defects on a helicopter main rotor blade and Unmanned Aerospace Vehicle (UAV) composite material is presented. The fringe patterns exhibited by Digital Shearography were used to quantify the defects by relating the number of fringes created to the depth of the defect or flaw. Qualitative evaluation of defects with IRT was achieved through a hot spot temperature indication above the flaw on the surface of the material. The results of the work indicate that the Shearographic technique proved to be more sensitive than the IRT technique. It should be mentioned that there is "no set standard procedure" tailored for testing of composites. Each composite material tested is more likely to respond differently to defect detection and this depends generally on the component geometry and a suitable selection of the loading system to suit a particular test. The experimental procedure that is reported in this paper can be used as a basis for designing a testing or calibration procedure for defects detection on any particular composite material component or structure.

  17. [Prevalence of birth defects according to the level of care in two hospitals, Cali, Colombia, 2012-2013].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pachajoa, Harry; Villota, Vania A; Cruz, Luz Marina; Ariza, Yoseth

    2015-01-01

    Birth defects are morphologic alterations diagnosed prenatal or postnatally. Surveillance systems have been used to estimate the prevalence in high complexity care centers; however, the variation of the prevalence among different complexity care centers remains unknown. To compare the prevalence of birth defects among two different complexity care centers in Cali, Colombia. A descriptive hospital-based study following the methodology of the Latin American Collaborative Study of Congenital Malformations was conducted during 20 months in a medium complexity hospital and a high complexity hospital. During the study period, 7,140 births were attended of which 225 had at least one birth defect. The prevalence of these was of 1.7% (IC95% 1.3-2.0) and 7.4% (IC95% 6.2-8.7) for the medium complexity hospital and the high complexity hospital, respectively. The highest frequencies for the high complexity care center were: ventricular septal defect, 10%; congenital hydronephrosis, 7%; abdominal wall defects, 6%, and hydrocephalus, 5%, while for the medium complexity were: polydactyly, 15%; preauricular skin tags, 8%; congenital talipes equino varus, 7%, and hemangioma, 6%. The prevalence of birth defects among different complexity care centers varies in quantity, type and severity of the anomaly diagnosed. The surveillance of birth defects is a useful tool for any level of care. It allows estimating more accurately the prevalence of the city, as well being a base for the planning and targeting of resources according to the prevalence of different congenital defects.

  18. Effects of LED phototherapy on bone defects grafted with MTA, bone morphogenetic proteins and guided bone regeneration: a Raman spectroscopic study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinheiro, Antonio L B; Soares, Luiz G P; Cangussú, Maria Cristina T; Santos, Nicole R S; Barbosa, Artur Felipe S; Silveira Júnior, Landulfo

    2012-09-01

    We studied peaks of calcium hydroxyapatite (CHA) and protein and lipid CH groups in defects grafted with mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) treated or not with LED irradiation, bone morphogenetic proteins and guided bone regeneration. A total of 90 rats were divided into ten groups each of which was subdivided into three subgroups (evaluated at 15, 21 and 30 days after surgery). Defects were irradiated with LED light (wavelength 850 ± 10 nm) at 48-h intervals for 15 days. Raman readings were taken at the surface of the defects. There were no statistically significant differences in the CHA peaks among the nonirradiated defects at any of the experimental time-points. On the other hand, there were significant differences between the defects filled with blood clot and the irradiated defects at all time-points (p Raman spectral analysis indicate that infrared LED light irradiation improves the deposition of CHA in healing bone grafted or not with MTA.

  19. Serine biosynthesis and transport defects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    El-Hattab, Ayman W

    2016-07-01

    l-serine is a non-essential amino acid that is biosynthesized via the enzymes phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PGDH), phosphoserine aminotransferase (PSAT), and phosphoserine phosphatase (PSP). Besides its role in protein synthesis, l-serine is a potent neurotrophic factor and a precursor of a number of essential compounds including phosphatidylserine, sphingomyelin, glycine, and d-serine. Serine biosynthesis defects result from impairments of PGDH, PSAT, or PSP leading to systemic serine deficiency. Serine biosynthesis defects present in a broad phenotypic spectrum that includes, at the severe end, Neu-Laxova syndrome, a lethal multiple congenital anomaly disease, intermediately, infantile serine biosynthesis defects with severe neurological manifestations and growth deficiency, and at the mild end, the childhood disease with intellectual disability. A serine transport defect resulting from deficiency of the ASCT1, the main transporter for serine in the central nervous system, has been recently described in children with neurological manifestations that overlap with those observed in serine biosynthesis defects. l-serine therapy may be beneficial in preventing or ameliorating symptoms in serine biosynthesis and transport defects, if started before neurological damage occurs. Herein, we review serine metabolism and transport, the clinical, biochemical, and molecular aspects of serine biosynthesis and transport defects, the mechanisms of these diseases, and the potential role of serine therapy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. MD simulations to evaluate effects of applied tensile strain on irradiation-induced defect production at various PKA energies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miyashiro, S.; Fujita, S.; Okita, T.; Okuda, H.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Strain effects on defect formation were evaluated at various PKA energies by MD. ► Radiation-induced defects were increased numerically by external strain. ► Enhanced formation of larger clusters causes the numerical increase of defects. ► Strain influence on the number of defects was greatest at about 20 keV PKA. ► Cluster size, which is mostly affected by strain, was greater with higher PKA energy. - Abstract: Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations were conducted to investigate the influence of applied tensile strain on defect production during cascade damages at various Primary Knock-on Atom (PKA) energies of 1–30 keV. When 1% strain was applied, the number of surviving defects increased at PKA energies higher than 5 keV, although they did not increase at 1 keV. The rate of increase by strain application was higher with higher PKA energy, and attained the maximum at 20 keV PKA energy with a subsequent gradual decrease at 30 keV PKA energy The cluster size, mostly affected by strain, was larger with higher PKA energy, although clusters with fewer than seven interstitials did not increase in number at any PKA energy.

  1. Automatic Fabric Defect Detection with a Multi-Scale Convolutional Denoising Autoencoder Network Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mei, Shuang; Wang, Yudan; Wen, Guojun

    2018-04-02

    Fabric defect detection is a necessary and essential step of quality control in the textile manufacturing industry. Traditional fabric inspections are usually performed by manual visual methods, which are low in efficiency and poor in precision for long-term industrial applications. In this paper, we propose an unsupervised learning-based automated approach to detect and localize fabric defects without any manual intervention. This approach is used to reconstruct image patches with a convolutional denoising autoencoder network at multiple Gaussian pyramid levels and to synthesize detection results from the corresponding resolution channels. The reconstruction residual of each image patch is used as the indicator for direct pixel-wise prediction. By segmenting and synthesizing the reconstruction residual map at each resolution level, the final inspection result can be generated. This newly developed method has several prominent advantages for fabric defect detection. First, it can be trained with only a small amount of defect-free samples. This is especially important for situations in which collecting large amounts of defective samples is difficult and impracticable. Second, owing to the multi-modal integration strategy, it is relatively more robust and accurate compared to general inspection methods (the results at each resolution level can be viewed as a modality). Third, according to our results, it can address multiple types of textile fabrics, from simple to more complex. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model is robust and yields good overall performance with high precision and acceptable recall rates.

  2. Automatic Fabric Defect Detection with a Multi-Scale Convolutional Denoising Autoencoder Network Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shuang Mei

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Fabric defect detection is a necessary and essential step of quality control in the textile manufacturing industry. Traditional fabric inspections are usually performed by manual visual methods, which are low in efficiency and poor in precision for long-term industrial applications. In this paper, we propose an unsupervised learning-based automated approach to detect and localize fabric defects without any manual intervention. This approach is used to reconstruct image patches with a convolutional denoising autoencoder network at multiple Gaussian pyramid levels and to synthesize detection results from the corresponding resolution channels. The reconstruction residual of each image patch is used as the indicator for direct pixel-wise prediction. By segmenting and synthesizing the reconstruction residual map at each resolution level, the final inspection result can be generated. This newly developed method has several prominent advantages for fabric defect detection. First, it can be trained with only a small amount of defect-free samples. This is especially important for situations in which collecting large amounts of defective samples is difficult and impracticable. Second, owing to the multi-modal integration strategy, it is relatively more robust and accurate compared to general inspection methods (the results at each resolution level can be viewed as a modality. Third, according to our results, it can address multiple types of textile fabrics, from simple to more complex. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model is robust and yields good overall performance with high precision and acceptable recall rates.

  3. Oxide film defects in Al alloys and the formation of hydrogen- related porosity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Griffiths, W D; Yue, Y; Gerrard, A J

    2016-01-01

    Double oxide film defects have also been held responsible for the origins of hydrogen porosity, where hydrogen dissolved in the Al melt passes into the interior atmosphere of the double oxide film defect causing it to inflate. However, this is in opposition to long- established evidence that H cannot readily diffuse through aluminium oxide. To investigate this further, samples of commercial purity Al were first degassed to remove their initial H content, and then heated to above their melting point and held in atmospheres of air and nitrogen respectively, to determine any differences in H pick-up. The experiment showed that samples held in an oxidising atmosphere, and having an oxide skin, picked up significantly less H than when the samples were held in a nitrogen atmosphere, which resulted in the formation of AlN in cracks in the oxide skin of the sample. It is suggested that double oxide film defects can give rise to hydrogen-related porosity, but this occurs more quickly when the oxygen in the original oxide film defect has been consumed by reaction with the surrounding melt and nitrogen reacts to form AlN, which is more permeable to H than alumina, more easily allowing the oxide film defect to give rise to a hydrogen pore. This is used to interpret results from an earlier synchrotron experiment, in which a small pore was seen to grow into a larger pore, while an adjacent large pore remained at a constant size. (paper)

  4. The diagnostic accuracy of endovaginal and transperineal ultrasound for detecting anal sphincter defects: The PREDICT study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roos, A.-M., E-mail: annemarie.roos@gmail.com [Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mayday University Hospital, Croydon (United Kingdom); Abdool, Z. [Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria (South Africa); Sultan, A.H.; Thakar, R. [Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mayday University Hospital, Croydon (United Kingdom)

    2011-07-15

    Aim: To determine the accuracy and predictive value of transperineal (TPU) and endovaginal ultrasound (EVU) in the detection of anal sphincter defects in women with obstetric anal sphincter injuries and/or postpartum symptoms of faecal incontinence. Materials and methods: One hundred and sixty-five women were recruited, four women were excluded as they were seen years after their last delivery. TPU and EVU, followed by endonanal ultrasound (EAU), were performed using the B and K Viking 2400 scanner. Sensitivity and specificity, as well as predictive values with 95% confidence intervals, for detecting anal sphincter defects were calculated for EVU and TPU, using EAU as the reference standard. Results: On EAU a defect was found in 42 (26%) women: 39 (93%) had an external (EAS) and 23 (55%) an internal anal sphincter (IAS) defect. Analysable images of one level of the EAS combined with an analysable IAS were available in 140 (87%) women for EVU and in 131 (81%) for TPU. The sensitivity and specificity for the detection of any defect was 48% (30-67%) and 85% (77-91%) for EVU and 64% (44-81%) and 85% (77-91%) for TPU, respectively. Conclusion: Although EAU using a rotating endoprobe is the validated reference standard in the identification of anal sphincter defects, it is not universally available. However while TPU and/or EVU with conventional ultrasound probes can be useful in identifying normality, for clinical purposes they are not sensitive enough to identify an underlying sphincter defect.

  5. The diagnostic accuracy of endovaginal and transperineal ultrasound for detecting anal sphincter defects: The PREDICT study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roos, A.-M.; Abdool, Z.; Sultan, A.H.; Thakar, R.

    2011-01-01

    Aim: To determine the accuracy and predictive value of transperineal (TPU) and endovaginal ultrasound (EVU) in the detection of anal sphincter defects in women with obstetric anal sphincter injuries and/or postpartum symptoms of faecal incontinence. Materials and methods: One hundred and sixty-five women were recruited, four women were excluded as they were seen years after their last delivery. TPU and EVU, followed by endonanal ultrasound (EAU), were performed using the B and K Viking 2400 scanner. Sensitivity and specificity, as well as predictive values with 95% confidence intervals, for detecting anal sphincter defects were calculated for EVU and TPU, using EAU as the reference standard. Results: On EAU a defect was found in 42 (26%) women: 39 (93%) had an external (EAS) and 23 (55%) an internal anal sphincter (IAS) defect. Analysable images of one level of the EAS combined with an analysable IAS were available in 140 (87%) women for EVU and in 131 (81%) for TPU. The sensitivity and specificity for the detection of any defect was 48% (30-67%) and 85% (77-91%) for EVU and 64% (44-81%) and 85% (77-91%) for TPU, respectively. Conclusion: Although EAU using a rotating endoprobe is the validated reference standard in the identification of anal sphincter defects, it is not universally available. However while TPU and/or EVU with conventional ultrasound probes can be useful in identifying normality, for clinical purposes they are not sensitive enough to identify an underlying sphincter defect.

  6. Loyal clients. Despite Arthur Andersen's indictment, healthcare companies aren't defecting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaklevic, Mary Chris

    2002-03-25

    In contrast to about 50 defections by public companies, many healthcare clients of Andersen are standing by the troubled auditor--at least for now. Saying that it's too soon to judge, clients such as the Catholic Health Association are sitting tight to see what the fallout is from the Enron scandal before making any decisions. And even if many part ways with Andersen, there's a host of consultants to take its place.

  7. Paternal occupation and birth defects: findings from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Desrosiers, T.A.; Herring, A.H.; Shapira, S.K.; Hooiveld, M.; Luben, T.J.; Herdt-Losavio, M.L.; Lin, S.; Olshan, A.F.

    2012-01-01

    Objectives: Several epidemiological studies have suggested that certain paternal occupations may be associated with an increased prevalence of birth defects in offspring. Using data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study, the authors investigated the association between paternal occupation

  8. [Inconformity between soft tissue defect and bony defect in incomplete cleft palate].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Xia; Ma, Lian

    2014-12-01

    To evaluate the inconformity between soft tissue defect and bony defect by observing the cleft extent of palate with complete secondary palate bony cleft in incomplete cleft palate patient. The patients with incomplete cleft palate treated in Hospital of Stomatology Peking University from July 2012 to June 2013 were reviewed, of which 75 cases with complete secondary palate bony cleft were selected in this study. The CT scan and intraoral photograph were taken before operation. The patients were classified as four types according to the extent of soft tissue defect. Type 1: soft tissue defect reached incisive foremen region, Type 2 was hard and soft cleft palate, Type 3 soft cleft palate and Type 4 submucous cleft palate. Type 1 was defined as conformity group (CG). The other three types were defined as inconformity group (ICG) and divided into three subgroups (ICG-I), (ICG-II) and (ICG-III). Fifty-seven patients were in ICG group, and the rate of inconformity was 76% (57/75). The percentage of ICG-I, ICG-II and ICG-III was 47% (27/57), 23% (13/57) and 30% (17/57), respevtively. There are different types of soft tissue deformity with complete secondary palate bony cleft. The inconformity between soft tissue and hard tissue defect exits in 3/4 of isolated cleft palate patients.

  9. Chemical characterisation of non-defective and defective green arabica and robusta coffees by electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mendonça, Juliana C F; Franca, Adriana S; Oliveira, Leandro S; Nunes, Marcella

    2008-11-15

    The coffee roasted in Brazil is considered to be of low quality, due to the presence of defective coffee beans that depreciate the beverage quality. These beans, although being separated from the non-defective ones prior to roasting, are still commercialized in the coffee trading market. Thus, it was the aim of this work to verify the feasibility of employing ESI-MS to identify chemical characteristics that will allow the discrimination of Arabica and Robusta species and also of defective and non-defective coffees. Aqueous extracts of green (raw) defective and non-defective coffee beans were analyzed by direct infusion electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and this technique provided characteristic fingerprinting mass spectra that not only allowed for discrimination of species but also between defective and non-defective coffee beans. ESI-MS profiles in the positive mode (ESI(+)-MS) provided separation between defective and non-defective coffees within a given species, whereas ESI-MS profiles in the negative mode (ESI(-)-MS) provided separation between Arabica and Robusta coffees. Copyright © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Metastable gravity on classical defects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ringeval, Christophe; Rombouts, Jan-Willem

    2005-01-01

    We discuss the realization of metastable gravity on classical defects in infinite-volume extra dimensions. In dilatonic Einstein gravity, it is found that the existence of metastable gravity on the defect core requires violation of the dominant energy condition for codimension N c =2 defects. This is illustrated with a detailed analysis of a six-dimensional hyperstring minimally coupled to dilaton gravity. We present the general conditions under which a codimension N c >2 defect admits metastable modes, and find that they differ from lower codimensional models in that, under certain conditions, they do not require violation of energy conditions to support quasilocalized gravity

  11. Simulation based mask defect repair verification and disposition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Eric; Zhao, Shirley; Zhang, Skin; Qian, Sandy; Cheng, Guojie; Vikram, Abhishek; Li, Ling; Chen, Ye; Hsiang, Chingyun; Zhang, Gary; Su, Bo

    2009-10-01

    As the industry moves towards sub-65nm technology nodes, the mask inspection, with increased sensitivity and shrinking critical defect size, catches more and more nuisance and false defects. Increased defect counts pose great challenges in the post inspection defect classification and disposition: which defect is real defect, and among the real defects, which defect should be repaired and how to verify the post-repair defects. In this paper, we address the challenges in mask defect verification and disposition, in particular, in post repair defect verification by an efficient methodology, using SEM mask defect images, and optical inspection mask defects images (only for verification of phase and transmission related defects). We will demonstrate the flow using programmed mask defects in sub-65nm technology node design. In total 20 types of defects were designed including defects found in typical real circuit environments with 30 different sizes designed for each type. The SEM image was taken for each programmed defect after the test mask was made. Selected defects were repaired and SEM images from the test mask were taken again. Wafers were printed with the test mask before and after repair as defect printability references. A software tool SMDD-Simulation based Mask Defect Disposition-has been used in this study. The software is used to extract edges from the mask SEM images and convert them into polygons to save in GDSII format. Then, the converted polygons from the SEM images were filled with the correct tone to form mask patterns and were merged back into the original GDSII design file. This merge is for the purpose of contour simulation-since normally the SEM images cover only small area (~1 μm) and accurate simulation requires including larger area of optical proximity effect. With lithography process model, the resist contour of area of interest (AOI-the area surrounding a mask defect) can be simulated. If such complicated model is not available, a simple

  12. Defects in new protective aprons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Glaze, S.; LeBlanc, A.D.; Bushong, S.C.

    1984-01-01

    Upon careful examination, several defects have been detected in new protective aprons. The nature of the defects is identified and described. Although the occurrence of such defects has not exceeded 5%, they are significant enough to warrant return of the lead apron to the supplier. It is recommended that the integrity of all new protective aprons be verified upon receipt as well as at yearly intervals

  13. A Method to Estimate the Probability That Any Individual Lightning Stroke Contacted the Surface Within Any Radius of Any Point

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huddleston, Lisa L.; Roeder, William; Merceret, Francis J.

    2010-01-01

    A technique has been developed to calculate the probability that any nearby lightning stroke is within any radius of any point of interest. In practice, this provides the probability that a nearby lightning stroke was within a key distance of a facility, rather than the error ellipses centered on the stroke. This process takes the current bivariate Gaussian distribution of probability density provided by the current lightning location error ellipse for the most likely location of a lightning stroke and integrates it to get the probability that the stroke is inside any specified radius. This new facility-centric technique will be much more useful to the space launch customers and may supersede the lightning error ellipse approach discussed in [5], [6].

  14. Little string origin of surface defects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Haouzi, Nathan; Schmid, Christian [Center for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Berkeley,LeConte Hall, Berkeley (United States)

    2017-05-16

    We derive a large class of codimension-two defects of 4d N=4 Super Yang-Mills (SYM) theory from the (2,0) little string. The origin of the little string is type IIB theory compactified on an ADE singularity. The defects are D-branes wrapping the 2-cycles of the singularity. We use this construction to make contact with the description of SYM defects due to Gukov and Witten https://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0612073. Furthermore, we provide a geometric perspective on the nilpotent orbit classification of codimension-two defects, and the connection to ADE-type Toda CFT. The only data needed to specify the defects is a set of weights of the algebra obeying certain constraints, which we give explicitly. We highlight the differences between the defect classification in the little string theory and its (2,0) CFT limit.

  15. First-Principles Investigations of Defects in Minerals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verma, Ashok K.

    2011-07-01

    The ideal crystal has an infinite 3-dimensional repetition of identical units which may be atoms or molecules. But real crystals are limited in size and they have disorder in stacking which as called defects. Basically three types of defects exist in solids: 1) point defects, 2) line defects, and 3) surface defects. Common point defects are vacant lattice sites, interstitial atoms and impurities and these are known to influence strongly many solid-state transport properties such as diffusion, electrical conduction, creep, etc. In thermal equilibrium point defects concentrations are determined by their formation enthalpies and their movement by their migration barriers. Line and surface defects are though absent from the ideal crystal in thermal equilibrium due to higher energy costs but they are invariably present in all real crystals. Line defects include edge-, screw- and mixed-dislocations and their presence is essential in explaining the mechanical strength and deformation of real crystals. Surface defects may arise at the boundary between two grains, or small crystals, within a larger crystal. A wide variety of grain boundaries can form in a polycrystal depending on factors such growth conditions and thermal treatment. In this talk we will present our first-principles density functional theory based defect studies of SiO2 polymorphs (stishovite, CaCl2-, α-PbO2-, and pyrite-type), Mg2SiO4 polymorphs (forsterite, wadsleyite and ringwoodite) and MgO [1-3]. Briefly, several native point defects including vacancies, interstitials, and their complexes were studied in silica polymorphs upto 200 GPa. Their values increase by a factor of 2 over the entire pressure range studied with large differences in some cases between different phases. The Schottky defects are energetically most favorable at zero pressure whereas O-Frenkel pairs become systematically more favorable at pressures higher than 20 GPa. The geometric and electronic structures of defects and migrating

  16. Various Stone-Wales defects in phagraphene

    Science.gov (United States)

    Openov, L. A.; Podlivaev, A. I.

    2016-08-01

    Various Stone-Wales defects in phagraphene, which is a graphene allotrope, predicted recently are studied in terms of the nonorthogonal tight-binding model. The energies of the defect formation and the heights of energy barriers preventing the formation and annealing of the defects are found. Corresponding frequency factors in the Arrhenius formula are calculated. The evolution of the defect structure is studied in the real-time mode using the molecular dynamics method.

  17. Quantum computing with defects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weber, J R; Koehl, W F; Varley, J B; Janotti, A; Buckley, B B; Van de Walle, C G; Awschalom, D D

    2010-05-11

    Identifying and designing physical systems for use as qubits, the basic units of quantum information, are critical steps in the development of a quantum computer. Among the possibilities in the solid state, a defect in diamond known as the nitrogen-vacancy (NV(-1)) center stands out for its robustness--its quantum state can be initialized, manipulated, and measured with high fidelity at room temperature. Here we describe how to systematically identify other deep center defects with similar quantum-mechanical properties. We present a list of physical criteria that these centers and their hosts should meet and explain how these requirements can be used in conjunction with electronic structure theory to intelligently sort through candidate defect systems. To illustrate these points in detail, we compare electronic structure calculations of the NV(-1) center in diamond with those of several deep centers in 4H silicon carbide (SiC). We then discuss the proposed criteria for similar defects in other tetrahedrally coordinated semiconductors.

  18. Charged Semiconductor Defects Structure, Thermodynamics and Diffusion

    CERN Document Server

    Seebauer, Edmund G

    2009-01-01

    The technologically useful properties of a solid often depend upon the types and concentrations of the defects it contains. Not surprisingly, defects in semiconductors have been studied for many years, in many cases with a view towards controlling their behavior through various forms of "defect engineering." For example, in the bulk, charging significantly affects the total concentration of defects that are available to mediate phenomena such as solid-state diffusion. Surface defects play an important role in mediating surface mass transport during high temperature processing steps such as epitaxial film deposition, diffusional smoothing in reflow, and nanostructure formation in memory device fabrication. Charged Semiconductor Defects details the current state of knowledge regarding the properties of the ionized defects that can affect the behavior of advanced transistors, photo-active devices, catalysts, and sensors. Features: Group IV, III-V, and oxide semiconductors; Intrinsic and extrinsic defects; and, P...

  19. Fast diagnosis and treatment of cracklike defect injuriousness in PWR power plant equipment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boneh, B.; Gilles, P.; Benchimol, M.

    1983-01-01

    The potential risk of cracking phenomena (initial defects or propagating cracks) in auxiliary and secondary power plant systems makes it essential to evaluate the injuriousness of such defects. This paper presents a Defect Injuriousness Diagnosis and Treatment Package (DIDTP) which can be applied to auxiliary and secondary system analysis during manufacturing and installation work as well as during actual system operation. Following a presentation of the individual elements comprising a DIDTP, a description is given of the analytical and computational methods, which are based on brittle and ductile fracture mechanics concepts fundamental to any DIDTP. A brief description is then given of the TITAN and ANODE computer codes developed by FRAMATOME which are used for automatic compilation of DIDTP's. Finally, a practical example is given to demonstrate the different stages involved in the compilation of a DIDTP, and the way in which the DIDTP can be used to provide results which make it possible to determine short or longterm actions: rework of faulty component, operating modifications, monitoring of critical zones, additional computations, etc. (orig./GL)

  20. Cranioplasty Enhanced by Three-Dimensional Printing: Custom-Made Three-Dimensional-Printed Titanium Implants for Skull Defects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Eun-Kyung; Lim, Jun-Young; Yun, In-Sik; Kim, Ju-Seong; Woo, Su-Heon; Kim, Dong-Seok; Shim, Kyu-Won

    2016-06-01

    The authors studied to demonstrate the efficacy of custom-made three-dimensional (3D)-printed titanium implants for reconstructing skull defects. From 2013 to 2015, 21 patients (8-62 years old, mean = 28.6-year old; 11 females and 10 males) with skull defects were treated. Total disease duration ranged from 6 to 168 months (mean = 33.6 months). The size of skull defects ranged from 84 × 104 to 154 × 193 mm. Custom-made implants were manufactured by Medyssey Co, Ltd (Jecheon, South Korea) using 3D computed tomography data, Mimics software, and an electron beam melting machine. The team reviewed several different designs and simulated surgery using a 3D skull model. During the operation, the implant was fit to the defect without dead space. Operation times ranged from 85 to 180 minutes (mean = 115.7 minutes). Operative sites healed without any complications except for 1 patient who had red swelling with exudation at the skin defect, which was a skin infection and defect at the center of the scalp flap reoccurring since the initial head injury. This patient underwent reoperation for skin defect revision and replacement of the implant. Twenty-one patients were followed for 6 to 24 months (mean = 14.1 months). The patients were satisfied and had no recurrent wound problems. Head computed tomography after operation showed good fixation of titanium implants and satisfactory skull-shape symmetry. For the reconstruction of skull defects, the use of autologous bone grafts has been the treatment of choice. However, bone use depends on availability, defect size, and donor morbidity. As 3D printing techniques are further advanced, it is becoming possible to manufacture custom-made 3D titanium implants for skull reconstruction.

  1. Importance of elastic finite-size effects: Neutral defects in ionic compounds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burr, P. A.; Cooper, M. W. D.

    2017-09-01

    Small system sizes are a well-known source of error in density functional theory (DFT) calculations, yet computational constraints frequently dictate the use of small supercells, often as small as 96 atoms in oxides and compound semiconductors. In ionic compounds, electrostatic finite-size effects have been well characterized, but self-interaction of charge-neutral defects is often discounted or assumed to follow an asymptotic behavior and thus easily corrected with linear elastic theory. Here we show that elastic effects are also important in the description of defects in ionic compounds and can lead to qualitatively incorrect conclusions if inadequately small supercells are used; moreover, the spurious self-interaction does not follow the behavior predicted by linear elastic theory. Considering the exemplar cases of metal oxides with fluorite structure, we show that numerous previous studies, employing 96-atom supercells, misidentify the ground-state structure of (charge-neutral) Schottky defects. We show that the error is eliminated by employing larger cells (324, 768, and 1500 atoms), and careful analysis determines that elastic, not electrostatic, effects are responsible. The spurious self-interaction was also observed in nonoxide ionic compounds irrespective of the computational method used, thereby resolving long-standing discrepancies between DFT and force-field methods, previously attributed to the level of theory. The surprising magnitude of the elastic effects is a cautionary tale for defect calculations in ionic materials, particularly when employing computationally expensive methods (e.g., hybrid functionals) or when modeling large defect clusters. We propose two computationally practicable methods to test the magnitude of the elastic self-interaction in any ionic system. In commonly studied oxides, where electrostatic effects would be expected to be dominant, it is the elastic effects that dictate the need for larger supercells: greater than 96 atoms.

  2. Syndromes and Disorders Associated with Omphalocele (III: Single Gene Disorders, Neural Tube Defects, Diaphragmatic Defects and Others

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chih-Ping Chen

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available Omphalocele can be associated with single gene disorders, neural tube defects, diaphragmatic defects, fetal valproate syndrome, and syndromes of unknown etiology. This article provides a comprehensive review of omphalocele-related disorders: otopalatodigital syndrome type II; Melnick–Needles syndrome; Rieger syndrome; neural tube defects; Meckel syndrome; Shprintzen–Goldberg omphalocele syndrome; lethal omphalocele-cleft palate syndrome; cerebro-costo-mandibular syndrome; fetal valproate syndrome; Marshall–Smith syndrome; fibrochondrogenesis; hydrolethalus syndrome; Fryns syndrome; omphalocele, diaphragmatic defects, radial anomalies and various internal malformations; diaphragmatic defects, limb deficiencies and ossification defects of skull; Donnai–Barrow syndrome; CHARGE syndrome; Goltz syndrome; Carpenter syndrome; Toriello–Carey syndrome; familial omphalocele; Cornelia de Lange syndrome; C syndrome; Elejalde syndrome; Malpuech syndrome; cervical ribs, Sprengel anomaly, anal atresia and urethral obstruction; hydrocephalus with associated malformations; Kennerknecht syndrome; lymphedema, atrial septal defect and facial changes; and craniosynostosis- mental retardation syndrome of Lin and Gettig. Perinatal identification of omphalocele should alert one to the possibility of omphalocele-related disorders and familial inheritance and prompt a thorough genetic counseling for these disorders.

  3. Application of elastic net and infrared spectroscopy in the discrimination between defective and non-defective roasted coffees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Craig, Ana Paula; Franca, Adriana S; Oliveira, Leandro S; Irudayaraj, Joseph; Ileleji, Klein

    2014-10-01

    The quality of the coffee beverage is negatively affected by the presence of defective coffee beans and its evaluation still relies on highly subjective sensory panels. To tackle the problem of subjectivity, sophisticated analytical techniques have been developed and have been shown capable of discriminating defective from non-defective coffees after roasting. However, these techniques are not adequate for routine analysis, for they are laborious (sample preparation) and time consuming, and reliable, simpler and faster techniques need to be developed for such purpose. Thus, it was the aim of this study to evaluate the performance of infrared spectroscopic methods, namely FTIR and NIR, for the discrimination of roasted defective and non-defective coffees, employing a novel statistical approach. The classification models based on Elastic Net exhibited high percentage of correct classification, and the discriminant infrared spectra variables extracted provided a good interpretation of the models. The discrimination of defective and non-defective beans was associated with main chemical descriptors of coffee, such as carbohydrates, proteins/amino acids, lipids, caffeine and chlorogenic acids. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Magnetoencephalography signals are influenced by skull defects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lau, S; Flemming, L; Haueisen, J

    2014-08-01

    Magnetoencephalography (MEG) signals had previously been hypothesized to have negligible sensitivity to skull defects. The objective is to experimentally investigate the influence of conducting skull defects on MEG and EEG signals. A miniaturized electric dipole was implanted in vivo into rabbit brains. Simultaneous recording using 64-channel EEG and 16-channel MEG was conducted, first above the intact skull and then above a skull defect. Skull defects were filled with agar gels, which had been formulated to have tissue-like homogeneous conductivities. The dipole was moved beneath the skull defects, and measurements were taken at regularly spaced points. The EEG signal amplitude increased 2-10 times, whereas the MEG signal amplitude reduced by as much as 20%. The EEG signal amplitude deviated more when the source was under the edge of the defect, whereas the MEG signal amplitude deviated more when the source was central under the defect. The change in MEG field-map topography (relative difference measure, RDM(∗)=0.15) was geometrically related to the skull defect edge. MEG and EEG signals can be substantially affected by skull defects. MEG source modeling requires realistic volume conductor head models that incorporate skull defects. Copyright © 2013 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Reconstruction of soft tissue defects around the ankle and foot

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bharat Bhushan Dogra

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Soft tissue defects over ankle and foot region are encountered quite frequently following road traffic trauma and surgery. Management of such cases is a challenging task for any reconstructive surgeon because of paucity of skin and relative poor vascular status of skin in this region. Hence, invariably such cases require microsurgical free flap coverage, expertise for which may not be available at all the centers, such procedures require long operating hours and suitable recipient vessel may not be available in crush injuries. Materials and Methods: Thirty consecutive patients having soft tissue defects around ankle and foot region who underwent various reconstructive procedures in a medical college hospital during last 2 years form the basis of this study. This study was carried out to enlist various etiological factors and reconstructive surgical procedures employed to manage such cases without microsurgery. Results: The age of these patients ranged from 9 to 72 years. Twenty-five patients were males while 05 were females, with a mean age of 25 years. Road traffic accidents happened to be the primary cause of such defects in as many as 15 patients, cycle spoke trauma in 02 patients, implant exposure following orthopedic surgery in 6 patients, diabetic angiopathy in 4 patients and chronic osteomyelitis in 3 patients. The site of the defect was lower fourth of tibia in 16 patients, dorsum of foot in 2 patients, sole in 5 patients, medial aspect of ankle in 02 cases, lateral aspect in 02 cases and retro calcaneal region in 03 cases. In 10 cases distally based superficial sural artery flap was used to reconstruct the defect. In step rotation flap was used to provide sensory flap cover in the weight bearing heel in 04 cases. Inferiorly based fasciocutanenous flaps in 09 cases and muscle flaps were used in 07 cases. Conclusion: Distally based sural artery based flaps are very handy to provide skin cover around ankle and malleolar

  6. Electrical fingerprint of pipeline defects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mica, Isabella; Polignano, Maria Luisa; Marco, Cinzia De

    2004-01-01

    Pipeline defects are dislocations that connect the source region of the transistor with the drain region. They were widely reported to occur in CMOS, BiCMOS devices and recently in SOI technologies. They can reduce device yield either by affecting the devices functionality or by increasing the current consumption under stand-by conditions. In this work the electrical fingerprint of these dislocations is studied, its purpose is to enable us to identify these defects as the ones responsible for device failure. It is shown that the pipeline defects are responsible for a leakage current from source to drain in the transistors. This leakage has a resistive characteristic and it is lightly modulated by the body bias. It is not sensitive to temperature; vice versa the off-current of a good transistor exhibits the well-known exponential dependence on 1/T. The emission spectrum of these defects was studied and compared with the spectrum of a good transistor. The paper aims to show that the spectrum of a defective transistor is quite peculiar; it shows well defined peaks, whereas the spectrum of a good transistor under saturation conditions is characterized by a broad spectral light emission distribution. Finally the deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) is tried on defective diodes

  7. Defect spectroscopy of single ZnO microwires

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villafuerte, M.; Ferreyra, J. M.; Zapata, C.; Barzola-Quiquia, J.; Iikawa, F.; Esquinazi, P.; Heluani, S. P.; de Lima, M. M.; Cantarero, A.

    2014-04-01

    The point defects of single ZnO microwires grown by carbothermal reduction were studied by microphotoluminescence, photoresistance excitation spectra, and resistance as a function of the temperature. We found the deep level defect density profile along the microwire showing that the concentration of defects decreases from the base to the tip of the microwires and this effect correlates with a band gap narrowing. The results show a characteristic deep defect levels inside the gap at 0.88 eV from the top of the VB. The resistance as a function of the temperature shows defect levels next to the bottom of the CB at 110 meV and a mean defect concentration of 4 × 1018 cm-3. This combination of techniques allows us to study the band gap values and defects states inside the gap in single ZnO microwires and opens the possibility to be used as a defect spectroscopy method.

  8. Impurity Role In Mechanically Induced Defects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Howell, R.H.; Asoka-Kumar, P.; Hartley, J.; Sterne, P.

    2000-01-01

    An improved understanding of dislocation dynamics and interactions is an outstanding problem in the multi scale modeling of materials properties, and is the current focus of major theoretical efforts world wide. We have developed experimental and theoretical tools that will enable us to measure and calculate quantities defined by the defect structure. Unique to the measurements is a new spectroscopy that determines the detailed elemental composition at the defect site. The measurements are based on positron annihilation spectroscopy performed with a 3 MeV positron beam [1]. Positron annihilation spectroscopy is highly sensitive to dislocations and associated defects and can provide unique elements of the defect size and structure. Performing this spectroscopy with a highly penetrating positron beam enables flexibility in sample handling. Experiments on fatigued and stressed samples have been done and in situ measurement capabilities have been developed. We have recently performed significant upgrades to the accelerator operation and novel new experiments have been performed [2-4] To relate the spectrographic results and the detailed structure of a defect requires detailed calculations. Measurements are coupled with calculated results based on a description of positions of atoms at the defect. This gives an atomistic view of dislocations and associated defects including impurity interactions. Our ability to probe impurity interactions is a unique contribution to defect understanding not easily addressed by other atomistic spectroscopies

  9. Defect properties from X-ray scattering experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peisl, H.

    1976-01-01

    Lattice distortions due to defects in crystals can be studied most directly by elastic X-ray or neutron scattering experiments. The 'size' of the defects can be determined from the shift of the Bragg reflections. Defect induced diffuse scattering intensity close to and between Bragg reflections gives information on the strength and symmetry of the distortion fields and yields the atomic structure of point defects (interstitials, vacancies, small aggregates). Diffuse scattering is a very sensitive method to decide whether defects are present as isolated point defects or have formed aggregates. X-ray scattering has been used to study defects produced in various ionic crystals by γ- and neutron irradiation. After an introduction to the principles of the method the experimental results will be reviewed and discussed in some detail. (orig.) [de

  10. Evaluation of various boluses in dose distribution for electron therapy of the chest wall with an inward defect

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahdavi, Hoda; Jabbari, Keyvan; Roayaei, Mahnaz

    2016-01-01

    Delivering radiotherapy to the postmastectomy chest wall can be achieved using matched electron fields. Surgical defects of the chest wall change the dose distribution of electrons. In this study, the improvement of dose homogeneity using simple, nonconformal techniques of thermoplastic bolus application on a defect is evaluated. The proposed phantom design improves the capability of film dosimetry for obtaining dose profiles of a patient's anatomical condition. A modeled electron field of a patient with a postmastectomy inward surgical defect was planned. High energy electrons were delivered to the phantom in various settings, including no bolus, a bolus that filled the inward defect (PB0), a uniform thickness bolus of 5 mm (PB1), and two 5 mm boluses (PB2). A reduction of mean doses at the base of the defect was observed by any bolus application. PB0 increased the dose at central parts of the defect, reduced hot areas at the base of steep edges, and reduced dose to the lung and heart. Thermoplastic boluses that compensate a defect (PB0) increased the homogeneity of dose in a fixed depth from the surface; adversely, PB2 increased the dose heterogeneity. This study shows that it is practical to investigate dose homogeneity profiles inside a target volume for various techniques of electron therapy. PMID:27051169

  11. Modeling of Powder Bed Manufacturing Defects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mindt, H.-W.; Desmaison, O.; Megahed, M.; Peralta, A.; Neumann, J.

    2018-01-01

    Powder bed additive manufacturing offers unmatched capabilities. The deposition resolution achieved is extremely high enabling the production of innovative functional products and materials. Achieving the desired final quality is, however, hampered by many potential defects that have to be managed in due course of the manufacturing process. Defects observed in products manufactured via powder bed fusion have been studied experimentally. In this effort we have relied on experiments reported in the literature and—when experimental data were not sufficient—we have performed additional experiments providing an extended foundation for defect analysis. There is large interest in reducing the effort and cost of additive manufacturing process qualification and certification using integrated computational material engineering. A prerequisite is, however, that numerical methods can indeed capture defects. A multiscale multiphysics platform is developed and applied to predict and explain the origin of several defects that have been observed experimentally during laser-based powder bed fusion processes. The models utilized are briefly introduced. The ability of the models to capture the observed defects is verified. The root cause of the defects is explained by analyzing the numerical results thus confirming the ability of numerical methods to provide a foundation for rapid process qualification.

  12. Primary posterior perineal herniation of urinary bladder

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kurumboor Prakash

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Primary perineal hernia is a rare clinical condition wherein herniation of viscera occurs through pelvic diaphragm. They are usually mistaken for sciatic hernia, rectal prolapse or other diseases in the perineum. Correct identification of the type of hernia by imaging is crucial for planning treatment. We present a case of primary posterior herniation of urinary bladder and rectal wall through levator ani repaired laparoscopically using a mesh repair.

  13. Increasing reticle inspection efficiency and reducing wafer print-checks using automated defect classification and simulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryu, Sung Jae; Lim, Sung Taek; Vacca, Anthony; Fiekowsky, Peter; Fiekowsky, Dan

    2013-09-01

    IC fabs inspect critical masks on a regular basis to ensure high wafer yields. These requalification inspections are costly for many reasons including the capital equipment, system maintenance, and labor costs. In addition, masks typically remain in the "requal" phase for extended, non-productive periods of time. The overall "requal" cycle time in which reticles remain non-productive is challenging to control. Shipping schedules can slip when wafer lots are put on hold until the master critical layer reticle is returned to production. Unfortunately, substituting backup critical layer reticles can significantly reduce an otherwise tightly controlled process window adversely affecting wafer yields. One major requal cycle time component is the disposition process of mask inspections containing hundreds of defects. Not only is precious non-productive time extended by reviewing hundreds of potentially yield-limiting detections, each additional classification increases the risk of manual review techniques accidentally passing real yield limiting defects. Even assuming all defects of interest are flagged by operators, how can any person's judgment be confident regarding lithographic impact of such defects? The time reticles spend away from scanners combined with potential yield loss due to lithographic uncertainty presents significant cycle time loss and increased production costs. Fortunately, a software program has been developed which automates defect classification with simulated printability measurement greatly reducing requal cycle time and improving overall disposition accuracy. This product, called ADAS (Auto Defect Analysis System), has been tested in both engineering and high-volume production environments with very successful results. In this paper, data is presented supporting significant reduction for costly wafer print checks, improved inspection area productivity, and minimized risk of misclassified yield limiting defects.

  14. Determination of defect content and defect profile in semiconductor heterostructures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zubiaga, A; Garcia, J A; Plazaola, F; Zuniga-Perez, J; Munoz-Sanjose, V

    2011-01-01

    In this article we present an overview of the technique to obtain the defects depth profile and width of a deposited layer and multilayer based on positron annihilation spectroscopy. In particular we apply the method to ZnO and ZnO/ZnCdO layers deposited on sapphire substrates. After introducing some terminology we first calculate the trend that the W/S parameters of the Doppler broadening measurements must follow, both in a qualitative and quantitative way. From this point we extend the results to calculate the width and defect profiles in deposited layer samples.

  15. Determination of defect content and defect profile in semiconductor heterostructures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zubiaga, A [Laboratory of Physics, HUT, PO Box 1100, 02015 TKK, Espoo (Finland); Garcia, J A; Plazaola, F [Zientzia eta Teknologia Fakultatea, Euskal Herriko Unbertsitatea, P. K. 644, 48080, Bilbao (Spain); Zuniga-Perez, J; Munoz-Sanjose, V, E-mail: fernando.plazaola@ehu.es [Universitat de Valencia, Departamento de Fisica Aplicada i Electromagnetisme, Dr. Moliner 50, 46100 Burjassot, Valencia (Spain)

    2011-01-10

    In this article we present an overview of the technique to obtain the defects depth profile and width of a deposited layer and multilayer based on positron annihilation spectroscopy. In particular we apply the method to ZnO and ZnO/ZnCdO layers deposited on sapphire substrates. After introducing some terminology we first calculate the trend that the W/S parameters of the Doppler broadening measurements must follow, both in a qualitative and quantitative way. From this point we extend the results to calculate the width and defect profiles in deposited layer samples.

  16. Congenital heart defects in Williams syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Shi-Min

    2017-01-01

    Yuan SM. Congenital heart defects in Williams syndrome. Turk J Pediatr 2017; 59: 225-232. Williams syndrome (WS), also known as Williams-Beuren syndrome, is a rare genetic disorder involving multiple systems including the circulatory system. However, the etiologies of the associated congenital heart defects in WS patients have not been sufficiently elucidated and represent therapeutic challenges. The typical congenital heart defects in WS were supravalvar aortic stenosis, pulmonary stenosis (both valvular and peripheral), aortic coarctation and mitral valvar prolapse. The atypical cardiovascular anomalies include tetralogy of Fallot, atrial septal defects, aortic and mitral valvular insufficiencies, bicuspid aortic valves, ventricular septal defects, total anomalous pulmonary venous return, double chambered right ventricle, Ebstein anomaly and arterial anomalies. Deletion of the elastin gene on chromosome 7q11.23 leads to deficiency or abnormal deposition of elastin during cardiovascular development, thereby leading to widespread cardiovascular abnormalities in WS. In this article, the distribution, treatment and surgical outcomes of typical and atypical cardiac defects in WS are discussed.

  17. Secondary defects in non-metallic solids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ashbee, K.H.G.; Hobbs, L.W.

    1977-01-01

    This paper points out features of secondary defect formation which are peculiar to non-metallic solids (excluding elemental semiconductors). Most of the materials of interest are compounds of two or more (usually more or less ionic) atomic species, and immediate consequence of which is a need to maintain both stoichiometry (or accommodate non-stoichiometry) and order. Primary defects in these solids, whether produced thermally, chemically or by irradiation, seldom are present or aggregate in exactly stoichiometric proportions, and the resulting extending defect structures can be quite distinct from those found in metallic solids. Where stoichiometry is maintained, it is often convenient to describe extended defects in terms of alterations in the arrangement of 'molecular' units. The adoption of this procedure enables several novel features of extended defect structures in non-metals to be explained. There are several ways in which a range of non-stoichiometry can be accommodated, which include structural elimination of point defects, nucleation of new coherent phases of altered stoichiometry, and decomposition. (author)

  18. The diagnostic accuracy of endovaginal and transperineal ultrasound for detecting anal sphincter defects: The PREDICT study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roos, A-M; Abdool, Z; Sultan, A H; Thakar, R

    2011-07-01

    To determine the accuracy and predictive value of transperineal (TPU) and endovaginal ultrasound (EVU) in the detection of anal sphincter defects in women with obstetric anal sphincter injuries and/or postpartum symptoms of faecal incontinence. One hundred and sixty-five women were recruited, four women were excluded as they were seen years after their last delivery. TPU and EVU, followed by endonanal ultrasound (EAU), were performed using the B&K Viking 2400 scanner. Sensitivity and specificity, as well as predictive values with 95% confidence intervals, for detecting anal sphincter defects were calculated for EVU and TPU, using EAU as the reference standard. On EAU a defect was found in 42 (26%) women: 39 (93%) had an external (EAS) and 23 (55%) an internal anal sphincter (IAS) defect. Analysable images of one level of the EAS combined with an analysable IAS were available in 140 (87%) women for EVU and in 131 (81%) for TPU. The sensitivity and specificity for the detection of any defect was 48% (30-67%) and 85% (77-91%) for EVU and 64% (44-81%) and 85% (77-91%) for TPU, respectively. Although EAU using a rotating endoprobe is the validated reference standard in the identification of anal sphincter defects, it is not universally available. However while TPU and/or EVU with conventional ultrasound probes can be useful in identifying normality, for clinical purposes they are not sensitive enough to identify an underlying sphincter defect. Copyright © 2011 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Defining defect specifications to optimize photomask production and requalification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fiekowsky, Peter

    2006-10-01

    Reducing defect repairs and accelerating defect analysis is becoming more important as the total cost of defect repairs on advanced masks increases. Photomask defect specs based on printability, as measured on AIMS microscopes has been used for years, but the fundamental defect spec is still the defect size, as measured on the photomask, requiring the repair of many unprintable defects. ADAS, the Automated Defect Analysis System from AVI is now available in most advanced mask shops. It makes the use of pure printability specs, or "Optimal Defect Specs" practical. This software uses advanced algorithms to eliminate false defects caused by approximations in the inspection algorithm, classify each defect, simulate each defect and disposition each defect based on its printability and location. This paper defines "optimal defect specs", explains why they are now practical and economic, gives a method of determining them and provides accuracy data.

  20. Metastable and bistable defects in silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mukashev, Bulat N; Abdullin, Kh A; Gorelkinskii, Yurii V

    2000-01-01

    Existing data on the properties and structure of metastable and bistable defects in silicon are analyzed. Primary radiation-induced defects (vacancies, self-interstitial atoms, and Frenkel pairs), complexes of oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, and other impurity atoms and defects with negative correlation energy are considered. (reviews of topical problems)

  1. Topological defects in extended inflation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Copeland, E.J.; Kolb, E.W.; Chicago Univ., IL; Liddle, A.R.

    1990-04-01

    We consider the production of topological defects, especially cosmic strings, in extended inflation models. In extended inflation, the Universe passes through a first-order phase transition via bubble percolation, which naturally allows defects to form at the end of inflation. The correlation length, which determines the number density of the defects, is related to the mean size of bubbles when they collide. This mechanism allows a natural combination of inflation and large-scale structure via cosmic strings. 18 refs

  2. Topological defects in extended inflation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Copeland, E.J.; Kolb, E.W.; Liddle, A.R.

    1990-01-01

    We consider the production of topological defects, especially cosmic strings, in extended-inflation models. In extended inflation, the Universe passes through a first-order phase transition via bubble percolation, which naturally allows defects to form at the end of inflation. The correlation length, which determines the number density of the defects, is related to the mean size of the bubbles when they collide. This mechanism allows a natural combination of inflation and large-scale structure via cosmic strings

  3. Defect accumulation under cascade damage conditions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Trinkaus, H.; Singh, B.N.; Woo, C.H.

    1994-01-01

    in terms of this reaction kinetics taking into account cluster production, dissociation, migration and annihilation at extended sinks. Microstructural features which are characteristic of cascade damage and cannot be explained in terms of the conventional single defect reaction kinetics are emphasized......There is now ample evidence from both experimental and computer simulation studies that in displacement cascades not only intense recombination takes place but also efficient clustering of both self-interstitial atoms (SIAs) and vacancies. The size distributions of the two types of defects produced...... reactions kinetics associated with the specific features of cascade damage is described, with emphasis on asymmetries between SIA and vacancy type defects concerning their production, stability, mobility and interactions with other defects. Defect accumulation under cascade damage conditions is discussed...

  4. Building defects in Danish construction: project characteristics influencing the occurrence of defects at handover

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schultz, Casper Siebken; Jørgensen, Kirsten; Bonke, Sten

    2015-01-01

    Defects in construction have gained much attention from both the public and academia. Danish construction is no exception and a number of political initiatives have been established to address the unsatisfying amounts of defects. One of the political initiatives, benchmarking, collects and provides...... those with many and/or serious defects. The article reviews the results from studying two quantitative data sets: (I) benchmarking data from 329 building projects and 621 contracts and (II) questionnaire data from an electronic survey comprising 130 contractors. This study provides in-depth knowledge...

  5. The creation of a peritoneal defect in transanal endoscopic microsurgery does not increase complications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramwell, A; Evans, J; Bignell, M; Mathias, J; Simson, J

    2009-11-01

    During Transanal Endoscopic Microsurgical (TEMS) full-thickness excision of a rectal lesion above the peritoneal reflection, entrance to the peritoneal cavity is inevitable. This has been regarded as a complication that requires conversion to an open procedure. We describe our experience of full thickness intraperitoneal excision of rectal lesions where the peritoneal defect was sutured endoscopically. Data were collected prospectively on 15 patients in whom a peritoneal defect was created intraoperatively during TEMS excision of a rectal lesion. When a defect was recognized, it was closed by endoscopic suture. If there was any doubt regarding security of the closure, a defunctioning loop stoma was fashioned. Between November 1998 and January 2008, a total of 257 patients underwent TEMS during which a peritoneal defect was created in 15 patients. Six patients had a defunctioning stoma formed at the time of TEMS. No patient was defunctioned postoperatively and there were no deaths. The mean hospital stay was 8 days (range 3 to 19 days). A contrast enema showed sub-clinical leaks in two patients for which no treatment was required. No patient developed pelvic or peritoneal sepsis, but one patient had to return to theatre for postoperative bleeding when a single bleeding vessel was coagulated. Full thickness excision of lesions in the intraperitoneal rectum with endoscopic suture of the defect is a safe procedure. Lesions in the upper rectum should not be excluded from TEMS excision because of the chance of peritoneal breach.

  6. Detection of cardiac wall motion defects with combined amplitude/phase analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bacharach, S.L.; Green, M.V.; Bonow, R.O.; Pace, L.; Brunetti, A.; Larson, S.M.

    1985-01-01

    Fourier phase images have been used with some success to detect and quantify left ventricular (LV) wall motion defects. In abnormal regions of the LV, wall motion asynchronies often cause the time activity curve (TAC) to be shifted in phase. Such regional shifts are detected by analysis of the distribution function of phase values over the LV. However, not all wall motion defects result in detectable regional phase abnormalities. Such abnormalities may cause a reduction in the magnitude of contraction (and hence TAC amplitude) without any appreciable change in TAC shape(and hence phase). In an attempt to improve the sensitivity of the Fourier phase method for the detection of wall motion defects the authors analyzed the distribution function of Fourier amplitude as well as phase. 26 individuals with normal cardiac function and no history of cardiac disease served as controls. The goal was to detect and quantify wall motion as compared to the consensus of 3 independent observers viewing the scintigraphic cines. 26 subjects with coronary artery disease and mild wall motion defects (22 with normal EF) were studied ate rest. They found that analysis of the skew of thew amplitude distribution function improved the sensitivity for the detection of wall motion abnormalities at rest in the group from 65% to 85% (17/26 detected by phase alone, 22/26 by combined phase and amplitude analysis) while retaining a 0 false positive rate in the normal group. The authors conclude that analysis of Fourier amplitude distribution functions can significantly increase the sensitivity of phase imaging for detection of wall motion abnormalities

  7. Quantum computing with defects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varley, Joel

    2011-03-01

    The development of a quantum computer is contingent upon the identification and design of systems for use as qubits, the basic units of quantum information. One of the most promising candidates consists of a defect in diamond known as the nitrogen-vacancy (NV-1) center, since it is an individually-addressable quantum system that can be initialized, manipulated, and measured with high fidelity at room temperature. While the success of the NV-1 stems from its nature as a localized ``deep-center'' point defect, no systematic effort has been made to identify other defects that might behave in a similar way. We provide guidelines for identifying other defect centers with similar properties. We present a list of physical criteria that these centers and their hosts should meet and explain how these requirements can be used in conjunction with electronic structure theory to intelligently sort through candidate systems. To elucidate these points, we compare electronic structure calculations of the NV-1 center in diamond with those of several deep centers in 4H silicon carbide (SiC). Using hybrid functionals, we report formation energies, configuration-coordinate diagrams, and defect-level diagrams to compare and contrast the properties of these defects. We find that the NC VSi - 1 center in SiC, a structural analog of the NV-1 center in diamond, may be a suitable center with very different optical transition energies. We also discuss how the proposed criteria can be translated into guidelines to discover NV analogs in other tetrahedrally coordinated materials. This work was performed in collaboration with J. R. Weber, W. F. Koehl, B. B. Buckley, A. Janotti, C. G. Van de Walle, and D. D. Awschalom. This work was supported by ARO, AFOSR, and NSF.

  8. Defect identification using positrons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beling, C.D.; Fung, S.

    2001-01-01

    The current use of the lifetime and Doppler broadening techniques in defect identification is demonstrated with two studies, the first being the identification of carbon vacancy in n-6H SiC through lifetime spectroscopy, and the second the production of de-hydrogenated voids in α-Si:H through light soaking. Some less conventional ideas are presented for more specific defect identification, namely (i) the amalgamation of lifetime and Doppler techniques with conventional deep level transient spectroscopy in what may be called ''positron-deep level transient spectroscopy'', and (ii) the extraction of more spatial information on vacancy defects by means of what may be called ''Fourier transform Doppler broadening of annihilation radiation spectroscopy'' (orig.)

  9. Positron lifetime calculation for defects and defect clusters in graphite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Onitsuka, T.; Ohkubo, H.; Takenaka, M.; Tsukuda, N.; Kuramoto, E.

    2000-01-01

    Calculations of positron lifetime have been made for vacancy type defects in graphite and compared with experimental results. Defect structures were obtained in a model graphite lattice after including relaxation of whole lattice as determined by the molecular dynamics method, where the interatomic potential given by Pablo Andribet, Dominguez-Vazguez, Mari Carmen Perez-Martin, Alonso, Jimenez-Rodriguez [Nucl. Instrum. and Meth. 115 (1996) 501] was used. For the defect structures obtained via lattice relaxation positron lifetime was calculated under the so-called atomic superposition method. Positron lifetimes 204 and 222 ps were obtained for the graphite matrix and a single vacancy, respectively, which can be compared with the experimental results 208 and 233 ps. For planar vacancy clusters, e.g., vacancy loops, lifetime calculation was also made and indicated that lifetime increases with the number of vacancies in a cluster. This is consistent with the experimental result in the region of higher annealing temperature (above 1200 deg. C), where the increase of positron lifetime is seen, probably corresponding to the clustering of mobile vacancies

  10. Point defects and atomic transport in crystals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lidiard, A.B.

    1981-02-01

    There are two principle aspects to the theory of atomic transport in crystals as caused by the action of point defects, namely (1) the calculation of relevant properties of the point defects (energies and other thermodynamic characteristics of the different possible defects, activation energies and other mobility parameters) and (2) the statistical mechanics of assemblies of defects, both equilibrium and non-equilibrium assemblies. In the five lectures given here both these aspects are touched on. The first two lectures are concerned with the calculation of relevant point defect properties, particularly in ionic crystals. The first lecture is more general, the second is concerned particularly with some recent calculations of the free volumes of formation of defects in various ionic solids; these solve a rather long-standing problem in this area. The remaining three lectures are concerned with the kinetic theory of defects mainly in relaxation, drift and diffusion situations

  11. Antigravity from a spacetime defect

    OpenAIRE

    Klinkhamer, F. R.; Queiruga, J. M.

    2018-01-01

    We argue that there may exist spacetime defects embedded in Minkowski spacetime, which have negative active gravitational mass. One such spacetime defect then repels a test particle, corresponding to what may be called "antigravity."

  12. Sub-surface defect detection using transient thermography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mohd Zaki Umar; Huda Abdullah; Abdul Razak Hamzah; Wan Saffiey Wan Abdullah; Ibrahim Ahmad; Vavilov, Vladimir

    2009-04-01

    An experimental research had been carried out to study the potential of transient thermography in detecting sub-surface defect of non-metal material. In this research, eight pieces of bakelite material were used as samples. Each samples had a sub-surface defect in the circular shape with different diameters and depths. Experiment was conducted using one-sided Pulsed Thermal technique. Heating of samples were done using 30 k Watt adjustable quartz lamp while infra red (IR) images of samples were recorded using THV 550 IR camera. These IR images were then analysed with thermo fit TM Pro software to obtain the Maximum Absolute Differential Temperature Signal value, ΔT max and the time of its appearance, τ max (ΔT). Result showed that all defects were able to be detected even for the smallest and deepest defect (diameter = 5 mm and depth = 4 mm). However the highest value of Differential Temperature Signal (ΔT max ), were obtained at defect with the largest diameter, 20 mm and at the shallowest depth, 1 mm. As a conclusion, the sensitivity of the pulsed thermography technique to detect sub-surface defects of bakelite material is proportionately related with the size of defect diameter if the defect area at the same depth. On the contrary, the sensitivity of the pulsed thermography technique inversely related with the depth of defect if the defects have similar diameter size. (author)

  13. Associations between maternal periconceptional exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke and major birth defects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoyt, Adrienne T; Canfield, Mark A; Romitti, Paul A; Botto, Lorenzo D; Anderka, Marlene T; Krikov, Sergey V; Tarpey, Morgan K; Feldkamp, Marcia L

    2016-11-01

    isolated and total case groups for various sources of exposure (household only; workplace/school only; household and workplace/school; household or workplace/school). The prevalence of secondhand smoke exposure only across all sources ranged from 12.9-27.8% for cases and 14.5-15.8% for controls. The adjusted odds ratios for any vs no secondhand smoke exposure in the household or workplace/school and isolated birth defects were significantly elevated for neural tube defects (anencephaly: adjusted odds ratio, 1.66; 95% confidence interval, 1.22-2.25; and spina bifida: adjusted odds ratio, 1.49; 95% confidence interval, 1.20-1.86); orofacial clefts (cleft lip without cleft palate: adjusted odds ratio, 1.41; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-1.81; cleft lip with or without cleft palate: adjusted odds ratio, 1.24; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-1.46; cleft palate alone: adjusted odds ratio, 1.31; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-1.63); bilateral renal agenesis (adjusted odds ratio, 1.99; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-3.75); amniotic band syndrome-limb body wall complex (adjusted odds ratio, 1.66; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-2.51); and atrial septal defects, secundum (adjusted odds ratio, 1.37; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-1.72). There were no significant inverse associations observed. Additional studies replicating the findings are needed to better understand the moderate positive associations observed between periconceptional secondhand smoke and several birth defects in this analysis. Increased odds ratios resulting from chance (eg, multiple comparisons) or recall bias cannot be ruled out. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Electron irradiation-induced defects in {beta}-SiC

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oshima, Ryuichiro [Osaka Prefectural Univ., Sakai (Japan). Reseach Inst. for Advanced Science and Technology

    1996-04-01

    To add information of point defects in cubic crystal SiC, polycrystal {beta}-SiC on the market was used as sample and irradiated by neutron and electron. In situ observation of neutron and electron irradiation-induced defects in {beta}-SiC were carried out by ultra high-voltage electronic microscope (UHVEM) and ordinary electronic microscope. The obtained results show that the electron irradiation-induced secondary defects are micro defects less than 20 nm at about 1273K, the density of defects is from 2x10{sup 17} to 1x10{sup 18}/cc, the secondary defects may be hole type at high temperature and the preexistant defects control nuclear formation of irradiation-induced defects, effective sink. (S.Y.)

  15. Reliability-based management of buried pipelines considering external corrosion defects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miran, Seyedeh Azadeh

    -system. Sensitivity analysis is also performed to determine to which incorporated parameter(s) in the growth models reliability of the studied pipeline is most sensitive. The reliability analysis results suggest that newly generated defects should be considered in calculating failure probability, especially for prediction of long-term performance of the pipeline and also, impact of the statistical uncertainty in the model parameters is significant that should be considered in the reliability analysis. Finally, with the evaluated time-dependent failure probabilities, a life cycle-cost analysis is conducted to determine optimal inspection interval of studied pipeline. The expected total life-cycle costs consists construction cost and expected costs of inspections, repair, and failure. The repair is conducted when failure probability from any described failure mode exceeds pre-defined probability threshold after each inspection. Moreover, this study also investigates impact of repair threshold values and unit costs of inspection and failure on the expected total life-cycle cost and optimal inspection interval through a parametric study. The analysis suggests that a smaller inspection interval leads to higher inspection costs, but can lower failure cost and also repair cost is less significant compared to inspection and failure costs.

  16. Increasing reticle inspection efficiency and reducing wafer printchecks at 14nm using automated defect classification and simulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paracha, Shazad; Goodman, Eliot; Eynon, Benjamin G.; Noyes, Ben F.; Ha, Steven; Kim, Jong-Min; Lee, Dong-Seok; Lee, Dong-Heok; Cho, Sang-Soo; Ham, Young M.; Vacca, Anthony D.; Fiekowsky, Peter J.; Fiekowsky, Daniel I.

    2014-10-01

    IC fabs inspect critical masks on a regular basis to ensure high wafer yields. These requalification inspections are costly for many reasons including the capital equipment, system maintenance, and labor costs. In addition, masks typically remain in the "requal" phase for extended, non-productive periods of time. The overall "requal" cycle time in which reticles remain non-productive is challenging to control. Shipping schedules can slip when wafer lots are put on hold until the master critical layer reticle is returned to production. Unfortunately, substituting backup critical layer reticles can significantly reduce an otherwise tightly controlled process window adversely affecting wafer yields. One major requal cycle time component is the disposition process of mask inspections containing hundreds of defects. Not only is precious non-productive time extended by reviewing hundreds of potentially yield-limiting detections, each additional classification increases the risk of manual review techniques accidentally passing real yield limiting defects. Even assuming all defects of interest are flagged by operators, how can any person's judgment be confident regarding lithographic impact of such defects? The time reticles spend away from scanners combined with potential yield loss due to lithographic uncertainty presents significant cycle time loss and increased production costs An automatic defect analysis system (ADAS), which has been in fab production for numerous years, has been improved to handle the new challenges of 14nm node automate reticle defect classification by simulating each defect's printability under the intended illumination conditions. In this study, we have created programmed defects on a production 14nm node critical-layer reticle. These defects have been analyzed with lithographic simulation software and compared to the results of both AIMS optical simulation and to actual wafer prints.

  17. Computer programs for eddy-current defect studies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pate, J. R.; Dodd, C. V. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)

    1990-06-01

    Several computer programs to aid in the design of eddy-current tests and probes have been written. The programs, written in Fortran, deal in various ways with the response to defects exhibited by four types of probes: the pancake probe, the reflection probe, the circumferential boreside probe, and the circumferential encircling probe. Programs are included which calculate the impedance or voltage change in a coil due to a defect, which calculate and plot the defect sensitivity factor of a coil, and which invert calculated or experimental readings to obtain the size of a defect. The theory upon which the programs are based is the Burrows point defect theory, and thus the calculations of the programs will be more accurate for small defects. 6 refs., 21 figs.

  18. Computer programs for eddy-current defect studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pate, J.R.; Dodd, C.V.

    1990-06-01

    Several computer programs to aid in the design of eddy-current tests and probes have been written. The programs, written in Fortran, deal in various ways with the response to defects exhibited by four types of probes: the pancake probe, the reflection probe, the circumferential boreside probe, and the circumferential encircling probe. Programs are included which calculate the impedance or voltage change in a coil due to a defect, which calculate and plot the defect sensitivity factor of a coil, and which invert calculated or experimental readings to obtain the size of a defect. The theory upon which the programs are based is the Burrows point defect theory, and thus the calculations of the programs will be more accurate for small defects. 6 refs., 21 figs

  19. Electrochemical Methods for Reprocessing Defective Fuel Elements and for Decontaminating Equipment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mikheykin, S. V.; Rybakov, K. A.; Simonov, V. P.

    2002-01-01

    Reprocessing of fuel elements receives much consideration in nuclear engineering. Chemical and electrochemical methods are used for the purpose. For difficultly soluble materials based on zirconium alloys chemical methods are not suitable. Chemical reprocessing of defective or irradiated fuel elements requires special methods for their decladding because the dissolution of the clad material in nitric acid is either impossible (stainless steel, Zr alloys) or quite slow (aluminium). Fuel elements are cut in air-tight glove-boxes equipped with a dust collector and a feeder for crushed material. Chemical treatment is not free from limitations. For this reason we started a study of the feasibility of electrochemical methods for reprocessing defective and irradiated fuel elements. A simplified electrochemical technology developed makes it possible to recover expensive materials which were earlier wasted or required multi-step treatment. The method and an electrochemical cell are suitable for essentially complete dissolution of any fuel elements, specifically those made of materials which are difficultly soluble by chemical methods

  20. Combined laparoscopic abdomino-endoscopic perineal total mesorectal excision for anorectal malignant melanoma: A case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ryo Ohta

    Full Text Available Introduction: This report presents a case of anorectal malignant melanoma treated with combined laparoscopic abdomino-endoscopic perineal total mesorectal excision. Presentation of case: An 82-year-old female presented with hematochezia. Colonoscopy revealed a 5-cm tumor in the anorectal junction, and biopsy specimen showed malignant melanoma. Modified ransanal total mesorectal excision was performed to get the sufficient surgical resection margins. After lymph node dissection in usual manner, mobilizing the rectum to the level of levator ani muscle. Then a skin incision was made around the anus and the transperineal access platform was placed. The fat tissue of the ischioanal fossa was divided until the levator ani muscle was exposed. The oral side of the colon was transected and specimen was extracted through the perineal incision site. Then stoma was placed laparoscopically. Discussion: This procedure provides not only better exposure of the extralevator surgical field, but also efficient resection margins compared with the conventional andominoperineal resection. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of combined laparoscopic abdomino-endoscopic perineal total mesorectal excision for anorectal malignant melanoma. Our experience showed safety and feasible option for anorectal malignant diseases. Keywords: Anorectal malignant melanoma, Transanal total mesorectal excision, Laparoscopic abdominoperineal resection, Case report

  1. Expression of relaxin receptor LRG7, canine relaxin, and relaxin-like factor in the pelvic diaphragm musculature of dogs with and without perineal hernia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merchav, Ronit; Feuermann, Yonatan; Shamay, Avi; Ranen, Eyal; Stein, Uri; Johnston, Dudley E; Shahar, Ron

    2005-01-01

    To compare the expression of canine relaxin, relaxin-like factor (RLF), and relaxin receptors within the muscles of the pelvic diaphragm of dogs with perineal hernia (PH) and clinically normal dogs. In vivo comparative study. Fifteen client-owned intact male dogs with PH were studied. Four mature intact male dogs with no evidence of perineal pathology served as controls. Biopsy samples from the levator ani, coccygeus, and internal obturator muscles were obtained. RNA samples were reverse transcribed and analyzed by real-time PCR for the expression of canine relaxin receptor LRG7, relaxin, and RLF. Significantly higher expression levels of canine relaxin receptors occurred in the musculature of the pelvic diaphragm and internal obturator muscle in dogs with PH compared with normal dogs. Expression of canine RLF revealed no significant difference between dogs with PH and controls. The difference in the expression of canine relaxin between groups was not statistically significant. Relaxin receptor up-regulation occurs in the coccygeus, levator ani, and internal obturator muscles of dogs with PH. The higher expression of relaxin receptors within the muscles of the pelvic diaphragm in dogs with PH suggests that relaxin might play a role in the pathogenesis of PH. Atrophy of these muscles, which predisposes to PH, may be attributable to increased relaxin activity.

  2. Exploring atomic defects in molybdenum disulphide monolayers

    KAUST Repository

    Hong, Jinhua; Hu, Zhixin; Probert, Matt; Li, Kun; Lv, Danhui; Yang, Xinan; Gu, Lin; Mao, Nannan; Feng, Qingliang; Xie, Liming; Zhang, Jin; Wu, Dianzhong; Zhang, Zhiyong; Jin, Chuanhong; Ji, Wei; Zhang, Xixiang; Yuan, Jun; Zhang, Ze

    2015-01-01

    Defects usually play an important role in tailoring various properties of two-dimensional materials. Defects in two-dimensional monolayer molybdenum disulphide may be responsible for large variation of electric and optical properties. Here we present a comprehensive joint experiment-theory investigation of point defects in monolayer molybdenum disulphide prepared by mechanical exfoliation, physical and chemical vapour deposition. Defect species are systematically identified and their concentrations determined by aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy, and also studied by ab-initio calculation. Defect density up to 3.5 × 10 13 cm '2 is found and the dominant category of defects changes from sulphur vacancy in mechanical exfoliation and chemical vapour deposition samples to molybdenum antisite in physical vapour deposition samples. Influence of defects on electronic structure and charge-carrier mobility are predicted by calculation and observed by electric transport measurement. In light of these results, the growth of ultra-high-quality monolayer molybdenum disulphide appears a primary task for the community pursuing high-performance electronic devices.

  3. Areva solutions for management of defective fuel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morlaes, I.; Vo Van, V.

    2014-01-01

    Defective fuel management is a major challenge for nuclear operators when all fuel must be long-term managed. This paper describes AREVA solutions for managing defective fuel. Transport AREVA performs shipments of defective fuel in Europe and proposes casks that are licensed for that purpose in Europe and in the USA. The paper presents the transport experience and the new European licensing approach of defective fuel transport. Dry Interim Storage AREVA is implementing the defective fuel storage in the USA, compliant with the Safety Authority's requirements. In Europe, AREVA is developing a new, more long-term oriented storage solution for defective fuel, the best available technology regarding safety requirements. The paper describes these storage solutions. Treatment Various types of defective fuel coming from around the world have been treated in the AREVA La Hague plant. Specific treatment procedures were developed when needed. The paper presents operational elements related to this experience. (authors)

  4. Exploring atomic defects in molybdenum disulphide monolayers

    KAUST Repository

    Hong, Jinhua

    2015-02-19

    Defects usually play an important role in tailoring various properties of two-dimensional materials. Defects in two-dimensional monolayer molybdenum disulphide may be responsible for large variation of electric and optical properties. Here we present a comprehensive joint experiment-theory investigation of point defects in monolayer molybdenum disulphide prepared by mechanical exfoliation, physical and chemical vapour deposition. Defect species are systematically identified and their concentrations determined by aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy, and also studied by ab-initio calculation. Defect density up to 3.5 × 10 13 cm \\'2 is found and the dominant category of defects changes from sulphur vacancy in mechanical exfoliation and chemical vapour deposition samples to molybdenum antisite in physical vapour deposition samples. Influence of defects on electronic structure and charge-carrier mobility are predicted by calculation and observed by electric transport measurement. In light of these results, the growth of ultra-high-quality monolayer molybdenum disulphide appears a primary task for the community pursuing high-performance electronic devices.

  5. Defect-impurity interactions in ion-implanted metals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Turos, A.

    1986-01-01

    An overview of defect-impurity interactions in metals is presented. When point defects become mobile they migrate towards the sinks and on the way can be captured by impurity atoms forming stable associations so-called complexes. In some metallic systems complexes can also be formed athermally during ion implantation by trapping point defects already in the collision cascade. An association of a point defect with an impurity atom leads to its displacement from the lattice site. The structure and stability of complexes are strongly temperature dependent. With increasing temperature they dissociate or grow by multiple defect trapping. The appearance of freely migrating point defects at elevated temperatures, due to ion bombardment or thermal annealing, causes via coupling with defect fluxes, important impurity redistribution. Because of the sensitivity of many metal-in-metal implanted systems to radiation damage the understanding of this processes is essential for a proper interpretation of the lattice occupancy measurements and the optimization of implantation conditions. (author)

  6. Defect properties of ZnO nanopowders and their modifications induced by remote plasma treatments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Paramo, J A; Peters, R M; Quarles, C A; Strzhemechny, Y M [Physics Department, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX 76129 (United States); Vallejo, H [North Side High School, Fort Worth, TX 79129 (United States)

    2009-11-15

    Photoluminescence (PL) and positron lifetime (LT) measurements were used on several commercial ZnO nanopowders. We observed that sample-to-sample differences in the quality of the powders overshadow any observation of probable size effects. However, the average LT for all nanocrystals is longer than in a bulk sample, consistent with the hypothesis of crystals with surface and subsurface layers rich in defects. Temperature-dependent PL spectra from the ZnO nanopowders were analyzed in detail for the bound-exciton (BEx) range and the numerical fits of the peak positions yielded activation energies that suggested different channels of recombination for the BEx. Also, fits for the full width at half maximum (FWHM) show nonlinear behavior, indicating contribution from surface phonons. We, also, used remote nitrogen and hydrogen plasma treatment on the ZnO nanosystems to manipulate their surface and subsurface defect states. We demonstrated that those plasma species induce a variety of changes in the deep defect visible emission as well as in the BEx luminescence, most likely associated with the surface/subsurface states.

  7. Defect properties of ZnO nanopowders and their modifications induced by remote plasma treatments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paramo, J A; Peters, R M; Quarles, C A; Strzhemechny, Y M; Vallejo, H

    2009-01-01

    Photoluminescence (PL) and positron lifetime (LT) measurements were used on several commercial ZnO nanopowders. We observed that sample-to-sample differences in the quality of the powders overshadow any observation of probable size effects. However, the average LT for all nanocrystals is longer than in a bulk sample, consistent with the hypothesis of crystals with surface and subsurface layers rich in defects. Temperature-dependent PL spectra from the ZnO nanopowders were analyzed in detail for the bound-exciton (BEx) range and the numerical fits of the peak positions yielded activation energies that suggested different channels of recombination for the BEx. Also, fits for the full width at half maximum (FWHM) show nonlinear behavior, indicating contribution from surface phonons. We, also, used remote nitrogen and hydrogen plasma treatment on the ZnO nanosystems to manipulate their surface and subsurface defect states. We demonstrated that those plasma species induce a variety of changes in the deep defect visible emission as well as in the BEx luminescence, most likely associated with the surface/subsurface states.

  8. Congenital Heart Defects (For Parents)

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... to be associated with genetic disorders, such as Down syndrome . But the cause of most congenital heart defects isn't known. While they can't be prevented, many treatments are available for the defects and related health ...

  9. Dual approaches for defects condensation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rougemont, Romulo; Grigorio, Leonardo de Souza; Wotzasek, Clovis [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), RJ (Brazil); Guimaraes, Marcelo Santos [Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), RJ (Brazil)

    2009-07-01

    Full text. Due to the fact that the QCD running coupling constant becomes larger as we go into the low energy (or large distance) limit of the theory, a perturbative treatment of its infrared (IR) region is impossible. In particular, a formal mathematical demonstration of color confinement and a complete physical understanding of the exact mechanism that confines quarks and gluons are two missing points in our current knowledge of the IR-QCD. It was known that due to the Meissner effect of expulsion of magnetic fields in a electric condensate that usual superconductors should confine magnetic monopoles. That point led to the conjecture that the QCD vacuum could be a condensate of chromomagnetic monopoles, a dual superconductor (DSC). Such a chromomagnetic condensate should be responsible for the dual Meissner effect which is expected to lead to the confinement of color charges immersed in this medium. In dual superconductor models of color confinement, magnetic monopoles appear as topological defects in points of the space where the abelian projection becomes singular. Also, condensation of other kinds of defects such as vortices in superfluids and line-like defects in solids are responsible for a great variety of phase transitions, which once more proves the relevance of the subject. In the present work we review two methods that allow us to approach the condensation of defects: the Kleinert Mechanism (KM) and the Julia-Toulouse Mechanism (JTM). We show that in the limit where the vortex gauge field goes to zero, which we identify as the signature of the condensation of defects in the dual picture, these are two equivalent dual prescriptions for obtaining an effective theory for a phase where defects are condensed, starting from the fundamental theory defined in the normal phase where defects are diluted. (author)

  10. Polydispersity-driven topological defects as order-restoring excitations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yao, Zhenwei; Olvera de la Cruz, Monica

    2014-04-08

    The engineering of defects in crystalline matter has been extensively exploited to modify the mechanical and electrical properties of many materials. Recent experiments on manipulating extended defects in graphene, for example, show that defects direct the flow of electric charges. The fascinating possibilities offered by defects in two dimensions, known as topological defects, to control material properties provide great motivation to perform fundamental investigations to uncover their role in various systems. Previous studies mostly focus on topological defects in 2D crystals on curved surfaces. On flat geometries, topological defects can be introduced via density inhomogeneities. We investigate here topological defects due to size polydispersity on flat surfaces. Size polydispersity is usually an inevitable feature of a large variety of systems. In this work, simulations show well-organized induced topological defects around an impurity particle of a wrong size. These patterns are not found in systems of identical particles. Our work demonstrates that in polydispersed systems topological defects play the role of restoring order. The simulations show a perfect hexagonal lattice beyond a small defective region around the impurity particle. Elasticity theory has demonstrated an analogy between the elementary topological defects named disclinations to electric charges by associating a charge to a disclination, whose sign depends on the number of its nearest neighbors. Size polydispersity is shown numerically here to be an essential ingredient to understand short-range attractions between like-charge disclinations. Our study suggests that size polydispersity has a promising potential to engineer defects in various systems including nanoparticles and colloidal crystals.

  11. Defects in conformal field theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Billò, Marco; Gonçalves, Vasco; Lauria, Edoardo; Meineri, Marco

    2016-01-01

    We discuss consequences of the breaking of conformal symmetry by a flat or spherical extended operator. We adapt the embedding formalism to the study of correlation functions of symmetric traceless tensors in the presence of the defect. Two-point functions of a bulk and a defect primary are fixed by conformal invariance up to a set of OPE coefficients, and we identify the allowed tensor structures. A correlator of two bulk primaries depends on two cross-ratios, and we study its conformal block decomposition in the case of external scalars. The Casimir equation in the defect channel reduces to a hypergeometric equation, while the bulk channel blocks are recursively determined in the light-cone limit. In the special case of a defect of codimension two, we map the Casimir equation in the bulk channel to the one of a four-point function without defect. Finally, we analyze the contact terms of the stress-tensor with the extended operator, and we deduce constraints on the CFT data. In two dimensions, we relate the displacement operator, which appears among the contact terms, to the reflection coefficient of a conformal interface, and we find unitarity bounds for the latter.

  12. Defects in conformal field theory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Billò, Marco [Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Torino, and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare - sezione di Torino,Via P. Giuria 1 I-10125 Torino (Italy); Gonçalves, Vasco [Centro de Física do Porto,Departamento de Física e Astronomia Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 687, 4169-007 Porto (Portugal); ICTP South American Institute for Fundamental Research Instituto de Física Teórica,UNESP - University Estadual Paulista,Rua Dr. Bento T. Ferraz 271, 01140-070, São Paulo, SP (Brazil); Lauria, Edoardo [Institute for Theoretical Physics, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200D, B-3001 Leuven (Belgium); Meineri, Marco [Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics,Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 2Y5 (Canada); Scuola Normale Superiore, and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare - sezione di Pisa,Piazza dei Cavalieri 7 I-56126 Pisa (Italy)

    2016-04-15

    We discuss consequences of the breaking of conformal symmetry by a flat or spherical extended operator. We adapt the embedding formalism to the study of correlation functions of symmetric traceless tensors in the presence of the defect. Two-point functions of a bulk and a defect primary are fixed by conformal invariance up to a set of OPE coefficients, and we identify the allowed tensor structures. A correlator of two bulk primaries depends on two cross-ratios, and we study its conformal block decomposition in the case of external scalars. The Casimir equation in the defect channel reduces to a hypergeometric equation, while the bulk channel blocks are recursively determined in the light-cone limit. In the special case of a defect of codimension two, we map the Casimir equation in the bulk channel to the one of a four-point function without defect. Finally, we analyze the contact terms of the stress-tensor with the extended operator, and we deduce constraints on the CFT data. In two dimensions, we relate the displacement operator, which appears among the contact terms, to the reflection coefficient of a conformal interface, and we find unitarity bounds for the latter.

  13. Concurrence of metaphyseal fibrous defect and osteosarcoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kyriakos, M.; Murphy, W.A.

    1981-01-01

    The case of a 15-year-old girl with juxtaposition of a femoral metaphyseal fibrous defect (fibrous cortical defect) and an osteosarcoma is reported. Despite the relatively common occurrence of metaphyseal fibrous defects, their reported association with other bone tumors is exceedingly rare. Only two previous acceptable examples of this association were found. Reports of malignant transformation of metaphyseal fibrous defect were reviewed and rejected because they lacked convincing radiologic or histopathologic evidence of a pre-existent benign fibrous lesion. The finding of a malignant bone tumor in association with a metaphyseal fibrous defect appears to be a chance occurrence. (orig.)

  14. Automatic classification of defects in weld pipe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anuar Mikdad Muad; Mohd Ashhar Hj Khalid; Abdul Aziz Mohamad; Abu Bakar Mhd Ghazali; Abdul Razak Hamzah

    2000-01-01

    With the advancement of computer imaging technology, the image on hard radiographic film can be digitized and stored in a computer and the manual process of defect recognition and classification may be replace by the computer. In this paper a computerized method for automatic detection and classification of common defects in film radiography of weld pipe is described. The detection and classification processes consist of automatic selection of interest area on the image and then classify common defects using image processing and special algorithms. Analysis of the attributes of each defect such as area, size, shape and orientation are carried out by the feature analysis process. These attributes reveal the type of each defect. These methods of defect classification result in high success rate. Our experience showed that sharp film images produced better results

  15. Primordial inhomogeneities from massive defects during inflation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Firouzjahi, Hassan; Karami, Asieh; Rostami, Tahereh, E-mail: firouz@ipm.ir, E-mail: karami@ipm.ir, E-mail: t.rostami@ipm.ir [School of Astronomy, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), P.O. Box 19395-5531, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2016-10-01

    We consider the imprints of local massive defects, such as a black hole or a massive monopole, during inflation. The massive defect breaks the background homogeneity. We consider the limit that the physical Schwarzschild radius of the defect is much smaller than the inflationary Hubble radius so a perturbative analysis is allowed. The inhomogeneities induced in scalar and gravitational wave power spectrum are calculated. We obtain the amplitudes of dipole, quadrupole and octupole anisotropies in curvature perturbation power spectrum and identify the relative configuration of the defect to CMB sphere in which large observable dipole asymmetry can be generated. We observe a curious reflection symmetry in which the configuration where the defect is inside the CMB comoving sphere has the same inhomogeneous variance as its mirror configuration where the defect is outside the CMB sphere.

  16. Automatic classification of defects in weld pipe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anuar Mikdad Muad; Mohd Ashhar Khalid; Abdul Aziz Mohamad; Abu Bakar Mhd Ghazali; Abdul Razak Hamzah

    2001-01-01

    With the advancement of computer imaging technology, the image on hard radiographic film can be digitized and stored in a computer and the manual process of defect recognition and classification may be replaced by the computer. In this paper, a computerized method for automatic detection and classification of common defects in film radiography of weld pipe is described. The detection and classification processes consist of automatic selection of interest area on the image and then classify common defects using image processing and special algorithms. Analysis of the attributes of each defect such area, size, shape and orientation are carried out by the feature analysis process. These attributes reveal the type of each defect. These methods of defect classification result in high success rate. Our experience showed that sharp film images produced better results. (Author)

  17. Renyi entropy and conformal defects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bianchi, Lorenzo [Humboldt-Univ. Berlin (Germany). Inst. fuer Physik; Hamburg Univ. (Germany). II. Inst. fuer Theoretische Physik; Meineri, Marco [Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa (Italy); Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Waterloo, ON (Canada); Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Pisa (Italy); Myers, Robert C. [Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Waterloo, ON (Canada); Smolkin, Michael [California Univ., Berkely, CA (United States). Center for Theoretical Physics and Department of Physics

    2016-04-18

    We propose a field theoretic framework for calculating the dependence of Renyi entropies on the shape of the entangling surface in a conformal field theory. Our approach rests on regarding the corresponding twist operator as a conformal defect and in particular, we define the displacement operator which implements small local deformations of the entangling surface. We identify a simple constraint between the coefficient defining the two-point function of the displacement operator and the conformal weight of the twist operator, which consolidates a number of distinct conjectures on the shape dependence of the Renyi entropy. As an example, using this approach, we examine a conjecture regarding the universal coefficient associated with a conical singularity in the entangling surface for CFTs in any number of spacetime dimensions. We also provide a general formula for the second order variation of the Renyi entropy arising from small deformations of a spherical entangling surface, extending Mezei's results for the entanglement entropy.

  18. Renyi entropy and conformal defects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bianchi, Lorenzo; Myers, Robert C.; Smolkin, Michael

    2016-01-01

    We propose a field theoretic framework for calculating the dependence of Renyi entropies on the shape of the entangling surface in a conformal field theory. Our approach rests on regarding the corresponding twist operator as a conformal defect and in particular, we define the displacement operator which implements small local deformations of the entangling surface. We identify a simple constraint between the coefficient defining the two-point function of the displacement operator and the conformal weight of the twist operator, which consolidates a number of distinct conjectures on the shape dependence of the Renyi entropy. As an example, using this approach, we examine a conjecture regarding the universal coefficient associated with a conical singularity in the entangling surface for CFTs in any number of spacetime dimensions. We also provide a general formula for the second order variation of the Renyi entropy arising from small deformations of a spherical entangling surface, extending Mezei's results for the entanglement entropy.

  19. Middle cranial fossa approach to repair tegmen defects assisted by three-dimensionally printed temporal bone models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmed, Sameer; VanKoevering, Kyle K; Kline, Stephanie; Green, Glenn E; Arts, H Alexander

    2017-10-01

    To explore the perioperative utility of three-dimensionally (3D)-printed temporal bone models of patients undergoing repair of lateral skull base defects and spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid leaks with the middle cranial fossa approach. Case series. 3D-printed temporal bone models-based on patient-specific, high-resolution computed tomographic imaging-were constructed using inexpensive polymer materials. Preoperatively, the models demonstrated the extent of temporal lobe retraction necessary to visualize the proposed defects in the lateral skull base. Also preoperatively, Silastic sheeting was arranged across the modeled tegmen, marked, and cut to cover all of the proposed defect sites. The Silastic sheeting was then sterilized and subsequently served as a precise intraoperative template for a synthetic dural replacement graft. Of note, these grafts were customized without needing to retract the temporal lobe. Five patients underwent the middle cranial fossa approach assisted by 3D-printed temporal bone models to repair tegmen defects and spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid leaks. No complications were encountered. The prefabricated dural repair grafts were easily placed and fit precisely onto the middle fossa floor without any additional modifications. All defects were covered as predicted by the 3D temporal bone models. At their postoperative visits, all five patients maintained resolution of their spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid leaks. Inexpensive 3D-printed temporal bone models of tegmen defects can serve as beneficial adjuncts during lateral skull base repair. The models provide a panoramic preoperative view of all tegmen defects and allow for custom templating of dural grafts without temporal lobe retraction. 4 Laryngoscope, 127:2347-2351, 2017. © 2016 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

  20. Large-Scale Molecular Simulations on the Mechanical Response and Failure Behavior of a defective Graphene: Cases of 5-8-5 Defects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Shuaiwei; Yang, Baocheng; Yuan, Jinyun; Si, Yubing; Chen, Houyang

    2015-10-01

    Understanding the effect of defects on mechanical responses and failure behaviors of a graphene membrane is important for its applications. As examples, in this paper, a family of graphene with various 5-8-5 defects are designed and their mechanical responses are investigated by employing molecular dynamics simulations. The dependence of fracture strength and strain as well as Young’s moduli on the nearest neighbor distance and defect types is examined. By introducing the 5-8-5 defects into graphene, the fracture strength and strain become smaller. However, the Young’s moduli of DL (Linear arrangement of repeat unit 5-8-5 defect along zigzag-direction of graphene), DS (a Slope angle between repeat unit 5-8-5 defect and zigzag direction of graphene) and DZ (Zigzag-like 5-8-5 defects) defects in the zigzag direction become larger than those in the pristine graphene in the same direction. A maximum increase of 11.8% of Young’s modulus is obtained. Furthermore, the brittle cracking mechanism is proposed for the graphene with 5-8-5 defects. The present work may provide insights in controlling the mechanical properties by preparing defects in the graphene, and give a full picture for the applications of graphene with defects in flexible electronics and nanodevices.

  1. Lectures on cosmic topological defects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vachaspati, T [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Colaba, Mumbai (India) and Physics Department, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland (United States)

    2001-11-15

    These lectures review certain topological defects and aspects of their cosmology. Unconventional material includes brief descriptions of electroweak defects, the structure of domain walls in non-Abelian theories, and the spectrum of magnetic monopoles in SU(5) Grand Unified theory. (author)

  2. Is there any advantage to the acquisition of 24-hour thallium images, in the presence of persistent perfusion defects at 4 h after reinjection?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bobba, K; Botvinick, E H; Sciammarella, M G; Starsken, N F; Zhu, Y Y; Lapidus, A; Dae, M W

    1998-05-01

    We determined the incidence of delayed 24-h reversibility post thallium-201 reinjection and imaging at 4 h, as well as the prognostic and significance of such delayed reversibility. We studied 46 consecutive patients with persistent thallium-201 perfusion or incompletely reversible single-photon emission tomography (SPET) perfusion defects acquired within 10 min after reinjection performed 4 h after stress. In 38 of 46 patients (82%) 24-h images showed no further reversibility beyond the post-reinjection 4-h study (group A). Eight of 46 patients (17%) demonstrated reversibility on 24-h imaging (group B). Of these eight, three patients showed no improvement compared with the post-stress images, with a mean perfusion score of the abnormal segments of 1. 25+/-0.50 on the 4-h images, and of 3.00 on the 24-h images, where normal is 4. Four patients presented with nine mixed regions. Four of these regions showed an improvement in the mean perfusion score of 2.50+/-0.58 on 4- and 24-h images. Two of them, with moderate/severe defects, demonstrated complete reversibility at 4-h post-reinjection imaging. In addition, five other regions presented no improvement at 4-h imaging, but showed an improvement in the mean perfusion score from 0.80+/-0.84 at 4-h to 3.30+/-0.89 at 24-h imaging. Two of these regions in one patient showed a severe perfusion score of 0 at 4 h, and complete reversibility at 24 hours, with a mean score improvement of 4. Another patient had three severe perfusion defects; two of them redistributed partially at 4 h and completely at 24 h. The remaining segment with a perfusion score of 0 at 4 h, presented complete reversibility with a score of 4 at 24 h. Two (4%) patients revealed significant reversibility at 24 h in a region that was severely underperfused after post-reinjection imaging at 4 h. Among group B patients, 75% (6/8) had recent acute ischemic syndrome, compared with only 13% (5/38) in group A (P = 0. 001). Among 11 patients with unstable angina

  3. One-point functions in defect CFT and integrability

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Leeuw, Marius de; Kristjansen, Charlotte [The Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 17, Copenhagen Ø, DK-2100 (Denmark); Zarembo, Konstantin [NORDITA, KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Stockholm University, Roslagstullsbacken 23, Stockholm, SE-106 91 (Sweden); Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SE-751 08 (Sweden)

    2015-08-19

    We calculate planar tree level one-point functions of non-protected operators in the defect conformal field theory dual to the D3-D5 brane system with k units of the world volume flux. Working in the operator basis of Bethe eigenstates of the Heisenberg XXX{sub 1/2} spin chain we express the one-point functions as overlaps of these eigenstates with a matrix product state. For k=2 we obtain a closed expression of determinant form for any number of excitations, and in the case of half-filling we find a relation with the Néel state. In addition, we present a number of results for the limiting case k→∞.

  4. The Pathophysiology and Etiology of Vaginismus

    OpenAIRE

    Cherng-Jye Jeng

    2004-01-01

    Vaginismus is defined as an involuntary spasm of the pelvic muscles surrounding the outer third of the vagina, especially the perineal muscles and the levator ani muscles. Its severe form usually makes penetration virtually impossible and causes a severe, burning pain, and leads to unconsummated marriage. There appears to be basic agreement that vaginismus is a psychosociologic disorder with phobic elements resulting from actual or imagined negative experiences with penetration attempts. Fear...

  5. Defect-Tolerant Monolayer Transition Metal Dichalcogenides

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pandey, Mohnish; Rasmussen, Filip Anselm; Kuhar, Korina

    2016-01-01

    Localized electronic states formed inside the band gap of a semiconductor due to crystal defects can be detrimental to the material's optoelectronic properties. Semiconductors with a lower tendency to form defect induced deep gap states are termed defect-tolerant. Here we provide a systematic first...... the gap. These ideas are made quantitative by introducing a descriptor that measures the degree of similarity of the conduction and valence band manifolds. Finally, the study is generalized to nonpolar nanoribbons of the TMDs where we find that only the defect sensitive materials form edge states within......-principles investigation of defect tolerance in 29 monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) of interest for nanoscale optoelectronics. We find that the TMDs based on group VI and X metals form deep gap states upon creation of a chalcogen (S, Se, Te) vacancy, while the TMDs based on group IV metals form only...

  6. Production of freely-migrating defects during irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rehn, L.E.; Okamoto, P.R.

    1986-09-01

    During irradiation at elevated temperatures, vacancy and interstitial defects that escape can produce several different types of microstructural changes. Hence the production rate of freely-migrating defects must be known as a function of irradiating particle species and energy before quantitative correlations can be made between microstructural changes. Our fundamental knowledge of freely-migrating defect production has increased substantially in recent years. Critical experimental findings that led to the improved understanding are reviewed in this paper. A strong similarity is found for the dependence of freely-migrating defect production on primary recoil energy as measured in a variety of metals and alloys by different authors. The efficiency for producing freely-migrating defects decreases much more strongly with increasing primary recoil energy than does the efficiency for creating stable defects at liquid helium temperatures. The stronger decrease can be understood in terms of additional intracascade recombination that results from the nonrandom distribution of defects existing in the primary damage state for high primary recoil energies. Although the existing data base is limited to fcc materials, the strong similarity in the reported investigations suggests that the same dependence of freely-migrating defect production on primary recoil energy may be characteristic of a wide variety of other alloy systems as well. 52 refs., 4 figs

  7. Human diseases associated with defective DNA repair

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Friedberg, E.C.; Ehmann, U.K.; Williams, J.I.

    1979-01-01

    The observations on xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) cells in culture were the first indications of defective DNA repair in association with human disease. Since then, a wealth of information on DNA repair in XP, and to a lesser extent in other diseases, has accumulated in the literature. Rather than clarifying the understanding of DNA repair mechanisms in normal cells and of defective DNA repair in human disease, the literature suggests an extraordinary complexity of both of the phenomena. In this review a number of discrete human diseases are considered separately. An attempt was made to systematically describe the pertinent clinical features and cellular and biochemical defects in these diseases, with an emphasis on defects in DNA metabolism, particularly DNA repair. Wherever possible observations have been correlated and unifying hypotheses presented concerning the nature of the basic defect(s) in these diseases. Discussions of the following diseases are presented: XP, ataxia telangiectasia; Fanconi's anemia; Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome; Bloom's syndrome, Cockayne's syndrome; Down's syndrome; retinoblastoma; chronic lymphocytic leukemia; and other miscellaneous human diseases with possble DNA repair defects

  8. Defect identification for the AsGa family

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Overhof, H.; Spaeth, J.-M.

    2003-01-01

    The As Ga family consists of at least four distinctly different point defects including the technologically important EL2 defect. While the different members are easily distinguished from their MCDA spectra, the differences of the hf and shf interactions as derived from ODEPR and ODENDOR are rather small. We present ab initio calculations using the LMTO-ASA Green's function method for a variety of defect models that might be relevant for the identification of As Ga -related defects. We confirm the identification of the isolated As Ga and show that the {As Ga -X 2 } defect must be identified with the nearest-neighbor antistructure pair rather than with the {As Ga -V As } pair. For the {As Ga -X 1 } defect a distant antistructure pair is a likely candidate. For the EL2, the most important member of the As Ga family, we have not found a conclusive defect model. The recent ODENDOR data are similar to those of the distant orthorhombic {As Ga -V Ga } pair, which, however is a triple acceptor and not a donor

  9. Defect tolerance in resistor-logic demultiplexers for nanoelectronics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuekes, Philip J; Robinett, Warren; Williams, R Stanley

    2006-05-28

    Since defect rates are expected to be high in nanocircuitry, we analyse the performance of resistor-based demultiplexers in the presence of defects. The defects observed to occur in fabricated nanoscale crossbars are stuck-open, stuck-closed, stuck-short, broken-wire, and adjacent-wire-short defects. We analyse the distribution of voltages on the nanowire output lines of a resistor-logic demultiplexer, based on an arbitrary constant-weight code, when defects occur. These analyses show that resistor-logic demultiplexers can tolerate small numbers of stuck-closed, stuck-open, and broken-wire defects on individual nanowires, at the cost of some degradation in the circuit's worst-case voltage margin. For stuck-short and adjacent-wire-short defects, and for nanowires with too many defects of the other types, the demultiplexer can still achieve error-free performance, but with a smaller set of output lines. This design thus has two layers of defect tolerance: the coding layer improves the yield of usable output lines, and an avoidance layer guarantees that error-free performance is achieved.

  10. Altering graphene line defect properties using chemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vasudevan, Smitha; White, Carter; Gunlycke, Daniel

    2012-02-01

    First-principles calculations are presented of a fundamental topological line defect in graphene that was observed and reported in Nature Nanotech. 5, 326 (2010). These calculations show that atoms and smaller molecules can bind covalently to the surface in the vicinity of the graphene line defect. It is also shown that the chemistry at the line defect has a strong effect on its electronic and magnetic properties, e.g. the ferromagnetically aligned moments along the line defect can be quenched by some adsorbates. The strong effect of the adsorbates on the line defect properties can be understood by examining how these adsorbates affect the boundary-localized states in the vicinity of the Fermi level. We also expect that the line defect chemistry will significantly affect the scattering properties of incident low-energy particles approaching it from graphene.

  11. Stacking Defects in Synthetic and Meteoritic Hibonites: Implications for High-Temperature Processes in the Solar Nebula

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, J.; Keller, L. P.; Brearley, A. J.; Danielson, L. R.

    2016-01-01

    Hibonite (CaAl12O19) is a primary, highly refractory phase occurring in many Ca-Al-rich inclusions (CAIs) from different chondrite groups, except CI chondrites. Hibonite is predicted to be one of the earliest minerals to condense during cooling of the solar nebula at higher temperatures than any other major CAI mineral. Therefore, hibonite has great potential to reveal the processes and conditions of the very early, high-temperature stages of the solar nebular evolution. Previous microstructural studies of hibonite in CAIs and their Wark-Lovering (WL) rims showed the presence of numerous stacking defects in hibonite. These defects are interpreted as the modification of the stacking sequences of spinel and Ca-containing blocks within the ideal hexagonal hibonite structure, as shown by experimental studies of reaction-sintered ceramic CaO-Al2O3 compounds. We performed preliminary experiments in the CaO-Al2O3-MgO system to understand the formation processes and conditions of defect-structured hibonite found in meteorites.

  12. Female Longitudinal Anal Muscles or Conjoint Longitudinal Coats Extend into the Subcutaneous Tissue along the Vaginal Vestibule: A Histological Study Using Human Fetuses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arakawa, Takashi; Abe, Hiroshi; Rodríguez-Vízquez, Jose Francisco; Murakami, Gen; Sugihara, Kenichi

    2013-01-01

    Purpose It is still unclear whether the longitudinal anal muscles or conjoint longitudinal coats (CLCs) are attached to the vagina, although such an attachment, if present, would appear to make an important contribution to the integrated supportive system of the female pelvic floor. Materials and Methods Using immunohistochemistry for smooth muscle actin, we examined semiserial frontal sections of 1) eleven female late-stage fetuses at 28-37 weeks of gestation, 2) two female middle-stage fetus (2 specimens at 13 weeks), and, 3) six male fetuses at 12 and 37 weeks as a comparison of the morphology. Results In late-stage female fetuses, the CLCs consistently (11/11) extended into the subcutaneous tissue along the vaginal vestibule on the anterior side of the external anal sphincter. Lateral to the CLCs, the external anal sphincter also extended anteriorly toward the vaginal side walls. The anterior part of the CLCs originated from the perimysium of the levator ani muscle without any contribution of the rectal longitudinal muscle layer. However, in 2 female middle-stage fetuses, smooth muscles along the vestibulum extended superiorly toward the levetor ani sling. In male fetuses, the CLCs were separated from another subcutaneous smooth muscle along the scrotal raphe (posterior parts of the dartos layer) by fatty tissue. Conclusion In terms of topographical anatomy, the female anterior CLCs are likely to correspond to the lateral extension of the perineal body (a bulky subcutaneous smooth muscle mass present in adult women), supporting the vaginal vestibule by transmission of force from the levator ani. PMID:23549829

  13. Iatrogenic Urethral Defect Repairment: A Case Report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ulas Fidan

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available    Iatrogenic urethral defect is a complication that occurs after vaginal surgical procedures. Many surgical methods according to place of defect are described in case of injury of urethra. In this article, we reported the repairment of distal urethral defect with the help of greft taken from labia minor. This defect is made by the excision of the granulation tissue that occurred after chronic paraurethral  gland infection.

  14. Repairing Nanoparticle Surface Defects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marino, Emanuele; Kodger, Thomas E; Crisp, Ryan W; Timmerman, Dolf; MacArthur, Katherine E; Heggen, Marc; Schall, Peter

    2017-10-23

    Solar devices based on semiconductor nanoparticles require the use of conductive ligands; however, replacing the native, insulating ligands with conductive metal chalcogenide complexes introduces structural defects within the crystalline nanostructure that act as traps for charge carriers. We utilized atomically thin semiconductor nanoplatelets as a convenient platform for studying, both microscopically and spectroscopically, the development of defects during ligand exchange with the conductive ligands Na 4 SnS 4 and (NH 4 ) 4 Sn 2 S 6 . These defects can be repaired via mild chemical or thermal routes, through the addition of L-type ligands or wet annealing, respectively. This results in a higher-quality, conductive, colloidally stable nanomaterial that may be used as the active film in optoelectronic devices. © 2017 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

  15. A System for Measuring Defect Induced Beam Modulation on Inertial Confinement Fusion-class Laser Optics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Runkel, M; Hawley-Fedder, R; Widmayer, C; Williams, W; Weinzapfel, C; Roberts, D

    2005-01-01

    A multi-wavelength laser based system has been constructed to measure defect induced beam modulation (diffraction) from ICF class laser optics. The Nd:YLF-based modulation measurement system (MMS) uses simple beam collimation and imaging to capture diffraction patterns from optical defects onto an 8-bit digital camera at 1053, 527 and 351 nm. The imaging system has a field of view of 4.5 x 2.8 mm 2 and is capable of imaging any plane from 0 to 30 cm downstream from the defect. The system is calibrated using a 477 micron chromium dot on glass for which the downstream diffraction patterns were calculated numerically. Under nominal conditions the system can measure maximum peak modulations of approximately 7:1. An image division algorithm is used to calculate the peak modulation from the diffracted and empty field images after the baseline residual light background is subtracted from both. The peak modulation can then be plotted versus downstream position. The system includes a stage capable of holding optics up to 50 pounds with x and y translation of 40 cm and has been used to measure beam modulation due to solgel coating defects, surface digs on KDP crystals, lenslets in bulk fused silica and laser damage sites mitigated with CO 2 lasers

  16. A System for Measuring Defect Induced Beam Modulation on Inertial Confinement Fusion-class Laser Optics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Runkel, M; Hawley-Fedder, R; Widmayer, C; Williams, W; Weinzapfel, C; Roberts, D

    2005-10-18

    A multi-wavelength laser based system has been constructed to measure defect induced beam modulation (diffraction) from ICF class laser optics. The Nd:YLF-based modulation measurement system (MMS) uses simple beam collimation and imaging to capture diffraction patterns from optical defects onto an 8-bit digital camera at 1053, 527 and 351 nm. The imaging system has a field of view of 4.5 x 2.8 mm{sup 2} and is capable of imaging any plane from 0 to 30 cm downstream from the defect. The system is calibrated using a 477 micron chromium dot on glass for which the downstream diffraction patterns were calculated numerically. Under nominal conditions the system can measure maximum peak modulations of approximately 7:1. An image division algorithm is used to calculate the peak modulation from the diffracted and empty field images after the baseline residual light background is subtracted from both. The peak modulation can then be plotted versus downstream position. The system includes a stage capable of holding optics up to 50 pounds with x and y translation of 40 cm and has been used to measure beam modulation due to solgel coating defects, surface digs on KDP crystals, lenslets in bulk fused silica and laser damage sites mitigated with CO{sub 2} lasers.

  17. [Progress of Masquelet technique to repair bone defect].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yin, Qudong; Sun, Zhenzhong; Gu, Sanjun

    2013-10-01

    To summarize the progress of Masquelet technique to repair bone defect. The recent literature concerning the application of Masquelet technique to repair bone defect was extensively reviewed and summarized. Masquelet technique involves a two-step procedure. First, bone cement is used to fill the bone defect after a thorough debridement, and an induced membrane structure surrounding the spacer formed; then the bone cement is removed after 6-8 weeks, and rich cancellous bone is implanted into the induced membrane. Massive cortical bone defect is repaired by new bone forming and consolidation. Experiments show that the induced membrane has vascular system and is also rich in vascular endothelial growth factor, transforming growth factor beta1, bone morphogenetic protein 2, and bone progenitor cells, so it has osteoinductive property; satisfactory results have been achieved in clinical application of almost all parts of defects, various types of bone defect and massive defect up to 25 cm long. Compared with other repair methods, Masquelet technique has the advantages of reliable effect, easy to operate, few complications, low requirements for recipient site, and wide application. Masquelet technique is an effective method to repair bone defect and is suitable for various types of bone defect, especially for bone defects caused by infection and tumor resection.

  18. Experience with peroneus brevis muscle flaps for reconstruction of distal leg and ankle defects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Babu Bajantri

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective: Peroneus brevis is a muscle in the leg which is expendable without much functional deficit. The objective of this study was to find out its usefulness in coverage of the defects of the lower leg and ankle. Patients and Methods: A retrospective analysis of the use of 39 pedicled peroneus brevis muscle flaps used for coverage of defects of the lower leg and ankle between November 2010 and December 2012 was carried out. The flaps were proximally based for defects of the lower third of the leg in 12 patients and distally based for reconstruction of defects of the ankle in 26 patients, with one patient having flaps on both ankles. Results: Partial flap loss in critical areas was found in four patients requiring further flap cover and in non-critical areas in two patients, which were managed with a skin graft. Three of the four critical losses occurred when we used it for covering defects over the medial malleolus. There was no complete flap loss in any of the patients. Conclusion: This flap has a unique vascular pattern and fails to fit into the classification of the vasculature of muscles by Mathes and Nahai. The unusual feature is an axial vessel system running down the deep aspect of the muscle and linking the perforators from the peroneal artery and anterior tibial artery, which allows it to be raised proximally or distally on a single perforator. The flap is simple to raise and safe for the reconstruction of small-to moderate-sized skin defects of the distal third of the tibia and all parts of the ankle except the medial malleolus, which is too far from the pedicle of the distally based flap. The donor site can be closed primarily to provide a linear scar. The muscle flap thins with time to provide a good result aesthetically at the primary defect.

  19. A research for Class II defect Bored Pile’s Accept Criteria: A case of Penang Second Marine bridge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Kang

    2018-03-01

    The aim of this preliminary research is to study the accept criteria of class II bored pile with subtle defect. According to a detailed comparison of the existed different standards, Chinese ones are more applicable especially for the large diameter bored piles. Through the concrete coring at pile No P25-03 of this case and the comparison to the actual calculation, the Class II pile’s defects were very minor. Comparison was also made for the effects on pile structural capacities before and after repair of the defects. the feasible repair proposal may bring forward to more defects to the piles. The Class II piles don’t need any further repairation when piles have typical of similar character and sonic logging test result with P25-03‘s one. For other Class II piles with some differences in characters, verification is needed through further concrete coring on the pile. The recommendation of this research could be adopted for the similar huge marine structures which installed large diameter bored piles.

  20. Defect pin behaviour in the DFR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sloss, W.M.; Bagley, K.Q.; Edmonds, E.; Potter, P.E.

    1979-01-01

    A program of defective fuel pin irradiations has been carried out in the DFR. This program employed fuel pins which had failed during previous irradiations (natural defects) and pins in which simulated failures (artificial defects) had been induced prior to irradiation or during an intermediate examination stage at moderate or substantial burnups. The artificial defects simulated longitudinal ruptures and were normally located at positions near the top, middle and bottom of the pin where clad temperatures were 450, 540 and 630 0 C respectively. The fuel was mixed U-Pu oxide, and fuel form, stoichiometry, clad type, pin diameter, linear rating, and burnup were among the variables examined. The defect pin tests were normally carried out in single pin or trefoil type vehicles. After irradiation all the pins were subjected to the normal nondestructive examination procedures and the visual, radiographic, gamma-scanning, and dimensional change results are presented. Several pins were destructively examined and the metallographic data are discussed

  1. Defect kinetics in novel detector materials

    CERN Document Server

    MacEvoy, B C

    2000-01-01

    Silicon particle detectors will be used extensively in experiments at the CERN Large Hadron Collider, where unprecedented particle fluences will cause significant atomic displacement damage. We present a model of the evolution of defect concentrations and consequent electrical behaviour in "novel" detector materials with various oxygen and carbon impurity concentrations. The divacancy-oxygen (V/sub 2/O) defect is identified as the cause of changes in device characteristics during /sup 60/Co gamma irradiation. In the case of hadron irradiation changes in detector doping concentration (N/sub eff/) are dominated by cluster defects, in particular the divacancy (V/sub 2/), which exchange charge directly via a non-Shockley-Read- Hall mechanism. The V/sub 2/O defect also contributes to Ne/sub eff/. This defect is more copiously produced during 24 GeV/c proton irradiation than during 1 MeV neutron irradiation on account of the higher vacancy introduction rate, hence the radiation hardness of materials is more sensiti...

  2. Topological defects in open string field theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kojita, Toshiko; Maccaferri, Carlo; Masuda, Toru; Schnabl, Martin

    2018-04-01

    We show how conformal field theory topological defects can relate solutions of open string field theory for different boundary conditions. To this end we generalize the results of Graham and Watts to include the action of defects on boundary condition changing fields. Special care is devoted to the general case when nontrivial multiplicities arise upon defect action. Surprisingly the fusion algebra of defects is realized on open string fields only up to a (star algebra) isomorphism.

  3. Local defect resonance for sensitive non-destructive testing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adebahr, W.; Solodov, I.; Rahammer, M.; Gulnizkij, N.; Kreutzbruck, M.

    2016-02-01

    Ultrasonic wave-defect interaction is a background of ultrasound activated techniques for imaging and non-destructive testing (NDT) of materials and industrial components. The interaction, primarily, results in acoustic response of a defect which provides attenuation and scattering of ultrasound used as an indicator of defects in conventional ultrasonic NDT. The derivative ultrasonic-induced effects include e.g. nonlinear, thermal, acousto-optic, etc. responses also applied for NDT and defect imaging. These secondary effects are normally relatively inefficient so that the corresponding NDT techniques require an elevated acoustic power and stand out from conventional ultrasonic NDT counterparts for their specific instrumentation particularly adapted to high-power ultrasonic. In this paper, a consistent way to enhance ultrasonic, optical and thermal defect responses and thus to reduce an ultrasonic power required is suggested by using selective ultrasonic activation of defects based on the concept of local defect resonance (LDR). A strong increase in vibration amplitude at LDR enables to reliably detect and visualize the defect as soon as the driving ultrasonic frequency is matched to the LDR frequency. This also provides a high frequency selectivity of the LDR-based imaging, i.e. an opportunity of detecting a certain defect among a multitude of other defects in material. Some examples are shown how to use LDR in non-destructive testing techniques, like vibrometry, ultrasonic thermography and shearography in order to enhance the sensitivity of defect visualization.

  4. Positron annihilation spectroscopy in defects of semiconductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fujinami, Masanori

    2002-01-01

    Interaction of positron and defects, application to research of defects of semiconductor and defects on the surface of semiconductor are explained. Cz (Czochralski)-Si single crystal with 10 18 cm -3 impurity oxygen was introduced defects by electron irradiation and the positron lifetime was measured at 90K after annealing. The defect size and recovery temperature were determined by the lifetime measurement. The distribution of defects in the depth direction is shown by S-E curve. The chemical state analysis is possible by CBS (Coincidence Doppler Broadening) spectra. The application to silicon-implanted (100 keV, 2x10 15 cm -2 ) silicon and oxygen-implanted (180 keV, 2x10 15 cm -2 ) silicon are stated. On the oxygen-implanted silicon, the main product was V2 after implantation, V 6 O 2 at 600degC and V 10 O 6 at 800degC. (S.Y.)

  5. Perception of risk from automobile safety defects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slovic, P; MacGregor, D; Kraus, N N

    1987-10-01

    Descriptions of safety engineering defects of the kind that compel automobile manufacturers to initiate a recall campaign were evaluated by individuals on a set of risk characteristic scales that included overall vehicle riskiness, manufacturer's ability to anticipate the defect, importance for vehicle operation, severity of consequences and likelihood of compliance with a recall notice. A factor analysis of the risk characteristics indicated that judgments could be summarized in terms of two composite scales, one representing the uncontrollability of the damage the safety defect might cause and the other representing the foreseeability of the defect by the manufacturer. Motor vehicle defects were found to be highly diverse in terms of the perceived qualities of their risks. Location of individual defects within the factor space was closely associated with perceived riskiness, perceived likelihood of purchasing another car from the same manufacturer, perceived likelihood of compliance with a recall notice, and actual compliance rates.

  6. Defects in semiconductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pimentel, C.A.F.

    1983-01-01

    Some problems openned in the study of defects in semiconductors are presented. In particular, a review is made of the more important problems in Si monocrystals of basic and technological interest: microdefects and the presence of oxigen and carbon. The techniques usually utilized in the semiconductor material characterization are emphatized according its potentialities. Some applications of x-ray techniques in the epitaxial shell characterization in heterostructures, importants in electronic optics, are shown. The increase in the efficiency of these defect analysis methods in semiconductor materials with the use of synchrotron x-ray sources is shown. (L.C.) [pt

  7. Wafer plane inspection for advanced reticle defects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagpal, Rajesh; Ghadiali, Firoz; Kim, Jun; Huang, Tracy; Pang, Song

    2008-05-01

    Readiness of new mask defect inspection technology is one of the key enablers for insertion & transition of the next generation technology from development into production. High volume production in mask shops and wafer fabs demands a reticle inspection system with superior sensitivity complemented by a low false defect rate to ensure fast turnaround of reticle repair and defect disposition (W. Chou et al 2007). Wafer Plane Inspection (WPI) is a novel approach to mask defect inspection, complementing the high resolution inspection capabilities of the TeraScanHR defect inspection system. WPI is accomplished by using the high resolution mask images to construct a physical mask model (D. Pettibone et al 1999). This mask model is then used to create the mask image in the wafer aerial plane. A threshold model is applied to enhance the inspectability of printing defects. WPI can eliminate the mask restrictions imposed on OPC solutions by inspection tool limitations in the past. Historically, minimum image restrictions were required to avoid nuisance inspection stops and/or subsequent loss of sensitivity to defects. WPI has the potential to eliminate these limitations by moving the mask defect inspections to the wafer plane. This paper outlines Wafer Plane Inspection technology, and explores the application of this technology to advanced reticle inspection. A total of twelve representative critical layers were inspected using WPI die-to-die mode. The results from scanning these advanced reticles have shown that applying WPI with a pixel size of 90nm (WPI P90) captures all the defects of interest (DOI) with low false defect detection rates. In validating CD predictions, the delta CDs from WPI are compared against Aerial Imaging Measurement System (AIMS), where a good correlation is established between WPI and AIMSTM.

  8. Enamel hypoplasia in the deciduous teeth of great apes: variation in prevalence and timing of defects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lukacs, J R

    2001-11-01

    . Results from all three study collections reveal that among the great apes, gorillas (87-92%) and orangutans (91%) have a significantly higher prevalence of canine enamel defects than chimpanzees (22-48%). Sex differences in canine enamel hypoplasia are small and not statistically significant in any great ape. Factors influencing intergroup variation in prevalence of enamel defects and their distribution on the canine crown, including physiological stress and interspecific dento-gnathic morphological variation, are evaluated. Copyright 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  9. Chondrocytic Potential of Allogenic Mesenchymal Stem Cells Transplanted without Immunosuppression to Regenerate Physeal Defect in Rabbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Gál

    2007-01-01

    demonstrated that allogenic mesenchymal stem cells in a new composite hyaluronate/collagen type I/fibrin scaffold repaired iatrogenic defects in the distal femoral physes in rabbits without the use of immunosuppressive therapy. The use of allogenic mesenchymal stem cells for the repair of physeal defects may be an alternative to autologous MSCs transplantation. An allogenic approach would enable mesenchymal stem cells to be isolated from any donor, providing a readily available source of cells for cartilage tissue repair.

  10. Reduction of Defects in Jewelry Manufacturing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ayudhya, Phitchaya Phanomwan na; Tangjitsitcharoen, Somkiat

    2017-06-01

    The aim of this research was to reduce the defects of gem bracelet found during manufacturing process at a jewelry company. It was found that gem bracelet product has the highest rejects compared to the rejects found in ring, earring, and pendant products. Types of defect were classified by using Pareto Diagram consisting of gem falling, seam, unclean casting, impinge, and deformation. The causes of defect were analyzed by Cause and Effect Diagram and applied Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) was applied during manufacturing processes. This research found that the improvement of manufacturing process could reduce the Risk Priority Number (RPN) and total of all defects by 48.70% and 48.89%, respectively.

  11. Ultrasonic defect detection method for socket welding joint

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tominaga, Masaaki; Matsuo, Toshiyuki; Ueno, Akihiro; Watanabe, Kunimichi; Kawamata, Kunio.

    1995-01-01

    The present invention provides a method of detecting defects over a wide range of a socket weld portion of various kinds of pipelines used, for example, in a nuclear power plant. Namely, an inclined probe is disposed to a jig for detecting defects by ultrasonic waves. This is rotated at least by one turn along the peripheral surface of the material to be detected such as weld tube joints. Defects of weld portion of the material can be detected automatically by using ultrasonic waves during the rotation. The inclined probe for detecting defects by ultrasonic waves comprises a transmission portion having a planar transmittance oscillator disposed to a wedge on the transmission side and a receiving portion comprising a planar receiving oscillator disposed to a wedge on the receiving side. With such a constitution, ultrasonic waves are emitted from the transmission portion to the defect detection portion in the welded portion. If a defect is present, defective echo is reflected to the receiving portion disposed ahead of the probe. Since the defective echo changes depending on the height of the detective portion, the estimation of the height of the defect can be facilitated. (I.S.)

  12. Tracking architectural defects in university building in Malaysia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohd Isa Haryati

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Building defects are always the key concern in the construction industry. Defects represent not only a loss to the project but also hamper the smooth operation of a building. Recognising the need to resolve these continuing problems, a research was mooted to track from the study of defects that occurred during the Defects Liability Period in a public university in Malaysia. This paper presents part of the research which investigates what can be learnt from the analysis of architectural defects in these projects. Two research objectives were developed (1 to investigate types of architectural defects that occurred and (2 to analyse the causes of the defects. A mixed methods approach is adopted. Data for the quantitative element of the research was drawn from defects audit records of the project. They were sorted, grouped and transferred into the SPSS software for analysis using the measure of central tendencies and frequency analysis. The findings suggest that with a proper methodology in place, defects can be effectively traced and categorised. This can provide very useful insights to their root cause and how this can be avoided in future projects.

  13. Experimental study of defect power reactor fuel. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Forsyth, R.S.; Jonsson, T.

    1982-01-01

    Two BWR fuel rods, one intact and one defect, with the same manufacturing and irradiation data have been examined in a comparative study. The defect rod has been irradiated in a defect condition during approximately one reactor cycle and has consequently some secondary defects. The defect rod has two penetrating defects at a distance of about 1.5 meters from each other. Comparison with the intact rod shows a large Cs loss from the defect rod, especially between the cladding defects, where the loss is measured to about 30 %. The leachibility in deionized water is higher for Cs, U and Cm for fuel from the defect rod. The leaching results are more complex for Sr-90, Pu and Am. The fuel in the defect rod has undergone a change of structure with gain growth and formation of oriented fuel structure. The cladding of the defect rod is hydrided locally in some parts of the lower part of the rod and furthermore over a more extended region near the end of the rod. (Authors)

  14. Selection and Characterization of Palmitic Acid Responsive Patients with an OXPHOS Complex I Defect

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tom E. J. Theunissen

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Mitochondrial disorders are genetically and clinically heterogeneous, mainly affecting high energy-demanding organs due to impaired oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS. Currently, effective treatments for OXPHOS defects, with complex I deficiency being the most prevalent, are not available. Yet, clinical practice has shown that some complex I deficient patients benefit from a high-fat or ketogenic diet, but it is unclear how these therapeutic diets influence mitochondrial function and more importantly, which complex I patients could benefit from such treatment. Dietary studies in a complex I deficient patient with exercise intolerance showed increased muscle endurance on a high-fat diet compared to a high-carbohydrate diet. We performed whole-exome sequencing to characterize the genetic defect. A pathogenic homozygous p.G212V missense mutation was identified in the TMEM126B gene, encoding an early assembly factor of complex I. A complementation study in fibroblasts confirmed that the p.G212V mutation caused the complex I deficiency. The mechanism turned out to be an incomplete assembly of the peripheral arm of complex I, leading to a decrease in the amount of mature complex I. The patient clinically improved on a high-fat diet, which was supported by the 25% increase in maximal OXPHOS capacity in TMEM126B defective fibroblast by the saturated fatty acid palmitic acid, whereas oleic acid did not have any effect in those fibroblasts. Fibroblasts of other patients with a characterized complex I gene defect were tested in the same way. Patient fibroblasts with complex I defects in NDUFS7 and NDUFAF5 responded to palmitic acid, whereas ACAD9, NDUFA12, and NDUFV2 defects were non-responding. Although the data are too limited to draw a definite conclusion on the mechanism, there is a tendency that protein defects involved in early assembly complexes, improve with palmitic acid, whereas proteins defects involved in late assembly, do not. Our data show at

  15. Channeling studies of impurity-defect interactions in silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wiggers, L.W.

    1978-01-01

    This thesis deals with the mechanism of defect production and interaction of introduced defects with impurity atoms in silicon single crystals. Defects are created by irradiation with energetic light particles (.2 - 3 MeV H + or He + ions). Mostly simple defects like vacancies and interstitials are produced during bombardment. (Auth.)

  16. Ultrasonic defect characterization using parametric-manifold mapping

    Science.gov (United States)

    Velichko, A.; Bai, L.; Drinkwater, B. W.

    2017-06-01

    The aim of ultrasonic non-destructive evaluation includes the detection and characterization of defects, and an understanding of the nature of defects is essential for the assessment of structural integrity in safety critical systems. In general, the defect characterization challenge involves an estimation of defect parameters from measured data. In this paper, we explore the extent to which defects can be characterized by their ultrasonic scattering behaviour. Given a number of ultrasonic measurements, we show that characterization information can be extracted by projecting the measurement onto a parametric manifold in principal component space. We show that this manifold represents the entirety of the characterization information available from far-field harmonic ultrasound. We seek to understand the nature of this information and hence provide definitive statements on the defect characterization performance that is, in principle, extractable from typical measurement scenarios. In experiments, the characterization problem of surface-breaking cracks and the more general problem of elliptical voids are studied, and a good agreement is achieved between the actual parameter values and the characterization results. The nature of the parametric manifold enables us to explain and quantify why some defects are relatively easy to characterize, whereas others are inherently challenging.

  17. Fibrous metaphyseal defect (fibrous cortical defect, non-ossifying fibroma)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Freyschmidt, J.; Saure, D.; Dammenhain, S.

    1981-01-01

    Fibrous cortical defect and nonossifying fibromas can be classified together as fibrous metaphyseal defects (FMD) since they have the same pahtological substrate, with a tendency to the same localisation around the knee, and occuring at the same age. They have a tendency to spontaneous healing, are clinically silent and are usually discovered accidentally during radiological examination. A radiological survey fo 5.674 metaphyseal regions in the upper and lower extremities of 2.065 unselected patients aged one to 20 years revealed an incidence of 1.8%; exlcusive examination of the distal femur showed an incidence of 2.7%. 96% of all lesions were in the lower extremities and only 4% in the upper. The marked discrepancy in the incidence rate between American and German publications is discussed. (orig.) [de

  18. The risk of volvulus in abdominal wall defects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdelhafeez, Abdelhafeez H; Schultz, Jessica A; Ertl, Allison; Cassidy, Laura D; Wagner, Amy J

    2015-04-01

    Congenital abdominal wall defects are associated with abnormal intestinal rotation and fixation. A Ladd's procedure is not routinely performed in these patients; it is believed intestinal fixation is provided by adhesions that develop post-repair of the defects. However, patients with omphalocele may not have adequately protective postoperative adhesions because of difference in the inflammatory state of the bowel wall and in repair strategy. The aim of this study is to describe the occurrence of midgut volvulus in patients with gastroschisis or omphalocele. A retrospective chart review was performed for all patients managed in a single institution born between 1/1/2000 and 12/31/2008 with a diagnosis of gastroschisis or omphalocele. Patient charts were reviewed through 12/31/2012 for occurrence of midgut volvulus or need for second laparotomy. Of the 206 patients identified with abdominal wall defects, 142 patients (69%) had gastroschisis and 64 patients (31%) had omphalocele. Patients' follow up ranged from 4 years to 13 years. The median gestational age was 36 weeks (26-41 weeks) and the median birth weight was 2.42 kg (0.8-4.87 kg). None of the patients with gastroschisis developed midgut volvulus, however two patients (3%) with omphalocele developed midgut volvulus. No patients with gastroschisis developed midgut volvulus. Therefore, the current practice of not routinely performing a Ladd's procedure is a safe approach during surgical repair of gastroschisis. The two cases of volvulus in patients with omphalocele may be related to less bowel fixation. It is necessary to examine current practice in regards to the need for assessing the risk of volvulus during omphalocele closure and counseling of these patients. This assessment may be achieved via routine examination of the width of the small bowel mesenteric base, whenever feasible; however, the sample size is relatively small to draw any definitive conclusions. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  19. The Axolotl Fibula as a Model for the Induction of Regeneration across Large Segment Defects in Long Bones of the Extremities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Xiaoping; Song, Fengyu; Jhamb, Deepali; Li, Jiliang; Bottino, Marco C.; Palakal, Mathew J.; Stocum, David L.

    2015-01-01

    We tested the ability of the axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) fibula to regenerate across segment defects of different size in the absence of intervention or after implant of a unique 8-braid pig small intestine submucosa (SIS) scaffold, with or without incorporated growth factor combinations or tissue protein extract. Fractures and defects of 10% and 20% of the total limb length regenerated well without any intervention, but 40% and 50% defects failed to regenerate after either simple removal of bone or implanting SIS scaffold alone. By contrast, scaffold soaked in the growth factor combination BMP-4/HGF or in protein extract of intact limb tissue promoted partial or extensive induction of cartilage and bone across 50% segment defects in 30%-33% of cases. These results show that BMP-4/HGF and intact tissue protein extract can promote the events required to induce cartilage and bone formation across a segment defect larger than critical size and that the long bones of axolotl limbs are an inexpensive model to screen soluble factors and natural and synthetic scaffolds for their efficacy in stimulating this process. PMID:26098852

  20. Three-Dimensional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Velopharyngeal Structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bae, Youkyung; Kuehn, David P.; Sutton, Bradley P.; Conway, Charles A.; Perry, Jamie L.

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: To report the feasibility of using a 3-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol for examining velopharyngeal structures. Using collected 3D MRI data, the authors investigated the effect of sex on the midsagittal velopharyngeal structures and the levator veli palatini (levator) muscle configurations. Method: Ten Caucasian…

  1. Agricultural Compounds in Water and Birth Defects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brender, Jean D; Weyer, Peter J

    2016-06-01

    Agricultural compounds have been detected in drinking water, some of which are teratogens in animal models. The most commonly detected agricultural compounds in drinking water include nitrate, atrazine, and desethylatrazine. Arsenic can also be an agricultural contaminant, although arsenic often originates from geologic sources. Nitrate has been the most studied agricultural compound in relation to prenatal exposure and birth defects. In several case-control studies published since 2000, women giving birth to babies with neural tube defects, oral clefts, and limb deficiencies were more likely than control mothers to be exposed to higher concentrations of drinking water nitrate during pregnancy. Higher concentrations of atrazine in drinking water have been associated with abdominal defects, gastroschisis, and other defects. Elevated arsenic in drinking water has also been associated with birth defects. Since these compounds often occur as mixtures, it is suggested that future research focus on the impact of mixtures, such as nitrate and atrazine, on birth defects.

  2. Peculiarities of radiation defect formation and annealing in n-Si due to their interaction with each other and defect clusters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lugakov, P.F.; Lukyanitsa, V.V.

    1984-01-01

    Rearrangement processes proceeding during annealing (T/sub a/ = 50 to 500 0 C) of radiation defects in 60 Co γ-irradiated (T/sub irr/ 0 C) n-Si crystals (rho = 100 to 600 Ωcm) grown by the vacuum float-zone technique are studied. The temperature dependences of the Hall coefficient are measured. The results obtained are interpreted taking into account the interaction during annealing of vacancy-type defects (E-centres, divacancies) with each other and interstitial radiation defects (C/sub i/-C/sub s/ complexes, interstitial carbon C/sub i/). Phosphorus-two vacancies complexes, stable to T/sub a/ >= 500 0 C, are shown to be formed as a result of rearrangements and interaction of E-centres between themselves. The character of interaction of vacancy defects with interstitial ones is found to change significantly in the presence of defect clusters in the bulk of the crystal which are formed under heat treatment (T = 800 0 C, two hours) of the samples preliminary irradiated with fast neutrons (flux PHI/sub n/ = 1x10 14 to 1x10 16 cm -2 ). The peculiarities of radiation defects annealing observed in this case are explained taking into account the influence of defect clusters on the migration processes of mobile defects. Nature of radiation defects being formed at various stages of annealing is discussed. (author)

  3. Pullout Performances of Grouted Rockbolt Systems with Bond Defects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Chang; Li, Zihan; Wang, Shanyong; Wang, Shuren; Fu, Lei; Tang, Chunan

    2018-03-01

    This paper presents a numerical study on the pullout behaviour of fully grouted rockbolts with bond defects. The cohesive zone model (CZM) is adopted to model the bond-slip behaviour between the rockbolt and grout material. Tensile tests were also conducted to validate the numerical model. The results indicate that the defect length can obviously influence the load and stress distributions along the rockbolt as well as the load-displacement response of the grouted system. Moreover, a plateau in the stress distribution forms due to the bond defect. The linear limit and peak load of the load-displacement response decrease as the defect length increases. A bond defect located closer to the loaded end leads to a longer nonlinear stage in the load-displacement response. However, the peak loads measured from the specimens made with various defect locations are almost approximately the same. The peak load for a specimen with the defects equally spaced along the bolt is higher than that for a specimen with defects concentrated in a certain zone, even with the same total defect length. Therefore, the dispersed pattern of bond defects would be much safer than the concentrated pattern. For the specimen with dispersed defects, the peak load increases with an increase in the defect spacing, even if the total defect length is the same. The peak load for a grouted rockbolt system with defects increases with an increases in the bolt diameter. This work leads to a better understanding of the load transfer mechanism for grouted rockbolt systems with bond defects, and paves the way towards developing a general evaluation method for damaged rockbolt grouted systems.

  4. Treatment of intrabony defects with resorbable materials, non-resorbable materials and flap debridement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zybutz, M D; Laurell, L; Rapoport, D A; Persson, G R

    2000-03-01

    Different types of barriers are used in guided tissue regenerative procedures. This prospective study compared resorbable citric acid ester softened polylactic acid membranes (RM) and non-resorbable expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) barriers (NRM) in GTR treatment of intrabony defects. 29 subjects were randomly assigned to the RM group or NRM group. Each patient received one GTR procedure. An open flap debridement (FD) was performed at another site 2 weeks later to evaluate healing potential. Clinical treatment outcomes were finally evaluated 12 months after surgery for changes of pocket depth PD, probing attachment level PAL, and probing bone level PBL, and radiographically for bone change using standardised radiographs. No differences in healing patters after surgery were found between patients in the 2 study groups as evaluated from the FD surgical procedures. NRM treated sites showed less signs of post-surgical inflammation during the 1st 4 weeks of healing than did RM treated sites (p<0.05). GTR-treated defects in the RM group, initially 7.0+/-2.2 mm deep, showed PD reduction of 3.3+/-2.2 mm, PAL gain of 2.4+/-1.8 mm, PBL gain of 2.4+/-3.7 mm (28%) and a radiographic bone fill of 2.3+/-2.4 mm. Defects treated with the NRM exhibited PD reduction of 3.1+/-2.1 mm, PAL gain of 2.4+/-0.8 mm, PBL gain of 2.2+/-1.7 mm (25%) and a radiographic bone fill of 3.3+/-2.2 mm. All improvements were statistically significant (p<0.01) but there was no difference between RM and NRM treatments for any of the efficacy variables. The results of this study indicated that there was no clinically significant difference in treatment outcomes following GTR treatment of intrabony defects with citric acid ester softened polylactic acid membranes as compared to ePTFE barriers. The overall mean inter-proximal vertical bone defect fill at 12 months as assessed from intra-oral radiographs was 44% of the original mean defect depth. Thus, no clinically significant difference in

  5. Defect detection of wall thinning defect in pipes using lock-in photo-infrared thermography technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jang, Su Ok; Park, Jong Hyun; Choi, Tae Ho; Jung, Hyun Chul; Kim, Kyoung Suk [Chosun Univ., Gwangju (Korea, Republic of)

    2008-07-01

    Piping in the Nuclear Power plants (NPP) are mostly consisted of carbon steel pipe. The wall thinning defect is mainly occurred by the affect of the Flow Accelerated Corrosion (FAC) of fluid which flows in carbon steel pipes. This type of defect becomes the cause of damage or destruction of piping. Therefore, it is very important to measure defect which is existed not only on the welding partbut also on the whole field of pipe. Over the years, Infrared Thermography (IRT) has been used as a non destructive testing methods of the various kinds of materials. This technique has many merits and applied to the industrial field but has limitation to the materials. Therefore, this method was combined with lock-in technique. So IRT detection resolution has been progressively improved using lock-in technique. In this paper, the quantitative analysis results of the location and the size of wall thinning defect that is artificially processed inside the carbon steel pipe by using IRT are obtained.

  6. Studies on reconstruction of large skin defects following mammary tumor excision in dogs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sabarish Babu Malli Sadhasivan

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Aim: The main objective of the study was to describe the use of skin fold advancement flaps (SFAFs and other reconstructive techniques for closure of large skin defects following mammary tumor excision in dogs. Materials and Methods: Twelve dogs underwent reconstruction of large ventral skin defects following mammary tumor excision with wide margins. Skin fold flaps (flank fold flap and elbow fold flap were elevated from the flank and elbow region, respectively, and transposed and sutured onto the large ventral skin defect following mastectomy in all the dogs. In addition to the skin fold flaps, other reconstructive techniques such as undermining, walking sutures, and tension-relieving suture techniques were followed during surgery in the closure of large skin defects without skin tension and compromising limb mobility. The skin flap viability was assessed subjectively by gross observation of the flap such as color, temperature, capillary perfusion, and cosmetic appearance, and scoring (1-4 was done. Tissue samples were collected from a surgical site on days 3, 6, and 12 post-operatively for histopathological evaluation and healing status of the skin flap. Results: All the surgical wounds healed primarily, without any major complications and the skin flap remained healthy throughout the healing process post-operatively. Distal flap necrosis was noticed in one case and necrosis of skin flap between two suture lines was noticed in another case in which the necrotized distal portion healed by secondary intention after 7 days. The mean survival of subdermal plexus flap in the above cases was 98% which was a subjective evaluation based on surface area of the skin defect measured by Image 'J software and the flap dimensions. The average healing of skin flap in days was 14.91±0.86. Conclusion: The SFAFs along with other reconstructive techniques help in the reconstruction of large ventral skin defects following mastectomy in dogs without much

  7. Disc defect classification for optical disc drives

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Helvoirt, van J.; Leenknegt, G.A.L.; Steinbuch, M.; Goossens, H.J.

    2005-01-01

    Optical disc drives are subject to various disturbances and faults. A special type of fault is the so-called disc defect. In this paper we present an approach for disc defect classification. It is based on hierarchical clustering of measured signals that are affected by disc defects. The

  8. Defect grating modes as superimposed grating states

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Groesen, Embrecht W.C.; Sopaheluwakan, A.; Andonowati, A.; de Ridder, R.M; de Ridder, R.M.; Altena, G; Altena, G.; Geuzebroek, D.H.; Geuzenboek, D.; Dekker, R.; Dekker, R

    2003-01-01

    For a symmetric grating structure with a defect, we show that a fully transmitted defect mode in the band gap can be obtained as a superposition of two steady states: an amplified and an attenuated defect state. Without scanning the whole band gap by transmission calculations, this simplifies the

  9. Estimation of the temperature dependent interaction between uncharged point defects in Si

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kamiyama, Eiji [Department of Communication Engineering, Okayama Prefectural University, 111 Kuboki, Soja-shi, Okayama-ken 719-1197 (Japan); GlobalWafers Japan Co., Ltd., 30 Soya, Hadano, Kanagawa, 257-8566 (Japan); Vanhellemont, Jan [Department of Solid State Sciences, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S1, Ghent B-9000 (Belgium); Sueoka, Koji [Department of Communication Engineering, Okayama Prefectural University, 111 Kuboki, Soja-shi, Okayama-ken 719-1197 (Japan)

    2015-01-15

    A method is described to estimate the temperature dependent interaction between two uncharged point defects in Si based on DFT calculations. As an illustration, the formation of the uncharged di-vacancy V{sub 2} is discussed, based on the temperature dependent attractive field between both vacancies. For that purpose, all irreducible configurations of two uncharged vacancies are determined, each with their weight given by the number of equivalent configurations. Using a standard 216-atoms supercell, nineteen irreducible configurations of two vacancies are obtained. The binding energies of all these configurations are calculated. Each vacancy is surrounded by several attractive sites for another vacancy. The obtained temperature dependent of total volume of these attractive sites has a radius that is closely related with the capture radius for the formation of a di-vacancy that is used in continuum theory. The presented methodology can in principle also be applied to estimate the capture radius for pair formation of any type of point defects.

  10. Defect engineering of ZnO

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Weber, M.H. [Center for Materials Research and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-2711 (United States)], E-mail: m_weber@wsu.edu; Selim, F.A.; Solodovnikov, D.; Lynn, K.G. [Center for Materials Research and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-2711 (United States)

    2008-10-31

    The defect responsible for the transparent to red color change of nominally undoped ZnO bulk single crystals is investigated. Upon annealing in the presence of metallic Zn as reported by Halliburton et al. and also Ti and Zr a native defect forms with an energy level about 0.7 eV below the conduction band. This change is reversible upon annealing in oxygen. Optical transmission data along with positron depth profiles and annealing studies are combined to identify the defect as oxygen vacancies. Vacancy clustering occurs at about 500 deg. C if isolated zinc and oxygen vacancies. In the absence of zinc vacancies, clusters form at about 800 deg. C.

  11. Defect engineering of ZnO

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weber, M.H.; Selim, F.A.; Solodovnikov, D.; Lynn, K.G.

    2008-01-01

    The defect responsible for the transparent to red color change of nominally undoped ZnO bulk single crystals is investigated. Upon annealing in the presence of metallic Zn as reported by Halliburton et al. and also Ti and Zr a native defect forms with an energy level about 0.7 eV below the conduction band. This change is reversible upon annealing in oxygen. Optical transmission data along with positron depth profiles and annealing studies are combined to identify the defect as oxygen vacancies. Vacancy clustering occurs at about 500 deg. C if isolated zinc and oxygen vacancies. In the absence of zinc vacancies, clusters form at about 800 deg. C

  12. Eddy current inspection of weld defects in tubing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katragadda, G.; Lord, W.

    1992-01-01

    An approach using differential probes for the inspection of weld defects in tubing is studied. Finite element analysis is used to model the weld regions and defects. Impedance plane signals are predicted for different weld defect types and compared wherever possible with signals from actual welds in tubing. Results show that detection and sizing of defects in tubing is possible using differential eddy current techniques. The phase angle of the impedance plane trajectory gives a good indication of the sizing of the crack. Data on the type of defect can be obtained from the shape of the impedance plane trajectory and the phase. Depending on the skin depth, detection of outer wall, inner wall, and subsurface defects is possible.

  13. Infrared computations of defect Schur indices

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Córdova, Clay [School of Natural Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study,1 Einstein Dr., Princeton, NJ (United States); Gaiotto, Davide [Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics,31 Caroline St., Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 2Y5 (Canada); Shao, Shu-Heng [Jefferson Physical Laboratory, Harvard University,17 Oxford St., Cambridge, MA (United States); School of Natural Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study,1 Einstein Dr., Princeton, NJ (United States)

    2016-11-18

    We conjecture a formula for the Schur index of four-dimensional N=2 theories in the presence of boundary conditions and/or line defects, in terms of the low-energy effective Seiberg-Witten description of the system together with massive BPS excitations. We test our proposal in a variety of examples for SU(2) gauge theories, either conformal or asymptotically free. We use the conjecture to compute these defect-enriched Schur indices for theories which lack a Lagrangian description, such as Argyres-Douglas theories. We demonstrate in various examples that line defect indices can be expressed as sums of characters of the associated two-dimensional chiral algebra and that for Argyres-Douglas theories the line defect OPE reduces in the index to the Verlinde algebra.

  14. Holographic entanglement entropy of surface defects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gentle, Simon A.; Gutperle, Michael; Marasinou, Chrysostomos

    2016-01-01

    We calculate the holographic entanglement entropy in type IIB supergravity solutions that are dual to half-BPS disorder-type surface defects in N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory. The entanglement entropy is calculated for a ball-shaped region bisected by a surface defect. Using the bubbling supergravity solutions we also compute the expectation value of the defect operator. Combining our result with the previously-calculated one-point function of the stress tensor in the presence of the defect, we adapt the calculation of Lewkowycz and Maldacena http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/JHEP05(2014)025 to obtain a second expression for the entanglement entropy. Our two expressions agree up to an additional term, whose possible origin and significance is discussed.

  15. Holographic entanglement entropy of surface defects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gentle, Simon A.; Gutperle, Michael; Marasinou, Chrysostomos [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California,Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States)

    2016-04-12

    We calculate the holographic entanglement entropy in type IIB supergravity solutions that are dual to half-BPS disorder-type surface defects in N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory. The entanglement entropy is calculated for a ball-shaped region bisected by a surface defect. Using the bubbling supergravity solutions we also compute the expectation value of the defect operator. Combining our result with the previously-calculated one-point function of the stress tensor in the presence of the defect, we adapt the calculation of Lewkowycz and Maldacena http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/JHEP05(2014)025 to obtain a second expression for the entanglement entropy. Our two expressions agree up to an additional term, whose possible origin and significance is discussed.

  16. Phosphorous–vacancy–oxygen defects in silicon

    KAUST Repository

    Wang, Hao

    2013-07-30

    Electronic structure calculations employing the hybrid functional approach are used to gain fundamental insight in the interaction of phosphorous with oxygen interstitials and vacancies in silicon. It recently has been proposed, based on a binding energy analysis, that phosphorous–vacancy–oxygen defects may form. In the present study we investigate the stability of this defect as a function of the Fermi energy for the possible charge states. Spin polarization is found to be essential for the charge neutral defect.

  17. An Mcm10 Mutant Defective in ssDNA Binding Shows Defects in DNA Replication Initiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perez-Arnaiz, Patricia; Kaplan, Daniel L

    2016-11-20

    Mcm10 is an essential protein that functions to initiate DNA replication after the formation of the replication fork helicase. In this manuscript, we identified a budding yeast Mcm10 mutant (Mcm10-m2,3,4) that is defective in DNA binding in vitro. Moreover, this Mcm10-m2,3,4 mutant does not stimulate the phosphorylation of Mcm2 by Dbf4-dependent kinase (DDK) in vitro. When we expressed wild-type levels of mcm10-m2,3,4 in budding yeast cells, we observed a severe growth defect and a substantially decreased DNA replication. We also observed a substantially reduced replication protein A- chromatin immunoprecipitation signal at origins of replication, reduced levels of DDK-phosphorylated Mcm2, and diminished Go, Ichi, Ni, and San (GINS) association with Mcm2-7 in vivo. mcm5-bob1 bypasses the growth defect conferred by DDK-phosphodead Mcm2 in budding yeast. However, the growth defect observed by expressing mcm10-m2,3,4 is not bypassed by the mcm5-bob1 mutation. Furthermore, origin melting and GINS association with Mcm2-7 are substantially decreased for cells expressing mcm10-m2,3,4 in the mcm5-bob1 background. Thus, the origin melting and GINS-Mcm2-7 interaction defects we observed for mcm10-m2,3,4 are not explained by decreased Mcm2 phosphorylation by DDK, since the defects persist in an mcm5-bob1 background. These data suggest that DNA binding by Mcm10 is essential for the initiation of DNA replication. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Lumber defect detection by ultrasonics

    Science.gov (United States)

    K. A. McDonald

    1978-01-01

    Ultrasonics, the technology of high-frequency sound, has been developed as a viable means for locating most defects In lumber for use in digital form in decision-making computers. Ultrasonics has the potential for locating surface and internal defects in lumber of all species, green or dry, and rough sawn or surfaced.

  19. Angiographic differentiation of type of ventricular septal defects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cheon, Mal Soon; Park, Hee Young; Kim, Yang Sook

    1989-01-01

    Defects of the ventricular septum are the commonest type of congenital cardiac malformations. A classification with axial angiography of the subtypes of ventricular septal defects is proposed on the study of 126 patients with defects of the ventricular septum. The results were as follows: 1. The incidence of the ventricular septal defects was 39.6% of congenital heart malformation. 2. The sex distribution of cases were 70 males and 56 females, the age ranged from 13 months to 26 years. 3. Angiographic features seen by axial angiography were as follows: a. Perimembranous defects as seen on long axial view of left ventriculogram were in continuity wity aortic valve. The relation of the defect to the tricuspid valve allows distinction of the extension of the preimembranous defect toward inlet, trabecular, or infundibular zones. This relation was determined angiographically, using the course of the contrast medium from the left ventricle through the ventricular septal defect, opacifying the right ventricle. In inlet excavation, the shunted blood opacified the recess between septal leaflet of tricuspid valve and interventricular septum in early phase, in infundibular excavation, opacified the recess between anterior leaflet of tricuspid valve and anterior free wall of right ventricle and in trabecular excavation, the shunted blood traversed anterior portion of tricuspid valve ring, opacified trabecular portion of right ventricle. b. Muscular defects were separated from the semilunar and atrioventricular valves. c, Subarterial defects were related to both semilunar valves, and they were best demonstrated on the elongated right anterior oblique view of the left ventriculogram. d. Total infundibular defects were profiled in right anterior oblique 30 and long axial view, subaortic in location in both views

  20. Defect Chemistry of Oxides for Energy Applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schweke, Danielle; Mordehovitz, Yuval; Halabi, Mahdi; Shelly, Lee; Hayun, Shmuel

    2018-05-31

    Oxides are widely used for energy applications, as solid electrolytes in various solid oxide fuel cell devices or as catalysts (often associated with noble metal particles) for numerous reactions involving oxidation or reduction. Defects are the major factors governing the efficiency of a given oxide for the above applications. In this paper, the common defects in oxide systems and external factors influencing the defect concentration and distribution are presented, with special emphasis on ceria (CeO 2 ) based materials. It is shown that the behavior of a variety of oxide systems with respect to properties relevant for energy applications (conductivity and catalytic activity) can be rationalized by general considerations about the type and concentration of defects in the specific system. A new method based on transmission electron microscopy (TEM), recently reported by the authors for mapping space charge defects and measuring space charge potentials, is shown to be of potential importance for understanding conductivity mechanisms in oxides. The influence of defects on gas-surface reactions is exemplified on the interaction of CO 2 and H 2 O with ceria, by correlating between the defect distribution in the material and its adsorption capacity or splitting efficiency. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  1. Defect assessment procedures at high temperature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ainsworth, R.A.

    1991-01-01

    A comprehensive assessment procedure for the high-temperature response of structures is being produced. The procedure is referred to as R5 and is written as a series of step-by-step instructions in a number of volumes. This paper considers in detail those parts of R5 which address the behaviour of defects. The defect assessment procedures may be applied to defects found in service, postulated defects, or defects formed during operation as a result of creep-fatigue loading. In the last case, a method is described for deducing from endurance data the number of cycles to initiate a crack of a specified size. Under steady loading, the creep crack tip parameter C * is used to assess crack growth. Under cyclic loading, the creep crack growth during dwell periods is stiell governed by C * but crack growth due to cyclic excursions must also be included. This cyclic crack growth is described by an effective stress intensity factor range. A feature of the R5 defect assessment procedures in that they are based on simplified methods and approximate reference stress methods are described which enable C * in a component to be evaluated. It is shown by comparison with theoretical calculations and experimental data that reliable estimates of C * and the associated crack growth are obtained provided realistic creep strain rate date are used in the reference stress approximation. (orig./HP)

  2. Influence of filling fraction on the defect mode and gap closing of a one-dimensional photonic crystal: An analytical approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ansari, N.; Tehranchi, M.M.

    2010-01-01

    Study of the optical properties of the one-dimensional defective photonic crystals using the gap map is improving through the emergence of new analytical methods, which are easy and without any physical restrictions. Gap map is able to monitor the changes in the defect mode frequencies and photonic band gap regions as a function of filling fractions, and all visible spectra in a single graphic presentation. In this paper, by utilizing a novel technique based on Green's function method for analyzing the defect modes, the gap map and gap closing point of a one-dimensional defective photonic crystal have been demonstrated. This method enables study of the defect modes inside the omnidirectional band gap, which is an important object in the designing of the optical filters. Moreover, as a designing criterion, obtaining the gap closing points inside the gap map enables finding of some filling fraction intervals that each one contains several distinct omnidirectional band gaps simultaneously, using a single photonic crystal. This method has been employed for the design of an optical filter at 1.3 and 1.55 μm, which is applicable for telecommunication.

  3. Endotracheal tube defects: Hidden causes of airway obstruction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sofi Khalid

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Manufacturing defects of endotracheal tube (ETT are still encountered in anesthesia practice. Many such defects go unnoticed during routine inspection prior to their use. Such defects in ETT may lead to partial or complete airway obstruction in an intubated patient. We report a case of partial airway obstruction with a prepacked, single use, uncuffed ETT due to a manufacturing defect in the form of a plastic meniscus at the distal end of the tube. This case report highlights the significance of standard monitoring of ventilation and the role of a vigilant clinician in detecting such defects in avoiding critical events as can arise from the use of such defective ETTs. It also emphasizes the need for double checking ETTs prior to their use.

  4. Teratology: from science to birth defects prevention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rasmussen, Sonja A; Erickson, J David; Reef, Susan E; Ross, Danielle S

    2009-01-01

    One of the goals of birth defects research is to better understand risk or preventive factors for birth defects so that strategies for prevention can be developed. In this article, we have selected four areas of birth defects research that have led to the development of prevention strategies. These areas include rubella virus as a cause of congenital rubella syndrome, folic acid as a preventive factor for neural tube defects, cytomegalovirus infection as a cause of birth defects and developmental disabilities, and alcohol as a cause of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. For each of these areas, we review key clinical and research findings that led to the identification of the risk or preventive factor, milestones in the development of prevention strategies, and the progress made thus far toward prevention.

  5. Dissociation and diffusion of hydrogen on defect-free and vacancy defective Mg (0001) surfaces: A density functional theory study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Han, Zongying [College of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590 (China); Union Research Center of Fuel Cell, School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing 100083 (China); Chen, Haipeng [College of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590 (China); College of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590 (China); Zhou, Shixue, E-mail: zhoushixue66@163.com [College of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590 (China); College of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590 (China)

    2017-02-01

    Highlights: • Clarify the effect of vacancy defect on H{sub 2} dissociation on Mg (0001) surface. • Demonstrate the effects of vacancy defect on H atom diffusion. • Reveal the minimum energy diffusion path of H atom from magnesium surface into bulk. - Abstract: First-principles calculations with the density functional theory (DFT) have been carried out to study dissociation and diffusion of hydrogen on defect-free and vacancy defective Mg (0001) surfaces. Results show that energy barriers of 1.42 eV and 1.28 eV require to be overcome for H{sub 2} dissociation on defect-free and vacancy defective Mg (0001) surfaces respectively, indicating that reactivity of Mg (0001) surface is moderately increased due to vacancy defect. Besides, the existence of vacancy defect changes the preferential H atom diffusion entrance to the subsurface and reduces the diffusion energy barrier. An interesting remark is that the minimum energy diffusion path of H atom from magnesium surface into bulk is a spiral channel formed by staggered octahedral and tetrahedral interstitials. The diffusion barriers computed for H atom penetration from the surface into inner-layers are all less than 0.70 eV, which is much smaller than the activation energy for H{sub 2} dissociation on the Mg (0001) surface. This suggests that H{sub 2} dissociation is more likely than H diffusion to be rate-limiting step for magnesium hydrogenation.

  6. Vibration of carbon nanotubes with defects: order reduction methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hudson, Robert B.; Sinha, Alok

    2018-03-01

    Order reduction methods are widely used to reduce computational effort when calculating the impact of defects on the vibrational properties of nearly periodic structures in engineering applications, such as a gas-turbine bladed disc. However, despite obvious similarities these techniques have not yet been adapted for use in analysing atomic structures with inevitable defects. Two order reduction techniques, modal domain analysis and modified modal domain analysis, are successfully used in this paper to examine the changes in vibrational frequencies, mode shapes and mode localization caused by defects in carbon nanotubes. The defects considered are isotope defects and Stone-Wales defects, though the methods described can be extended to other defects.

  7. A rare case of Enterococcus faecalis-induced orbital cellulitis and myositis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Piyush Kohli

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Orbital cellulitis is an infection of soft tissue behind the orbital septum. Common pathogens isolated include Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Streptococcus pneumoniae. It is a straightforward diagnosis and usually responds to empirical treatment without any sequela. We report a case of orbital cellulitis caused by Enterococcus faecalis, which was complicated by myositis of levator palpebrae superioris. To the best of our knowledge, only one case report exists dating way back to 1986.

  8. Defect engineering in 1D Ti-W oxide nanotube arrays and their correlated photoelectrochemical performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdelhafiz, Ali A; Ganzoury, Mohamed A; Amer, Ahmad W; Faiad, Azza A; Khalifa, Ahmed M; AlQaradawi, Siham Y; El-Sayed, Mostafa A; Alamgir, Faisal M; Allam, Nageh K

    2018-04-18

    Understanding the nature of interfacial defects of materials is a critical undertaking for the design of high-performance hybrid electrodes for photocatalysis applications. Theoretical and computational endeavors to achieve this have touched boundaries far ahead of their experimental counterparts. However, to achieve any industrial benefit out of such studies, experimental validation needs to be systematically undertaken. In this sense, we present herein experimental insights into the synergistic relationship between the lattice position and oxidation state of tungsten ions inside a TiO2 lattice, and the respective nature of the created defect states. Consequently, a roadmap to tune the defect states in anodically-fabricated, ultrathin-walled W-doped TiO2 nanotubes is proposed. Annealing the nanotubes in different gas streams enabled the engineering of defects in such structures, as confirmed by XRD and XPS measurements. While annealing under hydrogen stream resulted in the formation of abundant Wn+ (n < 6) ions at the interstitial sites of the TiO2 lattice, oxygen- and air-annealing induced W6+ ions at substitutional sites. EIS and Mott-Schottky analyses indicated the formation of deep-natured trap states in the hydrogen-annealed samples, and predominantly shallow donating defect states in the oxygen- and air-annealed samples. Consequently, the photocatalytic performance of the latter was significantly higher than those of the hydrogen-annealed counterparts. Upon increasing the W content, photoelectrochemical performance deteriorated due to the formation of WO3 crystallites that hindered charge transfer through the photoanode, as evident from the structural and chemical characterization. To this end, this study validates the previous theoretical predictions on the detrimental effect of interstitial W ions. In addition, it sheds light on the importance of defect states and their nature for tuning the photoelectrochemical performance of the investigated materials.

  9. Determination and microscopic study of incipient defects in irradiated power reactor fuel rods. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pasupathi, V.; Perrin, J.S.; Roberts, E.

    1978-05-01

    This report presents the results of nondestructive and destructive examinations carried out on the Point Beach-1 (PWR) and Dresden-3 (BWR) candidate fuel rods selected for the study of pellet-clad interaction (PCI) induced incipient defects. In addition, the report includes results of examination of sections from Oskarshamn-1 (BWR) fuel rods. Eddy current examination of Point Beach-1 rods showed indications of possible incipient defects in the fuel rods. The profilometry and the gamma scan data also indicated that the source of the eddy current indications may be incipient defects. No failed rods or rods with incipient failure were found in the sample from Point Beach-1. Despite the lack of success in finding incipient defects and filed rods, the mechanism for fuel rod failures in Point Beach-1 is postulated to be PCI-related, with high startup rates and fuel handling being the key elements. Nine out of the 10 candidate fuel rods from Dresden-3 (BWR) were failed, and all the failed rods had leaked water so that the initial mechanism was observed. Examination of clad inner surfaces of the specimens from failed and unfailed rods showed fuel deposits of widely varying appearance. The deposits were found to contain uranium, cesium, and tellurium. Transmission electron microscopy of clad specimens showed evidence of microscopic strain. Metallographic examination of fuel pellets from the peak transient power location showed extensive grain boundary separation and axial movement of the fuel indicative of rapid release of fission products. Examination of Oskarshamn clad specimens did not show any stress corrosion crack (SCC) type defects. The defects found in the examinations appear to be related to secondary hydriding. The clad inner surface of the Oskarshamn specimens also showed uranium-rich deposits of varying features

  10. Positron annihilation spectroscopy in defects of semiconductors

    CERN Document Server

    Fujinami, M

    2002-01-01

    Interaction of positron and defects, application to research of defects of semiconductor and defects on the surface of semiconductor are explained. Cz (Czochralski)-Si single crystal with 10 sup 1 sup 8 cm sup - sup 3 impurity oxygen was introduced defects by electron irradiation and the positron lifetime was measured at 90K after annealing. The defect size and recovery temperature were determined by the lifetime measurement. The distribution of defects in the depth direction is shown by S-E curve. The chemical state analysis is possible by CBS (Coincidence Doppler Broadening) spectra. The application to silicon-implanted (100 keV, 2x10 sup 1 sup 5 cm sup - sup 2) silicon and oxygen-implanted (180 keV, 2x10 sup 1 sup 5 cm sup - sup 2) silicon are stated. On the oxygen-implanted silicon, the main product was V2 after implantation, V sub 6 O sub 2 at 600degC and V sub 1 sub 0 O sub 6 at 800degC. (S.Y.)

  11. Theory of Defects in Semiconductors

    CERN Document Server

    Drabold, David A

    2007-01-01

    Semiconductor science and technology is the art of defect engineering. The theoretical modeling of defects has improved dramatically over the past decade. These tools are now applied to a wide range of materials issues: quantum dots, buckyballs, spintronics, interfaces, amorphous systems, and many others. This volume presents a coherent and detailed description of the field, and brings together leaders in theoretical research. Today's state-of-the-art, as well as tomorrow’s tools, are discussed: the supercell-pseudopotential method, the GW formalism,Quantum Monte Carlo, learn-on-the-fly molecular dynamics, finite-temperature treatments, etc. A wealth of applications are included, from point defects to wafer bonding or the propagation of dislocation.

  12. Defect CFTs and holographic multiverse

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fiol, Bartomeu

    2010-01-01

    We investigate some aspects of a recent proposal for a holographic description of the multiverse. Specifically, we focus on the implications on the suggested duality of the fluctuations of a bubble separating two universes with different cosmological constants. We do so by considering a similar problem in a 2+1 CFT with a codimension one defect, obtained by an M5-brane probe embedding in AdS 4 × S 7 , and studying its spectrum of fluctuations. Our results suggest that the kind of behavior required by the spectrum of bubble fluctuations is not likely to take place in defect CFTs with an AdS dual, although it might be possible if the defect supports a non-unitary theory

  13. Accuracy of cone beam computed tomography, intraoral radiography, and periodontal probing for periodontal bone defects measurement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eskandarlo A

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available "nBackground and Aims: Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT produces high-quality data about diagnosis and periodontal treatment. To date, there is not enough research regarding periodontal bone measurement using CBCT. The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of CBCT in measuring periodontal defects to that of intraoral radiography and probing methods."nMaterials and Methods: Two-hundred and eighteen artificial osseous defects (buccal and lingual infrabony, interproximal, horizontal, crater, dehiscence and fenestration defects were created on 13 mandibles of dry skulls. The mandibles were put into a plexiglass box full of water to simulate soft tissue. CBCT images, radiographic images taken with parallel technique and direct measurements using a WHO periodontal probe were recorded and compared to a standard reference (digital caliper. Inter and intra observe consistencies were assessed using Intra class correlation coefficient and pearson correlation."nResults: Inter and intra observer consistencies were high for CBCT and probing methods (ICC- Intra class correlation coefficient>88%, but moderate for intraoral radiography (ICC-Intra class correlation coefficient > 54%. There were not any significant differences between observers for all techniques (P>0/05. According to paired T-test analysis, mean difference for CBCT technique (0.01 mm was lower than that for probing (0.04 mm and radiography (0.62 mm. CBCT was able to measure all kinds of lesions, but radiography could not measure defects in the buccal and lingual sites."nConclusion: All three modalities are useful for identifying periodontal defects. Compared to probing and radiography, the CBCT technique has the most accuracy in measuring periodontal defects.

  14. Staged management of giant traumatic abdominal wall defect: A rare case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Somendra Bansal

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Blunt traumatic abdominal wall disruptions associated with evisceration (abdominal wall injury grade type VI are very rare. We describe a case of large traumatic abdominal wall disruption with bowel evisceration and complete transection of jejunum and sigmoid colon that occurred after a 30-year-old male sustained run over injury to abdomen. Abdominal exploration and primary end to end jejuno-jejunal and colo-colic anastomosis were done. Staged management of giant abdominal wall defect was performed without any plastic reconstruction with good clinical outcome.

  15. Isolation and characterization of prophage mutants of the defective Bacillus subtilis bacteriophage PBSX

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thurm, P.; Garro, A.J.

    1975-01-01

    Bacillus subtilis mutants with lesions in PBSX prophage genes have been isolated. One of these appears to be a regulatory mutant and is defective for mitomycin C-induced derepression of PBSX; the others are defective for phage capsid formation. All of the PBSX structural proteins are synthesized during induction of the capsid defective mutants; however, several of these proteins exhibit abnormal serological reactivity with anti-PBSX antiserum. The two head proteins X4 and X7 are not immunoprecipitable in a mutant which fails to assemble phage head structures. In the tail mutant, proteins X5 and X6 are not immunoprecipitable, tails are not assembled, and a possible tail protein precursor remains uncleaved. The noninducible mutant does not synthesize any PBSX structural proteins after exposure to mitomycin C. The mutation is specific for PBSX since phi 105 and SPO2 lysogens of the mutant are inducible. All of the known PBSX-specific mutations were shown to be clustered between argC and metC on the host chromosome. In addition, the metC marker was shown to be present in multiple copies in cells induced for PBSX replication. This suggests that the derepressed prophage replicates while still integrated and that replication extends into the adjacent regions of the host chromosome

  16. Actinic inspection of multilayer defects on EUV masks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barty, A; Liu, Y; Gullikson, E; Taylor, J S; Wood, O

    2005-01-01

    The production of defect-free mask blanks, and the development of techniques for inspecting and qualifying EUV mask blanks, remains a key challenge for EUV lithography. In order to ensure a reliable supply of defect-free mask blanks, it is necessary to develop techniques to reliably and accurately detect defects on un-patterned mask blanks. These inspection tools must be able to accurately detect all critical defects whilst simultaneously having the minimum possible false-positive detection rate. There continues to be improvement in high-speed non-actinic mask blank inspection tools, and it is anticipated that these tools can and will be used by industry to qualify EUV mask blanks. However, the outstanding question remains one of validating that non-actinic inspection techniques are capable of detecting all printable EUV defects. To qualify the performance of non-actinic inspection tools, a unique dual-mode EUV mask inspection system has been installed at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) synchrotron at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. In high-speed inspection mode, whole mask blanks are scanned for defects using 13.5-nm wavelength light to identify and map all locations on the mask that scatter a significant amount of EUV light. In imaging, or defect review mode, a zone plate is placed in the reflected beam path to image a region of interest onto a CCD detector with an effective resolution on the mask of 100-nm or better. Combining the capabilities of the two inspection tools into one system provides the unique capability to determine the coordinates of native defects that can be used to compare actinic defect inspection with visible light defect inspection tools under commercial development, and to provide data for comparing scattering models for EUV mask defects

  17. Immediate Reconstruction of a Soft-Tissue Defect in a Burn Patient whit a Peroforator-Based Propeller Flap: A Case Report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Burhan Özalp

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Soft tissue reconstruction of the distal lower leg is a challenging issue for plastic surgeons. Immediate coverage of exposed anatomical structures with soft tissue after trauma prevents these structures from being infected, and this is very important for burn patients. Free flaps have recently been accepted as the gold-standard technique for ankle and foot reconstruction; however, this is changing with the increasing popularity of the perforator flaps. Today, perforator flaps are commonly performed for the reconstruction of the soft-tissue defects across the body. In this report, we want to present the reconstruction of a soft-tissue defect case using perforator-based propeller flap in a burn patient for immediate reconstruction. A 45-year-old male patient had a soft-tissue defect over the medial side of the ankle and foot due to a high-voltage electrical burn. The exposed bone tissue was covered with a propeller flap of 15×6 cm size, without any circulation problems during the postoperative period. In conclusion, we want to state that perforator-based propeller flaps are reliable, successful, and effective techniques for the immediate reconstruction of distal leg and foot. These flaps can be easily performed without requiring any microsurgical technique thus, they can be commonly performed by most of the plastic surgeons.

  18. Frenkel defect absorption on dislocations and dislocation discharge rate. Modeling determination of the absorption zone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mikhlin, Eh.Ya.

    1988-01-01

    A situation connected with the fact that evaluations of dislocation discharge strength which somehow or other are based on the elasticity theory in the dislocation nucleus or near it, do not lead to results complying with experimental data, is discussed. Bases of the alternative approach to this problem consisting in direct investigation into the process of Frenkel defect absorption on dislocation by its computerized simulation at the microscopic level are also presented. Methods of investigation and results are described using α dislocation in iron-alpha as an example. The concept of zones of vacancy and interstitial atom absorption on dislocation is discussed. It is shown that a spontaneous transition, performed by any of these defects near a dislocation is not always identical to absorption and usually appears to be only a part of a multistage process leading to the defect disappearance. Potential relief characteristics for vacancy movement near the dislocation are found. An area wide enough in a transverse direction is found around the dislocation. Vacncies reaching this area can be easily transported to places of their disappearance. Therefore the vacancy entry to this area is equivalent to the absorption. the procedure of simulating the atomic structure of a crystallite containing a dislocation with a step is described. Positions from which these defects perform spontaneous transitions, reaching the disappearance places are found on the dislocation near the step

  19. Defect Depth Measurement of Straight Pipe Specimen Using Shearography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chang, Ho Seob; Kim, Kyung Suk

    2012-01-01

    In the nuclear industry, wall thinning defect of straight pipe occur the enormous loss in life evaluation and safety evaluation. To use non-destructive technique, we measure deformation, vibration, defect evaluation. But, this techniques are a weak that is the measurement of the wide area is difficult and the time is caught long. In the secondary side of nuclear power plants mostly used steel pipe, artificiality wall thinning defect make in the side and different thickness make to the each other, wall thinning defect part of deformation measure by using shearography. In addition, optical measurement through deformation, vibration, defect evaluation evaluate pipe and thickness defects of pressure vessel is to evaluate quantitatively. By shearography interferometry to measure the pipe's internal wall thinning defect and the variation of pressure use the proposed technique, the quantitative defect is to evaluate the thickness of the surplus. The amount of deformation use thickness of surplus prediction of the actual thickness defect and approximately 7 percent error by ensure reliability. According to pressure the amount of deformation and the thickness of the surplus through DB construction, nuclear power plant pipe use wall thinning part soundness evaluation. In this study, pressure vessel of thickness defect measure proposed nuclear pipe of wall thinning defect prediction and integrity assessment technology development. As a basic research defected theory and experiment, pressure vessel of advanced stability and soundness and maintainability is expected to contribute foundation establishment

  20. Ab initio study of point defects in magnesium oxide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gilbert, C. A.; Kenny, S. D.; Smith, R.; Sanville, E.

    2007-01-01

    Energetics of a variety of point defects in MgO have been considered from an ab initio perspective using density functional theory. The considered defects are isolated Schottky and Frenkel defects and interstitial pairs, along with a number of Schottky defects and di-interstitials. Comparisons were made between the density functional theory results and results obtained from empirical potential simulations and these generally showed good agreement. Both methodologies predicted the first nearest neighbor Schottky defects to be the most energetically favorable of the considered Schottky defects and that the first, second, and fifth nearest neighbor di-interstitials were of similar energy and were favored over the other di-interstitial configurations. Relaxed structures of the defects were analyzed, which showed that empirical potential simulations were accurately predicting the displacements of atoms surrounding di-interstitials, but were overestimating O atom displacement for Schottky defects. Transition barriers were computed for the defects using the nudged elastic band method. Vacancies and Schottky defects were found to have relatively high energy barriers, the majority of which were over 2 eV, in agreement with conclusions reached using empirical potentials. The lowest barriers for di-interstitial transitions were found to be for migration into a first nearest neighbor configuration. Charges were calculated using a Bader analysis and this found negligible charge transfer during the defect transitions and only small changes in the charges on atoms surrounding defects, indicating why fixed charge models work as well as they do

  1. Nanoscale interfacial defect shedding in a growing nematic droplet.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gurevich, Sebastian; Provatas, Nikolas; Rey, Alejandro

    2017-08-01

    Interfacial defect shedding is the most recent known mechanism for defect formation in a thermally driven isotropic-to-nematic phase transition. It manifests in nematic-isotropic interfaces going through an anchoring switch. Numerical computations in planar geometry established that a growing nematic droplet can undergo interfacial defect shedding, nucleating interfacial defect structures that shed into the bulk as +1/2 point defects. By extending the study of interfacial defect shedding in a growing nematic droplet to larger length and time scales, and to three dimensions, we unveil an oscillatory growth mode involving shape and anchoring transitions that results in a controllable regular distributions of point defects in planar geometry, and complex structures of disclination lines in three dimensions.

  2. Defective Reduction in Frozen Pie Manufacturing Process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nooted, Oranuch; Tangjitsitcharoen, Somkiat

    2017-06-01

    The frozen pie production has a lot of defects resulting in high production cost. Failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) technique has been applied to improve the frozen pie process. Pareto chart is also used to determine the major defects of frozen pie. There are 3 main processes that cause the defects which are the 1st freezing to glazing process, the forming process, and the folding process. The Risk Priority Number (RPN) obtained from FMEA is analyzed to reduce the defects. If RPN of each cause exceeds 45, the process will be considered to be improved and selected for the corrective and preventive actions. The results showed that RPN values decreased after the correction. Therefore, the implementation of FMEA technique can help to improve the performance of frozen pie process and reduce the defects approximately 51.9%.

  3. Predicting internal red oak (Quercus rubra) log defect features using surface defect defect measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    R. Edward. Thomas

    2013-01-01

    Determining the defects located within a log is crucial to understanding the tree/log resource for efficient processing. However, existing means of doing this non-destructively requires the use of expensive x-ray/CT (computerized tomography), MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), or microwave technology. These methods do not lend themselves to fast, efficient, and cost-...

  4. Defect mediated magnetic interaction and high Tc ferromagnetism in Co doped ZnO nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pal, Bappaditya; Giri, P K

    2011-10-01

    Structural, optical and magnetic studies have been carried out for the Co-doped ZnO nanoparticles (NPs). ZnO NPs are doped with 3% and 5% Co using ball milling and ferromagnetism (FM) is studied at room temperature and above. A high Curie temperature (Tc) has been observed from the Co doped ZnO NPs. X-ray diffraction and high resolution transmission electron microscopy analysis confirm the absence of metallic Co clusters or any other phase different from würtzite-type ZnO. UV-visible absorption and photoluminescence studies on the doped samples show change in band structure and oxygen vacancy defects, respectively. Micro-Raman studies of doped samples shows defect related additional strong bands at 547 and 574 cm(-1) confirming the presence of oxygen vacancy defects in ZnO lattice. The field dependence of magnetization (M-H curve) measured at room temperature exhibits the clear M-H loop with saturation magnetization and coercive field of the order of 4-6 emu/g and 260 G, respectively. Temperature dependence of magnetization measurement shows sharp ferromagnetic to paramagnetic transition with a high Tc = 791 K for 3% Co doped ZnO NPs. Ferromagnetic ordering is interpreted in terms of overlapping of polarons mediated through oxygen vacancy defects based on the bound magnetic polaron (BMP) model. We show that the observed FM data fits well with the BMP model involving localised carriers and magnetic cations.

  5. Generalization of the Nernst-Einstein equation for self-diffusion in high-defect-concentration solids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McKee, R.A.

    1981-01-01

    It is shown that the Nernst-Einstein equation can be generalized for a high defect concentration solid to relate the mobility or conductivity to the self-diffusion coefficient. This relationship is derived assuming that the diffusing particles interact strongly and that the mobility is concentration-dependent. It is derived for interstitial disordered structures, but it is perfectly general to any mechanism of self diffusion as long as diffusion in a pure system is considered

  6. Investigation of the in-service development of weld defects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dubresson, J.

    1982-01-01

    The assessment of the fitness for purpose of a construction in service requires a periodical evaluation of its condition. In the particular case of a welded structure, inspections must be performed at regular intervals in order to prepare, at given moment, a chart showing the number, distribution and length of the observed defects, thus permitting to ascertain any change related to a previous state. Ultrasonic testing is generally regarded as quite appropriate for the purpose, especially in the case of structures in operation (pressure vessels). The nondestructive Testing Department of Institut de Soudure designed and developed an automatic system for analysing the weld defects, this permitting to suppress the problem related to manual inspection. The principle of the analysis method, as well as the results obtained with the system in preliminary experimentation are described. In the first part, the influence of the parameters, such as the testing sensitivity, the dimensional characteristics of artificial reflectors (saw cuts), on the obtained records are studied. The system is then used for the assessment of the fatigue behaviour of a real crack which had been repeatedly inspected at various stages of its development. The future possibilities of development of the method are also outlined [fr

  7. Reduction in Defect Content in ODS Alloys

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ritherdon, J.; Jones, A.R.

    2000-02-01

    The work detailed within this report is a continuation of earlier work that was carried out under contract number IDX-SY382V. The earlier work comprised a literature review of the sources and types of defects found principally in Fe-based ODS alloys together with a series of experiments designed to identify defects in ODS Fe{sub 3}Al material and recommend methods of defect reduction. Defects found in the Mechanically Alloyed (MA) ODS Fe{sub 3}Al included regions of incomplete MA, porosity, intrusions and fine-grained stringers. Some defects tended to be found in association with one another e.g. intrusions and fine-grained stringers. Preliminary powder separation experiments were also performed. The scope and objectives of the present work were laid out in the technical proposal ``Reduction in Defect Content in ODS Alloys--II'' which formed the basis of amendment 3 of the current contract. The current studies were devised in the context of the preceding work with a view to extending and concluding certain experiments while exploring new avenues of investigation of defect control and reduction where appropriate. All work proposed was within the context of achieving an ODS Fe{sub 3}Al alloy of improved overall quality and potential creep performance (particularly) in the consolidated, release condition. The interim outturn of the experimental work performed is also reported.

  8. Phonons, defects and optical damage in crystalline acetanilide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kosic, Thomas J.; Hill, Jeffrey R.; Dlott, Dana D.

    1986-04-01

    Intense picosecond pulses cause accumulated optical damage in acetanilide crystals at low temperature. Catastrophic damage to the irradiated volume occurs after an incubation period where defects accumulate. The optical damage is monitored with subanosecond time resolution. The generation of defects is studied with damage-detected picosecond spectroscopy. The accumulation of defects is studied by time-resolved coherent Raman scattering, which is used to measure optical phonon scattering from the accumulating defects.

  9. Congenital heart defects and extracardiac malformations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosa, Rosana Cardoso M; Rosa, Rafael Fabiano M; Zen, Paulo Ricardo G; Paskulin, Giorgio Adriano

    2013-06-01

    To review the association between congenital heart defects and extracardiac malformations. Scientific articles were searched in the Medline, Lilacs, and SciELO databases, using the descriptors "congenital heart disease," "congenital heart defects," "congenital cardiac malformations," "extracardiac defects," and "extracardiac malformations." All case series that specifically explored the association between congenital heart defects and extracardiac malformations were included. Congenital heart diseases are responsible for about 40% of birth defects, being one of the most common and severe malformations. Extracardiac malformations are observed in 7 to 50% of the patients with congenital heart disease, bringing a greater risk of comorbidity and mortality and increasing the risks related to heart surgery. Different studies have attempted to assess the presence of extracardiac abnormalities in patients with congenital heart disease. Among the changes described, those of the urinary tract are more often reported. However, no study has evaluated all patients in the same way. Extracardiac abnormalities are frequent among patients with congenital heart disease, and patients with these alterations may present an increased risk of morbimortality. Therefore, some authors have been discussing the importance and cost-effectiveness of screening these children for other malformations by complementary exams.

  10. Developing a database management system to support birth defects surveillance in Florida.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salemi, Jason L; Hauser, Kimberlea W; Tanner, Jean Paul; Sampat, Diana; Correia, Jane A; Watkins, Sharon M; Kirby, Russell S

    2010-01-01

    The value of any public health surveillance program is derived from the ways in which data are managed and used to improve the public's health. Although birth defects surveillance programs vary in their case volume, budgets, staff, and objectives, the capacity to operate efficiently and maximize resources remains critical to long-term survival. The development of a fully-integrated relational database management system (DBMS) can enrich a surveillance program's data and improve efficiency. To build upon the Florida Birth Defects Registry--a statewide registry relying solely on linkage of administrative datasets and unconfirmed diagnosis codes-the Florida Department of Health provided funding to the University of South Florida to develop and pilot an enhanced surveillance system in targeted areas with a more comprehensive approach to case identification and diagnosis confirmation. To manage operational and administrative complexities, a DBMS was developed, capable of managing transmission of project data from multiple sources, tracking abstractor time during record reviews, offering tools for defect coding and case classification, and providing reports to DBMS users. Since its inception, the DBMS has been used as part of our surveillance projects to guide the receipt of over 200 case lists and review of 12,924 fetuses and infants (with associated maternal records) suspected of having selected birth defects in over 90 birthing and transfer facilities in Florida. The DBMS has provided both anticipated and unexpected benefits. Automation of the processes for managing incoming case lists has reduced clerical workload considerably, while improving accuracy of working lists for field abstraction. Data quality has improved through more effective use of internal edits and comparisons with values for other data elements, while simultaneously increasing abstractor efficiency in completion of case abstraction. We anticipate continual enhancement to the DBMS in the future

  11. Electricity Breakdown Management for Sarawak Energy: Use of Condition-Based Equipment for Detection of Defective Insulator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, J. K.; Abas, N.

    2017-07-01

    Managing electricity breakdown is vital since an outage causes economic losses for customers and the utility companies. However, electricity breakdown is unavoidable due to some internal or external factors beyond our control. Electricity breakdown on overhead lines tend occur more frequently because it is prone to external disturbances such as animal, overgrown vegetation and defective pole top accessories. In Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB), majority of the network are composed of overhead lines and hence, is more prone to failure. Conventional method of equipment inspection and fault finding are not effective to quickly identify the root cause of failure. SEB has engaged the use of corona discharge camera as condition-based monitoring equipment to carry out condition based inspection on the line in order to diagnose the condition of the lines prior to failure. Experimental testing has been carried out to determine the correlation between the corona discharge count and the level of defect on line insulator. The result shall be tabulated and will be used as reference for future scanning and diagnostic on any defect on the lines.

  12. Study of correlation between the structural defects and inhomogeneities of CDTE based radiation detectors used for medical imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buis, Camille

    2013-01-01

    In the present Ph.D. thesis, we investigate microstructural defects in a chlorine-doped cadmium telluride crystal (CdTe:Cl), to understand the relationship between defects and performance of CdTe-based radiation detectors. Characterization tools, such as diffraction topography and chemical etching, are used for bulk and surface investigations of the distribution of dislocations. Dislocations are arranged into walls. Most of them appear to cross the whole thickness of the sample. Very good correlation is observed between areas with variations of dark-current and photo-current, and positions of the dislocation walls revealed at the surface of the sample. Then spectroscopic analysis of these defects was performed at low temperatures. It highlighted that dislocation walls induce non-radiative recombination, but it didn't show any Y luminescence usually attributed to dislocations in the literature. Ion Beam Induced Current (IBIC) measurements were used to evaluate the influence of dislocation walls on charge carrier transport properties. This experiment shows that they reduce the mobility-lifetime product of the charge carriers. A very clear correlation was, in fact, established between the distribution of the dislocation network and the linear defects revealed by their lower CIE on the device. (author) [fr

  13. Treatment of open tibial shaft fracture with soft tissue and bone defect caused by aircraft bomb--case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Golubović, Zoran; Vidić, Goran; Trenkić, Srbobran; Vukasinović, Zoran; Lesić, Aleksandar; Stojiljković, Predrag; Stevanović, Goran; Golubović, Ivan; Visnjić, Aleksandar; Najman, Stevo

    2010-01-01

    Aircraft bombs can cause severe orthopaedic injuries. Tibia shaft fractures caused by aircraft bombs are mostly comminuted and followed by bone defects, which makes the healing process extremely difficult and prone to numerous complications. The goal of this paper is to present the method of treatment and the end results of treatment of a serious open tibial fracture with soft and bone tissue defects resulting from aircraft bomb shrapnel wounds. A 26-year-old patient presented with a tibial fracture as the result of a cluster bomb shrapnel wound. He was treated applying the method of external bone fixation done two days after wounding, as well as of early coverage of the lower leg soft tissue defects done on the tenth day after the external fixation of the fracture. The external fixator was removed after five months, whereas the treatment was continued by means of functional plaster cast for another two months. The final functional result was good. Radical wound debridement, external bone fixation of the fracture, and early reconstruction of any soft tissue and bone defects are the main elements of the treatment of serious fractures.

  14. Micro-bridge defects: characterization and root cause analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santoro, Gaetano; Van den Heuvel, Dieter; Braggin, Jennifer; Rosslee, Craig; Leray, Philippe J.; Cheng, Shaunee; Jehoul, Christiane; Schreutelkamp, Robert; Hillel, Noam

    2010-03-01

    Defect review of advanced lithography processes is becoming more and more challenging as feature sizes decrease. Previous studies using a defect review SEM on immersion lithography generated wafers have resulted in a defect classification scheme which, among others, includes a category for micro-bridges. Micro-bridges are small connections between two adjacent lines in photo-resist and are considered device killing defects. Micro-bridge rates also tend to increase as feature sizes decrease, making them even more important for the next technology nodes. Especially because micro-bridge defects can originate from different root causes, the need to further refine and split up the classification of this type of defect into sub groups may become a necessity. This paper focuses on finding the correlation of the different types of micro-bridge defects to a particular root cause based on a full characterization and root cause analysis of this class of defects, by using advanced SEM review capabilities like high quality imaging in very low FOV, Multi Perspective SEM Imaging (MPSI), tilted column and rotated stage (Tilt&Rotation) imaging and Focused Ion Beam (FIB) cross sectioning. Immersion lithography material has been mainly used to generate the set of data presented in this work even though, in the last part of the results, some EUV lithography data will be presented as part of the continuing effort to extend the micro-bridge defect characterization to the EUV technology on 40 nm technology node and beyond.

  15. Mass defect effects in atomic clocks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yudin, Valeriy; Taichenachev, Alexey

    2018-03-01

    We consider some implications of the mass defect on the frequency of atomic transitions. We have found that some well-known frequency shifts (the gravitational shift and motion-induced shifts such as quadratic Doppler and micromotion shifts) can be interpreted as consequences of the mass defect in quantum atomic physics, i.e. without the need for the concept of time dilation used in special and general relativity theories. Moreover, we show that the inclusion of the mass defect leads to previously unknown shifts for clocks based on trapped ions.

  16. Tibial and fibular developmental fields defects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khoury, N.J.; Haddad, M.C.; Hourani, M.H.

    1999-01-01

    Malformations of the lower limbs are rare and heterogeneous anomalies. To explain the diversity and complexity of these abnormalities, authors introduced the concept of tibial and fibular developmental fields. Defects in these fields are responsible for different malformations, which have been described, to our knowledge, in only one report in the radiology literature. We present a case of a newborn with femoral bifurcation, absent fibulae and talar bones, ankle and foot malformations, and associated atrial septal defect. Our case is an example of defects in both fibular and tibial developmental fields. (orig.)

  17. Rényi entropy and conformal defects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bianchi, Lorenzo; Meineri, Marco; Myers, Robert C.; Smolkin, Michael

    2016-01-01

    We propose a field theoretic framework for calculating the dependence of Rényi entropies on the shape of the entangling surface in a conformal field theory. Our approach rests on regarding the corresponding twist operator as a conformal defect and in particular, we define the displacement operator which implements small local deformations of the entangling surface. We identify a simple constraint between the coefficient defining the two-point function of the displacement operator and the conformal weight of the twist operator, which consolidates a number of distinct conjectures on the shape dependence of the Rényi entropy. As an example, using this approach, we examine a conjecture regarding the universal coefficient associated with a conical singularity in the entangling surface for CFTs in any number of spacetime dimensions. We also provide a general formula for the second order variation of the Rényi entropy arising from small deformations of a spherical entangling surface, extending Mezei’s results for the entanglement entropy.

  18. Rényi entropy and conformal defects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bianchi, Lorenzo [Institut für Physik, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin,Zum Großen Windkanal 6, 12489 Berlin (Germany); II. Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Hamburg,Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg (Germany); Meineri, Marco [Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare - Sezione di Pisa,Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126 Pisa (Italy); Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics,31 Caroline Street North, Waterloo, ON N2L 2Y5 (Canada); Myers, Robert C. [Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics,31 Caroline Street North, Waterloo, ON N2L 2Y5 (Canada); Smolkin, Michael [Center for Theoretical Physics, Department of Physics, University of California,Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States)

    2016-07-14

    We propose a field theoretic framework for calculating the dependence of Rényi entropies on the shape of the entangling surface in a conformal field theory. Our approach rests on regarding the corresponding twist operator as a conformal defect and in particular, we define the displacement operator which implements small local deformations of the entangling surface. We identify a simple constraint between the coefficient defining the two-point function of the displacement operator and the conformal weight of the twist operator, which consolidates a number of distinct conjectures on the shape dependence of the Rényi entropy. As an example, using this approach, we examine a conjecture regarding the universal coefficient associated with a conical singularity in the entangling surface for CFTs in any number of spacetime dimensions. We also provide a general formula for the second order variation of the Rényi entropy arising from small deformations of a spherical entangling surface, extending Mezei’s results for the entanglement entropy.

  19. EUV mask defect inspection and defect review strategies for EUV pilot line and high volume manufacturing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan, Y. David; Rastegar, Abbas; Yun, Henry; Putna, E. Steve; Wurm, Stefan

    2010-04-01

    Reducing mask blank and patterned mask defects is the number one challenge for extreme ultraviolet lithography. If the industry succeeds in reducing mask blank defects at the required rate of 10X every year for the next 2-3 years to meet high volume manufacturing defect requirements, new inspection and review tool capabilities will soon be needed to support this goal. This paper outlines the defect inspection and review tool technical requirements and suggests development plans to achieve pilot line readiness in 2011/12 and high volume manufacturing readiness in 2013. The technical specifications, tooling scenarios, and development plans were produced by a SEMATECH-led technical working group with broad industry participation from material suppliers, tool suppliers, mask houses, integrated device manufacturers, and consortia. The paper summarizes this technical working group's assessment of existing blank and mask inspection/review infrastructure capabilities to support pilot line introduction and outlines infrastructure development requirements and tooling strategies to support high volume manufacturing.

  20. Logistic planning and control of reworking perishable production defectives

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    R.H. Teunter (Ruud); S.D.P. Flapper

    2001-01-01

    textabstractWe consider a production line that is dedicated to a single product. Produced lots may be non-defective, reworkable defective, or non-reworkable defective. The production line switches between production and rework. After producing a fixed number (N) of lots, all reworkable defective

  1. Defect CFTs and holographic multiverse

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fiol, Bartomeu, E-mail: bfiol@ub.edu [Departament de Física Fonamental i Institut de Ciències del Cosmos, Universitat de Barcelona, Martí i Franquès 1, 08193 Barcelona (Spain)

    2010-07-01

    We investigate some aspects of a recent proposal for a holographic description of the multiverse. Specifically, we focus on the implications on the suggested duality of the fluctuations of a bubble separating two universes with different cosmological constants. We do so by considering a similar problem in a 2+1 CFT with a codimension one defect, obtained by an M5-brane probe embedding in AdS{sub 4} × S{sup 7}, and studying its spectrum of fluctuations. Our results suggest that the kind of behavior required by the spectrum of bubble fluctuations is not likely to take place in defect CFTs with an AdS dual, although it might be possible if the defect supports a non-unitary theory.

  2. Oxygen defect processes in silicon and silicon germanium

    KAUST Repository

    Chroneos, A.

    2015-06-18

    Silicon and silicon germanium are the archetypical elemental and alloy semiconductor materials for nanoelectronic, sensor, and photovoltaic applications. The investigation of radiation induced defects involving oxygen, carbon, and intrinsic defects is important for the improvement of devices as these defects can have a deleterious impact on the properties of silicon and silicon germanium. In the present review, we mainly focus on oxygen-related defects and the impact of isovalent doping on their properties in silicon and silicon germanium. The efficacy of the isovalent doping strategies to constrain the oxygen-related defects is discussed in view of recent infrared spectroscopy and density functional theory studies.

  3. Defect-engineered graphene chemical sensors with ultrahigh sensitivity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Geonyeop; Yang, Gwangseok; Cho, Ara; Han, Jeong Woo; Kim, Jihyun

    2016-05-25

    We report defect-engineered graphene chemical sensors with ultrahigh sensitivity (e.g., 33% improvement in NO2 sensing and 614% improvement in NH3 sensing). A conventional reactive ion etching system was used to introduce the defects in a controlled manner. The sensitivity of graphene-based chemical sensors increased with increasing defect density until the vacancy-dominant region was reached. In addition, the mechanism of gas sensing was systematically investigated via experiments and density functional theory calculations, which indicated that the vacancy defect is a major contributing factor to the enhanced sensitivity. This study revealed that defect engineering in graphene has significant potential for fabricating ultra-sensitive graphene chemical sensors.

  4. Oxygen defect processes in silicon and silicon germanium

    KAUST Repository

    Chroneos, A.; Sgourou, E. N.; Londos, C. A.; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

    2015-01-01

    Silicon and silicon germanium are the archetypical elemental and alloy semiconductor materials for nanoelectronic, sensor, and photovoltaic applications. The investigation of radiation induced defects involving oxygen, carbon, and intrinsic defects is important for the improvement of devices as these defects can have a deleterious impact on the properties of silicon and silicon germanium. In the present review, we mainly focus on oxygen-related defects and the impact of isovalent doping on their properties in silicon and silicon germanium. The efficacy of the isovalent doping strategies to constrain the oxygen-related defects is discussed in view of recent infrared spectroscopy and density functional theory studies.

  5. Influence of irradiation defects on anelastic properties of magnesium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Minier, C.; Haneczok, G.; Lauzier, J.

    1985-01-01

    Irradiation defects in magnesium and their interactions with dislocations are studied by internal friction and elastic modulus. Long distance migration of different defects are determined. Relaxation peaks at very low temperature are analyzed. In the interaction peak between defects and dislocations it is shown that defects are interstitials and that dislocations are responsible for the peak B 1 and the interaction mechanism is probably associated to a side motion of defects along the lines. Defects brought by irradiation on dislocations are used for testing Bordoni relaxation theory and variation of parameters of peak B 1 and B 2 are analyzed [fr

  6. Dipolar and quadrupolar defects in a transport line

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leleux, G.; Nghiem, P.

    1991-01-01

    The defects on a transport line of linear accelerator are studied. A transport line where the elements are influenced by the design or position defects is analyzed. Only dipolar and quadrupolar defects are considered, and the coupling betwen transversal motions are excluded. The data from the literature and those calculated by transfer matrices are compared. The defects on a line are considered from an analytical point of view. Closed optical structures are also studied [fr

  7. Creation of radiation defects in KCl crystals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lushchik, A.Ch.; Pung, L.A.; Khaldre, Yu.Yu.; Kolk, Yu.V.

    1981-01-01

    Optical and EPR methods were used to study the creation of anion and cation Frenkel defects in KCl crystals irradiated by X-ray and VUV-radiation. The decay of excitons with the creation of charged Frenkel defects (α and I centres) was detected and investigated at 4.2 K. The decay of excitons as well as the recombination of electrons with self-trapped holes leads to the creation of neutral Frenkel defects (F and H centres). The creation of Cl 3 - and Vsub(F) centres (cation vacancy is a component of these centres) by X-irradiation at 80 K proves the possibility of cation defects creation in KCl [ru

  8. Is Bariatric Surgery a Prophylaxis for Pelvic Floor Disorders?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pomian, Andrzej; Majkusiak, Wojciech; Lisik, Wojciech; Tomasik, Paweł; Horosz, Edyta; Zwierzchowska, Aneta; Kociszewski, Jacek; Barcz, Ewa

    2018-06-01

    Obesity is one of the well-documented risk factors of pelvic floor disorders (PFDs). The PFDs include urinary and fecal incontinence (UI, FI) and pelvic organ prolapse (POP). Surgery-induced weight loss improves different kinds of incontinence as well as POP symptoms. However, there is a lack of evidence how bariatric surgery influences pelvic floor anatomy and function in women without previous PFDs and whether it may be concerned as PFD prophylaxis tool. The present analysis is a prospective, non-randomized case-control study from January 2014 to September 2017. Participants underwent pelvic floor ultrasound examination with bladder neck position estimation at rest, during levator ani tension, and at Valsalva maneuver before surgery and 12-18 months after. Pelvic organ prolapse quantification (POPQ) > 2 stage and PFD complaints were the exclusion criteria. Fifty-nine patients underwent bariatric surgery (57 sleeve gastrectomy and 2 gastric bypass). Mean BMI decreased from 43.8 ± 5.9 to 29 ± 4.6 kg/m 2 after surgery (p betterment of bladder neck position at rest, tension, and Valsalva maneuver in women without PFDs. We postulate that bariatric surgery may be a tool for PFD prevention. It does not improve levator ani function and does not limit bladder neck mobility, which implicates that it has no influence on preexisting pelvic dysfunction.

  9. Magnetic resonance imaging identification of muscular and ligamentous structures of the female pelvic floor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bezerra, Maria Rita Lima; Soares, Adriano Fleury F.; Faintuch, Salomao; Goldman, Suzan Menasce; Ajzen, Sergio A.; D'Ippolito, Giuseppe; Szejnfeld, Jacob; Girao, Manoel

    2001-01-01

    The objective was to determine the frequency and to assess the interobserver agreement of identification of muscular and ligamentous pelvic floor structures using magnetic resonance imaging. The method: twenty asymptomatic female volunteers (aged 20-80 years old; mean: 50) were submitted to magnetic resonance imaging (1.5 T) examinations of the pelvis. Turbo spin-echo sequences were employed to obtain T1 and T2 weighted images on axial and sagittal planes. Two independent observers evaluated the scans in order to identify the levator ani (coccygeal, pubococcygeal, iliococcygeal and puborectalis muscles), obturatorius internus and urethral sphincter muscles, and the pubovesical and pubourethral ligaments. The frequency and the interobserver agreement of the identification of the anatomical structures were assessed (kappa statistic - κ). The results: the frequency of identification of the structures ranged from 50 to 100%, and was slightly lower for identification of the ligaments. Interobserver agreement was as follows: levator ani and obturatorius internus muscle (κ=1), pubococcygeal (κ=0.62), iliococcygeal (κ=0.86), puborectalis (κ= 0.27), coccygeal (κ=0) and urethral sphincter muscles (κ=1), pubovesical (κ=0.50) and pubourethral (κ=0.58) ligaments. The conclusion: magnetic resonance imaging of the pelvis allowed precise identification of the main muscular and ligamentous pelvic floor structures in most individuals, whereas interobserver agreement was considered good. (author)

  10. Magnetic resonance imaging identification of muscular and ligamentous structures of the female pelvic floor; Identificacao das estruturas musculo-ligamentares do assoalho pelvico feminino na ressonancia magnetica

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bezerra, Maria Rita Lima; Soares, Adriano Fleury F.; Faintuch, Salomao; Goldman, Suzan Menasce; Ajzen, Sergio A.; D' Ippolito, Giuseppe; Szejnfeld, Jacob [Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo (UNIFESP/EPM), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Dept. de Diagnostico por Imagem]. E-mail: mrcfc@ig.com.br; Girao, Manoel [Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo (UNIFESP/EPM), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Dept. de Ginecologia

    2001-12-01

    The objective was to determine the frequency and to assess the interobserver agreement of identification of muscular and ligamentous pelvic floor structures using magnetic resonance imaging. The method: twenty asymptomatic female volunteers (aged 20-80 years old; mean: 50) were submitted to magnetic resonance imaging (1.5 T) examinations of the pelvis. Turbo spin-echo sequences were employed to obtain T1 and T2 weighted images on axial and sagittal planes. Two independent observers evaluated the scans in order to identify the levator ani (coccygeal, pubococcygeal, iliococcygeal and puborectalis muscles), obturatorius internus and urethral sphincter muscles, and the pubovesical and pubourethral ligaments. The frequency and the interobserver agreement of the identification of the anatomical structures were assessed (kappa statistic - {kappa}). The results: the frequency of identification of the structures ranged from 50 to 100%, and was slightly lower for identification of the ligaments. Interobserver agreement was as follows: levator ani and obturatorius internus muscle ({kappa}=1), pubococcygeal ({kappa}=0.62), iliococcygeal ({kappa}=0.86), puborectalis ({kappa}= 0.27), coccygeal ({kappa}=0) and urethral sphincter muscles ({kappa}=1), pubovesical ({kappa}=0.50) and pubourethral ({kappa}=0.58) ligaments. The conclusion: magnetic resonance imaging of the pelvis allowed precise identification of the main muscular and ligamentous pelvic floor structures in most individuals, whereas interobserver agreement was considered good. (author)

  11. The Axolotl Fibula as a Model for the Induction of Regeneration across Large Segment Defects in Long Bones of the Extremities.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaoping Chen

    Full Text Available We tested the ability of the axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum fibula to regenerate across segment defects of different size in the absence of intervention or after implant of a unique 8-braid pig small intestine submucosa (SIS scaffold, with or without incorporated growth factor combinations or tissue protein extract. Fractures and defects of 10% and 20% of the total limb length regenerated well without any intervention, but 40% and 50% defects failed to regenerate after either simple removal of bone or implanting SIS scaffold alone. By contrast, scaffold soaked in the growth factor combination BMP-4/HGF or in protein extract of intact limb tissue promoted partial or extensive induction of cartilage and bone across 50% segment defects in 30%-33% of cases. These results show that BMP-4/HGF and intact tissue protein extract can promote the events required to induce cartilage and bone formation across a segment defect larger than critical size and that the long bones of axolotl limbs are an inexpensive model to screen soluble factors and natural and synthetic scaffolds for their efficacy in stimulating this process.

  12. Defects in Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} chalcopyrite semiconductors: a comparative study of material properties, defect states, and photovoltaic performance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cao, Qing; Gunawan, Oki; Copel, Matthew; Reuter, Kathleen B; Chey, S Jay; Mitzi, David B [IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY (United States); Deline, Vaughn R [IBM Almaden Resesarch Center, San Jose, CA (United States)

    2011-10-15

    Understanding defects in Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S){sub 2} (CIGS), especially correlating changes in the film formation process with differences in material properties, photovoltaic (PV) device performance, and defect levels extracted from admittance spectroscopy, is a critical but challenging undertaking due to the complex nature of this polycrystalline compound semiconductor. Here we present a systematic comparative study wherein varying defect density levels in CIGS films were intentionally induced by growing CIGS grains using different selenium activity levels. Material characterization results by techniques including X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, secondary ion mass spectrometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and medium energy ion scattering indicate that this process variation, although not significantly affecting CIGS grain structure, crystal orientation, or bulk composition, leads to enhanced formation of a defective chalcopyrite layer with high density of indium or gallium at copper antisite defects ((In, Ga){sub Cu}) near the CIGS surface, for CIGS films grown with insufficient selenium supply. This defective layer or the film growth conditions associated with it is further linked with observed current-voltage characteristics, including rollover and crossover behavior, and a defect state at around 110 meV (generally denoted as the N1 defect) commonly observed in admittance spectroscopy. The impact of the (In, Ga){sub Cu} defects on device PV performance is also established. (Copyright copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  13. Prediction of point-defect migration energy barriers in alloys using artificial intelligence for atomistic kinetic Monte Carlo applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Castin, N. [Structural Materials Group, Nuclear Materials Science Institute, Studiecentrum voor Kerneenergie Centre d' etude de l' energie nucleaire (SCK CEN), Boeretang 200, B-2400 Mol (Belgium); Universite Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Physique des Solides Irradies et Nanostructures (PSIN), CP234 Boulevard du triomphe, Brussels (Belgium); Malerba, L. [Structural Materials Group, Nuclear Materials Science Institute, Studiecentrum voor Kerneenergie Centre d' etude de l' energie nucleaire (SCK CEN), Boeretang 200, B-2400 Mol (Belgium)], E-mail: lmalerba@sckcen.be

    2009-09-15

    We significantly improved a previously proposed method to take into account chemical and also relaxation effects on point-defect migration energy barriers, as predicted by an interatomic potential, in a rigid lattice atomistic kinetic Monte Carlo simulation. Examples of energy barriers are rigorously calculated, including chemical and relaxation effects, as functions of the local atomic configuration, using a nudged elastic bands technique. These examples are then used to train an artificial neural network that provides the barriers on-demand during the simulation for each configuration encountered by the migrating defect. Thanks to a newly developed training method, the configuration can include a large number of neighbour shells, thereby properly including also strain effects. Satisfactory results have been obtained when the configuration includes different chemical species only. The problems encountered in the extension of the method to configurations including any number of point-defects are stated and solutions to tackle them are sketched.

  14. Endocardial cushion defect

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2016:chap 426. Kouchoukos NT, Blackstone EH, Hanley FL, Kirklin JK. Atrioventricular septal defect. In: Kouchoukos NT, Blackstone EH, Hanley FL, Kirklin JK, eds. Kirklin/Barratt- ...

  15. Interaction of alpha radiation with thermally-induced defects in silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ali, Akbar; Majid, Abdul

    2008-01-01

    The interaction of radiation-induced defects created by energetic alpha particles and thermally-induced defects in silicon has been studied using a Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy (DLTS) technique. Two thermally-induced defects at energy positions E c -0.48 eV and E c -0.25 eV and three radiation-induced defects E2, E3 and E5 have been observed. The concentration of both of the thermally-induced defects has been observed to increase on irradiation. It has been noted that production rates of the radiation-induced defects are suppressed in the presence of thermally-induced defects. A significant difference in annealing characteristics of thermally-induced defects in the presence of radiation-induced defects has been observed compared to the characteristics measured in pre-irradiated samples

  16. Tuning the relative concentration ratio of bulk defects to surface defects in TiO2 nanocrystals leads to high photocatalytic efficiency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kong, Ming; Li, Yuanzhi; Chen, Xiong; Tian, Tingting; Fang, Pengfei; Zheng, Feng; Zhao, Xiujian

    2011-10-19

    TiO(2) nanocrystals with tunable bulk/surface defects were synthesized and characterized with TEM, XRD, BET, positron annihilation, and photocurrent measurements. The effect of defects on photocatalytic activity was studied. It was found for the first time that decreasing the relative concentration ratio of bulk defects to surface defects in TiO(2) nanocrystals could significantly improve the separation efficiency of photogenerated electrons and holes, thus significantly enhancing the photocatalytic efficiency.

  17. The study of the identification of minimal defects in radiograph, 2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Senda, Tomio; Hirayama, Kazuo; Yokoyama, Keiji; Nakamura, Kazuo.

    1988-01-01

    In the first report, it was discussed in terms of the mass on the detectible limit of such minimal defects of cylindrical defect as a representative of ingot-defect and slit defect as a representative of plate-defect respectively which generally appear on the weld joints, using contrast distribution area of defects on the radiograph. In the second report, an experiment is done to vary the contrast of radiograph by dual exposure system and to vary the radiation by rotating photographing in order to investigate the corresponding relation of defectible limit of defect dimension between cylindrical defect and slit defect. (author)

  18. [Clinical study of full-thickness skin graft for reconstruction of completely defect nail unit].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Wen-jun; Li, Chun; Zhu, Jin; Tian, Guang-lei; Chen, Shan-lin; Tian, Wen

    2012-12-18

    To explore a reconstruction method for complete nail bed defect caused by various kinds of reasons and to retrospectively analyze the effect of application of free full-thickness skin graft for the whole nail unit repair. Between Apr. 2010 and Mar. 2012, the method of free full-thickness skin graft was done for reconstruction of the completely nail unit defect in seven cases. There were 2 male and 5 female patients; the mean age of these patients at the time of surgery was 51.9 years (range: 7 to 70 years). The preoperative diagnoses included two cases of malignant melanoma, one of chronic infection, one of squamous cell carcinoma, two of subungual pigmentation and one of junctional nevus. There were 2 thumb lesions, 3 middle and 2 index finger lesions. Nail unit defect was in the range of 1.5 cm×2 cm to 2.5 cm × 3.5 cm and full thickness skin graft was harvested from the same medial side of upper arm (3 cases), forearm cubital fossa (1 case) and contralateral side of groin region (3 cases). All the patients were followed with an average follow-up time being 10 months. All the free skin graft taken was achieved with 100% in all the 7 cases, even in those patients whose partial cortical bone had been curetted. The skin graft was often bluish initially, and superficial blisters were always noticed within 1.5 months postoperatively and the survival skin graft was smooth eventually, and skin graft was adhered to the underlying bone tightly. There was no epidermal inclusion cyst and no residual nail formation. The skin donor sites were without complications. Aesthetic appearance was assessed by the surgeons and found no unacceptable for their patients. And all the patients were satisfied with the cosmetic appearance and active range of motion of their involved fingers, who did not express a desire to undergo any further of nail reconstruction. Free full-thickness skin grafting for reconstruction of the complete nail unit defect is a simple, safe and effective

  19. Di-interstitial defect in silicon revisited

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Londos, C. A.; Antonaras, G.; Chroneos, A.

    2013-01-01

    Infrared spectroscopy was used to study the defect spectrum of Cz-Si samples following fast neutron irradiation. We mainly focus on the band at 533 cm −1 , which disappears from the spectra at ∼170 °C, exhibiting similar thermal stability with the Si-P6 electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrum previously correlated with the di-interstitial defect. The suggested structural model of this defect comprises of two self-interstitial atoms located symmetrically around a lattice site Si atom. The band anneals out following a first-order kinetics with an activation energy of 0.88 ± 0.3 eV. This value does not deviate considerably from previously quoted experimental and theoretical values for the di-interstitial defect. The present results indicate that the 533 cm −1 IR band originates from the same structure as that of the Si-P6 EPR spectrum

  20. Defect networks and supersymmetric loop operators

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bullimore, Mathew [Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, 31 Caroline Street North, Waterloo, ON N2L 2Y5 (Canada)

    2015-02-10

    We consider topological defect networks with junctions in A{sub N−1} Toda CFT and the connection to supersymmetric loop operators in N=2 theories of class S on a four-sphere. Correlation functions in the presence of topological defect networks are computed by exploiting the monodromy of conformal blocks, generalising the notion of a Verlinde operator. Concentrating on a class of topological defects in A{sub 2} Toda theory, we find that the Verlinde operators generate an algebra whose structure is determined by a set of generalised skein relations that encode the representation theory of a quantum group. In the second half of the paper, we explore the dictionary between topological defect networks and supersymmetric loop operators in the N=2{sup ∗} theory by comparing to exact localisation computations. In this context, the the generalised skein relations are related to the operator product expansion of loop operators.

  1. No significant role for beta tubulin mutations and mismatch repair defects in ovarian cancer resistance to paclitaxel/cisplatin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mesquita, Bárbara; Veiga, Isabel; Pereira, Deolinda; Tavares, Ana; Pinto, Isabel M; Pinto, Carla; Teixeira, Manuel R; Castedo, Sérgio

    2005-01-01

    The mechanisms of chemoresistance in ovarian cancer patients remain largely to be elucidated. Paclitaxel/cisplatin combination is the standard chemotherapeutic treatment for this disease, although some patients do not respond to therapy. Our goals were to investigate whether TUBB mutations and mismatch repair defects underlie paclitaxel and cisplatin resistance. Thirty-four patients with primary ovarian carcinomas (26 serous and eight clear cell carcinomas) treated with paclitaxel/cisplatin were analysed. TUBB exon 4 was analysed by nested PCR after a first round PCR using intronic primers. Microsatellite analysis was performed with the quasimonomorphic markers BAT 26 and BAT 34. Twenty-two of the 34 ovarian cancers (64.7%) presented residual tumour after surgery, seven of which (7/22; 31.8%) were shown to be chemoresistant (five serous and two clear cell tumours). Sequence analysis did not find any mutation in TUBB exon 4. Microsatellite instability was not detected in any of the ovarian carcinomas. We conclude that TUBB exon 4 mutations and mismatch repair defects do not play a significant role in paclitaxel/cisplatin resistance

  2. Synergistic Interlayer and Defect Engineering in VS2 Nanosheets toward Efficient Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

    KAUST Repository

    Zhang, Junjun

    2017-12-27

    A simple one-pot solvothermal method is reported to synthesize VS2 nanosheets featuring rich defects and an expanded (001) interlayer spacing as large as 1.00 nm, which is a ≈74% expansion as relative to that (0.575 nm) of the pristine counterpart. The interlayer-expanded VS2 nanosheets show extraordinary kinetic metrics for electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), exhibiting a low overpotential of 43 mV at a geometric current density of 10 mA cm-2 , a small Tafel slope of 36 mV dec-1 , and long-term stability of 60 h without any current fading. The performance is much better than that of the pristine VS2 with a normal interlayer spacing, and even comparable to that of the commercial Pt/C electrocatalyst. The outstanding electrocatalytic activity is attributed to the expanded interlayer distance and the generated rich defects. Increased numbers of exposed active sites and modified electronic structures are achieved, resulting in an optimal free energy of hydrogen adsorption (∆GH ) from density functional theory calculations. This work opens up a new door for developing transition-metal dichalcogenide nanosheets as high active HER electrocatalysts by interlayer and defect engineering.

  3. Synergistic Interlayer and Defect Engineering in VS2 Nanosheets toward Efficient Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

    KAUST Repository

    Zhang, Junjun; Zhang, Chenhui; Wang, Zhenyu; Zhu, Jian; Wen, Zhiwei; Zhao, Xingzhong; Zhang, Xixiang; Xu, Jun; Lu, Zhouguang

    2017-01-01

    A simple one-pot solvothermal method is reported to synthesize VS2 nanosheets featuring rich defects and an expanded (001) interlayer spacing as large as 1.00 nm, which is a ≈74% expansion as relative to that (0.575 nm) of the pristine counterpart. The interlayer-expanded VS2 nanosheets show extraordinary kinetic metrics for electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), exhibiting a low overpotential of 43 mV at a geometric current density of 10 mA cm-2 , a small Tafel slope of 36 mV dec-1 , and long-term stability of 60 h without any current fading. The performance is much better than that of the pristine VS2 with a normal interlayer spacing, and even comparable to that of the commercial Pt/C electrocatalyst. The outstanding electrocatalytic activity is attributed to the expanded interlayer distance and the generated rich defects. Increased numbers of exposed active sites and modified electronic structures are achieved, resulting in an optimal free energy of hydrogen adsorption (∆GH ) from density functional theory calculations. This work opens up a new door for developing transition-metal dichalcogenide nanosheets as high active HER electrocatalysts by interlayer and defect engineering.

  4. Imaging active topological defects in carbon nanotubes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suenaga, Kazu; Wakabayashi, Hideaki; Koshino, Masanori; Sato, Yuta; Urita, Koki; Iijima, Sumio

    2007-06-01

    A single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) is a wrapped single graphene layer, and its plastic deformation should require active topological defects-non-hexagonal carbon rings that can migrate along the nanotube wall. Although in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has been used to examine the deformation of SWNTs, these studies deal only with diameter changes and no atomistic mechanism has been elucidated experimentally. Theory predicts that some topological defects can form through the Stone-Wales transformation in SWNTs under tension at 2,000 K, and could act as a dislocation core. We demonstrate here, by means of high-resolution (HR)-TEM with atomic sensitivity, the first direct imaging of pentagon-heptagon pair defects found in an SWNT that was heated at 2,273 K. Moreover, our in situ HR-TEM observation reveals an accumulation of topological defects near the kink of a deformed nanotube. This result suggests that dislocation motions or active topological defects are indeed responsible for the plastic deformation of SWNTs.

  5. Tritium releases, birth defects and infant deaths

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-01-01

    The AECB has published a report 'Tritium releases from the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station and Birth Defects and Infant Mortality in Nearby Communities 1971-1988' (report number INFO-0401). This presents the results of a detailed analysis of deaths and birth defects occurring in infants born to mothers living in the area (25 Km radius) of the Pickering nuclear power plant, over an 18-year period. The analysis looked at the frequency of these defects and deaths in comparison to the general rate for Ontario, and also in relation to airborne and waterborne releases of tritium from the power plant. The overall conclusion was that the rates of infant death and birth defects were generally not higher in the study population than in all of Ontario. There was no prevalent relationship between these deaths and defects and tritium releases measured either at the power plant or by ground monitoring stations t some distance from the facility

  6. Phase-enhanced defect sensitivity for EUV mask inspection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yow-Gwo; Miyakawa, Ryan; Chao, Weilun; Goldberg, Kenneth; Neureuther, Andy; Naulleau, Patrick

    2014-10-01

    In this paper, we present a complete study on mask blank and patterned mask inspection utilizing the Zernike phase contrast method. The Zernike phase contrast method provides in-focus inspection ability to study phase defects with enhanced defect sensitivity. However, the 90 degree phase shift in the pupil will significantly reduce the amplitude defect signal at focus. In order to detect both types of defects with a single scan, an optimized phase shift instead of 90 degree on the pupil plane is proposed to achieve an acceptable trade-off on their signal strengths. We can get a 70% of its maximum signal strength at focus for both amplitude and phase defects with a 47 degree phase shift. For SNR, the tradeoff between speckle noise and signal strength has to be considered. The SNR of phase and amplitude defects at focus can both reach 11 with 13 degree phase shift and 50% apodization. Moreover, the simulation results on patterned mask inspection of partially hidden phase defects with die-to-database inspection approach on the blank inspection tool show that the improvement of the Zernike phase method is more limited. A 40% enhancement of peak signal strength can be achieved with the Zernike phase contrast method when the defect is centered in the space, while the enhancement drops to less than 10% when it is beneath the line.

  7. Biomechanical properties: effects of low-level laser therapy and Biosilicate® on tibial bone defects in osteopenic rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fangel, Renan; Bossini, Paulo S; Renno, Ana Cláudia; Granito, Renata N; Wang, Charles C; Nonaka, Keico O; Driusso, Patricia; Parizotto, Nivaldo A; Oishi, Jorge

    2014-12-30

    The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of laser therapy and Biosilicate® on the biomechanical properties of bone callus in osteopenic rats. Fifty female Wistar rats were equally divided into 5 groups (n=10/group): osteopenic rats with intact tibiae (SC); osteopenic rats with unfilled and untreated tibial bone defects (OC); osteopenic rats whose bone defects were treated with Biosilicate® (B); osteopenic rats whose bone defects were treated with 830-nm laser, at 120 J/cm2 (L120) and osteopenic rats whose bone defects were treated with Biosilicate® and 830-nm laser, at 120 J/cm2 (BL120). Ovariectomy (OVX) was used to induce osteopenia. A non-critical bone defect was created on the tibia of the osteopenic animals 8 weeks after OVX. In Biosilicate® groups, bone defects were completely filled with the biomaterial. For the laser therapy, an 830-nm laser, 120 J/cm2 was used. On day 14 postsurgery, rats were euthanized, and tibiae were removed for biomechanical analysis. Maximal load and energy absorption were higher in groups B and BL120, according to the indentation test. Animals submitted to low-level laser therapy (LLLT) did not show any significant biomechanical improvement, but the association between Biosilicate® and LLLT was shown to be efficient to enhance callus biomechanical properties. Conversely, no differences were found between study groups in the bending test. Biosilicate® alone or in association with low level laser therapy improves biomechanical properties of tibial bone callus in osteopenic rats.

  8. Morphology of bone defects in patient with unilateral cleft lip and palate. Cone beam x-ray CT evaluation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kyo, Iyu; Kubota, Masato; Sato, Yuki; Nakano, Haruhisa; Maki, Koutaro

    2006-01-01

    Orthodontic treatment planning of the cleft lip and palate vary according to the morphology of the alveolar bone and palatal bone. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the three-dimensional anatomy of the alveolar and palatal bone in children with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate. Thirty-three nonsyndromic consecutive patients with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate were treated by the cleft palate team at Showa University. Each patient had lip and palate surgeries at Showa University. Cone beam CT radiographs (CB MercuRay, Hitachi) were taken prior to secondary bone grafting, and were classified according to the method of Kita et al. 1997. Cone beam CT radiographs showed multiple types of alveolar and palatal bone morphology, and focused on special types described in the method of Kita et al. It was most frequently found that bone defects in the alveolar crest showed similar patterns in both buccal and palatal aspect, and the buccal bone defect in the nasal floor was larger than the palatal bone defect in the nasal floor. In 80% of the patients, the palatal bone defect showed similar patterns in both anterior and posterior aspects, and the anterior palatal bone defect was smaller than the posterior palatal bone defect. In addition, inadequate bone bridges were frequently found at the cleft site. It is suggested that patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate have various types of alveolar and palatal bone morphology, and are required to take three-dimensional radiographic X-rays prior to any orthodontic treatment. (author)

  9. Interface-defect-mediated photocatalysis of mesocrystalline ZnO assembly synthesized in-situ via a template-free hydrothermal approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Hui; Wang, Cuicui; Chen, Qifeng; Ren, Baosheng; Guan, Ruifang; Cao, Xiaofeng; Yang, Xiaopeng; Duan, Ran

    2017-08-01

    Both architecture construction and defects engineering of photocatalysts are highly vital in the photocatalytic activity. We report herein that the interface-defect-mediated photocatalytic activity of pompon-like ZnO (P-ZnO) mesocrystal photocatalyst synthesized via an aqueous approach, in the presence of sodium citrate without any other organic templates. The microstructure and defects of the diverse ZnO photocatalysts were examined with various techniques. The results indicated that the P-ZnO assemblies were composed of mesocrystal nanosheets exposed high energy (002) facet with high crystallinity. More importantly, the defects located at the interfaces among the nanocrystals in ZnO mesocrystals played an important role in the photocatalytic activity than that of interstitial zinc vacancies in bulk, which was confirmed by photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants, such as methylene blue (MB) and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP). The results showed that the P-ZnO exhibited higher photocatalytic activity than that of the nanosized ZnO (N-ZnO), which could be attributed to not only the unique mesocrystal structure and high energy (002) facet exposed, but also the defects located at interfaces among nanocrystals in ZnO mesocrystals. In addition, the formation mechanism of the P-ZnO was investigated via a time-dependent method. It was found that the formation of P-ZnO hierarchical architecture assembled with ZnO mesocrystals involved a nonclassical crystallization growth and Ostwald Ripening process. This study provides a perspective on the improvement in photocatalytic activity via adjusting the bulk and interface defects and construction of hierarchical architectures of semiconductors.

  10. Thermophysical spectroscopy of defect states in silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Igamberdyev, Kh.T.; Mamadalimov, A.T.; Khabibullaev, P.K.

    1989-01-01

    The present work deals with analyzing the possibilities of using the non-traditional thermophysical methods to study a defect structure in silicon. For this purpose, the temperature dependences of thermophysical properties of defect silicon are investigated. A number of new, earlier unknown physical phenomena in silicon are obtained, and their interpretation has enabled one to establish the main physical mechanisms of formation of deep defect states in silicon

  11. Wound healing of dehiscence defects following different root conditioning modalities: an experimental study in dogs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zandim, Daniela Leal; Leite, Fábio Renato Manzolli; da Silva, Vanessa Camila; Lopes, Beatriz Maria Valério; Spolidorio, Luiz Carlos; Sampaio, José Eduardo Cezar

    2013-07-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the periodontal healing pattern of dehiscence-type defects following different chemical root conditioning modalities. Buccal osseous dehiscence defects were created on six teeth of seven dogs. After dental plaque accumulation, defects were treated with sterile saline solution (control group) or one chemical conditioning modality: citric acid (CA group), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA group), tetracycline (TTC group), citric acid + tetracycline (CA + TTC group), or tetracycline + citric acid (TTC + CA group). After 3 months of healing, clinical parameters were evaluated, and the animals were killed. Histological sections were processed, and a computer-assisted histometric analysis was used to evaluate the formation of new cementum, new bone, and epithelial apical migration. All treatments yielded significant improvements in terms of probing depth decrease and clinical attachment level gain compared to baseline values; however, without significant differences among the groups (p > 0.05; one-way ANOVA). The highest amount of new cementum was noted in the EDTA group (3.72 ± 0.83 mm, 77.6 %), while the lowest amount of new bone was observed in the TTC group (0.7 ± 0.94 mm, 14.3 %). However, no statistically significant differences could be observed among the groups regarding epithelial apical migration, new cementum, and alveolar bone formation (p > 0.05). Chemical root surface conditioning did not promote any significant improvement in periodontal healing pattern of dehiscence-type defects in dogs. Chemical root surface conditioning after surgical debridement did not promote positive or negative effects on periodontal healing pattern of dehiscence-type defects.

  12. Transcatheter closure of ventricular septal defects with nitinol wire occluders of type patent ductus arteriosus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wierzyk, Arkadiusz; Szkutnik, Małgorzata; Fiszer, Roland; Banaszak, Paweł; Pawlak, Szymon; Białkowski, Jacek

    2014-01-01

    Ventricular septal defects closure (VSD) depending on the anatomy and clinical setting can be performed surgically or by a hybrid and transcatheter approach. Two cases of children with VSD will be presented. Patients' defects were closed with various types of occluders made of nitinol wire mesh occluder, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) type. The first case was a 2.5-year-old boy after cardiosurgical correction of tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). After the procedure, a significant haemodynamic residual VSD was observed, which was not successfully closed during the subsequent reoperation. Despite pharmacological treatment, symptoms of heart failure were observed in this patient. In echocardiographic images the residual VSD was presented as a tunnel-like dissection of the ventricular septum (length 6 mm and diameter 3.4 mm). The defect was closed via arterial access with an Amplatzer Duct Occluder II (ADO II). The procedure was successfully performed without any medical complications. In this child, a significant shunt reduction and a noticeable improvement in the patient's clinical status and diminished symptoms of heart failure were noticed. The second patient was a 4-year-old girl suffering from a multi-perforated perimembranous VSD accompanied by a ventricular septal defect with aneurysm. The defect was closed by a venous approach with a PDA Cardio-O-Fix occluder (very similar to ADO I). No short-term or long-term complications were visible during or after the procedure. Only a mild residual shunt through the VSD was observed 6 months afterwards. Transcatheter VSD closure with a proper morphology, with occluders of type Amplatzer Duct Occluder ADO I or ADO II, constitutes a safe and effective therapeutic alternative.

  13. A Method to Estimate the Probability that Any Individual Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Stroke was Within Any Radius of Any Point

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huddleston, Lisa; Roeder, WIlliam P.; Merceret, Francis J.

    2011-01-01

    A new technique has been developed to estimate the probability that a nearby cloud-to-ground lightning stroke was within a specified radius of any point of interest. This process uses the bivariate Gaussian distribution of probability density provided by the current lightning location error ellipse for the most likely location of a lightning stroke and integrates it to determine the probability that the stroke is inside any specified radius of any location, even if that location is not centered on or even within the location error ellipse. This technique is adapted from a method of calculating the probability of debris collision with spacecraft. Such a technique is important in spaceport processing activities because it allows engineers to quantify the risk of induced current damage to critical electronics due to nearby lightning strokes. This technique was tested extensively and is now in use by space launch organizations at Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force station. Future applications could include forensic meteorology.

  14. Performance of artificially defected LWR fuel rods in an unlimited air dry storage atmosphere

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Einziger, R.E.; Knecht, R.L.; Cantley, D.A.; Cook, J.A.

    1983-09-01

    Thus far the tests are inconclusive as to whether breached LWR fuel can be stored at 230 0 C for long periods of time in air without fuel oxidation and dispersion. There is every indication, as expected, that there is no oxidation problem in an inert atmosphere. Only one of four defects exposed to unlimited air gave any indication of fuel oxidation. It has been suggested that this might be an incubation effect and continued operation would result in oxidation occurring at all four defects. As yet the destructive examination of the BWR rod has not been completed, so it is not possible to determine if cladding splitting was due to an anomoly in this test rod or something that can be expected in LWR rods in general. Thus far there is no indication of respirable particle dispersal even if fuel oxidation does occur

  15. Characterization of the structure and chemistry of defects in materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Larson, B.C.; Ruehle, M.; Seidman, D.N.

    1988-01-01

    Research programs, presented at the materials research symposium, on defects in materials are presented. Major areas include: point defects, defect aggregates, and ordering; defects in non-metals and semiconductors; atomic resolution imaging of defects; and gain boundaries, interfaces, and layered materials. Individual projects are processed separately for the data bases

  16. Point defects dynamics in a stress field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smetniansky de De Grande, Nelida.

    1989-01-01

    The dependence of anisotropic defect diffusion on stress is studied for a hexagonal close packed (hcp) material under irradiation and uniaxially stressed. The diffusion is described as a discrete process of thermally activated jumps. It is shown that the presence of an external stress field enhances the intrinsic anisotropic diffusion, being this variation determined by the defect dipole tensors' symmetry in the equilibrium and saddle point configurations. Also, the point defect diffusion equations to sinks, like edge dislocations and spherical cavities, are solved and the sink strengths are calculated. The conclusion is that the dynamics of the interaction between defects and sinks is controlled by the changes in diffusivity induced by stress fields. (Author) [es

  17. Residual Defect Density in Random Disks Deposits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Topic, Nikola; Pöschel, Thorsten; Gallas, Jason A C

    2015-08-03

    We investigate the residual distribution of structural defects in very tall packings of disks deposited randomly in large channels. By performing simulations involving the sedimentation of up to 50 × 10(9) particles we find all deposits to consistently show a non-zero residual density of defects obeying a characteristic power-law as a function of the channel width. This remarkable finding corrects the widespread belief that the density of defects should vanish algebraically with growing height. A non-zero residual density of defects implies a type of long-range spatial order in the packing, as opposed to only local ordering. In addition, we find deposits of particles to involve considerably less randomness than generally presumed.

  18. Nonlinear defect localized modes and composite gray and anti-gray solitons in one-dimensional waveguide arrays with dual-flip defects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yan; Guan, Yefeng; Li, Hai; Luo, Zhihuan; Mai, Zhijie

    2017-08-01

    We study families of stationary nonlinear localized modes and composite gray and anti-gray solitons in a one-dimensional linear waveguide array with dual phase-flip nonlinear point defects. Unstaggered fundamental and dipole bright modes are studied when the defect nonlinearity is self-focusing. For the fundamental modes, symmetric and asymmetric nonlinear modes are found. Their stable areas are studied using different defect coefficients and their total power. For the nonlinear dipole modes, the stability conditions of this type of mode are also identified by different defect coefficients and the total power. When the defect nonlinearity is replaced by the self-defocusing one, staggered fundamental and dipole bright modes are created. Finally, if we replace the linear waveguide with a full nonlinear waveguide, a new type of gray and anti-gray solitons, which are constructed by a kink and anti-kink pair, can be supported by such dual phase-flip defects. In contrast to the usual gray and anti-gray solitons formed by a single kink, their backgrounds on either side of the gray hole or bright hump have the same phase.

  19. Percutaneous treatment of atrial septal defects, muscular ventricular septal defects and patent ductus arteriosus in infants under one year of age.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prada, Fredy; Mortera, Carlos; Bartrons, Joaquim; Rissech, Miguel; Jiménez, Lorenzo; Carretero, Juan; Llevadias, Judit; Araica, Mireya

    2009-09-01

    Amplatzer devices are used for the percutaneous closure of ostium secundum atrial septal defects, muscular ventricular septal defects and patent ductus arteriosus. However, very little experience has been gained in using these devices in infants under 1 year of age. Between January 2001 and January 2008, 22 symptomatic infants aged under 1 year underwent percutaneous treatment: three had an ostium secundum atrial septal defect, 15 had patent ductus arteriosus, and four had a muscular ventricular septal defect. All the procedures were completed successfully. No immediate or medium-term complications were observed. Closure of these types of defect using an Amplatzer device in infants under 1 year of age, who would otherwise require surgery, is a safe and effective procedure.

  20. Characterization of lacunar defects by positrons annihilation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barthe, M.F.; Corbel, C.; Blondiaux, G.

    2003-01-01

    Among the nondestructive methods for the study of matter, the positrons annihilation method allows to sound the electronic structure of materials by measuring the annihilation characteristics. These characteristics depend on the electronic density as seen by the positon, and on the electron momentums distribution which annihilate with the positon. The positon is sensible to the coulombian potential variations inside a material and sounds preferentially the regions away from nuclei which represent potential wells. The lacunar-type defects (lack of nuclei) represent deep potential wells which can trap the positon up to temperatures close to the melting. This article describes the principles of this method and its application to the characterization of lacunar defects: 1 - positrons: matter probes (annihilation of electron-positon pairs, annihilation characteristics, positrons sources); 2 - positrons interactions in solids (implantation profiles, annihilation states, diffusion and trapping, positon lifetime spectrum: evolution with the concentration of defects); 3 - measurement of annihilation characteristics with two gamma photons (lifetime spectroscopy with the β + 22 Na isotope, spectroscopy of Doppler enlargement of the annihilation line); 4 - determination of the free volume of defects inside or at the surface of materials (annihilation signature in lacunar defects, lacuna, lacunar clusters and cavities, acceptors nature in semiconductors: ionic or lacunar, interface defects, precipitates in alloys); 5 - conclusions. (J.S.)