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Sample records for patients fully recovered

  1. Amphotericin B and caspofungin resistance in Candida glabrata isolates recovered from a critically ill patient

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Krogh-Madsen, Mikkel; Arendrup, Maiken Cavling; Heslet, Lars

    2006-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Consecutive Candida glabrata isolates recovered from a patient in an intensive care unit were resistant to amphotericin B (minimum inhibitory concentration, up to 32 mu g/mL; determined by Etest [AB Biodisk]). Analyses at the national reference laboratory showed that some isolates were...... also resistant to azoles and caspofungin. In this study, 4 isolates were studied thoroughly using susceptibility assays and a mouse model and to determine clonality. METHODS: Different broth microdilution tests, Etests, and time-kill studies for antifungals were performed in different media. Three...... isolates obtained from nonrelated patients, and a reference strain. RESULTS: The murine model indicated that 1 isolate was resistant to amphotericin B, 1 had intermediate susceptibility, and 1 was fully susceptible. Two of the 3 isolates were resistant to caspofungin. Microdilution methods did not reliably...

  2. Susceptibility testing of sequential isolates of Aspergillus fumigatus recovered from treated patients.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Danaoui, E.; Meletiadis, J.; Tortorano, A.M.; Symoens, F.; Nolard, N.; Viviani, M.A.; Piens, M.A.; Lebeau, B.; Verweij, P.E.; Grillot, R.

    2004-01-01

    Two-hundred sequential Aspergillus fumigatus isolates recovered from 26 immunocompromised patients with invasive aspergillosis or bronchial colonization were tested for their in vitro susceptibility to posaconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole, terbinafine and amphotericin B. Twenty-one patients were

  3. Elevated cognitive control over reward processing in recovered female patients with anorexia nervosa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ehrlich, Stefan; Geisler, Daniel; Ritschel, Franziska; King, Joseph A; Seidel, Maria; Boehm, Ilka; Breier, Marion; Clas, Sabine; Weiss, Jessika; Marxen, Michael; Smolka, Michael N; Roessner, Veit; Kroemer, Nils B

    2015-09-01

    Individuals with anorexia nervosa are thought to exert excessive self-control to inhibit primary drives. This study used functional MRI (fMRI) to interrogate interactions between the neural correlates of cognitive control and motivational processes in the brain reward system during the anticipation of monetary reward and reward-related feedback. In order to avoid confounding effects of undernutrition, we studied female participants recovered from anorexia nervosa and closely matched healthy female controls. The fMRI analysis (including node-to-node functional connectivity) followed a region of interest approach based on models of the brain reward system and cognitive control regions implicated in anorexia nervosa: the ventral striatum, medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). We included 30 recovered patients and 30 controls in our study. There were no behavioural differences and no differences in hemodynamic responses of the ventral striatum and the mOFC in the 2 phases of the task. However, relative to controls, recovered patients showed elevated DLPFC activity during the anticipation phase, failed to deactivate this region during the feedback phase and displayed greater functional coupling between the DLPFC and mOFC. Recovered patients also had stronger associations than controls between anticipation-related DLPFC responses and instrumental responding. The results we obtained using monetary stimuli might not generalize to other forms of reward. Unaltered neural responses in ventral limbic reward networks but increased recruitment of and connectivity with lateral-frontal brain circuitry in recovered patients suggests an elevated degree of selfregulatory processes in response to rewarding stimuli. An imbalance between brain systems subserving bottom-up and top-down processes may be a trait marker of the disorder.

  4. Evaluation of an automated struvite reactor to recover phosphorus ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    In the present study we attempted to develop a reactor system to recover phosphorus by struvite precipitation, and which can be installed anywhere in the field without access to a laboratory. A reactor was developed that can run fully automated and recover up to 93% of total phosphorus (total P). Turbidity and conductivity ...

  5. MRI screening on bone ischemia of hip and knee in recovered SARS patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cheng Xiaoguang; Qu Hui; Liu Wei; Sun Jing; Cheng Kebin; Feng Suchen; Li Xiaosong

    2004-01-01

    Objective: To screen ischemia in the hip and knee joints of recovered SARS patients with MRI, and to investigate the prevalence rate of bone ischemia in those patients and its relationship with the use of steroid. Methods: Hip and knee MRI examinations were performed in 76 recovered SARS patients. There were 17 males and 59 females. Eight patients were treated without steroid, while 68 patients with steroid. Dose and duration of steroid usage were available in 30 out of 68 patients. The MRI images were read by senior radiologists to determine whether bone ischemia and/or osteonecrosis was present. Appropriate statistic analysis was performed to determine the significance of difference between groups. Results: (1) The MRI appearance of osteonecrosis in femoral head and condyle and bone infarct in bone marrow found in SARS patients was identical to those caused by other conditions (including steroid usage in other diseases). (2) No one of 8 SARS without steroid developed osteonecrosis, while 25 out of 68 steroid users had osteonecrosis found by MRI screening, and the difference in prevalence of osteonecrosis between these 2 groups was significant. In 25 patients with osteonecrosis, 20 of them involved more than one joints. Osteonecrosis involved 32 femoral heads, 26 femoral condyles, and 6 in femoral and tibial shafts. Thirteen patients with osteonecrosis had greater total steroid dose, greater daily dose, and longer duration than those (17 patients) without osteonecrosis, however, the differences between the two groups were not statistically significant. Sixty-four patients out of 76 complained pain in joints, 50 of them had multiple joint pains. The pain was reported in hips in 40 cases, followed by knees in 36, low backs in 10, shoulders in 7, and wrists in 4, respectively. The differences in frequency of pain between steroid users and non-steroid users, as well as between osteonecrosis and non-osteonecrosis were not significant. Conclusion: MRI is recommended for

  6. Evaluation of an automated struvite reactor to recover phosphorus ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2015-04-03

    Apr 3, 2015 ... A reactor was developed that can run fully automated and recover up to 93% ..... uncertainty. This technique will work best when the concentration of ... Ken Jack at the School of Chemical Engineering to help build the reactor ...

  7. [Actual vitamin and main foodstuffs consumption by recovered patients suffered from hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kasanova, G M; Tutel'ian, A V

    2011-01-01

    Actual consumption of vitamins A, E, beta-carotene, ascorbic acid, thiamin, pyridoxine and main foodstuffs by recovered patients suffered from hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome has been given. Frequency analysis of foodstuffs consumption was used to study actual nourishment of recovered patients. Surplus consumption of fat mainly due to the use of saturated fatty acids, deficiency of poly unsaturated fatty acids, surplus sugar consumption and predominance of proteins of animal origin over proteins of vegetable origin in ration has been revealed. Deficiency of water soluble vitamins equals to 41,6-78,7% of all examined patients, deficiency of fat water soluble vitamins is lower (21,4-38,3%).

  8. Clinical and angiographic characteristics of young adult patients recovered from acute myocardial infarction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miljković Dušan

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. Occurrence of acute myocardial infarction in young adults is a relatively rare. In majority of the studies, age of 45 years is used as cut-off line in definition of the young patients with coronary artery disease or myocardial infarction. Studies have shown that younger population aged less than 40 years represents only 2-8% of all patients with myocardial infarction. Objective. The aim of this study was to examine the specificities of clinical and angiographic characteristics of the patients recovered from acute myocardial infarction, younger than 45 years at the moment of attack, by comparing their clinical and angiographic characteristics with those of patients older than 65 years, who recovered from acute myocardial infarction. Method. The study included 78 patients recovered from acute myocardial infarction, 33 patients were younger than 45 years (40.7 ± 3.9 years, 25 (75.7% men and eight (24.2% female, and 45 patients were older than 65 years (68.2 ± 4.2 years, 32 (71.3% men and 13 women. Detailed history taking, physical examination, permanent ECG monitoring, laboratory analyses, X-ray examination, echocardiography and selective coronarography of all patients were performed. Results. Patients younger than 45 years had a significantly higher incidence of STEMI (p 0.05 Multivessel disease existed at 54.5% under the age of 45 and 77.8% older than 65 years (p0.05. The disease of left main coronary artery had 6.1% of patients younger than 45 and 22.2% of patients older than 65 years (p0.05 Were without significant coronary artery stenosis Comparing risk factors for coronary artery disease in patients younger than 45 years and older than 65 years, we find: hypertension in 48.5% vs. 88.9% (p0.05, diabetes mellitus in 21.2% vs. 55.5% (p 0.05, and stress in 18.2% vs. 2.2% (p <0.01. Conclusion. Patients with myocardial infarction younger than 45 years are predominantly male and have a significantly higher incidence of infarction

  9. Clinical outcome of critically ill, not fully recompensated, patients undergoing MitraClip therapy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rudolph, Volker; Huntgeburth, Michael; von Bardeleben, Ralph Stephan

    2014-01-01

    AIMS: As periprocedural risk is low, MitraClip implantation is often performed in critically ill, not fully recompensated patients, who are in NYHA functional class IV at the time of the procedure, to accelerate convalescence. We herein sought to evaluate the procedural and 30-day outcome.......3%. CONCLUSION: MitraClip therapy is feasible and safe even in critically ill, not fully recompensated patients and leads to symptomatic improvement in over two-thirds of these patients; however, it is associated with an elevated 30-day mortality....

  10. Requirements Elicitation and Prototyping of a Fully Immersive Virtual Reality Gaming System for Upper Limb Stroke Rehabilitation in Saudi Arabia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maram AlMousa

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Stroke rehabilitation plays an important role in recovering the lifestyle of stroke survivors. Although existing research proved the effectiveness and engagement of nonimmersive virtual reality- (VR- based rehabilitation systems, limited research is available on the applicability of fully immersive VR-based rehabilitation systems. In this paper, we present the elicited requirements of a fully immersive VR-based rehabilitation system that will be designed for domestic upper limb stroke patients; we will also provide an initial conceptual prototype of the proposed system.

  11. Fully Automated Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy Plan Generation for Prostate Cancer Patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Voet, Peter W.J.; Dirkx, Maarten L.P.; Breedveld, Sebastiaan; Al-Mamgani, Abrahim; Incrocci, Luca; Heijmen, Ben J.M.

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: To develop and evaluate fully automated volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) treatment planning for prostate cancer patients, avoiding manual trial-and-error tweaking of plan parameters by dosimetrists. Methods and Materials: A system was developed for fully automated generation of VMAT plans with our commercial clinical treatment planning system (TPS), linked to the in-house developed Erasmus-iCycle multicriterial optimizer for preoptimization. For 30 randomly selected patients, automatically generated VMAT plans (VMAT auto ) were compared with VMAT plans generated manually by 1 expert dosimetrist in the absence of time pressure (VMAT man ). For all treatment plans, planning target volume (PTV) coverage and sparing of organs-at-risk were quantified. Results: All generated plans were clinically acceptable and had similar PTV coverage (V 95%  > 99%). For VMAT auto and VMAT man plans, the organ-at-risk sparing was similar as well, although only the former plans were generated without any planning workload. Conclusions: Fully automated generation of high-quality VMAT plans for prostate cancer patients is feasible and has recently been implemented in our clinic

  12. Clinical characteristics of patients who have recovered from schizophrenia: the role of empathy and positive-self schema.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chung, Young-Chul; Kim, Hyun-Min; Lee, Keon-Hak; Zhao, Tong; Huang, Guang-Biao; Park, Tae-Won; Yang, Jong-Chul

    2013-05-01

    This article compares the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with schizophrenia who recovered with those who achieved remission. Participants were classified based on predetermined criteria for recovery and remission. Data on demographic characteristics, information on duration of untreated psychosis, and assessments of current and historical symptom profiles and socio-occupational functioning emerged from careful chart review and direct interviews. Cross-sectional assessments of clinical variables were derived from the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms, the Personal and Social Performance Scale, the Social Functioning Questionnaire, the Schizophrenia Cognition Rating Scale (ScoRS), the Basic Empathy Scale, and the Brief Core Schema Scales (BCSS). We found no significant differences between recovered and remitted groups with respect to demographic variables or duration of untreated psychosis. Cognitive and total empathy scores, positive-self schema score on the BCSS, and global score on the ScoRS were significantly higher in the recovered than the remitted group. Furthermore, patients with good levels of empathy and positive-self schema and intact neurocognitive functioning were more likely to achieve recovery. These results suggest that empathy, positive-self schema and neurocognitive functioning may serve as important clinical characteristics distinguishing those patients who have recovered from those who have achieved only remission. © 2012 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  13. The Expenditures for Academic Inpatient Care of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients Are Almost Double Compared with Average Academic Gastroenterology and Hepatology Cases and Not Fully Recovered by Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG) Proceeds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baumgart, Daniel C; le Claire, Marie

    2016-01-01

    Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) challenge economies worldwide. Detailed health economic data of DRG based academic inpatient care for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients in Europe is unavailable. IBD was identified through ICD-10 K50 and K51 code groups. We took an actual costing approach, compared expenditures to G-DRG and non-DRG proceeds and performed detailed cost center and type accounting to identify coverage determinants. Of all 3093 hospitalized cases at our department, 164 were CD and 157 UC inpatients in 2012. On average, they were 44.1 (CD 44.9 UC 43.3 all 58) years old, stayed 10.1 (CD 11.8 UC 8.4 vs. all 8) days, carried 5.8 (CD 6.4 UC 5.2 vs. all 6.8) secondary diagnoses, received 7.4 (CD 7.7 UC 7 vs. all 6.2) procedures, had a higher cost weight (CD 2.8 UC 2.4 vs. all 1.6) and required more intense nursing. Their care was more costly (means: total cost IBD 8477€ CD 9051€ UC 7903€ vs. all 5078€). However, expenditures were not fully recovered by DRG proceeds (means: IBD 7413€, CD 8441€, UC 6384€ vs all 4758€). We discovered substantial disease specific mismatches in cost centers and types and identified the medical ward personnel and materials budgets to be most imbalanced. Non-DRG proceeds were almost double (IBD 16.1% vs. all 8.2%), but did not balance deficits at total coverage analysis, that found medications (antimicrobials, biologics and blood products), medical materials (mostly endoscopy items) to contribute most to the deficit. DRGs challenge sophisticated IBD care.

  14. After total knee replacement younger patients demonstrate superior balance control compared to older patients when recovering from a forward fall.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Street, Brian D; Gage, William

    2017-05-01

    National joint replacement registries have reported a substantial growth in younger knee osteoarthritic patients (controlled perturbation have shown age-related differences between younger and older healthy adults, whether similar age-related differences exist among total knee replacement patients is unknown. A total of 59 participants, including 29 unilateral total knee replacement patients (six-months post-surgery) made up the four experimental groups: 1) younger patient (54.3 (SD 7.9) years), 2) younger control (55.2 (SD 4.0) years), 3) older patient (76.9 (SD 4.7) years), and 4) older control (77.7 (SD 4.1) years). Using a tether-release method to perturb balance and simulate a forward fall, center of mass and stepping characteristics were analyzed. Younger patients recovered following the perturbation with a significantly smaller center of mass displacement compared to the older patients (14.85 (SD 0.01) v. 18.13 (SD 0.02) %ht, p=0.02); utilizing a longer (0.43 (SD 0.02) v. 0.39 (SD 0.03) m, pcontrols in center of mass displacement or recovery step characteristics (p>0.05). The younger patients demonstrated superior center of mass control in response to a forward perturbation, suggesting that younger patients would be at a reduced risk of falling when recovering from a forward-directed postural perturbation compared to older patients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Long-term persistence of robust antibody and cytotoxic T cell responses in recovered patients infected with SARS coronavirus.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Taisheng Li

    2006-12-01

    Full Text Available Most of the individuals infected with SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV spontaneously recovered without clinical intervention. However, the immunological correlates associated with patients' recovery are currently unknown. In this report, we have sequentially monitored 30 recovered patients over a two-year period to characterize temporal changes in SARS-CoV-specific antibody responses as well as cytotoxic T cell (CTL responses. We have found persistence of robust antibody and CTL responses in all of the study subjects throughout the study period, with a moderate decline one year after the onset of symptoms. We have also identified two potential major CTL epitopes in N proteins based on ELISPOT analysis of pooled peptides. However, despite the potent immune responses and clinical recovery, peripheral lymphocyte counts in the recovered patients have not yet been restored to normal levels. In summary, our study has, for the first time, characterized the temporal and dynamic changes of humoral and CTL responses in the natural history of SARS-recovered individuals, and strongly supports the notion that high and sustainable levels of immune responses correlate strongly with the disease outcome. Our findings have direct implications for future design and development of effective therapeutic agents and vaccines against SARS-CoV infection.

  16. Evaluation of bone mineral density and osteonecrosis in the recovered severe acute respiratory syndrome patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shang Wei; Yu Wei; Lin Qiang; Li Taisheng; Fan Hongwei; Tian Junping; Meng Wei

    2005-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the bone mineral density (BMD) and osteonecrosis in the recovered patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Methods: Sixty-four patients with SARS were recruited in the study. There were 19 males with mean age 37 years (26-57 years) and 45 females with mean age 39 years (21-67 years) who divided into ten year cohorts for the analysis. BMD measurements were obtained by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at the sites of both lumbar spine (L2-4) and hip (neck, Ward's triangle, greater trochanter) which compared with those of the control groups. In addition to BMD measurements, hip MRI examinations were performed on 55 patients among the 64 patients for evaluating the osteonecrosis during an average of 10-12 months follow up after discharged from hospital. The BMD were also compared between the patients with osteonecrosis and without osteonecrosis. Results: BMD results of the 19 male SARS patients were not different from those of the normal reference, except that the 40-49 age-group at the site of L2-4 whose BMD was significantly higher than that of the normal group (P=0.016). For the 45 female recovered SARS patients, the BMD at femur neck of 20-29 age-group and greater trochanter of 40-49 age-group were significantly higher than those of normal reference respectively (P=0.0013, P=0.041). Besides that there were no significant BMD differences between any other age-groups when comparison with each site, although the BMD results of the female group were slightly higher than those of the normal reference in general. Osteonecrosis of the femur was diagnosed by MRI in 6 of the 55 patients. Although BMD results in the patients with osteonecrosis were slightly lower than those patients without osteonecrosis for each site, the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). Conclusion: Therapy with glucocorticoids in short period may not influence the BMD results in the recovered SARS patients within this near 10-12 months follow up

  17. Radionuclide bone scintigraphy in early detection of avascular osteonecrosis occurred in recovered SARS patients after hormone therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Qian; Huang Lili; Qin Shuling; Wang Yu; Nie Yuxin; Liang Tiejun; Zhang Caiqun; Zhao Yamei

    2005-01-01

    Objective: To analyze the characteristics of bone scintigraphy in patients who recovered from the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and to evaluate the clinical value of bone scintigraphy in the early diagnosis of avascular osteonecrosis (AVN) after hormone therapy. Methods: Bone scintigraphy was performed in 66 SARS patients. Among them 54 underwent MRI in bilateral hips and knees. Both images were compared and followed up clinically. Results: Abnormal scintigraphy was found in 30 (45.5%) of the 66 recovered SARS patients. Total 82 foci were found in hip, knee, ankle, elbow, shoulder, wrist and the middle of the tibia. Hip and knee joints were the most involved sites. 25 patients with 71 lesions were symptomatic, whereas 11 in 5 patients were asymptomatic, lesions in 8 patients were multifocal. The lesions found in scintigraphy and MRI were concordant in 92.6% of the joints. But more lesions could be detected by bone scintigraphy. Conclusions: SARS patients have a high occurrence of AVN, usually involved in multiple sites. Bone scintigraphy should be the first choice method used for early detection of AVN. (authors)

  18. Personality of Recovered Bipolar Patients in NEO-PI-R%双相情感障碍患者人格特征的初步研究

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    任孝鹏; 戴晓阳

    2001-01-01

    Objective:To examine differences among recovered Bipolar Ⅰ, Bipolar Ⅱ patients and controls. Methods: Using NEO-PI-R, HAMD and BRMS, we investigated 59 recovered bipolar patients and 59 normal controls matched for age, gender and education. Results: Compared with controls, Bipolar Ⅱ patients showed significant differences in personality traits of Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Openness to Experience. While Bipolar Ⅰ patients obtained higher scores on Gregariousness, Bipolar Ⅱ patients scored higher on traits of Depression, Impulsiveness and Aesthetics. Scores on Warmth were higher in Bipolar Ⅰ patients than in Bipolar Ⅱ patients. Conclusion: Personality traits of recovered bipolar patients were markedly different from matched controls, whereas the differences between Bipolar Ⅰ and Bipolar Ⅱ patients were small.

  19. Cortical Reorganization in Patients Recovered from Bell’s Palsy: An Orofacial and Finger Movements Task-State fMRI Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaeyoun Lee

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective. To explore cortical reorganization of patients recovered from Bell’s palsy (BP by task-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI during finger and orofacial movements and provide more evidence for acupuncture clinical treatment of BP. Methods. We collected 17 BP patients with complete clinical recovery (BP group and 20 healthy volunteers (control group accepted the task-state fMRI scans with lip pursing movements and finger movements, respectively. Results. It was found that there were significant differences of brain functional status between the two groups. Conclusions. The results showed that there was cortical reorganization in the brain of patients recovered from BP after acupuncture treatment, which also suggested the relationship between the hand motor areas and facial motor areas of BP patients.

  20. Benchmarking of regenerative braking for a fully electric car

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Varocky, B.J.; Nijmeijer, H.; Jansen, S.; Besselink, I.J.M.; Mansvelder, R.; Mansvelders, R.E.

    2011-01-01

    Short range of electric vehicles is one of the stumbling blocks in the way of electric cars to gaining wide user acceptance and becoming a major market player. The possibility to recover vehicle energy otherwise lost as heat during braking is an inherent advantage of a hybrid electric or a fully

  1. Demographic characteristics of patients using a fully integrated psychosocial support service for cancer patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hope Teresa

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Psychosocial support services are an important component of modern cancer treatment. A major challenge for all psychosocial services is the achievement of equity of use. Previous studies in the UK have found that women of higher socio-economic status with breast cancer were over-represented amongst those accessing support services. People with other cancer diagnoses, those from socio-economically deprived areas, and men, were under-represented. Findings The Oncology Health Service, Kingston Upon Hull, UK, delivers fully integrated psychosocial support and interventions. To assess equity of access in this service, a cross-sectional study of all patients with cancer accessing the service during a 5 day period was carried out. One hundred and forty-five patients attended. Forty four percent were male, and the types of cancer were broadly in the proportions expected on the basis of population prevalence (breast cancer 22%, colorectal cancer 21%, lung cancer 16%. Sixty six percent came from the three most deprived quintiles of the Townsend deprivation Index. Conclusions The fully integrated Oncology Health Service in Hull is accessed by a more diverse range of patients than previously reported for other services, and is an example of a model of service by which socially equitable use of psychosocial support in the National Health Service might be achieved.

  2. Light and electron microscopic observation of regenerated fungiform taste buds in patients with recovered taste function after severing chorda tympani nerve.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saito, Takehisa; Ito, Tetsufumi; Narita, Norihiko; Yamada, Takechiyo; Manabe, Yasuhiro

    2011-11-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the mean number of regenerated fungiform taste buds per papilla and perform light and electron microscopic observation of taste buds in patients with recovered taste function after severing the chorda tympani nerve during middle ear surgery. We performed a biopsy on the fungiform papillae (FP) in the midlateral region of the dorsal surface of the tongue from 5 control volunteers (33 total FP) and from 7 and 5 patients with and without taste recovery (34 and 29 FP, respectively) 3 years 6 months to 18 years after surgery. The specimens were observed by light and transmission electron microscopy. The taste function was evaluated by electrogustometry. The mean number of taste buds in the FP of patients with completely recovered taste function was significantly smaller (1.9 +/- 1.4 per papilla; p taste buds. Nerve fibers and nerve terminals were also found in the taste buds. It was clarified that taste buds containing taste cells and nerve endings do regenerate in the FP of patients with recovered taste function.

  3. Clinical remission following endoscopic placement of retrievable, fully covered metal stents in patients with esophageal achalasia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Y; Dai, Y-M; Wan, X-J

    2014-01-01

    Metal stents may represent an alternative therapy in the treatment of achalasia. We therefore evaluated the effectiveness of retrievable, fully covered metal stents in patients with achalasia. Fifty-nine patients with achalasia were treated with retrievable, fully covered metal stents. Symptoms using a global symptom score (0-10), lower esophageal sphincter (LES) resting pressure, LES relaxation, and simultaneous contraction of the esophagus were analyzed before and 1 week and 1 month after intervention. Complications and treatment outcomes were followed up at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months postoperatively. Stent placement was successful, and clinical symptoms resolved (P treatment in patients with achalasia. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus.

  4. Engaging patients to recover life projectuality: an Italian cross-disease framework.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barello, Serena; Graffigna, Guendalina

    2015-05-01

    Chronic disease is recognized as having a large impact on patient quality of life (QoL), which can be defined as an individual's satisfaction or happiness with life in domains he or she considers important. Policy makers and clinicians recognize increasingly that patients can safeguard their QoL by making healthy lifestyle choices and being actively engaged in their health care. However, in the emphasis on promoting patient engagement to enhance patients' QoL, there is no consensus regarding the relationship between QOL and patient engagement, resulting in a lack of shared guidelines among clinicians on interventions. Furthermore, no studies have provided an in-depth exploration of the perspective of patients with chronic conditions who are engaged in their health care and their requirements to achieve an improved QoL. Given this theoretical gap, the present study attempted to explore the patient engagement experience and its relationship with patient QoL in the context of the Italian healthcare system and in relation to different chronic diseases. In-depth qualitative interviews on a sample of 99 patients with a wide variety of chronic conditions (heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer). Patient engagement in health care can be defined as a context-based and cross-disease process that appears to enable patients to recover their life projectuality, which had been impaired by the onset of chronic disease. Successful patient engagement may also be related to a positive shift in the ways in which patients perceive self and life and experience empowerment to realize their life potential, thus improving quality of life. Patient engagement is a powerful concept capable of reflecting significant psychosocial changes that promote patient QoL along the care process. There appears to be theoretical and empirical justification for a broad definition of QoL. QoL deeply depends on the patient ability to engage in their care and on the

  5. False Attribution of Suggestibility To Explain Recovered Memory of Childhood Sexual Abuse Following Extended Amnesia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leavitt, Frank

    1997-01-01

    Suggestibility was measured in 44 adult patients who recovered memories and in 31 comparison patients. Results suggest that patients who recovered memories were significantly less suggestible than average. Control patients with no history of sexual abuse were more at risk for altering memory to suggestive prompts. (Author/PB)

  6. Severe hyponatraemia in an amiloride/hydrochlorothiazide-treated patient

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Van Assen, S.; Mudde, A.H.

    1999-01-01

    A 85-year-old woman treated with, among other drugs, a thiazide diuretic presented with a severe hyponatraemia. She met several of the criteria for SIADH and, besides drugs, no cause for SIADH was found. After stopping the thiazide diuretic and restricting fluid intake the patient recovered fully.

  7. Pancytopenia in a patient with sickle cell anemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, K Y; Karayalcin, G; Rosner, F; Aballi, A

    1975-10-01

    An 11-year-old black boy with sickle cell anemia developed profound pancytopenia during the course of his disease, but fully recovered therefrom. The patient was receiving anticonvulsant drugs for a seizure disorder secondary to a "stroke," and, therefore, a drug-related marrow aplasia cannot be ruled out.

  8. Fully Implanted Brain-Computer Interface in a Locked-In Patient with ALS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vansteensel, Mariska J; Pels, Elmar G M; Bleichner, Martin G; Branco, Mariana P; Denison, Timothy; Freudenburg, Zachary V; Gosselaar, Peter; Leinders, Sacha; Ottens, Thomas H; Van Den Boom, Max A; Van Rijen, Peter C; Aarnoutse, Erik J; Ramsey, Nick F

    2016-11-24

    Options for people with severe paralysis who have lost the ability to communicate orally are limited. We describe a method for communication in a patient with late-stage amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), involving a fully implanted brain-computer interface that consists of subdural electrodes placed over the motor cortex and a transmitter placed subcutaneously in the left side of the thorax. By attempting to move the hand on the side opposite the implanted electrodes, the patient accurately and independently controlled a computer typing program 28 weeks after electrode placement, at the equivalent of two letters per minute. The brain-computer interface offered autonomous communication that supplemented and at times supplanted the patient's eye-tracking device. (Funded by the Government of the Netherlands and the European Union; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02224469 .).

  9. When will the Antarctic Ozone Hole Recover?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newman, Paul A.; Nash, Eric R.; Kawa, S. Randolph; Montzka, Steve

    2006-01-01

    The Antarctic ozone hole develops each year and culminates by early Spring. Antarctic ozone values have been monitored since 1979 using satellite observations from the .TOMS instrument. The severity of the hole has been assessed from TOMS using the minimum total ozone value from the October monthly mean (depth of the hole) and by calculating the average size during the September-October period. Ozone is mainly destroyed by halogen catalytic cycles, and these losses are modulated by temperature variations in the collar of the polar lower stratospheric vortex. In this presentation, we show the relationships of halogens and temperature to, both the size and depth of the hole. Because atmospheric halogen levels are responding to international agreements that limit or phase out production, the amount of halogens in the stratosphere should decrease over the next few decades. Using projections of halogen levels combined with age-of-air estimates, we find that the ozone hole is recovering at an extremely slow rate and that large ozone holes will regularly recur over the next 2 decades. The ozone hole will begin to show first signs of recovery in about 2023, and the hole will fully recover to pre-1980 levels in approximately 2070. This 2070 recovery is 20 years later than recent projections.

  10. Fully automated VMAT treatment planning for advanced-stage NSCLC patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Della Gala, Giuseppe; Dirkx, Maarten L.P.; Hoekstra, Nienke; Fransen, Dennie; Pol, Marjan van de; Heijmen, Ben J.M.; Lanconelli, Nico; Petit, Steven F.

    2017-01-01

    To develop a fully automated procedure for multicriterial volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) treatment planning (autoVMAT) for stage III/IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with curative intent. After configuring the developed autoVMAT system for NSCLC, autoVMAT plans were compared with manually generated clinically delivered intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) plans for 41 patients. AutoVMAT plans were also compared to manually generated VMAT plans in the absence of time pressure. For 16 patients with reduced planning target volume (PTV) dose prescription in the clinical IMRT plan (to avoid violation of organs at risk tolerances), the potential for dose escalation with autoVMAT was explored. Two physicians evaluated 35/41 autoVMAT plans (85%) as clinically acceptable. Compared to the manually generated IMRT plans, autoVMAT plans showed statistically significant improved PTV coverage (V_9_5_% increased by 1.1% ± 1.1%), higher dose conformity (R_5_0 reduced by 12.2% ± 12.7%), and reduced mean lung, heart, and esophagus doses (reductions of 0.9 Gy ± 1.0 Gy, 1.5 Gy ± 1.8 Gy, 3.6 Gy ± 2.8 Gy, respectively, all p [de

  11. Patients "At Risk'' of Suffering from Persistent Complaints after Mild Traumatic Brain Injury : The Role of Coping, Mood Disorders, and Post-Traumatic Stress

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Scheenen, Myrthe E.; Spikman, Jacoba M.; de Koning, Myrthe E.; van der Horn, Harm J.; Roks, Gerwin; Hageman, Gerard; van der Naalt, Joukje

    2017-01-01

    Although most patients recover fully following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), a minority (15-25%) of all patients develop persistent post-traumatic complaints (PTC) that interfere with the resumption of previous activities. An early identification of patients who are at risk for PTC is

  12. Long-lasting functional disabilities in patients who recover from coma after cardiac operations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodriguez, Rosendo A; Nair, Shona; Bussière, Miguel; Nathan, Howard J

    2013-03-01

    Uncertainty regarding the long-term functional outcome of patients who awaken from coma after cardiac operations is difficult for families and physicians and may delay rehabilitation. We studied the long-term functional status of these patients to determine if duration of coma predicted outcome. We followed 71 patients who underwent cardiac operations; recovered their ability to respond to verbal commands after coma associated with postoperative stroke, encephalopathy, and/or seizures; and were discharged from the hospital. The Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended (GOSE) was used to assess functional disability 2 to 4 years after discharge. Outcomes were classified as favorable (GOSE scores 7 and 8) and unfavorable (GOSE scores 1-6). Of 71 patients identified, 39 were interviewed, 15 died, 1 refused to be interviewed, and 16 were lost to follow-up. Of the 54 patients with completed GOSE evaluations, only 15 (28%) had favorable outcomes. Among patients with unfavorable outcomes, 15 (28%) died, 14 (26%) survived with moderate disabilities, and 10 (18%) had severe disabilities. Factors associated with unfavorable outcomes were increases in duration of coma (p = 0.007), time in intensive care (p = 0.006), length of hospitalization (p = 0.004), and postoperative serum creatine kinase levels (p = 0.006). Only duration of coma was an independent predictor of unfavorable outcome (odds ratio [OR], 1.25; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.008-1.537; p = 0.042). Patients with durations of coma greater than 4 days were more likely to have unfavorable outcomes (OR, 5.1; 95% CI, 1.3-21.3; p = 0.02). Two thirds of comatose patients who survived to discharge after cardiac operations had unfavorable long-term functional outcomes. A longer duration of unconsciousness is a predictor of unfavorable outcome. Copyright © 2013 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Predictors of sinonasal quality of life and nasal morbidity after fully endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Little, Andrew S; Kelly, Daniel; Milligan, John; Griffiths, Chester; Prevedello, Daniel M; Carrau, Ricardo L; Rosseau, Gail; Barkhoudarian, Garni; Otto, Bradley A; Jahnke, Heidi; Chaloner, Charlene; Jelinek, Kathryn L; Chapple, Kristina; White, William L

    2015-06-01

    Despite the increasing application of endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary lesions, the prognostic factors that are associated with sinonasal quality of life (QOL) and nasal morbidity are not well understood. The authors examine the predictors of sinonasal QOL and nasal morbidity in patients undergoing fully endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery. An exploratory post hoc analysis was conducted of patients who underwent endoscopic pituitary surgery and were enrolled in a prospective multicenter QOL study. End points of the study included patient-reported sinonasal QOL and objective nasal endoscopy findings. Multivariate models were developed to determine the patient and surgical factors that correlated with QOL at 2 weeks through 6 months after surgery. This study is a retrospective review of a subgroup of patients studied in the clinical trial "Rhinological Outcomes in Endonasal Pituitary Surgery" (clinical trial no. NCT01504399, clinicaltrials.gov ). Data from 100 patients who underwent fully endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery were included. Predictors of a lower postoperative sinonasal QOL at 2 weeks were use of nasal splints (p = 0.039) and female sex at the trend level (p = 0.061); at 3 months, predictors of lower QOL were the presence of sinusitis (p = 0.025), advancing age (p = 0.044), and use of absorbable nasal packing (p = 0.014). Health status (multidimensional QOL) was also predictive at 2 weeks (p = 0.001) and 3 months (p surgery. The mean time (± SEM) to absence of nasal crusting was 16.3 ± 2.1 weeks, mucopurulence was 6.2 ± 1.1 weeks, and synechia was 4.4 ± 0.5 weeks. Use of absorbable nasal packing was associated with more severe mucopurulence. Sinonasal QOL following endoscopic pituitary surgery reaches a nadir at 2 weeks and recovers by 3 months postoperatively. Use of absorbable packing and nasal splints, while used in a minority of patients, negatively correlates with early sinonasal QOL. Sinonasal QOL and overall health status are

  14. User requirements for assistance of the supporting hand in bimanual daily activities via a robotic glove for severely affected stroke patients

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Prange, Grada Berendina; Smulders, Laura Cornelia; Smulders, L.C.; van Wijngaarden, J.; Lijbers, G.J.; Nijenhuis, Sharon Maria; Veltink, Petrus H.; Buurke, Jaap; Stienen, Arno; Braun, D.; Yu, H.; Campolo, D.

    2015-01-01

    For independent functioning in activities of daily life (ADL), proper hand function is paramount. Many stroke patients have a reduced ability to grasp and handle objects, while they don't fully recover functional use of the arm and hand, even after extensive (robotic) training. These patients may

  15. Uranium material removing and recovering device

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takita, Shin-ichi.

    1997-01-01

    A uranium material removing and recovering device for use in removing surplus uranium heavy metal (UO 2 ) generated in a uranium handling facility comprises a uranium material removing device and a uranium material recovering device. The uranium material removing device comprises an adsorbing portion filled with a uranium adsorbent, a control portion for controlling the uranium adsorbent of the uranium adsorbing portion by a controlling agent, a uranium adsorbing device connected thereto and a jetting device for jetting the adsorbing liquid to equipments deposited with uranium. The recovering device comprises a recovering apparatus for recovering uranium materials deposited with the adsorbent liquid removed by the jetting device and a recovering tank for storing the recovered uranium materials. The device of the present invention can remove surplus uranium simply and safely, mitigate body's load upon removing and recovering operations, facilitate the processing for the exchange of the adsorbent and reduces the radioactive wastes. (T.M.)

  16. Long-term and clinical profile of heart failure with recovered ejection fraction in a non-tertiary hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez-Mateo, Virgilio; Fernández-Anguita, Manuel; Cejudo, Laura; Martín-Barrios, Eugenia; Paule, Antonio J

    2018-06-05

    Heart failure (HF) with recovered ejection fraction (EF) is emerging as a different HF subtype. There is little information about his clinical profile in hospitals that are not a reference. We analysed characteristics and prognosis in patients with recovered HF followed prospectively in the HF Unit of a non-tertiary hospital. A total of 431 patients with HF with reduced EF were followed (median 50 months, 79.3% males, mean age 70.3±12.2years). Of the patients, 26.9% (N 116) recovered EF, mainly in the first year of follow-up (76.7%). Compared with patients that did not recovered EF in the follow-up, they were younger, rate of ischemic origin of cardiomyopathy was less frequent and presented less comorbidity. Mortality was lower in patients with recovered HF (survival median of 85.2±2.1 vs. 74.2±1.9 months [log-rank χ 2 11.5, P=0.001], hazard ratio 0.37, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.21-0.67, P=0.002). Aetiology of deaths was not mainly secondary to HF. Younger age of 68 years (odds ratio [OR] 0-98, 95% CI: 0.96-0,99; P=0.025), ischemic origin (OR 1.12, 95% CI: 1.01-1.21; P=0.003) and use of aldosterone antagonists (OR 1.89, 95% CI: 1.09-3.26; P=0.023) were the variables independently associated to normalisation of EF. HF with recovered EF is a frequent phenomenon. It has a more favourable clinical course, prognosis and basal characteristics than HF with persistent reduced EF. Further studies are needed to identify natural history and optimal medications for HF-recovered patients. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  17. Fully automated VMAT treatment planning for advanced-stage NSCLC patients

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Della Gala, Giuseppe [Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Department of Radiation Oncology, Rotterdam (Netherlands); Universita di Bologna, Scuola di Scienze, Alma Mater Studiorum, Bologna (Italy); Dirkx, Maarten L.P.; Hoekstra, Nienke; Fransen, Dennie; Pol, Marjan van de; Heijmen, Ben J.M. [Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Department of Radiation Oncology, Rotterdam (Netherlands); Lanconelli, Nico [Universita di Bologna, Scuola di Scienze, Alma Mater Studiorum, Bologna (Italy); Petit, Steven F. [Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Department of Radiation Oncology, Rotterdam (Netherlands); Massachusetts General Hospital - Harvard Medical School, Department of Radiation Oncology, Boston, MA (United States)

    2017-05-15

    To develop a fully automated procedure for multicriterial volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) treatment planning (autoVMAT) for stage III/IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with curative intent. After configuring the developed autoVMAT system for NSCLC, autoVMAT plans were compared with manually generated clinically delivered intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) plans for 41 patients. AutoVMAT plans were also compared to manually generated VMAT plans in the absence of time pressure. For 16 patients with reduced planning target volume (PTV) dose prescription in the clinical IMRT plan (to avoid violation of organs at risk tolerances), the potential for dose escalation with autoVMAT was explored. Two physicians evaluated 35/41 autoVMAT plans (85%) as clinically acceptable. Compared to the manually generated IMRT plans, autoVMAT plans showed statistically significant improved PTV coverage (V{sub 95%} increased by 1.1% ± 1.1%), higher dose conformity (R{sub 50} reduced by 12.2% ± 12.7%), and reduced mean lung, heart, and esophagus doses (reductions of 0.9 Gy ± 1.0 Gy, 1.5 Gy ± 1.8 Gy, 3.6 Gy ± 2.8 Gy, respectively, all p < 0.001). To render the six remaining autoVMAT plans clinically acceptable, a dosimetrist needed less than 10 min hands-on time for fine-tuning. AutoVMAT plans were also considered equivalent or better than manually optimized VMAT plans. For 6/16 patients, autoVMAT allowed tumor dose escalation of 5-10 Gy. Clinically deliverable, high-quality autoVMAT plans can be generated fully automatically for the vast majority of advanced-stage NSCLC patients. For a subset of patients, autoVMAT allowed for tumor dose escalation. (orig.) [German] Entwicklung einer vollautomatisierten, auf multiplen Kriterien basierenden volumenmodulierten Arc-Therapie-(VMAT-)Behandlungsplanung (autoVMAT) fuer kurativ behandelte Patienten mit nicht-kleinzelligem Bronchialkarzinom (NSCLC) im Stadium III/IV. Nach Konfiguration unseres auto

  18. Recovering from chronic myeloid leukemia: the patients' perspective seen through the lens of narrative medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Graffigna, G; Cecchini, I; Breccia, M; Capochiani, E; Della Seta, R; Galimberti, S; Melosi, A; Simonetti, F; Pizzuti, M; Capalbo, S F; Falzetti, F; Mazza, P; Di Renzo, N; Mastrullo, L; Rapezzi, D; Orlandi, E; Intermesoli, T; Iurlo, A; Pungolino, E; Pacilli, M

    2017-10-01

    The main objective of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of how patients suffering from chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cope with their illness. The study aims to reconstruct the subjective meaning-making process related to CML in order to gain insights into the impact the disease has on patients' emotions and everyday lives, as well as to explore the psychological impact of their being presented with the chance to suspend their therapy and recover from the disease. Data were gathered from a qualitative study conducted in Italy on 158 Italian CML patients. Basing the study on the narrative inquiry approach, the patients were required to describe their patient journey in a qualitative narrative diary. These contained prompts to elicit the free expression of their needs, expectations, and priorities. A lexicographic analysis was carried out with T-LAB software and in particular a thematic analysis of elementary contexts (TAECs) and a word association analysis (WAA). The TAEC detected four thematic clusters related to two factors (temporal frame and contextual setting) that explained the variance among the narratives. The WAA evidenced a wide variety of emotions, both positive and negative, as patients reacted to the possibility of interrupting their therapy. A better understanding of patients' experiences can offer insights into promoting the development of more sustainable healthcare services and into therapeutic innovation aimed at improving patients' quality of life and at engaging them more in their treatment. The findings of this study can also help make medical professionals more aware of the patient's burden and help them identify potential interactions and emotional levers to improve clinical relationships.

  19. From Guided Surgery to Final Prosthesis with a Fully Digital Procedure: A Prospective Clinical Study on 15 Partially Edentulous Patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giorgio Andrea Dolcini

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Scope. To demonstrate guided implant placement and the application of fixed, implant-supported prosthetic restorations with a fully digital workflow. Methods. Over a 2-year period, all patients with partial edentulism of the posterior maxilla, in need of fixed implant-supported prostheses, were considered for inclusion in this study. The protocol required intraoral scanning and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT, the superimposition of dental-gingival information on bone anatomy, surgical planning, 3D-printed teeth-supported surgical templates, and modelling and milling of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA temporaries for immediate loading. After 3 months, final optical impression was taken and milled zirconia frameworks and 3D-printed models were fabricated. The frameworks were veneered with ceramic and delivered to the patients. Results. Fifteen patients were selected for this study. The surgical templates were stable. Thirty implants were placed (BTK Safe®, BTK, Vicenza, Italy and immediately loaded with PMMA temporaries. After 3 months, the temporaries were replaced by the final restorations in zirconia-ceramic, fabricated with a fully digital process. At 6 months, none of the patients reported any biological or functional problems with the implant-supported prostheses. Conclusions. The present procedure for fully digital planning of implants and short-span fixed implant-supported restorations has been shown to be reliable. Further studies are needed to validate these results.

  20. Heart Failure with Recovered EF and Heart Failure with Mid-Range EF: Current Recommendations and Controversies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Unkovic, Peter; Basuray, Anupam

    2018-04-03

    This review explores key features and potential management controversies in two emerging populations in heart failure: heart failure with recovered ejection fraction (HF-recovered EF) and heart failure with mid-range ejection fraction (HFmrEF). While HF-recovered EF patients have better outcomes than heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), they continue to have symptoms, persistent biomarker elevations, and abnormal outcomes suggesting a continued disease process. HFmrEF patients appear to have features of HFrEF and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), but have a high prevalence of ischemic heart disease and may represent a transitory phase between the HFrEF and HFpEF. Management strategies have insufficient data to warrant standardization at this time. HF-recovered EF and HFmrEF represent new populations with unmet needs and expose the pitfalls of an EF basis for heart failure classification.

  1. Diffusion-weighted MR imaging findings in a patient with herpes simplex encephalitis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heiner, L.; Demaerel, Ph.

    2003-01-01

    Introduction: Herpes simplex meningoencephalitis is one of the most common viral central nervous system infection in adults. Early diagnosis is essential for treatment. Case report: We present a case of a 68-year-old female patient with herpes simplex infection. On admission, she was in severe clinical condition. Diffusion-weighted (DW) magnetic resonance imaging detected brain involvement better than conventional sequences. After acyclovir therapy, the patient fully recovered. Conclusion: DW magnetic resonance imaging is expected to provide a more sensitive imaging in herpes simplex patients than conventional sequences

  2. Clonality and distribution of clinical Ureaplasma isolates recovered from male patients and infertile couples in China.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhi Ruan

    Full Text Available Ureaplasma spp. have gained increasing recognition as pathogens in both adult and neonatal patients with multiple clinical presentations. However, the clonality of this organism in the male population and infertile couples in China is largely unknown. In this study, 96 (53 U. parvum and 43 U. urealyticum of 103 Ureaplasma spp. strains recovered from genital specimens from male patients and 15 pairs of infertile couples were analyzed using multilocus sequence typing (MLST/expanded multilocus sequence typing (eMLST schemes. A total of 39 sequence types (STs and 53 expanded sequence types (eSTs were identified, with three predominant STs (ST1, ST9 and ST22 and eSTs (eST16, eST41 and eST82. Moreover, phylogenetic analysis revealed two distinct clusters that were highly congruent with the taxonomic differences between the two Ureaplasma species. We found significant differences in the distributions of both clusters and sub-groups between the male and female patients (P 0.80. However, this concordance was observed only for the detection of U. urealyticum within the infertile couples. In conclusion, the distributions of the clusters and sub-groups significantly differed between the male and female patients. U. urealyticum is more likely to transmit between infertile couples and be associated with clinical manifestations by the specific epidemic clonal lineages.

  3. Development of an instrument to assess readiness to recover in anorexia nervosa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rieger, E; Touyz, S; Schotte, D; Beumont, P; Russell, J; Clarke, S; Kohn, M; Griffiths, R

    2000-12-01

    The degree to which patients with anorexia nervosa demonstrate readiness to recover from their illness has received scant theoretical or empirical attention. Investigating the prevalence and degree of amotivation for recovery in anorexia nervosa, its role in outcome, and the effectiveness of interventions designed to enhance readiness to recover necessitates the existence of a reliable and valid measure of motivational issues relevant to the disorder. The present study aimed to develop and evaluate an instrument for assessing readiness to recover in anorexia nervosa, namely, the Anorexia Nervosa Stages of Change Questionnaire (ANSOCQ), a 23-item self-report questionnaire based on Prochaska and DiClemente's stages of change model. Seventy-one inpatients with anorexia nervosa participated in the study. On several occasions during their admission, participants completed the ANSOCQ as well as questionnaires assessing readiness to recover, anorexic symptomatology, general distress, and social desirability. The ANSOCQ demonstrated good internal consistency (.90) and 1-week test-retest reliability (.89). Various aspects of validity were also supported, such as significant relationships with other instruments assessing readiness to recover and the prediction of weight gain during different periods of treatment. The results suggest that the ANSOCQ is a psychometrically sound instrument that may prove useful in investigating the role of readiness to recover in anorexia nervosa. Copyright 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

  4. Five years post whiplash injury: Symptoms and psychological factors in recovered versus non-recovered

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stålnacke Britt-Marie

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Few studies have focused on the differences between persons who are recovered after whiplash injury and those who suffer from persistent disability. The primary aim of this study was therefore to examine differences in symptoms, psychological factors and life satisfaction between subjects classified as recovered and those with persistent disability five years after whiplash injury based on the Neck Disability Index (NDI. Methods A set of questionnaires was answered by 158 persons (75 men, 83 women to assess disability (NDI, pain intensity (VAS, whiplash-related symptoms (Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire, RPQ, post-traumatic stress (Impact of Event Scale, IES, depression (Beck's depression inventory, BDI and life satisfaction (LiSat-11. The participants were divided into three groups based on the results of the NDI: recovered (34.8%, mild disability (37.3% and moderate/severe disability (27.3%. Results The moderate/severe group reported significantly higher VAS, BDI and IES scores and lower level of physical health and psychological health compared to the mild and the recovered groups. Less significant differences were reported between the mild and the recovered groups. Conclusions The group with the highest disability score reported most health problems with pain, symptoms, depression, post-traumatic stress and decreased life satisfaction. These findings indicate that classifying these subjects into subgroups based on disability levels makes it possible to optimize the management and treatment after whiplash injury.

  5. Does part-time sick leave help individuals with mental disorders recover lost work capacity?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andrén, Daniela

    2014-06-01

    This paper aims to answer the question whether combining sick leave with some hours of work can help employees diagnosed with a mental disorder (MD) increase their probability of returning to work. Given the available data, this paper analyzes the impact of part-time sick leave (PTSL) on the probability of fully recovering lost work capacity for employees diagnosed with an MD. The effects of PTSL on the probability of fully recovering lost work capacity are estimated by a discrete choice one-factor model using data on a nationally representative sample extracted from the register of the National Agency of Social Insurance in Sweden and supplemented with information from questionnaires. All individuals in the sample were 20-64 years old and started a sickness spell of at least 15 days between 1 and 16 February 2001. We selected all employed individuals diagnosed with an MD, with a final sample of 629 individuals. The results show that PTSL is associated with a low likelihood of full recovery, yet the timing of the assignment is important. PTSL's effect is relatively low (0.015) when it is assigned in the beginning of the spell but relatively high (0.387), and statistically significant, when assigned after 60 days of full-time sick leave (FTSL). This suggests efficiency improvements from assigning employees with an MD diagnosis, when possible, to PTSL. The employment gains will be enhanced if employees with an MD diagnosis are encouraged to return to work part-time after 60 days or more of FTSL.

  6. Delayed autonomic neuropathy in a patient with diethylene glycol poisoning: a case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamada, Hiroki; Suzuki, Hideaki; Yamamoto, Saori; Nomura, Ryosuke; Kushimoto, Shigeki

    2017-07-01

    A 72-year-old man presented to our hospital after ingesting insecticide containing approximately 2 mL/kg diethylene glycol, which exceeded the lethal dose of 1 mL/kg. The patient recovered from critical symptoms on acute phase until day 3, but received artificial ventilation for muscle weakness secondary to sensorimotor neuropathy on days 11-54. Even after marked improvement from sensorimotor neuropathy, the patient continued to complain of orthostatic hypotension. Autonomic neuropathy was identified by positive result of a head-up tilt test, and reduction in coefficient of variation of R-R intervals and cardiac iodine-123-metaiodobenzylguanidine uptake for the assessment of cardiac sympathetic activity. The patient's symptoms fully recovered 2 years after the exposure to diethylene glycol. This case shows the first report of delayed autonomic neuropathy after recovery from severe sensorimotor neuropathy, and suggests the importance of continuous monitoring for late-onset neurological complications.

  7. Fully integrated digital GAMMA camera-computer system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berger, H.J.; Eisner, R.L.; Gober, A.; Plankey, M.; Fajman, W.

    1985-01-01

    Although most of the new non-nuclear imaging techniques are fully digital, there has been a reluctance in nuclear medicine to abandon traditional analog planar imaging in favor of digital acquisition and display. The authors evaluated a prototype digital camera system (GE STARCAM) in which all of the analog acquisition components are replaced by microprocessor controls and digital circuitry. To compare the relative effects of acquisition matrix size on image quality and to ascertain whether digital techniques could be used in place of analog imaging, Tc-99m bone scans were obtained on this digital system and on a comparable analog camera in 10 patients. The dedicated computer is used for camera setup including definition of the energy window, spatial energy correction, and spatial distortion correction. The display monitor, which is used for patient positioning and image analysis, is 512/sup 2/ non-interlaced, allowing high resolution imaging. Data acquisition and processing can be performed simultaneously. Thus, the development of a fully integrated digital camera-computer system with optimized display should allow routine utilization of non-analog studies in nuclear medicine and the ultimate establishment of fully digital nuclear imaging laboratories

  8. Fiberoptic bronchoscopic treatment of blood aspiration and use of sugammadex in a patient with epistaxis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryu, Taeha; Kim, Dong Hyuck; Byun, Sung Hye

    2018-01-01

    Abstract Rationale: In patients with oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal bleeding, blood aspiration can make airway management difficult and lead to severe pulmonary complications. Patient concerns: A 44-year-old male patient with recurrent epistaxis underwent surgery for hemostasis. The patient aspirated blood through the endotracheal tube when he hiccupped during the surgery. Diagnosis: The patient was diagnosed with blood aspiration after intraoperative fiberoptic bronchoscopy revealed a blood clot and viscous mucus in the airways, but no sign of active bleeding. Interventions: Tracheobronchial suctioning and irrigation with normal saline was performed through the bronchoscope to remove the aspirated blood clot. Prior to emergence from anesthesia, sugammadex was administered to induce complete neuromuscular recovery and enable the patient to cough up any blood remaining in the airways. Outcomes: The patient was successfully extubated and fully recovered with no complications. Lessons: Blood aspiration due to oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal bleeding can be diagnosed and treated by tracheobronchial suctioning via fiberoptic bronchoscopy. In addition, sugammadex can enable patients to recover spontaneous breathing, facilitate extubation, and enable patients to cough up any blood remaining in the airways. PMID:29642212

  9. Clonality and distribution of clinical Ureaplasma isolates recovered from male patients and infertile couples in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruan, Zhi; Yang, Ting; Shi, Xinyan; Kong, Yingying; Xie, Xinyou; Zhang, Jun

    2017-01-01

    Ureaplasma spp. have gained increasing recognition as pathogens in both adult and neonatal patients with multiple clinical presentations. However, the clonality of this organism in the male population and infertile couples in China is largely unknown. In this study, 96 (53 U. parvum and 43 U. urealyticum) of 103 Ureaplasma spp. strains recovered from genital specimens from male patients and 15 pairs of infertile couples were analyzed using multilocus sequence typing (MLST)/expanded multilocus sequence typing (eMLST) schemes. A total of 39 sequence types (STs) and 53 expanded sequence types (eSTs) were identified, with three predominant STs (ST1, ST9 and ST22) and eSTs (eST16, eST41 and eST82). Moreover, phylogenetic analysis revealed two distinct clusters that were highly congruent with the taxonomic differences between the two Ureaplasma species. We found significant differences in the distributions of both clusters and sub-groups between the male and female patients (P Ureaplasma spp. The present study also attained excellent agreement of the identification of both Ureaplasma species between paired urine and semen specimens from the male partners (k > 0.80). However, this concordance was observed only for the detection of U. urealyticum within the infertile couples. In conclusion, the distributions of the clusters and sub-groups significantly differed between the male and female patients. U. urealyticum is more likely to transmit between infertile couples and be associated with clinical manifestations by the specific epidemic clonal lineages.

  10. Altered sensitization patterns to sweet food stimuli in patients recovered from anorexia and bulimia nervosa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagner, Angela; Simmons, Alan N; Oberndorfer, Tyson A; Frank, Guido K W; McCurdy-McKinnon, Danyale; Fudge, Julie L; Yang, Tony T; Paulus, Martin P; Kaye, Walter H

    2015-12-30

    Recent studies show that higher-order appetitive neural circuitry may contribute to restricted eating in anorexia nervosa (AN) and overeating in bulimia nervosa (BN). The purpose of this study was to determine whether sensitization effects might underlie pathologic eating behavior when a taste stimulus is administered repeatedly. Recovered AN (RAN, n=14) and BN (RBN, n=15) subjects were studied in order to avoid the confounding effects of altered nutritional state. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measured higher-order brain response to repeated tastes of sucrose (caloric) and sucralose (non-caloric). To test sensitization, the neuronal response to the first and second administration was compared. RAN patients demonstrated a decreased sensitization to sucrose in contrast to RBN patients who displayed the opposite pattern, increased sensitization to sucrose. However, the latter was not as pronounced as in healthy control women (n=13). While both eating disorder subgroups showed increased sensitization to sucralose, the healthy controls revealed decreased sensitization. These findings could reflect on a neuronal level the high caloric intake of RBN during binges and the low energy intake for RAN. RAN seem to distinguish between high energy and low energy sweet stimuli while RBN do not. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Methotrexate encephalopathy: Two cases in adult cancer patients, who recovered with pathophysiologically based therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shodeinde A Coker

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Background/Objectives: Neurotoxicity is a serious and sometimes fatal adverse effect that can occur following methotrexate treatment. We describe two adult patients with hematological malignancies with methotrexate encephalopathy who recovered with dextromethorphan therapy. Results: Case 1: A 24-year-old male with acute lymphoblastic leukemia developed the acute onset of bilateral facial weakness and slurred speech after his first treatment with high-dose intravenous methotrexate. The clinical scenario and a head magnetic resonance imaging supported a diagnosis of methotrexate encephalopathy. Treatment with dextromethorphan was coincident with recovery. Case 2: A 65-year-old female with recurrent diffuse large B-cell lymphoma was treated with high-dose intravenous methotrexate. Two weeks after a cycle, she developed hypoactive delirium, marked lethargy, ocular ataxia, and a right-sided facial weakness. Within 2 days of starting dextromethorphan, there was improvement with clinical recovery. Conclusions: These two cases suggest that N-methyl d-aspartate receptor activation by homocysteine may play an important role in the pathogenesis of methotrexate neurotoxicity.

  12. Security of patient data when decommissioning ultrasound systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moggridge, James

    2017-02-01

    Although ultrasound systems generally archive to Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS), their archiving workflow typically involves storage to an internal hard disk before data are transferred onwards. Deleting records from the local system will delete entries in the database and from the file allocation table or equivalent but, as with a PC, files can be recovered. Great care is taken with disposal of media from a healthcare organisation to prevent data breaches, but ultrasound systems are routinely returned to lease companies, sold on or donated to third parties without such controls. In this project, five methods of hard disk erasure were tested on nine ultrasound systems being decommissioned: the system's own delete function; full reinstallation of system software; the manufacturer's own disk wiping service; open source disk wiping software for full and just blank space erasure. Attempts were then made to recover data using open source recovery tools. All methods deleted patient data as viewable from the ultrasound system and from browsing the disk from a PC. However, patient identifiable data (PID) could be recovered following the system's own deletion and the reinstallation methods. No PID could be recovered after using the manufacturer's wiping service or the open source wiping software. The typical method of reinstalling an ultrasound system's software may not prevent PID from being recovered. When transferring ownership, care should be taken that an ultrasound system's hard disk has been wiped to a sufficient level, particularly if the scanner is to be returned with approved parts and in a fully working state.

  13. Recovering recyclable materials from shredder residue

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jody, Bassam J.; Daniels, Edward J.; Bonsignore, Patrick V.; Brockmeier, Norman F.

    1994-02-01

    Each year, about 11 million tons of metals are recovered in the United States from about 10 million discarded automobiles. The recovered metals account for about 75 percent of the total weight of the discarded vehicles. The balance of the material, known as shredder residue, amounts to about three million tons annually and is currently landfilled. The residue contains a diversity of potentially recyclable materials, including polyurethane foams, iron oxides, and certain thermoplastics. This article discusses a process under development at Argonne National Laboratory to separate and recover the recyclable materials from this waste stream. The process consists essentially of two stages. First, a physical separation is used to recover the foams and the metal oxides, followed by a chemical process to extract certain thermoplastics. The status of the technology and the process economics are reviewed here.

  14. Barriers and facilitators to recovering from e-prescribing errors in community pharmacies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Odukoya, Olufunmilola K; Stone, Jamie A; Chui, Michelle A

    2015-01-01

    To explore barriers and facilitators to recovery from e-prescribing errors in community pharmacies and to explore practical solutions for work system redesign to ensure successful recovery from errors. Cross-sectional qualitative design using direct observations, interviews, and focus groups. Five community pharmacies in Wisconsin. 13 pharmacists and 14 pharmacy technicians. Observational field notes and transcribed interviews and focus groups were subjected to thematic analysis guided by the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) work system and patient safety model. Barriers and facilitators to recovering from e-prescription errors in community pharmacies. Organizational factors, such as communication, training, teamwork, and staffing levels, play an important role in recovering from e-prescription errors. Other factors that could positively or negatively affect recovery of e-prescription errors include level of experience, knowledge of the pharmacy personnel, availability or usability of tools and technology, interruptions and time pressure when performing tasks, and noise in the physical environment. The SEIPS model sheds light on key factors that may influence recovery from e-prescribing errors in pharmacies, including the environment, teamwork, communication, technology, tasks, and other organizational variables. To be successful in recovering from e-prescribing errors, pharmacies must provide the appropriate working conditions that support recovery from errors.

  15. Monitoring the injured brain: registered, patient specific atlas models to improve accuracy of recovered brain saturation values

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clancy, Michael; Belli, Antonio; Davies, David; Lucas, Samuel J. E.; Su, Zhangjie; Dehghani, Hamid

    2015-07-01

    The subject of superficial contamination and signal origins remains a widely debated topic in the field of Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS), yet the concept of using the technology to monitor an injured brain, in a clinical setting, poses additional challenges concerning the quantitative accuracy of recovered parameters. Using high density diffuse optical tomography probes, quantitatively accurate parameters from different layers (skin, bone and brain) can be recovered from subject specific reconstruction models. This study assesses the use of registered atlas models for situations where subject specific models are not available. Data simulated from subject specific models were reconstructed using the 8 registered atlas models implementing a regional (layered) parameter recovery in NIRFAST. A 3-region recovery based on the atlas model yielded recovered brain saturation values which were accurate to within 4.6% (percentage error) of the simulated values, validating the technique. The recovered saturations in the superficial regions were not quantitatively accurate. These findings highlight differences in superficial (skin and bone) layer thickness between the subject and atlas models. This layer thickness mismatch was propagated through the reconstruction process decreasing the parameter accuracy.

  16. Fully integrated biochip platforms for advanced healthcare.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carrara, Sandro; Ghoreishizadeh, Sara; Olivo, Jacopo; Taurino, Irene; Baj-Rossi, Camilla; Cavallini, Andrea; de Beeck, Maaike Op; Dehollain, Catherine; Burleson, Wayne; Moussy, Francis Gabriel; Guiseppi-Elie, Anthony; De Micheli, Giovanni

    2012-01-01

    Recent advances in microelectronics and biosensors are enabling developments of innovative biochips for advanced healthcare by providing fully integrated platforms for continuous monitoring of a large set of human disease biomarkers. Continuous monitoring of several human metabolites can be addressed by using fully integrated and minimally invasive devices located in the sub-cutis, typically in the peritoneal region. This extends the techniques of continuous monitoring of glucose currently being pursued with diabetic patients. However, several issues have to be considered in order to succeed in developing fully integrated and minimally invasive implantable devices. These innovative devices require a high-degree of integration, minimal invasive surgery, long-term biocompatibility, security and privacy in data transmission, high reliability, high reproducibility, high specificity, low detection limit and high sensitivity. Recent advances in the field have already proposed possible solutions for several of these issues. The aim of the present paper is to present a broad spectrum of recent results and to propose future directions of development in order to obtain fully implantable systems for the continuous monitoring of the human metabolism in advanced healthcare applications.

  17. Propofol Frenzy: Clinical Spectrum in 3 Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carvalho, Diego Z; Townley, Ryan A; Burkle, Christopher M; Rabinstein, Alejandro A; Wijdicks, Eelco F M

    2017-11-01

    Postsedation neuroexcitation is sometimes attributed to intravenous injection of the sedative-hypnotic drug propofol. The movements associated with these events have strongly suggested convulsive activity, but they rarely have been comprehensively evaluated. We present video recordings of 3 healthy young patients who underwent elective surgery under conscious sedation and emerged from sedation with transient but repetitive violent motor activity and impaired consciousness. These manifestations required considerable mobilization of multiple health care workers to protect the patient from inflicting harm. All patients received propofol, and all fully recovered without adverse sequelae. We postulate that these movements are propofol related. Importantly, we found no evidence of seizures clinically or electrographically. Copyright © 2017 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. PROCESS OF RECOVERING URANIUM

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carter, J.M.; Larson, C.E.

    1958-10-01

    A process is presented for recovering uranium values from calutron deposits. The process consists in treating such deposits to produce an oxidlzed acidic solution containing uranium together with the following imparities: Cu, Fe, Cr, Ni, Mn, Zn. The uranium is recovered from such an impurity-bearing solution by adjusting the pH of the solution to the range 1.5 to 3.0 and then treating the solution with hydrogen peroxide. This results in the precipitation of uranium peroxide which is substantially free of the metal impurities in the solution. The peroxide precipitate is then separated from the solution, washed, and calcined to produce uranium trioxide.

  19. Cardiac imaging: working towards fully-automated machine analysis & interpretation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slomka, Piotr J; Dey, Damini; Sitek, Arkadiusz; Motwani, Manish; Berman, Daniel S; Germano, Guido

    2017-03-01

    Non-invasive imaging plays a critical role in managing patients with cardiovascular disease. Although subjective visual interpretation remains the clinical mainstay, quantitative analysis facilitates objective, evidence-based management, and advances in clinical research. This has driven developments in computing and software tools aimed at achieving fully automated image processing and quantitative analysis. In parallel, machine learning techniques have been used to rapidly integrate large amounts of clinical and quantitative imaging data to provide highly personalized individual patient-based conclusions. Areas covered: This review summarizes recent advances in automated quantitative imaging in cardiology and describes the latest techniques which incorporate machine learning principles. The review focuses on the cardiac imaging techniques which are in wide clinical use. It also discusses key issues and obstacles for these tools to become utilized in mainstream clinical practice. Expert commentary: Fully-automated processing and high-level computer interpretation of cardiac imaging are becoming a reality. Application of machine learning to the vast amounts of quantitative data generated per scan and integration with clinical data also facilitates a move to more patient-specific interpretation. These developments are unlikely to replace interpreting physicians but will provide them with highly accurate tools to detect disease, risk-stratify, and optimize patient-specific treatment. However, with each technological advance, we move further from human dependence and closer to fully-automated machine interpretation.

  20. Bordetella petrii recovered from chronic pansinusitis in an adult with cystic fibrosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura Biederman

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available To date Bordetella petrii has infrequently been identified within the clinical setting likely due to the asaccharolytic nature of this organism. We present a case of B. petrii recovered on two separate events in a patient with adult cystic fibrosis experiencing chronic pansinusitis.

  1. Recovering method for solid waste and facility therefor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Omura, Yutaka

    1998-01-01

    When recovering solid wastes in a dry-type storage vessel, a crusher is hoisted down from a cask, and the crusher is operated to crush the solid wastes while holding them. The crushed wastes are temporarily stored at the upper portion of the crusher, and recovered as crushed wastes. In this case, the crusher is turned down, and a shielding vessel is laid the recover downwardly to temporary store the crushed wastes in the shielding vessel. Then, the crusher and the shielding vessel are turned 180deg to contain the crushed wastes into the shielding vessel. With such procedures, the stored solid wastes can be recovered reliably, the stored solid wastes can be reduced in the size, and efficiency of recovering operation can be improved. (T.M.)

  2. Fully Integrated Biochip Platforms for Advanced Healthcare

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giovanni De Micheli

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Recent advances in microelectronics and biosensors are enabling developments of innovative biochips for advanced healthcare by providing fully integrated platforms for continuous monitoring of a large set of human disease biomarkers. Continuous monitoring of several human metabolites can be addressed by using fully integrated and minimally invasive devices located in the sub-cutis, typically in the peritoneal region. This extends the techniques of continuous monitoring of glucose currently being pursued with diabetic patients. However, several issues have to be considered in order to succeed in developing fully integrated and minimally invasive implantable devices. These innovative devices require a high-degree of integration, minimal invasive surgery, long-term biocompatibility, security and privacy in data transmission, high reliability, high reproducibility, high specificity, low detection limit and high sensitivity. Recent advances in the field have already proposed possible solutions for several of these issues. The aim of the present paper is to present a broad spectrum of recent results and to propose future directions of development in order to obtain fully implantable systems for the continuous monitoring of the human metabolism in advanced healthcare applications.

  3. Sodium aerosol recovering device

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fujimori, Koji; Ueda, Mitsuo; Tanaka, Kazuhisa.

    1997-01-01

    A main body of a recovering device is disposed in a sodium cooled reactor or a sodium cooled test device. Air containing sodium aerosol is sucked into the main body of the recovering device by a recycling fan and introduced to a multi-staged metal mesh filter portion. The air about against each of the metal mesh filters, and the sodium aerosol in the air is collected. The air having a reduced sodium aerosol concentration circulates passing through a recycling fan and pipelines to form a circulation air streams. Sodium aerosol deposited on each of the metal mesh filters is scraped off periodically by a scraper driving device to prevent clogging of each of the metal filters. (I.N.)

  4. Normal white matter microstructure in women long-term recovered from anorexia nervosa: A diffusion tensor imaging study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bang, Lasse; Rø, Øyvind; Endestad, Tor

    2018-01-01

    Studies point to white matter (WM) microstructure alterations in both adolescent and adult patients with anorexia nervosa (AN). These include reduced fractional anisotropy in several WM fiber tracts, suggesting reduced WM integrity. The extent to which these alterations are reversible with recovery from AN is unclear. There is a paucity of research investigating the presence of WM microstructure alterations in recovered AN patients, and results are inconsistent. This study aimed to investigate the presence of WM microstructure alterations in women long-term recovered from AN. Twenty-one adult women who were recovered from AN for at least 1 year were compared to 21 adult comparison women. Participants were recruited via user-organizations for eating disorders, local advertisements, and online forums. Diffusion tensor imaging was used to compare WM microstructure between groups. Correlations between WM microstructure and clinical characteristics were also explored. There were no statistically significant between-group differences in WM microstructure. These null findings remained when employing liberal alpha level thresholds. Furthermore, there were no statistically significant correlations between WM microstructure and clinical characteristics. Our findings showed normal WM microstructure in long-term recovered patients, indicating the alterations observed during the acute phase are reversible. Given the paucity of research and inconsistent findings, future studies are warranted to determine the presence of WM microstructure alterations following recovery from AN. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. Safety and efficacy of ofatumumab, a fully human monoclonal anti-CD20 antibody, in patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Coiffier, Bertrand; Lepretre, Stéphane; Pedersen, Lars Møller

    2008-01-01

    Safety and efficacy of the fully human anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, ofatumumab, was analyzed in a multicenter dose-escalating study including 33 patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Three cohorts of 3 (A), 3 (B), and 27 (C) patients received 4, once weekly, infusio...

  6. Recovered neuronal viability revealed by Iodine-123-iomazenil SPECT following traumatic brain injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koizumi, Hiroyasu; Fujisawa, Hirosuke; Kurokawa, Tetsu; Suehiro, Eiichi; Iwanaga, Hideyuki; Nakagawara, Jyoji; Suzuki, Michiyasu

    2010-10-01

    We evaluated cortical damages following traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the acute phase with [(123)I] iomazenil (IMZ) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). In all, 12 patients with cerebral contusion following TBI were recruited. All patients underwent IMZ SPECT within 1 week after TBI. To investigate the changes in distribution of IMZ in the cortex in the chronic phase, after conventional treatment, patients underwent IMZ SPECT again. A decrease in the accumulation of radioligand for the central benzodiazepine receptor in the cortex corresponding to the contusion revealed with computed tomography (CT) scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were shown on IMZ SPECT in the acute phase in all patients. In 9 of 12 patients (75%), images of IMZ SPECT obtained in the chronic phase of TBI showed that areas with a decreased distribution of IMZ were remarkably reduced in comparison with those obtained in the acute phase. Both CT scans and MRI showed a normal appearance of the cortex morphologically, where the binding potential of IMZ recovered in the chronic phase. Reduced binding potential of radioligand for the central benzodiazepine receptor is considered to be an irreversible reaction; however, in this study, IMZ accumulation in the cortex following TBI was recovered in the chronic phase in several patients. [(123)I] iomazenil SPECT may have a potential to disclose a reversible vulnerability of neurons following TBI.

  7. On the critical point of the fully-anisotropic quenched bond-random Potts ferromagnet in triangular and honeycomb lattices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsallis, C.; Santos, R.J.V. dos

    1983-01-01

    On conjectural grounds an equation that provides a very good approximation for the critical temperature of the fully-anisotropic homogeneous quenched bond-random q-state Potts ferromagnet in triangular and honeycomb lattices is presented. Almost all the exact particular results presently known for the square, triangular and honeycomb lattices are recovered; the numerical discrepancy is quite small for the few exceptions. Some predictions that we believe to be exact are made explicite as well. (Author) [pt

  8. The impact of childhood trauma on cognitive functioning in patients recently recovered from a first manic episode: data from the Systematic Treatment Optimization Program for Early Mania (STOP-EM).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bücker, J; Kozicky, J; Torres, I J; Kauer-Sant'anna, M; Silveira, L E; Bond, D J; Lam, R W; Yatham, L N

    2013-06-01

    Both bipolar disorder (BD) and childhood trauma are associated with cognitive impairment. People with BD have high rates of childhood trauma, which confer greater overall disease severity, but, it is unknown if childhood trauma is associated with greater neurocognitive impairment in BD patients early in the course of their illnesses. In this study, we investigated the impact of childhood trauma on specific cognitive dysfunction in patients who recently recovered from their first episode of mania. Data were available for 64 patients and 28 healthy subjects matched by age, gender and pre-morbid IQ, recruited from a large university medical center. History of childhood trauma was measured using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Cognitive function was assessed through a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery. Trauma was associated with poorer cognitive performance in patients on cognitive measures of IQ, auditory attention and verbal and working memory, and a different pattern was observed in healthy subjects. We had a modest sample size, particularly in the group of healthy subjects with trauma. Childhood trauma was associated with poorer cognition in BD patients who recently recovered from a first episode of mania compared to healthy subjects. The results require replication, but suggest that the co-occurrence of trauma and bipolar disorder can affect those cognitive areas that are already more susceptible in patients with BD. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Ergonomic analysis jobs in recovered factories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cuenca, Gabriela; Zotta, Gastón

    2012-01-01

    With the advent of the deep economic crisis in Argentina on 2001, the recovery of companies through to the creation of the Cooperatives Working Self-Management or Factories Recovered by its workers was constituted as one of the ways in which the salaried disobeyed the increasing unemployment. When the companies turn into recovered factories they tend to leave of side practices that have been seen like imposed by the previous organization and not understanding them as a primary condition for the execution of his tasks. Safety and ergonomics are two disciplines that are no longer considered relevant to the daily work. Therefore this investigation aims to revalue, undergo semantic to give back to a place in every organization analyzed. This research developed a self-diagnostic tool for working conditions, and the environment, present in the recovered factories.

  10. Abnormal rectoanal function in children recovered from chronic constipation and encopresis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loening-Baucke, V A

    1984-12-01

    It is unknown if abnormal anal sphincter function as assessed by anorectal manometry is still present years after resolution of chronic constipation and encopresis. Twenty healthy controls, 12 children with constipation but no encopresis, and 20 children with chronic constipation and encopresis underwent anorectal manometric testing, using intraluminal pressure transducers and a balloon for rectal distention. Anorectal measurements were repeated in the 20 constipated and encopretic children 2.5-4 yr after treatment began; 11 children had recovered for at least 1 yr. The mean values of anal resting tone and of anal pull-through pressure were lower in the constipated and encopretic children than in the 20 control children (p less than 0.003). Percent relaxation of the rectosphincteric reflex after rectal distention of 30 and 60 ml was lower in constipated children with and without encopresis than in controls (p less than 0.003), whereas the means of rectosphincteric reflex threshold were comparable in the three groups of children. Three years after initiation of treatment with milk of magnesia, high-fiber diet, and bowel training techniques, the mean values of anal resting tone, anal pull-through pressure, and percent relaxation of rectosphincteric reflex remained significantly lower in both recovered and nonrecovered constipated and encopretic patients compared with controls. It was suggested that the underlying cause of chronic constipation is the decreased ability of the internal anal sphincter to relax with rectal distention, and the hypotonia of the anal canal is responsible for the encopresis. Abnormal anorectal functions were still present years after cessation of treatment and recovery and put the recovered patient at risk for recurrence of chronic constipation and encopresis.

  11. Recovering four-component solutions by the inverse transformation of the infinite-order two-component wave functions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barysz, Maria; Mentel, Lukasz; Leszczynski, Jerzy

    2009-01-01

    The two-component Hamiltonian of the infinite-order two-component (IOTC) theory is obtained by a unitary block-diagonalizing transformation of the Dirac-Hamiltonian. Once the IOTC spin orbitals are calculated, they can be back transformed into four-component solutions. The transformed four component solutions are then used to evaluate different moments of the electron density distribution. This formally exact method may, however, suffer from certain approximations involved in its numerical implementation. As shown by the present study, with sufficiently large basis set of Gaussian functions, the Dirac values of these moments are fully recovered in spite of using the approximate identity resolution into eigenvectors of the p 2 operator.

  12. The curative effect analysis of 131I-therapy on patients with Graves' disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cui Qin; Lu Shujun; Lu Tianhe

    2002-01-01

    To investigate the curative effect of 131 I-therapy on Graves' disease, the authors analyse conditions of patients who have received 131 I-therapy (n -674). These results showed that the incidence of fully recover, improve, Graves' disease and invalid is 80.11%, 7.28%, 11.87% and 0.74% respectively. Therefore, 131 I-therapy on Graves' disease is convenient. It has little side effect, low cost and better curative effect, it is one of the best therapeutic methods to treat hyperthyroidism

  13. Cost-effectiveness of available treatment options for patients suffering from severe COPD in the UK: a fully incremental analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hertel N

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Nadine Hertel1, Robert W Kotchie1, Yevgeniy Samyshkin1, Matthew Radford1, Samantha Humphreys2, Kevin Jameson21IMS Consulting Group, London, UK; 2MSD Ltd, Hoddesdon, UKPurpose: Frequent exacerbations which are both costly and potentially life-threatening are a major concern to patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, despite the availability of several treatment options. This study aimed to assess the lifetime costs and outcomes associated with alternative treatment regimens for patients with severe COPD in the UK setting.Patients and methods: A Markov cohort model was developed to predict lifetime costs, outcomes, and cost-effectiveness of various combinations of a long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA, a long-acting beta agonist (LABA, an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS, and roflumilast in a fully incremental analysis. Patients willing and able to take ICS, and those refusing or intolerant to ICS were analyzed separately. Efficacy was expressed as relative rate ratios of COPD exacerbation associated with alternative treatment regimens, taken from a mixed treatment comparison. The analysis was conducted from the UK National Health Service (NHS perspective. Parameter uncertainty was explored using one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analysis.Results: Based on the results of the fully incremental analysis a cost-effectiveness frontier was determined, indicating those treatment regimens which represent the most cost-effective use of NHS resources. For ICS-tolerant patients the cost-effectiveness frontier suggested LAMA as initial treatment. Where patients continue to exacerbate and additional therapy is required, LAMA + LABA/ICS can be a cost-effective option, followed by LAMA + LABA/ICS + roflumilast (incremental cost-effectiveness ratio [ICER] versus LAMA + LABA/ICS: £16,566 per quality-adjusted life-year [QALY] gained. The ICER in ICS-intolerant patients, comparing LAMA + LABA + roflumilast versus LAMA + LABA, was £13

  14. Association between fully automated MRI-based volumetry of different brain regions and neuropsychological test performance in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arlt, Sönke; Buchert, Ralph; Spies, Lothar; Eichenlaub, Martin; Lehmbeck, Jan T; Jahn, Holger

    2013-06-01

    Fully automated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based volumetry may serve as biomarker for the diagnosis in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia. We aimed at investigating the relation between fully automated MRI-based volumetric measures and neuropsychological test performance in amnestic MCI and patients with mild dementia due to Alzheimer's disease (AD) in a cross-sectional and longitudinal study. In order to assess a possible prognostic value of fully automated MRI-based volumetry for future cognitive performance, the rate of change of neuropsychological test performance over time was also tested for its correlation with fully automated MRI-based volumetry at baseline. In 50 subjects, 18 with amnestic MCI, 21 with mild AD, and 11 controls, neuropsychological testing and T1-weighted MRI were performed at baseline and at a mean follow-up interval of 2.1 ± 0.5 years (n = 19). Fully automated MRI volumetry of the grey matter volume (GMV) was performed using a combined stereotactic normalisation and segmentation approach as provided by SPM8 and a set of pre-defined binary lobe masks. Left and right hippocampus masks were derived from probabilistic cytoarchitectonic maps. Volumes of the inner and outer liquor space were also determined automatically from the MRI. Pearson's test was used for the correlation analyses. Left hippocampal GMV was significantly correlated with performance in memory tasks, and left temporal GMV was related to performance in language tasks. Bilateral frontal, parietal and occipital GMVs were correlated to performance in neuropsychological tests comprising multiple domains. Rate of GMV change in the left hippocampus was correlated with decline of performance in the Boston Naming Test (BNT), Mini-Mental Status Examination, and trail making test B (TMT-B). The decrease of BNT and TMT-A performance over time correlated with the loss of grey matter in multiple brain regions. We conclude that fully automated MRI

  15. Bone density of women who have recovered from anorexia nervosa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hartman, D; Crisp, A; Rooney, B; Rackow, C; Atkinson, R; Patel, S

    2000-07-01

    To examine bone density in 19 women who had previously experienced classical anorexia nervosa from which they had been fully recovered for a mean of 21 years (current characteristics: median age 40.2 years; Eating Attitudes Test [EAT] score 2; body mass index [BMI] 21.1; average 1.8 offspring). Probands were compared, blindly, in respect of bone density, with 13 control subjects matched for age and sex and with no history of eating disorders. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was used to evaluate the bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine and the head of the femur. Femur BMD was still significantly less among ex-anorectic sufferers. Two subjects had experienced pathological fractures while anorectic, both having been strenuous exercisers. None appeared to have suffered post illness fractures. BMD at follow-up did not relate to the severity or chronicity of previous anorexia nervosa. Full clinical recovery from anorexia nervosa does not quite confer full establishment of normal bone density. However, pathological fractures are not a feature thereafter, within middle life. Copyright 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

  16. Recovering hydrocarbons with surfactants from lignin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Naae, D.G.; Whittington, L.E.; Ledoux, W.A.; Debons, F.E.

    1988-11-29

    This patent describes a method of recovering hydrocarbons from an underground hydrocarbon formation penetrated by at least one injection well and at least one production well, which comprises: injecting into the formation through an injection well a surfactant slug comprising about 0.1% to about 10% by weight of surfactants produced from lignin, the surfactants produced by placing lignin in contact with water, converting the lignin into low molecular weight lignin phenols by reducing the lignin in the presence of a reducing agent of carbon monoxide or hydrogen creating a reduction reaction mixture comprising oil soluble lignin phenols, the reduction occurring at a temperature greater than about 200/sup 0/C and a pressure greater than about 100 psi, recovering the oil soluble lignin phenols from the reduction mixture, and converting the lignin phenols into lignin surfactants by a reaction selected from the group consisting of alkoxylation, sulfonation, sulfation, aklylation, sulfomethylation, and alkoxysulfation; injecting into the formation through the injection well a drive fluid to push the surfactant slug towards a production well; and recovering hydrocarbons at the production well.

  17. Transuranium element recovering method for spent nuclear fuel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Todokoro, Akio; Kihara, Yoshiyuki; Okada, Hisashi

    1998-01-01

    Spent fuels are dissolved in nitric acid, the obtained dissolution liquid is oxidized by electrolysis, and nitric acid of transuranium elements are precipitated together with nitric acid of uranium elements from the dissolution solution and recovered. Namely, the transuranium elements are oxidized to an atomic value level at which nitric acid can be precipitated by an oxidizing catalyst, and cooled to precipitate nitric acid of transuranium elements together with nitric acid of transuranium elements, accordingly, it is not necessary to use a solvent which has been used so far upon recovering transuranium elements. Since no solvent waste is generated, a recovery method taking the circumstance into consideration can be provided. Further, nitric acid of uranium elements and nitric acid of transuranium elements precipitated and recovered together are dissolved in nitric acid again, cooled and only uranium elements are precipitated selectively, and recovered by filtration. The amount of wastes can be reduced to thereby enabling to mitigate control for processing. (N.H.)

  18. Agglomeration and Deposition Behaviour of Solid Recovered Fuel

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Morten Nedergaard; Jensen, Peter Arendt; Nielsen, Mads

    2015-01-01

    Waste derived fuels such as Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF) are increasingly being used in the cement industry as a means to reduce cost [1]. SRF is produced by separating the combustible fraction from industrial or municipal solid waste (MSW). The recovered fraction has a higher content of combustibl...

  19. Treating effluents; recovering coal, etc

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jones, F B; Bury, E

    1920-02-18

    Liquor obtained by scrubbing coal gas with sea-water or fresh water, and containing or having added to it finely-divided carbonaceous material in suspension, is subjected to a froth-flotation process to recover the carbonaceous matter and organic materials in the froth, and render the remaining liquor innocuous. Liquor obtained by scrubbing distillation gases, such as coal gas, may be used as a frothing-agent in a froth flotation process for the recovery of carbonaceous substances such as coal from materials containing them, thereby producing a froth containing the coal, etc., and also the organic materials from the liquor. In some cases the effluent may be diluted with sea-water, and, in recovering carbonaceous shales, there may be added to the liquor a small proportion of paraffin oil.

  20. Cognitive bias in symptomatic and recovered agoraphobics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stoler, L S; McNally, R J

    1991-01-01

    Symptomatic agoraphobics, recovered agoraphobics, and normal control subjects completed a series of sentence stems that had either ambiguous or unambiguous meanings, and had either a potentially threatening or a nonthreatening connotation. The written completions made by subjects to these stems were classified as indicating either a biased (i.e. threat-related) or unbiased interpretation of the meaning of the stem, and if a biased interpretation was made, whether the subject indicated efforts at adaptive coping with the perceived threat. Results indicated that symptomatic agoraphobics exhibited strong biases for interpreting information as threatening, relative to normal control subjects. Moreover, recovered agoraphobics resembled symptomatic agoraphobics more than normal control subjects, thus indicating that cognitive biases may persist following cessation of panic attacks and reductions in avoidance behavior. However, recovered agoraphobics also exhibited tendencies to cope adaptively with perceived threats whereas symptomatic agoraphobics did not.

  1. The effect of patient age on bone formation using a fully synthetic nanocrystalline bone augmentation material in maxillary sinus grafting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolf, Michael; Wurm, Alexander; Heinemann, Friedhelm; Gerber, Thomas; Reichert, Christoph; Jäger, Andreas; Götz, Werner

    2014-01-01

    Maxillary sinus floor augmentation is a treatment that has been proposed for patients in whom the alveolar bone height is insufficient. This procedure is commonly used in patients aged 40 to 70 years and older. However, little information exists whether the factor of age might influence the outcome of augmentation procedures. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the patient's age has an effect on bone formation and incorporation in maxillary sinus floor augmentation procedures. A fully synthetic nanocrystalline bone augmentation material (NanoBone, Artoss) was used for sinus floor augmentation in patients with a subantral vertical bone height of at least 3 mm and maximum of 7 mm. After 7 months healing time, biopsy specimens were taken and were divided into two groups according to the patient's age. Exclusion criteria were poor general health (eg, severe renal/and or liver disease), history of a radiotherapy in the head region, chemotherapy at the time of surgical procedure, noncompensated diabetes mellitus, symptoms of a maxillary sinus disease, active periodontal or systemic diseases, smoking, and poor oral hygiene. Histologic analyses with hematoxylin-eosin stain were performed. Multinucleated osteoclast-like cells were identified by histochemical staining (tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase [TRAP]). Quantitative and age-dependent assessment of bone formation, residual bone grafting material, and soft tissue formation following sinus augmentation was performed using histomorphometric analysis and the Bonferroni adjustment of the Student t test. Twenty biopsy specimens from 17 patients were taken and divided into two groups according to age (group 1: 41 to 52 years; group 2: 66 to 71 years) containing 10 specimens each, which were analyzed in triplicate resulting in a total of 30 specimens per group. A regeneration process with varying amounts of newly formed bone surrounded by marrow-like tissue was present in all augmented regions. No signs of

  2. Does less frequent routine monitoring of patients on a stable, fully suppressed cART regimen lead to an increased risk of treatment failure?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Reekie, Joanne; Mocroft, Amanda; Sambatakou, Helen

    2008-01-01

    SIDA study who maintained a stable and fully suppressed cART regimen for 1 year were included in the analysis. METHODS: Risk of treatment failure, defined by viral rebound, fall in CD4 cell count, development of new AIDS-defining illness, serious opportunistic infection or death, in the 12 months following...... interval (CI) 0.1-0.5], 2.2% (95% CI 1.6-2.8) and 6.0% (95% CI 5.0-7.0) risk of treatment failure, respectively. Patients who spent more than 80% of their time on cART with fully suppressed viraemia prior to baseline had a 38% reduced risk of treatment failure, hazard ratio 0.62 (95% CI 0.42-0.90, P = 0...

  3. Waste heat recovering device for reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sonoda, Masanobu; Shiraishi, Tadashi; Mizuno, Hiroyuki; Sekine, Yasuhiro.

    1982-01-01

    Purpose: To enable utilization of auxiliary-equipment-cooling water from a non-regenerative heat exchanger as a heat source, as well as prevent radioactive contamination. Constitution: A water warming device for recovering the heat of auxiliary equipment cooling water from a non-regenerative heat exchanger is disposed at the succeeding stage of the heat exchanger. Heat exchange is performed in the water warming device between the auxiliary equipment cooling water and a heat source water set to a higher pressure and recycled through the water warming device. The heat recovered from the auxiliary equipment cooling water is utilized in the heat source water for operating relevant equipments. (Aizawa, K.)

  4. A Comparison of Fully Automated Methods of Data Analysis and Computer Assisted Heuristic Methods in an Electrode Kinetic Study of the Pathologically Variable [Fe(CN) 6 ] 3–/4– Process by AC Voltammetry

    KAUST Repository

    Morris, Graham P.; Simonov, Alexandr N.; Mashkina, Elena A.; Bordas, Rafel; Gillow, Kathryn; Baker, Ruth E.; Gavaghan, David J.; Bond, Alan M.

    2013-01-01

    Fully automated and computer assisted heuristic data analysis approaches have been applied to a series of AC voltammetric experiments undertaken on the [Fe(CN)6]3-/4- process at a glassy carbon electrode in 3 M KCl aqueous electrolyte. The recovered

  5. Projecting recovered paper supply in the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    James L. Howard; Ken Skog; Peter J. Ince

    2002-01-01

    The use of recovered paper has an influence on the amount of timber harvested as well as the feasibility of expanded recycling programs. During the 1990’s markets and prices for recovered materials have fluctuated widely. There are a number of factors driving these market changes including economic conditions domestically and internationally. The objective of this...

  6. Differential inhibitory and activating NK cell receptor levels and NK/NKT-like cell functionality in chronic and recovered stages of chikungunya.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thanapati, Subrat; Ganu, Mohini A; Tripathy, Anuradha S

    2017-01-01

    The role of natural killer (NK; CD3-CD56+)/NKT (CD3+CD56+)-like cells in chikungunya virus (CHIKV) disease progression/recovery remains unclear. Here, we investigated the expression profiles and function of NK and NKT-like cells from 35 chronic chikungunya patients, 30 recovered individuals, and 69 controls. Percentage of NKT-like cells was low in chronic chikungunya patients. NKp30+, CD244+, DNAM-1+, and NKG2D+ NK cell percentages were also lower (MFI and/or percentage), while those of CD94+ and NKG2A+ NKT-like cells were higher (MFI and/or percentage) in chronic patients than in recovered subjects. IFN-γ and TNF-α expression on NKT-like cells was high in the chronic patients, while only IFN-γ expression on NK cells was high in the recovered individuals. Furthermore, percentage of perforin+NK cells was low in the chronic patients. Lower cytotoxic activity was observed in the chronic patients than in the controls. CD107a expression on NK and NKT-like cells post anti-CD94/anti-NKG2A blocking was comparable among the patients and controls. Upregulated inhibitory and downregulated activating NK receptor expressions on NK/NKT-like cells, lower perforin+ and CD107a+NK cells are likely responsible for inhibiting the NK and NKT-like cell function in the chronic stage of chikungunya. Therefore, deregulation of NKR expression might underlie CHIKV-induced chronicity.

  7. Multipartite fully nonlocal quantum states

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Almeida, Mafalda L.; Cavalcanti, Daniel; Scarani, Valerio; Acin, Antonio

    2010-01-01

    We present a general method for characterizing the quantum correlations obtained after local measurements on multipartite systems. Sufficient conditions for a quantum system to be fully nonlocal according to a given partition, as well as being (genuinely) multipartite fully nonlocal, are derived. These conditions allow us to identify all completely connected graph states as multipartite fully nonlocal quantum states. Moreover, we show that this feature can also be observed in mixed states: the tensor product of five copies of the Smolin state, a biseparable and bound entangled state, is multipartite fully nonlocal.

  8. Discharge hemoglobin and outcome in patients with acute nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Jae Min; Kim, Eun Sun; Chun, Hoon Jai; Hwang, Young-Jae; Lee, Jae Hyung; Kang, Seung Hun; Yoo, In Kyung; Kim, Seung Han; Choi, Hyuk Soon; Keum, Bora; Seo, Yeon Seok; Jeen, Yoon Tae; Lee, Hong Sik; Um, Soon Ho; Kim, Chang Duck

    2016-01-01

    Background and study aims: Many patients with acute gastrointestinal bleeding present with anemia and frequently require red blood cell (RBC) transfusion. A restrictive transfusion strategy and a low hemoglobin (Hb) threshold for transfusion had been shown to produce acceptable outcomes in patients with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding. However, most patients are discharged with mild anemia owing to the restricted volume of packed RBCs (pRBCs). We investigated whether discharge Hb influences the outcome in patients with acute nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Patients and methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding who had received pRBCs during hospitalization between January 2012 and January 2014. Patients with variceal bleeding, malignant lesion, stroke, or cardiovascular disease were excluded. We divided the patients into 2 groups, low (8 g/dL ≤ Hb  10 g/dL. Patients in the low Hb group had a lower consumption of pRBCs and shorter hospital stay than did those in the high Hb group. The Hb levels were not fully recovered at outpatient follow-up until 7 days after discharge; however, most patients showed Hb recovery at 45 days after discharge. The rate of rebleeding after discharge was not significantly different between the 2 groups. Conclusions: In patients with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding, a discharge Hb between 8 and 10 g/dL was linked to favorable outcomes on outpatient follow-up. Most patients recovered from anemia without any critical complication within 45 days after discharge. PMID:27540574

  9. Generation of “LYmph Node Derived Antibody Libraries” (LYNDAL) for selecting fully human antibody fragments with therapeutic potential.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diebolder, Philipp; Keller, Armin; Haase, Stephanie; Schlegelmilch, Anne; Kiefer, Jonathan D; Karimi, Tamana; Weber, Tobias; Moldenhauer, Gerhard; Kehm, Roland; Eis-Hübinger, Anna M; Jäger, Dirk; Federspil, Philippe A; Herold-Mende, Christel; Dyckhoff, Gerhard; Kontermann, Roland E; Arndt, Michaela A E; Krauss, Jürgen

    2014-01-01

    The development of efficient strategies for generating fully human monoclonal antibodies with unique functional properties that are exploitable for tailored therapeutic interventions remains a major challenge in the antibody technology field. Here, we present a methodology for recovering such antibodies from antigen-encountered human B cell repertoires. As the source for variable antibody genes, we cloned immunoglobulin G (IgG)-derived B cell repertoires from lymph nodes of 20 individuals undergoing surgery for head and neck cancer. Sequence analysis of unselected “LYmph Node Derived Antibody Libraries” (LYNDAL) revealed a naturally occurring distribution pattern of rearranged antibody sequences, representing all known variable gene families and most functional germline sequences. To demonstrate the feasibility for selecting antibodies with therapeutic potential from these repertoires, seven LYNDAL from donors with high serum titers against herpes simplex virus (HSV) were panned on recombinant glycoprotein B of HSV-1. Screening for specific binders delivered 34 single-chain variable fragments (scFvs) with unique sequences. Sequence analysis revealed extensive somatic hypermutation of enriched clones as a result of affinity maturation. Binding of scFvs to common glycoprotein B variants from HSV-1 and HSV-2 strains was highly specific, and the majority of analyzed antibody fragments bound to the target antigen with nanomolar affinity. From eight scFvs with HSV-neutralizing capacity in vitro,the most potent antibody neutralized 50% HSV-2 at 4.5 nM as a dimeric (scFv)2. We anticipate our approach to be useful for recovering fully human antibodies with therapeutic potential.

  10. Failure to Recover from Proactive Semantic Interference and Abnormal Limbic Connectivity in Asymptomatic, Middle-Aged Offspring of Patients with Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sánchez, Stella M; Abulafia, Carolina; Duarte-Abritta, Barbara; de Guevara, M Soledad Ladrón; Castro, Mariana N; Drucaroff, Lucas; Sevlever, Gustavo; Nemeroff, Charles B; Vigo, Daniel E; Loewenstein, David A; Villarreal, Mirta F; Guinjoan, Salvador M

    2017-01-01

    We have obtained previous evidence of limbic dysfunction in middle-aged, asymptomatic offspring of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) patients, and failure to recover from proactive semantic interference has been shown to be a sensitive cognitive test in other groups at risk for LOAD. To assess the effects of specific proactive semantic interference deficits as they relate to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) neocortical and limbic functional connectivity in middle aged offspring of individuals with LOAD (O-LOAD) and age-equivalent controls. We examined 21 O-LOAD and 20 controls without family history of neurodegenerative disorders (CS) on traditional measures of cognitive functioning and the LASSI-L, a novel semantic interference test uniquely sensitive to the failure to recover from proactive interference (frPSI). Cognitive tests then were correlated to fMRI connectivity of seeds located in entorhinal cortex and anterodorsal thalamic nuclei among O-LOAD and CS participants. Relative to CS, O-LOAD participants evidenced lower connectivity between entorhinal cortex and orbitofrontal, anterior cingulate, and anterior temporal cortex. In the offspring of LOAD patients, LASSI-L measures of frPSI were inversely associated with connectivity between anterodorsal thalamus and contralateral posterior cingulate. Intrusions on the task related to frPSI were inversely correlated with a widespread connectivity network involving hippocampal, insular, posterior cingulate, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices, along with precunei and anterior thalamus in this group. Different patterns of connectivity associated with frPSI were observed among controls. The present results suggest that both semantic interference deficits and connectivity abnormalities might reflect limbic circuit dysfunction as a very early clinical signature of LOAD pathology, as previously demonstrated for other limbic phenotypes, such as sleep and circadian alterations.

  11. Process for recovering yttrium and lanthanides from wet-process phosphoric acid

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Janssen, J.A.; Weterings, C.A.

    1983-06-28

    Process for recovering yttrium and lanthanides from wet-process phosphoric acid by adding a flocculant to the phosphoric acid, separating out the resultant precipitate and then recovering yttrium and lanthanides from the precipitate. Uranium is recovered from the remaining phosphoric acid.

  12. Recovering heavy rare earth metals from magnet scrap

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ott, Ryan T.; McCallum, Ralph W.; Jones, Lawrence L.

    2017-08-08

    A method of treating rare earth metal-bearing permanent magnet scrap, waste or other material in a manner to recover the heavy rare earth metal content separately from the light rare earth metal content. The heavy rare earth metal content can be recovered either as a heavy rare earth metal-enriched iron based alloy or as a heavy rare earth metal based alloy.

  13. Antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella spp. recovered from patients admitted to six different hospitals in Tehran, Iran from 2007 to 2008

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tajbakhsh, Mercedeh; Hendriksen, Rene S.; Nochi, Zahra

    2012-01-01

    were screened for the presence of Salmonella, serotyped, tested for antimicrobial susceptibility using disk diffusion and examined for the presence of relevant resistance genes and integrons by PCR. A total of 1,120 patients were screened for the presence of Salmonella. Out of 71 Salmonella isolates...... recovered, the following serovars were identified: 17 Typhi, 14 Paratyphi C, 13 Enteritidis, 11 Paratyphi B, 10 Paratyphi A and six Infantis. Most resistance was observed towards sulfamethoxazole (30%), tetracyclines (25%), nalidixic acid (22%), spectinomycin (17%), trimethoprim (15%), ampicillin (14......%) and kanamycin (14%). The tetracycline resistance genes tet(A), tet(B), and tet(G) were found in 28%, 14% and 6% of the tetracycline resistant isolates, respectively. The genes aadA, aadB, strA, strB and aphA1-Iab were present in 83%, 55%, 34%, 1% and 17% of the aminoglycoside resistant isolates, respectively...

  14. Electrochemical performance studies of MnO2 nanoflowers recovered from spent battery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ali, Gomaa A.M.; Tan, Ling Ling; Jose, Rajan; Yusoff, Mashitah M.; Chong, Kwok Feng

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • MnO 2 is recovered from spent zinc–carbon batteries as nanoflowers structure. • Recovered MnO 2 nanoflowers show high specific capacitance. • Recovered MnO 2 nanoflowers show stable electrochemical cycling up to 900 cycles. • Recovered MnO 2 nanoflowers show low resistance in EIS data. - Abstract: The electrochemical performance of MnO 2 nanoflowers recovered from spent household zinc–carbon battery is studied by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge/discharge cycling and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. MnO 2 nanoflowers are recovered from spent zinc–carbon battery by combination of solution leaching and electrowinning techniques. In an effort to utilize recovered MnO 2 nanoflowers as energy storage supercapacitor, it is crucial to understand their structure and electrochemical performance. X-ray diffraction analysis confirms the recovery of MnO 2 in birnessite phase, while electron microscopy analysis shows the MnO 2 is recovered as 3D nanostructure with nanoflower morphology. The recovered MnO 2 nanoflowers exhibit high specific capacitance (294 F g −1 at 10 mV s −1 ; 208.5 F g −1 at 0.1 A g −1 ) in 1 M Na 2 SO 4 electrolyte, with stable electrochemical cycling. Electrochemical data analysis reveal the great potential of MnO 2 nanoflowers recovered from spent zinc–carbon battery in the development of high performance energy storage supercapacitor system

  15. Aerobic training in persons who have recovered from juvenile dermatomyositis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Riisager, M; Mathiesen, P R; Vissing, J

    2013-01-01

    A recent study has shown that 36 persons who had recovered from juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) have on average an 18% decrease in maximal oxygen uptake. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of a 12-week aerobic training program in this group, and assess whether aerobic training...... can normalize aerobic capacity to the expected level for age and gender. The patients participating in the study, one male and nine females (16-42years of age), were in remission from JDM, defined as no clinical or biochemical evidence of disease activity and no medical treatment for 1year...

  16. A molecular study on the prevalence and virulence potential of Aeromonas spp. recovered from patients suffering from diarrhea in Israel.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yigal Senderovich

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Species of the genus Aeromonas are native inhabitants of aquatic environments and have recently been considered emerging human pathogens. Although the gastrointestinal tract is by far the most common anatomic site from which aeromonads are recovered, their role as etiologic agents of bacterial diarrhea is still disputed. Aeromonas-associated diarrhea is a phenomenon occurring worldwide; however, the exact prevalence of Aeromonas infections on a global scale is unknown. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The prevalence and virulence potential of Aeromonas in patients suffering from diarrhea in Israel was studied using molecular methods. 1,033 diarrheal stools were sampled between April and September 2010 and Aeromonas species were identified in 17 (∼2% patients by sequencing the rpoD gene. Aeromonas species identity and abundance was: A. caviae (65%, A. veronii (29% and Aeromonas taiwanensis (6%. This is the first clinical record of A. taiwanensis as a diarrheal causative since its recent discovery from a wound infection in a patient in Taiwan. Most of the patients (77% from which Aeromonas species were isolated were negative for any other pathogens. The patients ranged from 1 to 92 years in age. Aeromonas isolates were found to possess different virulence-associated genes: ahpB (88%, pla/lip/lipH3/apl-1 (71%, act/hlyA/aerA (35%, alt (18%, ast (6%, fla (65%, lafA (41%, TTSS ascV (12%, TTSS ascF-ascG (12%, TTSS-dependent ADP-ribosylating toxins aexU (41% and aexT (6% in various combinations. Most of the identified strains were resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics but susceptible to third-generation cephalosporin antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS: Aeromonas may be a causative agent of diarrhea in patients in Israel and therefore should be included in routine bacteriological screenings.

  17. Can Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy Preserve Oral Health-Related Quality of Life of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pow, Edmond H.N.; Kwong, Dora L.W.; Sham, Jonathan S.T.; Lee, Victor H.F.; Ng, Sherry C.Y.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: To investigate the changes in salivary function and oral health-related quality of life for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated by intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Methods and Materials: A total of 57 patients with early-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma received IMRT. The parotid and whole saliva flow was measured, and the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item short form, European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life questionnaire-C30, European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life questionnaire 35-item head-and-neck module, and Oral Health Impact Profile questionnaires were completed at baseline and 2, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after IMRT. Results: Parotid saliva flow recovered fully after 1 year and maintained. Whole saliva flow recovered partially to 40% of baseline. A general trend of deterioration in most quality of life scales was observed after IMRT, followed by gradual recovery. Persistent oral-related symptoms were found 2 years after treatment. Conclusion: IMRT for early-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma could only partially preserve the whole salivary function and oral health-related quality of life.

  18. Can Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy Preserve Oral Health-Related Quality of Life of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pow, Edmond H.N., E-mail: ehnpow@hku.hk [Oral Rehabilitation, University of Hong Kong Faculty of Dentistry, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (China); Kwong, Dora L.W.; Sham, Jonathan S.T.; Lee, Victor H.F.; Ng, Sherry C.Y. [Department of Clinical Oncology, University of Hong Kong Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Hong Kong)

    2012-06-01

    Purpose: To investigate the changes in salivary function and oral health-related quality of life for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated by intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Methods and Materials: A total of 57 patients with early-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma received IMRT. The parotid and whole saliva flow was measured, and the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item short form, European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life questionnaire-C30, European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life questionnaire 35-item head-and-neck module, and Oral Health Impact Profile questionnaires were completed at baseline and 2, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after IMRT. Results: Parotid saliva flow recovered fully after 1 year and maintained. Whole saliva flow recovered partially to 40% of baseline. A general trend of deterioration in most quality of life scales was observed after IMRT, followed by gradual recovery. Persistent oral-related symptoms were found 2 years after treatment. Conclusion: IMRT for early-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma could only partially preserve the whole salivary function and oral health-related quality of life.

  19. A Fully Automated Penumbra Segmentation Tool

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nagenthiraja, Kartheeban; Ribe, Lars Riisgaard; Hougaard, Kristina Dupont

    2012-01-01

    Introduction: Perfusion- and diffusion weighted MRI (PWI/DWI) is widely used to select patients who are likely to benefit from recanalization therapy. The visual identification of PWI-DWI-mismatch tissue depends strongly on the observer, prompting a need for software, which estimates potentially...... salavageable tissue, quickly and accurately. We present a fully Automated Penumbra Segmentation (APS) algorithm using PWI and DWI images. We compare automatically generated PWI-DWI mismatch mask to mask outlined manually by experts, in 168 patients. Method: The algorithm initially identifies PWI lesions......) at 600∙10-6 mm2/sec. Due to the nature of thresholding, the ADC mask overestimates the DWI lesion volume and consequently we initialized level-set algorithm on DWI image with ADC mask as prior knowledge. Combining the PWI and inverted DWI mask then yield the PWI-DWI mismatch mask. Four expert raters...

  20. Towards a fully self-consistent inversion combining historical and paleomagnetic data for geomagnetic field reconstructions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arneitz, P.; Leonhardt, R.; Fabian, K.; Egli, R.

    2017-12-01

    Historical and paleomagnetic data are the two main sources of information about the long-term geomagnetic field evolution. Historical observations extend to the late Middle Ages, and prior to the 19th century, they consisted mainly of pure declination measurements from navigation and orientation logs. Field reconstructions going back further in time rely solely on magnetization acquired by rocks, sediments, and archaeological artefacts. The combined dataset is characterized by a strongly inhomogeneous spatio-temporal distribution and highly variable data reliability and quality. Therefore, an adequate weighting of the data that correctly accounts for data density, type, and realistic error estimates represents the major challenge for an inversion approach. Until now, there has not been a fully self-consistent geomagnetic model that correctly recovers the variation of the geomagnetic dipole together with the higher-order spherical harmonics. Here we present a new geomagnetic field model for the last 4 kyrs based on historical, archeomagnetic and volcanic records. The iterative Bayesian inversion approach targets the implementation of reliable error treatment, which allows different record types to be combined in a fully self-consistent way. Modelling results will be presented along with a thorough analysis of model limitations, validity and sensitivity.

  1. 33 CFR 385.20 - Restoration Coordination and Verification (RECOVER).

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... applying system-wide models and tools; and evaluating modifications to the Plan. RECOVER is not a policy... accordance with § 385.31, RECOVER shall conduct credible scientific assessments of hydrological, water... available science and that the results are provided for external peer review, as appropriate, and are made...

  2. Method of recovering hydrocarbons from oil shale

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Walton, D.K.; Slusser, M.S.

    1970-11-24

    A method is described for recovering hydrocarbons from an oil-shale formation by in situ retorting. A well penetrating the formation is heated and gas is injected until a pressure buildup within the well is reached, due to a decrease in the conductivity of naturally occurring fissures within the formation. The well is then vented, in order to produce spalling of the walls. This results in the formation of an enlarged cavity containing rubberized oil shale. A hot gas then is passed through the rubberized oil shale in order to retort hydrocarbons and these hydrocarbons are recovered from the well. (11 claims)

  3. [Complications and the management of fully covered retrievable metal stent placement in benign tracheal stenosis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zheng-yu; Wang, Yong-li; Chen, Guang-li; Liang, Xi-hong; Wang, Zhen-chang; Ma, Jian-zhong; Wu, Guang-zhong; Zhang, Xiao-ping

    2012-11-01

    To study complications and the management of the use of covered retrievable expandable metallic stents in the treatment of benign tracheal stenosis. Fully covered retrievable metal stents were placed in 21 patients with benign tracheal stenosis. Stent-related complications and the management were reviewed and analysed. Twenty-eight fully covered retrievable metallic stents were successfully placed fluoroscopically in 21 patients. Stents were removed 4 - 12 months [mean (5.5 ± 2.2) mouths] after placement in all patients. Stent-related complications included granulation tissue (n = 18), stent migration (n = 4), stent expectoration (n = 2), halitosis (n = 8), mucous retention (n = 21) and mucus plugging (n = 1). Granulation tissue was removed with a carbon dioxide laser in 2 patients. Stents were replaced for 2 times and 3 times respectively in 2 patients after stent migration and stent expectoration. An additional stent was placed in 2 patients after stent migration. Symptom of halitosis was relieved after prolonged course of systemic antibiotics treatment in 8 patients. Symptom of mucous retention was relieved with nebulized saline and N-acetylcysteine saline inhalation. Mucous plug was expelled after severe coughing after suctioning using an aspirator in one patient. There were statistically significant differences in stricture diameter, rank of tachypnea and pulmonary function (FEV(1)) in all 21 patients before stent insertion and after stents removal. No patient has experienced recurrence during the follow-up period of 1 - 36 months [mean (23.2 ± 8.0) months]. Fully covered retrievable metallic stent may be a safe and effective in benign tracheal stenosis. Stent-related complications may be effectively managed.

  4. Process of recovering bituminous materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1920-08-22

    A modification of the process covered by German Patent 389,393 for recovering bituminous materials from oil shale by extraction is disclosed consisting, in place of or besides wood spirit oil, of acetone oil, suitably of boiling point 80 to 130/sup 0/C, being used as the extraction medium.

  5. Antimicrobial activity of ceftaroline and other anti-infective agents against microbial pathogens recovered from the surgical intensive care patient population: a prevalence analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edmiston, Charles E; Krepel, Candace J; Leaper, David; Ledeboer, Nathan A; Mackey, Tami-Lea; Graham, Mary Beth; Lee, Cheong; Rossi, Peter J; Brown, Kellie R; Lewis, Brian D; Seabrook, Gary R

    2014-12-01

    Ceftaroline is a new parenteral cephalosporin agent with excellent activity against methicillin-sensitive (MSSA) and resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Critically ill surgical patients are susceptible to infection, often by multi-drug-resistant pathogens. The activity of ceftaroline against such pathogens has not been described. Three hundred thirty-five consecutive microbial isolates were collected from surgical wounds or abscesses, respiratory, urine, and blood cultures from patients in the surgical intensive care unit (SICU) of a major tertiary medical center. Using Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) standard methodology and published breakpoints, all aerobic, facultative anaerobic isolates were tested against ceftaroline and selected comparative antimicrobial agents. All staphylococcal isolates were susceptible to ceftaroline at a breakpoint of ≤1.0 mcg/mL. In addition, ceftaroline exhibited excellent activity against all streptococcal clinical isolates and non-ESBL-producing strains of Enterobacteriaceae (93.5%) recovered from SICU patients. Ceftaroline was inactive against ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, and selective gram-negative anaerobic bacteria. At present, ceftaroline is the only cephalosporin agent that is active against community and healthcare-associated MRSA. Further studies are needed to validate the benefit of this novel broad-spectrum anti-infective agent for the treatment of susceptible serious infections in the SICU patient population.

  6. A theoretical framework for understanding recovered memory experiences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brewin, Chris R

    2012-01-01

    If recovered memory experiences appear counter-intuitive, this is in part due to misconceptions about trauma and memory, and to a failure to adopt a comprehensive model of memory that distinguishes personal semantic memory, autobiographical event memory, and memory appraisal. Memory performance is generally superior when events, including traumas, are central to identity. Prolonged trauma in childhood, however, can produce severe identity disturbances that may interfere with the encoding and later retrieval of personal semantic and autobiographical event information. High levels of emotion either at encoding or recall can also interfere with the creation of coherent narrative memories. For example, high levels of shock and fear when memories are recovered unexpectedly may lead to the experience of vivid flashbacks. Memory appraisals may also influence the sense that an event has been forgotten for a long time. Recovered memories, although unusual, do not contradict what we know about how memory works.

  7. On the recovering of a coupled nonlinear Schroedinger potential

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Corona, Gulmaro Corona [Area de Analisis Matematico y sus Aplicaciones, Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana, Atzcapotzalco, DF (Mexico)]. E-mail: ccg@hp9000a1.uam.mx

    2000-04-28

    We establish a priori conditions for a Gel'fand-Levitan (GL) integral using some results of the Fredholm theory. As consequence, we obtain a recovering formula for the potential of the coupled nonlinear Schroedinger equations. The remarkable fact is that the recovering formula is given in terms of the solutions of a classical GL-integral equation. (author)

  8. Method of recovering phosphoric acid type decontaminating electrolytes by electrodeposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sasaki, Takashi; Wada, Koichi; Kobayashi, Toshio.

    1985-01-01

    Purpose: To recoving phosphoric acid type highly concentrated decontaminating liquid used for the electrolytic decontamination of contaminated equipments, components, etc in nuclear power plants or the like through electrodeposition by diaphragm electrolysis. Method: Before supplying phosphoric acid decontaminating liquid at high concentration used in the electrolytic decontaminating step to an electrodeposition recovering tank, phosphoric acid in the decontaminating electrolyte is extracted with solvents and decomposed liquid extracts (electrolyte reduced with the phosphoric acid component) are supplied to the cathode chamber of the electrodeposition recovering tank, where phosphoric acid is back-extracted with water from the solvents after extraction of phosphoric acid. Then, the back-extracted liquids (aqueous phosphoric acid solution scarcely containing metal ions) are sent to the anode chamber of the electrodeposition recovering tank. Metal ions in the liquid are captured by electrodeposition in the cathode chamber, as well as phosphoric acid in the liquids is concentrated to the initial concentration of the electrolyte in the anode chamber for reuse as the decontaminating electrolyte. As the phosphoric acid extracting agent used in the electrodeposition recovering step for the decontaminating electrolyte, water-insoluble and non-combustible tributyl phosphate (TBP) is most effective. (Horiuchi, T.)

  9. Healing the incest wound: a treatment update with attention to recovered-memory issues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Courtois, C A

    1997-01-01

    This article provides an updated treatment model for adults who report having experienced incestuous abuse in childhood. It integrates psychodynamic, traumatic stress, developmental and feminist formulations, accords greater emphasis to object relations and self-psychology perspectives, includes more attention to dissociative reactions, and utilizes more cognitive-behavioral interventions. It is also responsive to issues raised in the recovered/false memory controversy. This holistic model is sequenced, paced, and titrated according to the patient's characterological structure, ego strength, and needs as well as the range and severity of presenting problems and life difficulties. Special consideration is given to issues pertaining to memory and the maintenance of a neutral stance by the therapist, especially in the case of recovered rather than continuous memories and/or suspicions rather than actual knowledge of abuse. Contemporary perspectives regarding some of the unique transference, countertransference, and vicarious traumatization issues with this population and their potential impact on treatment are also discussed.

  10. Solid recovered fuels in the steel industry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kepplinger, Werner L; Tappeiner, Tamara

    2012-04-01

    By using waste materials as alternative fuels in metallurgical plants it is possible to minimize the traditionally used reducing agents, such as coke, coal, oil or natural gas. Moreover, by using waste materials in the metallurgical industry it is feasible to recover these materials as far as possible. This also represents another step towards environmental protection because carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced, if the H(2) content of the waste material is greater in comparison with that of the substituted fuel and the effects of global warming can therefore be reduced. In the present article various solid recovered fuels and their applications in the metallurgical industry are detailed.

  11. 10-year survival rate and the incidence of peri-implant disease of 374 titanium dental implants with a SLA surface: a prospective cohort study in 177 fully and partially edentulous patients

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Velzen, F.J.J.; Ofec, R.; Schulten, E.A.J.M.; ten Bruggenkate, C.M.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose This prospective cohort study evaluates the 10-year survival and incidence of peri-implant disease at implant and patient level of sandblasted, large grid, and acid-etched titanium dental implants (Straumann, soft tissue level, SLA surface) in fully and partially edentulous patients.

  12. Recovering uranium and/or aluminium from refractory silico-aluminous material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Livesey-Goldblatt, E.; Nagy, I.F.; Tunley, T.H.

    1983-01-01

    A process for recovering uranium and/or aluminium from a refractory silico-aluminous material comprises leaching the material in one or more stages, obtaining a pregnant solution which contains little or no acid and recovering the desired metal from the solution

  13. Validation of Fully Automated VMAT Plan Generation for Library-Based Plan-of-the-Day Cervical Cancer Radiotherapy

    OpenAIRE

    Sharfo, Abdul Wahab M.; Breedveld, Sebastiaan; Voet, Peter W. J.; Heijkoop, Sabrina T.; Mens, Jan-Willem M.; Hoogeman, Mischa S.; Heijmen, Ben J. M.

    2016-01-01

    textabstractPurpose: To develop and validate fully automated generation of VMAT plan-libraries for plan-of-the-day adaptive radiotherapy in locally-advanced cervical cancer. Material and Methods: Our framework for fully automated treatment plan generation (Erasmus-iCycle) was adapted to create dual-arc VMAT treatment plan libraries for cervical cancer patients. For each of 34 patients, automatically generated VMAT plans (autoVMAT) were compared to manually generated, clinically delivered 9-be...

  14. Automated monitoring of recovered water quality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Misselhorn, J. E.; Hartung, W. H.; Witz, S. W.

    1974-01-01

    Laboratory prototype water quality monitoring system provides automatic system for online monitoring of chemical, physical, and bacteriological properties of recovered water and for signaling malfunction in water recovery system. Monitor incorporates whenever possible commercially available sensors suitably modified.

  15. Recovering of images degraded by atmosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Guang; Feng, Huajun; Xu, Zhihai; Li, Qi; Chen, Yueting

    2017-08-01

    Remote sensing images are seriously degraded by multiple scattering and bad weather. Through the analysis of the radiative transfer procedure in atmosphere, an image atmospheric degradation model considering the influence of atmospheric absorption multiple scattering and non-uniform distribution is proposed in this paper. Based on the proposed model, a novel recovering method is presented to eliminate atmospheric degradation. Mean-shift image segmentation and block-wise deconvolution are used to reduce time cost, retaining a good result. The recovering results indicate that the proposed method can significantly remove atmospheric degradation and effectively improve contrast compared with other removal methods. The results also illustrate that our method is suitable for various degraded remote sensing, including images with large field of view (FOV), images taken in side-glance situations, image degraded by atmospheric non-uniform distribution and images with various forms of clouds.

  16. Fully nonlinear heavy ion-acoustic solitary waves in astrophysical degenerate relativistic quantum plasmas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sultana, S.; Schlickeiser, R.

    2018-05-01

    Fully nonlinear features of heavy ion-acoustic solitary waves (HIASWs) have been investigated in an astrophysical degenerate relativistic quantum plasma (ADRQP) containing relativistically degenerate electrons and non-relativistically degenerate light ion species, and non-degenerate heavy ion species. The pseudo-energy balance equation is derived from the fluid dynamical equations by adopting the well-known Sagdeev-potential approach, and the properties of arbitrary amplitude HIASWs are examined. The small amplitude limit for the propagation of HIASWs is also recovered. The basic features (width, amplitude, polarity, critical Mach number, speed, etc.) of HIASWs are found to be significantly modified by the relativistic effect of the electron species, and also by the variation of the number density of electron, light ion, and heavy ion species. The basic properties of HIASWs, that may propagated in some realistic astrophysical plasma systems (e.g., in white dwarfs), are briefly discussed.

  17. Fully automated MRI-guided robotics for prostate brachytherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stoianovici, D.; Vigaru, B.; Petrisor, D.; Muntener, M.; Patriciu, A.; Song, D.

    2008-01-01

    The uncertainties encountered in the deployment of brachytherapy seeds are related to the commonly used ultrasound imager and the basic instrumentation used for the implant. An alternative solution is under development in which a fully automated robot is used to place the seeds according to the dosimetry plan under direct MRI-guidance. Incorporation of MRI-guidance creates potential for physiological and molecular image-guided therapies. Moreover, MRI-guided brachytherapy is also enabling for re-estimating dosimetry during the procedure, because with the MRI the seeds already implanted can be localised. An MRI compatible robot (MrBot) was developed. The robot is designed for transperineal percutaneous prostate interventions, and customised for fully automated MRI-guided brachytherapy. With different end-effectors, the robot applies to other image-guided interventions of the prostate. The robot is constructed of non-magnetic and dielectric materials and is electricity free using pneumatic actuation and optic sensing. A new motor (PneuStep) was purposely developed to set this robot in motion. The robot fits alongside the patient in closed-bore MRI scanners. It is able to stay fully operational during MR imaging without deteriorating the quality of the scan. In vitro, cadaver, and animal tests showed millimetre needle targeting accuracy, and very precise seed placement. The robot tested without any interference up to 7T. The robot is the first fully automated robot to function in MRI scanners. Its first application is MRI-guided seed brachytherapy. It is capable of automated, highly accurate needle placement. Extensive testing is in progress prior to clinical trials. Preliminary results show that the robot may become a useful image-guided intervention instrument. (author)

  18. 76 FR 36176 - Fully Developed Claim (Fully Developed Claims-Applications for Compensation, Pension, DIC, Death...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-06-21

    ... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS [OMB Control No. 2900-0747] Fully Developed Claim (Fully Developed Claims--Applications for Compensation, Pension, DIC, Death Pension, and/or Accrued Benefits); Correction AGENCY: Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs. ACTION: Notice; correction...

  19. Cortical neuroplasticity in patients recovering from acute optic neuritis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Korsholm, Kirsten; Madsen, Kristoffer Hougaard; Frederiksen, Jette L.

    2008-01-01

    MRI, to reveal a clearer pattern of neuroplasticity, across a mixed patient population. A longitudinal fMRI-study of visual function in 19 ON patients examined at four timepoints between presentation and 6 months was performed. Four different models were compared. The first model included the four different......Patients with optic neuritis (ON) undergo cortical and subcortical neuroplasticity as revealed by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). However, the effect of the heterogeneity of scotomas his not been adequately addressed previously. We introduce a new method of modelling scotomas in f...... examination timepoints as separate explanatory variables without adjustment for Visual held defects. The second model also included covariates reflecting subject-specific deviations in Visual field defect from the average group value of the Humphrey mean deviation (HMD) at each examination timepoint...

  20. 15 CFR 990.65 - Opening an account for recovered damages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... Trade (Continued) NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE OIL POLLUTION... an account for recovered damages. (a) General. Sums recovered by trustees in satisfaction of a... be used to implement the Final Restoration Plan or all or an appropriate component of a Regional...

  1. Methods of recovering alkali metals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krumhansl, James L; Rigali, Mark J

    2014-03-04

    Approaches for alkali metal extraction, sequestration and recovery are described. For example, a method of recovering alkali metals includes providing a CST or CST-like (e.g., small pore zeolite) material. The alkali metal species is scavenged from the liquid mixture by the CST or CST-like material. The alkali metal species is extracted from the CST or CST-like material.

  2. Cancer cells recovering from damage exhibit mitochondrial restructuring and increased aerobic glycolysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Akakura, Shin; Ostrakhovitch, Elena; Sanokawa-Akakura, Reiko [Frontiers in Bioscience Research Institute in Aging and Cancer, University of California, Irvine, CA (United States); Tabibzadeh, Siamak, E-mail: fbs@bioscience.org [Frontiers in Bioscience Research Institute in Aging and Cancer, University of California, Irvine, CA (United States); Dept of Oncologic Radiology, University of California, Irvine, CA (United States)

    2014-06-13

    Highlights: • Some cancer cells recover from severe damage that causes cell death in majority of cells. • Damage-Recovered (DR) cancer cells show reduced mitochondria, mDNA and mitochondrial enzymes. • DR cells show increased aerobic glycolysis, ATP, cell proliferation, and resistance to damage. • DR cells recovered from in vivo damage also show increased glycolysis and proliferation rate. - Abstract: Instead of relying on mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, most cancer cells rely heavily on aerobic glycolysis, a phenomenon termed as “the Warburg effect”. We considered that this effect is a direct consequence of damage which persists in cancer cells that recover from damage. To this end, we studied glycolysis and rate of cell proliferation in cancer cells that recovered from severe damage. We show that in vitro Damage-Recovered (DR) cells exhibit mitochondrial structural remodeling, display Warburg effect, and show increased in vitro and in vivo proliferation and tolerance to damage. To test whether cancer cells derived from tumor microenvironment can show similar properties, we isolated Damage-Recovered (T{sup DR}) cells from tumors. We demonstrate that T{sup DR} cells also show increased aerobic glycolysis and a high proliferation rate. These findings show that Warburg effect and its consequences are induced in cancer cells that survive severe damage.

  3. Recovery of menstruation after long-term chemotherapy and endocrine therapy in pre-menopausal patients with breast cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sakurai, Kenichi; Enomoto, Katsuhisa; Amano, Sadao

    2011-04-01

    A luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) agonist and tamoxifen (TAM) are used in hormonal therapy following pre- and post-operative chemotherapy in pre-menopausal advanced breast cancer patients who are positive for hormone receptors. However, it remains to be clarified how often patients recover menstruation after long-term LH-RH agonist plus TAM therapy. In this study, the incidence of menstruation recovery after therapy was examined. The subjects included 125 pre-menopausal patients with breast cancer who were positive for hormone receptors and had undergone surgery at our institution. They were treated with four cycles of the CEF regimen and four cycles of docetaxel (Doc) before surgery as adjuvant chemotherapy. Thereafter, they were treated with an LH-RH agonist plus TAM for 24 months and followed to determine menstruation recovery. Menstruation resumed in 24 cases (19.2%) after the last LH-RH agonist treatment session. It took 7.3 ± 2.8 months for the patients to recover menstruation. The rate of menstruation recovery was 42.1% in patients aged 40 or younger and 9.2% in those aged 41 or older; the difference was significant. The period until menstruation recovery tended to be longer in older patients at the end of treatment. The menstruation recovery rate after therapy was higher in younger women. However, since ovarian function may be lost even in younger patients, the potential consequences of this therapy should be fully explained beforehand to patients who may wish to become pregnant.

  4. Beam position monitor for energy recovered linac beams

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Powers, Thomas; Evtushenko, Pavel

    2017-06-06

    A method of determining the beam position in an energy recovered linac (ERL). The method makes use of in phase and quadrature (I/Q) demodulation techniques to separate the pickup signal generated by the electromagnetic fields generated by the first and second pass beam in the energy recovered linac. The method includes using analog or digital based I/Q demodulation techniques in order to measure the relative amplitude of the signals from a position sensitive beam pickup such as a button, strip line or microstripline beam position monitor.

  5. Discrete neurocognitive subgroups in fully or partially remitted bipolar disorder

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Johan Høy; Knorr, Ulla; Vinberg, Maj

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Neurocognitive impairment in remitted patients with bipolar disorder contributes to functional disabilities. However, the pattern and impact of these deficits are unclear. METHODS: We pooled data from 193 fully or partially remitted patients with bipolar disorder and 110 healthy...... controls. Hierarchical cluster analysis was conducted to determine whether there are discrete neurocognitive subgroups in bipolar disorder. The pattern of the cognitive deficits and the characteristics of patients in these neurocognitive subgroups were examined with analyses of covariance and least...... was cross-sectional which limits inferences regarding the causality of the findings. CONCLUSION: Globally and selectively impaired bipolar disorder patients displayed more functional disabilities than those who were cognitively intact. The present findings highlight a clinical need to systematically screen...

  6. Recovering the 3d Pose and Shape of Vehicles from Stereo Images

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coenen, M.; Rottensteiner, F.; Heipke, C.

    2018-05-01

    The precise reconstruction and pose estimation of vehicles plays an important role, e.g. for autonomous driving. We tackle this problem on the basis of street level stereo images obtained from a moving vehicle. Starting from initial vehicle detections, we use a deformable vehicle shape prior learned from CAD vehicle data to fully reconstruct the vehicles in 3D and to recover their 3D pose and shape. To fit a deformable vehicle model to each detection by inferring the optimal parameters for pose and shape, we define an energy function leveraging reconstructed 3D data, image information, the vehicle model and derived scene knowledge. To minimise the energy function, we apply a robust model fitting procedure based on iterative Monte Carlo model particle sampling. We evaluate our approach using the object detection and orientation estimation benchmark of the KITTI dataset (Geiger et al., 2012). Our approach can deal with very coarse pose initialisations and we achieve encouraging results with up to 82 % correct pose estimations. Moreover, we are able to deliver very precise orientation estimation results with an average absolute error smaller than 4°.

  7. A fully integral, differential, high-speed, low-power consumption CMOS recovery clock circuit

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel Pacheco Bautista

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available The clock recovery circuit (CRC plays a fundamental role in electronic information recovery systems (hard disks, DVD and CD read/writeable units and baseband digital communication systems in recovering the clock signal contained in the received data. This signal is necessary for synchronising subsequent information processing. Nowadays, this task is difficult to achieve because of the data’s random nature and its high transfer rate. This paper presents the design of a high-performance integral CMOS technology clock recovery circuit (CRC wor-king at 1.2 Gbps and only consuming 17.4 mW using a 3.3V power supply. The circuit was fully differentially designed to obtain high performance. Circuit architecture was based on a conventional phase lock loop (PLL, current mode logic (MCML and a novel two stage ring-based voltage controlled oscillator (VCO. The design used 0.35 μm CMOS AMS process parameters. Hspice simulation results proved the circuit’s high performance, achieving tracking in less than 300 ns.

  8. Asymptotical construction of a fully coupled, Reissner–Mindlin model for piezoelectric composite plates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liao Lin; Yu Wenbin

    2008-01-01

    The variational asymptotic method is used to construct a fully coupled Reissner–Mindlin model for piezoelectric composite plates with some surfaces parallel to the reference surface coated with electrodes. Taking advantage of the smallness of the plate thickness, we asymptotically split the original three-dimensional electromechanical problem into a one-dimensional through-the-thickness analysis and a two-dimensional plate analysis. The through-the-thickness analysis serves as a link between the original three-dimensional analysis and the plate analysis by providing a constitutive model for the plate analysis and recovering the three-dimensional field variables in terms of two-dimensional plate global responses. The present theory is implemented into the computer program VAPAS (variational asymptotic plate and shell analysis). The resulting model is as simple as an equivalent single-layer, first-order shear deformation theory with accuracy comparable to higher-order layerwise theories. Various numerical examples have been used to validate the present model

  9. Recovering Parameters of Johnson's SB Distribution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernard R. Parresol

    2003-01-01

    A new parameter recovery model for Johnson's SB distribution is developed. This latest alternative approach permits recovery of the range and both shape parameters. Previous models recovered only the two shape parameters. Also, a simple procedure for estimating the distribution minimum from sample values is presented. The new methodology...

  10. Industrial recovered-materials-utilization targets for the textile-mill-products industry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    1979-01-01

    The Congress, in the National Energy Conservation and Policy Act of 1978 (NECPA), directed the Department of Energy to establish materials recovery targets for the metals and metal products, paper and allied products, rubber, and textile-mill-products industries. The targets were developed to provide incentives for using energy-saving recorded materials and to provied a yardstick for measuring progress and improvement in this endeavor. The NECPA indicates that the targets should represent the maximum technically and economically feasible increase in the use of energy-saving recovered materials that each industry can achieve progressively by January 1, 1987. Materials affected by recovered-materials targets include and are limited to aluminum, copper, lead, zinc, iron, steel, paper and associated products, textile-mill, products, and rubber. Using information gathered from the textile-mill-products industry and from other textile-relaed sources, DOE has developed recovered materials targets for that industry. This report presents those targets and their basis and justification. Following an overview of the textile industry, the chapters are: Textile-Mill-Products Industry Operations; Economic Analysis of the Textile-Mill-Products Industry; Governmental and Regulatory Influence on the US Textile Industry; Current Mill Use of Recovered Materials in the Textile-Mill-Products Industry; Limitations on the Use of Recovered Materials in the US Textile-Mill-Products Industry; Materials-Recovery Targets; and Government and Industry Actions That Could Increase the Use of Recovered Materials.

  11. Fully Depleted Charge-Coupled Devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holland, Stephen E.

    2006-01-01

    We have developed fully depleted, back-illuminated CCDs that build upon earlier research and development efforts directed towards technology development of silicon-strip detectors used in high-energy-physics experiments. The CCDs are fabricated on the same type of high-resistivity, float-zone-refined silicon that is used for strip detectors. The use of high-resistivity substrates allows for thick depletion regions, on the order of 200-300 um, with corresponding high detection efficiency for near-infrared and soft x-ray photons. We compare the fully depleted CCD to the p-i-n diode upon which it is based, and describe the use of fully depleted CCDs in astronomical and x-ray imaging applications

  12. Mothers recovering from cocaine addiction: factors affecting parenting skills.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coyer, S M

    2001-01-01

    To identify factors that may influence parenting by mothers who are recovering from cocaine addiction. Exploratory descriptive, with in-depth unstructured interviews. Interviews were conducted in the woman's home or in a treatment center. A convenience sample of 11 women recovering from cocaine addiction who were mothers of children 3 years of age and younger. A content analysis was used to analyze the interview data. Two themes, personal/psychologic factors and environmental/contextual factors, and four subthemes emerged. They identify issues that may affect parenting by mothers being treated for cocaine addiction. Subthemes included low self-esteem, difficulty developing a maternal identity, isolation from friends and family, and chronic life stress. This study provides a better understanding of the sources contributing to vulnerability in the parenting role for mothers recovering from cocaine addiction and will assist nurses in providing care for these mothers and their children.

  13. Recovering valuable metals from recycled photovoltaic modules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yi, Youn Kyu; Kim, Hyun Soo; Tran, Tam; Hong, Sung Kil; Kim, Myong Jun

    2014-07-01

    Recovering valuable metals such as Si, Ag, Cu, and Al has become a pressing issue as end-of-life photovoltaic modules need to be recycled in the near future to meet legislative requirements in most countries. Of major interest is the recovery and recycling of high-purity silicon (> 99.9%) for the production of wafers and semiconductors. The value of Si in crystalline-type photovoltaic modules is estimated to be -$95/kW at the 2012 metal price. At the current installed capacity of 30 GW/yr, the metal value in the PV modules represents valuable resources that should be recovered in the future. The recycling of end-of-life photovoltaic modules would supply > 88,000 and 207,000 tpa Si by 2040 and 2050, respectively. This represents more than 50% of the required Si for module fabrication. Experimental testwork on crystalline Si modules could recover a > 99.98%-grade Si product by HNO3/NaOH leaching to remove Al, Ag, and Ti and other metal ions from the doped Si. A further pyrometallurgical smelting at 1520 degrees C using CaO-CaF2-SiO2 slag mixture to scavenge the residual metals after acid leaching could finally produce > 99.998%-grade Si. A process based on HNO3/NaOH leaching and subsequent smelting is proposed for recycling Si from rejected or recycled photovoltaic modules. Implications: The photovoltaic industry is considering options of recycling PV modules to recover metals such as Si, Ag, Cu, Al, and others used in the manufacturing of the PV cells. This is to retain its "green" image and to comply with current legislations in several countries. An evaluation of potential resources made available from PV wastes and the technologies used for processing these materials is therefore of significant importance to the industry. Of interest are the costs of processing and the potential revenues gained from recycling, which should determine the viability of economic recycling of PV modules in the future.

  14. Daily Physical Activity and Health Condition in Patients Recovering from Myocardial Infarction. Actividad física cotidiana y estado de salud en pacientes recuperados de infarto miocárdico.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brandy Viera Valdés

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available

    Background: Most experts agree that physical training is the cornerstone of cardiac rehabilitation. It might be even more beneficial than appropriate control of coronary risk factors. Objective: To determine the impact of energy caloric expenditure caused by daily physical activity on fitness and health condition of patients recovering from myocardial infarction. Methods: A comparative study with 147 patients recovered from acute, low-risk myocardial infarction, which were grouped into three groups.Patients were all males, less than 61 years old (mean 54 ± 6.0 who had received medical attention at the University Hospital "Dr. Gustavo Aldereguía Lima’’ of Cienfuegos. Cardiac rehabilitation had not been carried out. Results: Individuals who typically engage in regular physical activity with energy expenditure over 150 calories a day showed, in their ergometer test, to be in better shape than those who spend less than 150 kilocalories a day. Nevertheless, as calories expenditure exceeded 300 kcal / day physical shape was much better but characteristic symptoms of cardiovascular risk increased. Conclusions: Simply by carrying out common ordinary activities such as walking, with energy caloric expenditure from 150 to 300 calories a day, may be beneficial for low-risk, post-infarct patients who did not receive cardiac rehabilitation. It also influences physical shape and decreases the probabilities of adverse effects emergence.

    Fundamento: La mayoría de los expertos coinciden en afirmar que el entrenamiento físico constituye la piedra angular en la rehabilitación cardiovascular. Este puede ser más beneficioso que el control adecuado de los factores de riesgos coronarios. Objetivo: Determinar la repercusión del consumo energético calórico por concepto de actividad física cotidiana, sobre la forma

  15. Upgraded RECOVER system - CASDAC system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamamoto, Yoichi; Koyama, Kinji

    1992-03-01

    The CASDAC (Containment And Surveillance Data Authenticated Communication) system has been developed by JAERI for nuclear safeguards and physical protection of nuclear material. This system was designed and constructed as an upgraded RECOVER system, design concept of which was based on the original RECOVER system and also the TRANSEAVER system. Both of them were developed several years ago as a remote monitoring system for continual verification of security and safeguards status of nuclear material. The system consists of two subsystems, one of them is a Grand Command Center (GCC) subsystem and the other is a facility subsystem. Communication between the two subsystems is controlled through the international telephone line network. Therefore all communication data are encrypted to prevent access by an unauthorized person who may intend to make a falsification, or tapping. The facility subsystem has an appropriate measure that ensure data security and reliable operation under unattended mode of operator. The software of this system is designed so as to be easily used in other different types of computers. This report describes the outline of the CASDAC system and the results of its performance test. This work has been carried out in the framework of Japan Support Programme for Agency Safeguards (JASPAS) as a project, JA-1. (author)

  16. Dynamic changes of serum SARS-Coronavirus IgG, pulmonary function and radiography in patients recovering from SARS after hospital discharge

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chen Liangan

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Objective The intent of this study was to examine the recovery of individuals who had been hospitalized for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS in the year following their discharge from the hospital. Parameters studied included serum levels of SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV IgG antibody, tests of lung function, and imaging data to evaluate changes in lung fibrosis. In addition, we explored the incidence of femoral head necrosis in some of the individuals recovering from SARS. Methods The subjects of this study were 383 clinically diagnosed SARS patients in Beijing, China. They were tested regularly for serum levels of SARS-CoV IgG antibody and lung function and were given chest X-rays and/or high resolution computerized tomography (HRCT examinations at the Chinese PLA General Hospital during the 12 months that followed their release from the hospital. Those individuals who were found to have lung diffusion abnormities (transfer coefficient for carbon monoxide [DLCO] Findings Of all the subjects, 81.2% (311 of 383 patients tested positive for serum SARS-CoV IgG. Of those testing positive, 27.3% (85 of 311 patients were suffering from lung diffusion abnormities (DLCO Interpretation The lack of sero-positive SARS-CoV in some individuals suggests that there may have been some misdiagnosed cases among the subjects included in this study. Of those testing positive, the serum levels of SARS-CoV IgG antibody decreased significantly during the 12 months after hospital discharge. Additionally, we found that the individuals who had lung fibrosis showed some spontaneous recovery. Finally, some of the subjects developed femoral head necrosis.

  17. The fully Mobile City Government Project (MCity)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Scholl, Hans; Fidel, Raya; Mai, Jens Erik

    2006-01-01

    The Fully Mobile City Government Project, also known as MCity, is an interdisciplinary research project on the premises, requirements, and effects of fully mobile, wirelessly connected applications (FWMC). The project will develop an analytical framework for interpreting the interaction and inter......The Fully Mobile City Government Project, also known as MCity, is an interdisciplinary research project on the premises, requirements, and effects of fully mobile, wirelessly connected applications (FWMC). The project will develop an analytical framework for interpreting the interaction...

  18. Methods for recovering precious metals from industrial waste

    Science.gov (United States)

    Canda, L.; Heput, T.; Ardelean, E.

    2016-02-01

    The accelerated rate of industrialization increases the demand for precious metals, while high quality natural resources are diminished quantitatively, with significant operating costs. Precious metals recovery can be successfully made from waste, considered to be secondary sources of raw material. In recent years, concerns and interest of researchers for more increasing efficient methods to recover these metals, taking into account the more severe environmental protection legislation. Precious metals are used in a wide range of applications, both in electronic and communications equipment, spacecraft and jet aircraft engines and for mobile phones or catalytic converters. The most commonly recovered precious metals are: gold from jewellery and electronics, silver from X- ray films and photographic emulsions, industrial applications (catalysts, batteries, glass/mirrors), jewellery; platinum group metals from catalytic converters, catalysts for the refining of crude oil, industrial catalysts, nitric acid manufacturing plant, the carbon-based catalyst, e-waste. An important aspect is the economic viability of recycling processes related to complex waste flows. Hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical routes are the most important ways of processing electrical and electronic equipment waste. The necessity of recovering precious metals has opened new opportunities for future research.

  19. Recovering metal values hydrometallurgically from spent dry battery cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rabah, M. A.; Barakat, M. A.; Mahrous, Y. Sh.

    1999-12-01

    A hydro-pyrometallurgical method was used to recover metal values from spent dry battery cells. Water-soluble ingredients were filtered, and solid residue was sorted by magnetic separation and water flotation. Parameters affecting the recovery efficiency were also studied. Results revealed that metallic parts, carbon rods, and paper were safely recovered; pure NH4Cl, MnO2, and ZnCl2 salts were obtained. Maximum recovery efficiencies reached 93 percent for manganese and 99.5 percent for zinc and NH4.

  20. Recovering uranium from coal in situ

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Terry, R.C.

    1978-01-01

    An underground carbonaceous deposit containing other mineral values is burned in situ. The underground hot zone is cooled down to temperature below the boiling point of a leachig solution. The leaching solution is percolated through the residial ash, with the pregnant solution recovered for separation of the mineral values in surface facilities

  1. Recovering valuable liquid hydrocarbons

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pier, M

    1931-06-11

    A process for recovering valuable liquid hydrocarbons from coking coal, mineral coal, or oil shale through treatment with hydrogen under pressure at elevated temperature is described. Catalysts and grinding oil may be used in the process if necessary. The process provides for deashing the coal prior to hydrogenation and for preventing the coking and swelling of the deashed material. During the treatment with hydrogen, the coal is either mixed with coal low in bituminous material, such as lean coal or active coal, as a diluent or the bituminous constituents which cause the coking and swelling are removed by extraction with solvents. (BLM)

  2. Recovering low-turbidity cutting liquid from silicon slurry waste.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsai, Tzu-Hsuan; Shih, Yu-Pei

    2014-04-30

    In order to recover a low-turbidity polyalkylene glycol (PAG) liquid from silicon slurry waste by sedimentation, temperatures were adjusted, and acetone, ethanol or water was used as a diluent. The experimental results show that the particles in the waste would aggregate and settle readily by using water as a diluent. This is because particle surfaces had lower surface potential value and weaker steric stabilization in PAG-water than in PAG-ethanol or PAG-acetone solutions. Therefore, water is the suggested diluent for recovering a low-turbidity PAG (sedimentation. After 50 wt.% water-assisted sedimentation for 21 days, the solid content of the upper liquid reduced to 0.122 g/L, and the turbidity decreased to 44 NTU. The obtained upper liquid was then vacuum-distillated to remove water. The final recovered PAG with 0.37 NTU had similar viscosity and density to the unused PAG and could be reused in the cutting process. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Recovering the observed b/c ratio in a dynamic spiral-armed cosmic ray model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Benyamin, David; Piran, Tsvi; Shaviv, Nir J.; Nakar, Ehud

    2014-01-01

    We develop a fully three-dimensional numerical code describing the diffusion of cosmic rays (CRs) in the Milky Way. It includes the nuclear spallation chain up to oxygen, and allows the study of various CR properties, such as the CR age, grammage traversed, and the ratio between secondary and primary particles. This code enables us to explore a model in which a large fraction of the CR acceleration takes place in the vicinity of galactic spiral arms that are dynamic. We show that the effect of having dynamic spiral arms is to limit the age of CRs at low energies. This is because at low energies the time since the last spiral arm passage governs the CR age, and not diffusion. Using the model, the observed spectral dependence of the secondary to primary ratio is recovered without requiring any further assumptions such as a galactic wind, re-acceleration or various assumptions on the diffusivity. In particular, we obtain a secondary to primary ratio which increases with energy below about 1 GeV.

  4. Percutaneous necrosectomy in patients with acute, necrotizing pancreatitis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bruennler, T.; Langgartner, J.; Lang, S.; Salzberger, B.; Schoelmerich, J. [University Hospital of Regensburg, Department of Internal Medicine 1, Regensburg (Germany); Zorger, N.; Herold, T.; Feuerbach, S.; Hamer, O.W. [University Hospital of Regensburg, Department of Radiology, Regensburg (Germany)

    2008-08-15

    The objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate the outcome of patients with acute necrotizing pancreatitis treated by active percutaneous necrosectomy. By searching the radiological, surgical and internal medicine databases, all patients with acute necrotizing pancreatitis treated by active percutaneous necrosectomy between 1992 and 2004 were identified. Demographic, laboratory, and clinical data, and details about invasive procedures were collected by reviewing patient charts, radiological and surgical reports. The computed tomography severity index (CTSI) scores were determined by reviewing CT images. Eighteen patients were identified. Median Ranson score on admission was 2. The Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score was median 22. Median CTSI score was 7. Initially all patients were treated with CT-guided drainage placement. Because passive drainage proved not to be effective, subsequent minimally invasive, percutaneous necrosectomy was performed. Eight out of 18 patients recovered fully without the need for surgery. Ten of 18 patients required additional surgical necrosectomy. For one of ten patients, percutaneous necrosectomy allowed postponing surgery by 39 days. Four of ten surgically treated patients died: three from septic multiorgan failure, one from pulmonary embolism. Percutaneous minimally invasive necrosectomy can be regarded as a safe and effective complementary treatment modality in patients with necrotizing pancreatitis. It is suitable for a subset of patients to avoid or delay surgery. (orig.)

  5. Percutaneous necrosectomy in patients with acute, necrotizing pancreatitis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bruennler, T.; Langgartner, J.; Lang, S.; Salzberger, B.; Schoelmerich, J.; Zorger, N.; Herold, T.; Feuerbach, S.; Hamer, O.W.

    2008-01-01

    The objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate the outcome of patients with acute necrotizing pancreatitis treated by active percutaneous necrosectomy. By searching the radiological, surgical and internal medicine databases, all patients with acute necrotizing pancreatitis treated by active percutaneous necrosectomy between 1992 and 2004 were identified. Demographic, laboratory, and clinical data, and details about invasive procedures were collected by reviewing patient charts, radiological and surgical reports. The computed tomography severity index (CTSI) scores were determined by reviewing CT images. Eighteen patients were identified. Median Ranson score on admission was 2. The Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score was median 22. Median CTSI score was 7. Initially all patients were treated with CT-guided drainage placement. Because passive drainage proved not to be effective, subsequent minimally invasive, percutaneous necrosectomy was performed. Eight out of 18 patients recovered fully without the need for surgery. Ten of 18 patients required additional surgical necrosectomy. For one of ten patients, percutaneous necrosectomy allowed postponing surgery by 39 days. Four of ten surgically treated patients died: three from septic multiorgan failure, one from pulmonary embolism. Percutaneous minimally invasive necrosectomy can be regarded as a safe and effective complementary treatment modality in patients with necrotizing pancreatitis. It is suitable for a subset of patients to avoid or delay surgery. (orig.)

  6. Fully automated atlas-based hippocampal volumetry for detection of Alzheimer's disease in a memory clinic setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suppa, Per; Anker, Ulrich; Spies, Lothar; Bopp, Irene; Rüegger-Frey, Brigitte; Klaghofer, Richard; Gocke, Carola; Hampel, Harald; Beck, Sacha; Buchert, Ralph

    2015-01-01

    Hippocampal volume is a promising biomarker to enhance the accuracy of the diagnosis of dementia due to Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, whereas hippocampal volume is well studied in patient samples from clinical trials, its value in clinical routine patient care is still rather unclear. The aim of the present study, therefore, was to evaluate fully automated atlas-based hippocampal volumetry for detection of AD in the setting of a secondary care expert memory clinic for outpatients. One-hundred consecutive patients with memory complaints were clinically evaluated and categorized into three diagnostic groups: AD, intermediate AD, and non-AD. A software tool based on open source software (Statistical Parametric Mapping SPM8) was employed for fully automated tissue segmentation and stereotactical normalization of high-resolution three-dimensional T1-weighted magnetic resonance images. Predefined standard masks were used for computation of grey matter volume of the left and right hippocampus which then was scaled to the patient's total grey matter volume. The right hippocampal volume provided an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 84% for detection of AD patients in the whole sample. This indicates that fully automated MR-based hippocampal volumetry fulfills the requirements for a relevant core feasible biomarker for detection of AD in everyday patient care in a secondary care memory clinic for outpatients. The software used in the present study has been made freely available as an SPM8 toolbox. It is robust and fast so that it is easily integrated into routine workflow.

  7. [Recovering helpers in the addiction treatment system in Hungary: an interpretative phenomenological analysis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kassai, Szilvia; Pintér, Judit Nóra; Rácz, József

    2015-01-01

    The work of recovering helpers who work in the addiction rehabilitation centres was studied. The aim was to investigate the process of addicts becoming recovering helpers, and to study what peer help means to them. According to interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) design, subjects were selected, data were collected and analysed. 6 (5 males, 1 female), working as recovering helpers at least one year at addiction rehabilitation centres. Semi-structured life interviews were carried out and analysed according to IPA. Emerging themes from the interviews were identified and summarized, then interpreted as central themes: important periods and turning points of the life story interviews: the experience of psychoactive drugs use, the development of the addiction (which became " Turning Point No 1") then the "rock bottom" experience ("Turning Point No 2"). Then the experience of the helping process was examined: here four major themes were identified: the development of the recovering self and the helping self, the wounded helper and the skilled helper, the experience of the helping process. IPA was found to be a useful method for idiographic exploration of the development and the work of the recovering helpers. The work of the recovering helpers can be described as mentoring of the addict clients. Our experiences might be used for the training programs for recovering helpers as well as to adopt their professional role in addiction services.

  8. Clinical Application of Fully Covered Self-Expandable Metal Stents in the Treatment of Bronchial Fistula.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Ming; Zhu, Qiang; Wang, Wei; Zhang, Tian Xiao; Jiang, Min Zhong; Zang, Qi

    2016-09-01

    Background The study was designed to access the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of fully covered self-expandable metal stents in the treatment of bronchial fistula. Methods Clinical data of nine patients (seven males and two females) who were treated with placement of tracheobronchial or bronchial fully covered self-expandable metal stents from August 2005 to November 2011 were analyzed retrospectively. Among these patients, seven were diagnosed with bronchopleural fistula, one with tracheopleural fistula, and one with left main bronchoesophageal fistula. Eight had accompanying thoracic empyema. The fistula orifices ranged from 3.5 mm to 25 mm in diameter. All patients received topical anesthesia. L-shaped stents were placed in six patients and I-shaped stents in three under fluoroscopic guidance. After stent placement, patients with empyema were treated with pleural lavage. Results Stent placement in the tracheobronchial tree was successful in all patients, without procedure-related complications. The operating time was 5 to 16 minutes. A small amount of bubble overflowed from the intrathoracic drainage tube of only one patient. In the other patients, the bubble in the intrathoracic drainage tube disappeared immediately or angiography showed no overflow of contrast agent from the fistula orifice. The effective rate of fistula orifice closure after stent placement was 100%, with 88.9% rated as excellent. One patient coughed the stent out 5 days after placement and hence a new stent was placed. Among the patients with empyema, one died of septicemia arising from empyema on day 8 and another died of brain metastases of lung cancer 6 months after stent insertion with persistent empyema. In the other six patients, empyema resolved after 2 to 5 months (cure rate 75%). Seven patients were followed up for 3 to 36 months. During follow-up, one stent was removed 8 months after implantation due to difficult expectoration, without recurrent empyema. The remaining

  9. Bryophyte species richness on retention aspens recovers in time but community structure does not.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oldén, Anna; Ovaskainen, Otso; Kotiaho, Janne S; Laaka-Lindberg, Sanna; Halme, Panu

    2014-01-01

    Green-tree retention is a forest management method in which some living trees are left on a logged area. The aim is to offer 'lifeboats' to support species immediately after logging and to provide microhabitats during and after forest re-establishment. Several studies have shown immediate decline in bryophyte diversity after retention logging and thus questioned the effectiveness of this method, but longer term studies are lacking. Here we studied the epiphytic bryophytes on European aspen (Populus tremula L.) retention trees along a 30-year chronosequence. We compared the bryophyte flora of 102 'retention aspens' on 14 differently aged retention sites with 102 'conservation aspens' on 14 differently aged conservation sites. We used a Bayesian community-level modelling approach to estimate the changes in bryophyte species richness, abundance (area covered) and community structure during 30 years after logging. Using the fitted model, we estimated that two years after logging both species richness and abundance of bryophytes declined, but during the following 20-30 years both recovered to the level of conservation aspens. However, logging-induced changes in bryophyte community structure did not fully recover over the same time period. Liverwort species showed some or low potential to benefit from lifeboating and high potential to re-colonise as time since logging increases. Most moss species responded similarly, but two cushion-forming mosses benefited from the logging disturbance while several weft- or mat-forming mosses declined and did not re-colonise in 20-30 years. We conclude that retention trees do not function as equally effective lifeboats for all bryophyte species but are successful in providing suitable habitats for many species in the long-term. To be most effective, retention cuts should be located adjacent to conservation sites, which may function as sources of re-colonisation and support the populations of species that require old-growth forests.

  10. Bryophyte species richness on retention aspens recovers in time but community structure does not.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Oldén

    Full Text Available Green-tree retention is a forest management method in which some living trees are left on a logged area. The aim is to offer 'lifeboats' to support species immediately after logging and to provide microhabitats during and after forest re-establishment. Several studies have shown immediate decline in bryophyte diversity after retention logging and thus questioned the effectiveness of this method, but longer term studies are lacking. Here we studied the epiphytic bryophytes on European aspen (Populus tremula L. retention trees along a 30-year chronosequence. We compared the bryophyte flora of 102 'retention aspens' on 14 differently aged retention sites with 102 'conservation aspens' on 14 differently aged conservation sites. We used a Bayesian community-level modelling approach to estimate the changes in bryophyte species richness, abundance (area covered and community structure during 30 years after logging. Using the fitted model, we estimated that two years after logging both species richness and abundance of bryophytes declined, but during the following 20-30 years both recovered to the level of conservation aspens. However, logging-induced changes in bryophyte community structure did not fully recover over the same time period. Liverwort species showed some or low potential to benefit from lifeboating and high potential to re-colonise as time since logging increases. Most moss species responded similarly, but two cushion-forming mosses benefited from the logging disturbance while several weft- or mat-forming mosses declined and did not re-colonise in 20-30 years. We conclude that retention trees do not function as equally effective lifeboats for all bryophyte species but are successful in providing suitable habitats for many species in the long-term. To be most effective, retention cuts should be located adjacent to conservation sites, which may function as sources of re-colonisation and support the populations of species that require old

  11. [Clinical application of a fully covered self-expandable metallic stent in treatment of airway fistula].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Qiang; Zang, Qi; Jiang, Zhong-min; Wang, Wei; Cao, Ming

    2013-06-01

    To assess the feasibility, safety and efficacy of the use of a fully covered self-expandable stent for the treatment of airway fistula. From August 2005 to November 2011, 9 patients underwent treatment by the introduction of a tracheo-bronchial or bronchial fully covered self-expandable metallic stent. There were 7 males and 2 females, aged from 28-65 years with a mean of 46 years. In this group, 7 cases were diagnosed as bronchopleural fistula, 1 case as tracheopleural fistula, 1 case as broncho-esophageal fistula, 8 cases with thoracic empyema. The fistula orifices were from 3.5-25.0 mm in diameter with a mean 8.4 mm. All patients received topical anesthesia, and L-shaped stent was placed in 6 patients and I-shaped stent in 3 patients under fluoroscopic guidance. After the stent placement, the patients with empyema were treated with continual irrigation of the empyema cavity. Stent placement in the tracheo-bronchial tree was technically successful in all patients, without procedure-related complications. The operating time was from 5-16 minutes, mean time (10 ± 4) minutes. Except for 1 patient, immediate closure of the airway fistula was achieved in the other patients after the procedure, as shown by the immediate cessation of bubbling in the chest drain system or the contrast examination. In this study, 1 patient coughed the inserted stent out due to irritable cough on the 5th day and had to receive repositioning of a new stent. Among the patients who were with empyema, 1 patient died of septicemia on the 8th day and 1 patient died of brain metastases from lung cancer 6 months after the stent insertion with empyema not cured, the other 6 patients' empyema healed from 2-5 months, mean time 3.7 months. Seven patients were followed from 3 to 36 months with a median of 13.5 months. During follow-up, 1 stent was removed from a patient 8 months after the stent implantation without empyema recurred. The remaining patient presented good tolerability to the existence of

  12. Silicon carbide recovered from photovoltaic industry waste as photocatalysts for hydrogen production

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Yu [College of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064 (China); Hu, Yu [College of Material Science and Enginneering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064 (China); Zeng, Hongmei [College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064 (China); Zhong, Lin, E-mail: zhonglin@scu.edu.cn [College of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064 (China); Liu, Kewei; Cao, Hongmei [College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064 (China); Li, Wei [College of Material Science and Enginneering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064 (China); Yan, Hongjian, E-mail: hjyan@scu.edu.cn [College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064 (China)

    2017-05-05

    Highlights: • SiC was recovered from photovoltaic industry waste. • The recovered SiC is mainly consist of 3C-SiC, 6H-SiC and some silicon oxycarbides. • The recovered SiC shows photocatalytic H{sub 2} evolution from water. - Abstract: In recent years, the focus on creating a dependable and efficient means to recycle or recover the valuable parts from the waste material has drawn significantly attention as an environmentally friendly way to deal with the industrial wastes. The silicon carbide (SiC) crystalline is one of reusable material in the slurry wastes generated during wafer slicing. Here we report the use of recovered SiC from the slurry wastes as photocatalysts to produce hydrogen in the presence of Na{sub 2}SO{sub 3}-Na{sub 2}S as electron donor. The recovered SiC were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectra (XPS), UV–vis (UV–vis) spectroscopy, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The morphology of SiC loaded with 1 wt% Pt as cocatalyst by thermal-reduction method was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The experimental results reveal that the recovered SiC is mainly consist of 3C-SiC, 6H-SiC and some silicon oxycarbides on the surface of the SiC. The highest hydrogen production rate is 191.8 μmol h{sup −1} g{sup −1}. This study provides a way to recycle crystalline SiC from the discharged waste in the photovoltaic industry and reuse it as photocatalyst to yield hydrogen with the advantage of low energy consumption, low pollution and easy operation.

  13. Pyrochemical investigations into recovering plutonium from americium extraction salt residues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fife, K.W.; West, M.H.

    1987-05-01

    Progress into developing a pyrochemical technique for separating and recovering plutonium from spent americium extraction waste salts has concentrated on selective chemical reduction with lanthanum metal and calcium metal and on the solvent extraction of americium with calcium metal. Both techniques are effective for recovering plutonium from the waste salt, although neither appears suitable as a separation technique for recycling a plutonium stream back to mainline purification processes. 17 refs., 13 figs., 2 tabs

  14. Ethical dilemma of recovering organs before donor death.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khalid, Umair; Khalil, Sarwat

    2011-08-01

    Organ transplant has had a momentous effect in improving global health over the years. However, there exists a sizeable discrepancy between the supply and demand of organs, especially in developing countries, where lack of expertise, financial constraints, and inadequate transplant facilities have been obstacles. According to current practice, donors must be dead before unpaired vital organs can be recovered. Equal health warrants needs-based health care for everyone. Recovering viable organs from donors while they are alive, but with death inevitable, may be significant to persons on waiting lists. Future policies in organ transplantation must be made after thorough consideration of all aspects of donation and dealing with the inequalities of health care. These pose a challenge for medicolegal and ethical organizations.

  15. EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF PIC FORMATION DURING THE INCINERATION OF RECOVERED CFC-11

    Science.gov (United States)

    The report gives results of an investigation of the formation of products of incomplete combustion (PICS) during "recovered" trichlorofluoromethane (CFC-11) incineration. Tests involved burning the recovered CFC-11 in a propane gas flame. combustion gas samples were taken and an...

  16. Effectiveness and Safety of Endoscopic Treatment of Benign Biliary Strictures Using a New Fully Covered Self Expandable Metal Stent

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mihir S. Wagh

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. In patients with benign biliary strictures, the use of fully covered self-expandable metal stents (SEMS has been proposed as an alternative to plastic stenting, but high quality prospective data are sparse. This study was performed to evaluate the long-term effectiveness and safety of a new fully covered SEMS for benign biliary strictures. Methods. All consecutive patients with benign biliary strictures were treated with placement of a fully covered SEMS (WallFlex for 6 months. Short- and long-term stricture resolution, adverse events, and ease of stent removal were recorded. Results. 23 patients were enrolled. Stricture etiology was chronic pancreatitis (14, postorthotopic liver transplant (4, idiopathic (4, and biliary stones (1. All ERCPs were technically successful. All stents were successfully removed. Short-term stricture resolution was seen in 22/23 (96% patients. Long-term success was 15/18 (83.3%. All 3 failures were patients with biliary strictures in the setting of chronic calcific pancreatitis. Conclusions. The use of the new SEMS for the treatment of benign biliary strictures led to short-term stricture resolution in the vast majority of patients. Over a long-term followup the success rate appears favorable compared to historical results achieved with multiple plastic stenting, particularly in patients with chronic pancreatitis. The study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01238900.

  17. Amygdala alterations during an emotional conflict task in women recovered from anorexia nervosa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bang, Lasse; Rø, Øyvind; Endestad, Tor

    2016-02-28

    The pathophysiology of anorexia nervosa (AN) is not completely understood, but research suggests that alterations in brain circuits related to cognitive control and emotion are central. The aim of this study was to explore neural responses to an emotional conflict task in women recovered from AN. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to measure neural responses to an emotional conflict task in 22 women recovered from AN and 21 age-matched healthy controls. The task involved categorizing affective faces while ignoring affective words. Face and word stimuli were either congruent (non-conflict) or incongruent (conflict). Brain responses to emotional conflict did not differ between groups. However, in response to emotional non-conflict, women recovered from AN relative to healthy controls showed significantly less activation in the bilateral amygdala. Specifically, while emotional non-conflict evoked significant activations of the amygdala in healthy controls, recovered AN women did not show such activations. Similar significant group differences were also observed in the hippocampus and basal ganglia. These results suggest that women recovered from AN are characterized by alterations within emotion-related brain circuits. Recovered women's absence of amygdala and hippocampus activation during non-conflict trials possibly reflects an impaired ability to process emotional significant stimuli. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  18. Recover vigorous cells of Magnetospirillum magneticum AMB-1 by capillary magnetic separation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jinhua; Ge, Xin; Zhang, Xiaokui; Chen, Guanjun; Pan, Yongxin

    2010-07-01

    Cultivable magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) in laboratory can provide sufficient samples for molecular microbiological and magnetic studies. However, a cold-stored MTB strain, such as Magnetospirillum magneticum AMB-1, often loses its ability to synthesize magnetosomes and consequently fails to sense the external magnetic field. It is therefore important to quickly recover vigorous bacteria cells that highly capable of magnetosome producing. In this study, a modified capillary magnetic separation system was designed to recover a deteriorating strain of Magnetospirillum magneticum AMB-1 that long-term cold-stored in a refrigerator. The results show that all cells obtained after a 3-cycle treatment were vigorous and had the ability to produce magnetosomes. Moreover, the 3rd-cycle recovered cells were able to form more magnetosome crystals. Compared with the colony formation method, this new method is time-saving, easily operated, and more efficient for recovering vigorous MTB cells.

  19. Diagnostic efficacy and safety of gadoteric acid MR mammography in 1537 patients

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Seithe, Tim; Braun, Joachim [Department of Radiology, Charité – University Medicine, Berlin (Germany); Wolf, Michael [Michael Wolf Information Systems, Viktoriastr. 26, 66346 Püttlingen (Germany); Vahldiek, Janis; Wolny, Dajana; Auer, Jonas; Pociej, Joanna [Department of Radiology, Charité – University Medicine, Berlin (Germany); Heine, Oliver [Guerbet GmbH, Otto-Vogler-Str. 11, 65843 Sulzbach (Germany); Hamm, Bernd [Department of Radiology, Charité – University Medicine, Berlin (Germany); Bucourt, Maximilian de, E-mail: mdb@charite.de [Department of Radiology, Charité – University Medicine, Berlin (Germany)

    2016-12-15

    Objectives: To perform a large-scale multicenter post-marketing surveillance study for analyzing diagnostic effectiveness and safety of intravenous (IV) gadoteric acid (Dotarem{sup ®}) in magnetic resonance (MR) mammography under daily practice conditions. Materials and methods: Patients underwent high-resolution MR mammography with gadoteric acid in 15 German centers. Radiologists used a standardized questionnaire to report data including patient demographics and medical history, characteristics of MR examination and results in terms of diagnosis and safety for the patient. Results: A total of 1537 patients were examined. In 99.2% of all patients, a diagnosis was established. In 91.6% of all patients, image quality was excellent or good. Histopathological examinations were performed for 232 of 1537 patients (15.1%) with invasive ductal carcinoma being the most frequent diagnosis (109 patients, 47.0%). Based on histopathology as the standard of reference, IV gadoteric acid-enhanced MR mammography confirmed diagnoses of invasive ductal carcinoma in 93.5% of the patients. Adverse drug reactions occurred in 5 of 1537 patients (0.3%) and were classified as serious in one case (tachycardia, dysphagia, urticaria, rash). All patients with adverse drug reactions fully recovered after the examination. Conclusion: This noninterventional surveillance study shows IV gadoteric acid to be a safe and effective contrast agent for use in MR mammography.

  20. Methods for recovering metals from electronic waste, and related systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lister, Tedd E; Parkman, Jacob A; Diaz Aldana, Luis A; Clark, Gemma; Dufek, Eric J; Keller, Philip

    2017-10-03

    A method of recovering metals from electronic waste comprises providing a powder comprising electronic waste in at least a first reactor and a second reactor and providing an electrolyte comprising at least ferric ions in an electrochemical cell in fluid communication with the first reactor and the second reactor. The method further includes contacting the powders within the first reactor and the second reactor with the electrolyte to dissolve at least one base metal from each reactor into the electrolyte and reduce at least some of the ferric ions to ferrous ions. The ferrous ions are oxidized at an anode of the electrochemical cell to regenerate the ferric ions. The powder within the second reactor comprises a higher weight percent of the at least one base metal than the powder in the first reactor. Additional methods of recovering metals from electronic waste are also described, as well as an apparatus of recovering metals from electronic waste.

  1. Efficacy Study of a Fully Implanted Neuroprosthesis for Functional Benefit to Individuals with Tetraplegia

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-10-01

    for our research subjects that is adjacent to our rehabilitation hospital and to our research laboratories. This facility essentially serves as a...SCI, and includes fully accessible bedrooms, bathrooms, and kitchen ; as well as motorized ceiling-mounted patient lifts, roll-in showers, and

  2. Process for recovering uranium from wet process phosphoric acid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pyrih, R.Z.; Rickard, S.; Carrington, F.

    1982-01-01

    A process for recovering uranium from phosphoric acid solutions uses an acidified alkali metal carbonate solution for the second-stage strip of uranyl uranium from the ion-exchange solution. The stripped solution is then recycled to the ion-exchange circuit. In the first stripping stage the ion-exchange solution containing the recovered uranyl uranium and an inert organic diluent is stripped with ammonium carbonate, producing a slurry of ammonium uranyl tricarbonate. The second strip, with a solution of 50-200 grams per litre of sodium carbonate eliminates the problems of inadequate removal of phosphorus, iron and vanadium impurities, solids accumulation, and phase separation in the strip circuit

  3. Fully automatic diagnostic system for early- and late-onset mild Alzheimer's disease using FDG PET and 3D-SSP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishii, Kazunari; Kono, Atsushi K.; Sasaki, Hiroki; Miyamoto, Naokazu; Fukuda, Tetsuya; Sakamoto, Setsu; Mori, Etsuro

    2006-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to design a fully automatic computer-assisted diagnostic system for early- and late-onset mild Alzheimer's disease (AD). Glucose metabolic images were obtained from mild AD patients and normal controls using positron emission tomography (PET) and 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). Two groups of 20 mild AD patients with different ages of onset were examined. A fully automatic diagnostic system using the statistical brain mapping method was established from the early-onset (EO) and late-onset (LO) groups, with mean ages of 59.1 and 70.9 years and mean MMSE scores of 23.3 and 22.8, respectively. Aged-matched normal subjects were used as controls. We compared the diagnostic performance of visual inspection of conventional axial FDG PET images by experts and beginners with that of our fully automatic diagnostic system in another 15 EO and 15 LO AD patients (mean age 58.4 and 71.7, mean MMSE 23.6 and 23.1, respectively) and 30 age-matched normal controls. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to compare data. The diagnostic performance of the automatic diagnostic system was comparable with that of visual inspection by experts. The area under the ROC curve for the automatic diagnostic system was 0.967 for EO AD patients and 0.878 for LO AD patients. The mean area under the ROC curve for visual inspection by experts was 0.863 and 0.881 for the EO and LO AD patients, respectively. The mean area under the ROC curve for visual inspection by beginners was 0.828 and 0.717, respectively. The fully automatic diagnostic system for EO and LO AD was able to perform at a similar diagnostic level to visual inspection of conventional axial images by experts. (orig.)

  4. Towards a Scalable Fully-Implicit Fully-coupled Resistive MHD Formulation with Stabilized FE Methods

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shadid, J N; Pawlowski, R P; Banks, J W; Chacon, L; Lin, P T; Tuminaro, R S

    2009-06-03

    This paper presents an initial study that is intended to explore the development of a scalable fully-implicit stabilized unstructured finite element (FE) capability for low-Mach-number resistive MHD. The discussion considers the development of the stabilized FE formulation and the underlying fully-coupled preconditioned Newton-Krylov nonlinear iterative solver. To enable robust, scalable and efficient solution of the large-scale sparse linear systems generated by the Newton linearization, fully-coupled algebraic multilevel preconditioners are employed. Verification results demonstrate the expected order-of-acuracy for the stabilized FE discretization of a 2D vector potential form for the steady and transient solution of the resistive MHD system. In addition, this study puts forth a set of challenging prototype problems that include the solution of an MHD Faraday conduction pump, a hydromagnetic Rayleigh-Bernard linear stability calculation, and a magnetic island coalescence problem. Initial results that explore the scaling of the solution methods are presented on up to 4096 processors for problems with up to 64M unknowns on a CrayXT3/4. Additionally, a large-scale proof-of-capability calculation for 1 billion unknowns for the MHD Faraday pump problem on 24,000 cores is presented.

  5. Department of Defense Recovering Warrior Task Force

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-09-02

    accessible and available to the Veterans Benefits Administration ( VBA ) as soon as possible381; however, because military service records include health...programs are meeting expectations ........................................... 35 Facilitating Access to Health Care...Enduring RW Mission, Facilitating RW Recovery and Transition, and Facilitating Access to Health Care. SUMMARY 2  DoD Recovering Warrior Task Force

  6. Process for recovering oil from shale, etc

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1920-08-20

    A process is described for recovering oil from oil-shale and the like, by the direct action of the hot gases obtained by burning the carbonized shale residue. It is immediately carried out in separate adjacent chambers, through which the feed goes from one to the other intermittently, from the upper to the lower.

  7. Applications for Energy Recovering Free Electron Lasers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    George Neil

    2007-08-01

    The availability of high-power, high-brilliance sources of tunable photons from energy-recovered Free Electron Lasers is opening up whole new fields of application of accelerators in industry. This talk will review some of the ideas that are already being put into production, and some of the newer ideas that are still under development.

  8. Cortical thinning in type 2 diabetes mellitus and recovering effects of insulin therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Zhiye; Sun, Jie; Yang, Yang; Lou, Xin; Wang, Yulin; Wang, Yan; Ma, Lin

    2015-02-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore the brain structural changes in type 2 diabetes and the effect of insulin on the brain using a surface-based cortical thickness analysis. High-resolution three-dimensional T1-weighted fast spoiled gradient recalled echo MRI were obtained from 11 patients with type 2 diabetes before and after insulin therapy. The cortical thickness over the entire brain was calculated, and cross-sectional and longitudinal surface-based cortical thickness analyses were also performed. Regional cortical thinning was demonstrated in the middle temporal gyrus, posterior cingulate gyrus, precuneus, right lateral occipital gyrus and entorhinal cortex bilaterally for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus compared with normal controls. Cortical thickening was seen in the middle temporal gyrus, entorhinal cortex and left inferior temporal gyrus bilaterally after patients underwent 1 year of insulin therapy. These findings suggest that insulin therapy may have recovering effects on the brain cortex in type 2 diabetes mellitus. The precise mechanism should be investigated further. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. PROCESS OF RECOVERING URANIUM FROM ITS ORES

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galvanek, P. Jr.

    1959-02-24

    A process is presented for recovering uranium from its ores. The crushed ore is mixed with 5 to 10% of sulfuric acid and added water to about 5 to 30% of the weight of the ore. This pugged material is cured for 2 to 3 hours at 100 to 110 deg C and then cooled. The cooled mass is nitrate-conditioned by mixing with a solution equivalent to 35 pounds of ammunium nitrate and 300 pounds of water per ton of ore. The resulting pulp containing 70% or more solids is treated by upflow percolation with a 5% solution of tributyl phosphate in kerosene at a rate equivalent to a residence time of about one hour to extract the solubilized uranium. The uranium is recovered from the pregnant organic liquid by counter-current washing with water. The organic extractant may be recycled. The uranium is removed from the water solution by treating with ammonia to precipitate ammonium diuranate. The filtrate from the last step may be recycled for the nitrate-conditioning treatment.

  10. Differences in zinc status and the leptin axis in anorexic and recovered adolescents and young adults: a pilot study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    F.D. Zepf

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Evidence from animal studies suggests that leptin metabolism is associated with zinc (Zn status. However, research investigating this relationship in adolescents and young adults with anorexia nervosa (AN is scarce; the present study aims to fill that gap.Serum concentrations of leptin, the soluble leptin receptor (sOB-R and the free leptin index (FLI were obtained in healthy control subjects (n=19, acutely ill individuals (n=14 and recovered patients with AN (n=15. Serum Zn concentrations noted in previous research data were also incorporated for all groups.Leptin, FLI and Zn concentrations were higher in recovered subjects with AN when compared with acutely ill AN patients. Remitted patients showed higher sOB-R concentrations but no difference in FLI compared with the control group. Leptin and FLI were lower in the acutely ill patients compared with the control subjects, who showed no differences in Zn concentrations. Zn concentrations were not correlated with leptin, sOB-R or FLI concentrations in any of the three investigated subgroups.The present investigation does not entirely support an association between Zn, Leptin and FLI concentrations in subjects with AN, possibly due to limited statistical power. Further research and replication of the present findings related to the interaction between leptin and Zn is warranted. However, with respect to serum leptin levels the data of the present investigation indicate that acutely ill and remitted patients with AN differ as regards serum leptin concentrations and FLI, which is in line with previous research.

  11. Gait and electromyographic analysis of patients recovering after limb-saving surgery

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    De Visser, E; Mulder, T; Schreuder, HWB; Veth, RPH; Duysens, J

    2000-01-01

    Objective. Control of gait after limb-saving surgery. Design. Case series study. Background. At the moment little is known about adaptations in patients' gait after limb-saving surgery. Methods. Nineteen patients who underwent limb-saving surgery at least 1 yr earlier and 10 normal subjects were

  12. Fully Covered Metallic Stents for the Treatment of Benign Airway Stenosis

    OpenAIRE

    Dahlqvist, Caroline; Ocak, Sebahat; Gourdin, Maximilien; Dincq, Anne Sophie; Putz, Laurie; d’Odémont, Jean-Paul

    2016-01-01

    Introduction. We herein report our experience with new fully covered self-expanding metallic stents in the setting of inoperable recurrent benign tracheobronchial stenosis. Methods. Between May 2010 and July 2014, 21 Micro-Tech® FC-SEMS (Nanjing Co., Republic of Korea) were placed in our hospital in 16 patients for inoperable, recurrent (after dilatation), and symptomatic benign airway stenosis. Their medical files were retrospectively reviewed in December 2014, with focus on stent’s toleranc...

  13. Clinical tube weaning supported by hunger provocation in fully-tube-fed children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hartdorff, Caroline M; Kneepkens, C M Frank; Stok-Akerboom, Anita M; van Dijk-Lokkart, Elisabeth M; Engels, Michelle A H; Kindermann, Angelika

    2015-04-01

    Children with congenital malformations, mental retardation, and complex early medical history frequently have feeding problems. Although tube feeding is effective in providing the necessary energy and nutrients, it decreases the child's motivation to eat and may lead to oral aversion. In this study, we sought to confirm our previous results, showing that a multidisciplinary clinical hunger provocation program may lead to quick resumption of oral feeding. In a crossover study, 22 children of 9 to 24 months of age who were fully dependent on tube feeding were randomly assigned to one of two groups: group A, intervention group (2-week multidisciplinary clinical hunger provocation program); and group B, control group (4-week outpatient treatment by the same multidisciplinary team). Patients failing one treatment were reassigned to the other treatment group. Primary outcome measures were at least 75% orally fed at the conclusion of the intervention and fully orally fed and gaining weight 6 months after the intervention. In group A, 9/11 patients were successfully weaned from tube feeding (2 failures: 1 developed ulcerative colitis, 1 drop-out). In group B, only 1 patient was weaned successfully; 10/11 were reassigned to the clinical hunger provocation program, all being weaned successfully. Six months after the intervention, 1 patient had to resume tube feeding. In total, in the control group, 1/11 (9%) was weaned successfully as compared with 18/21 (86%) in the hunger provocation group (P hunger provocation is an effective short-term intervention for weaning young children from tube feeding.

  14. Process for recovering uranium

    Science.gov (United States)

    MacWood, G. E.; Wilder, C. D.; Altman, D.

    1959-03-24

    A process useful in recovering uranium from deposits on stainless steel liner surfaces of calutrons is presented. The deposit is removed from the stainless steel surface by washing with aqueous nitric acid. The solution obtained containing uranium, chromium, nickel, copper, and iron is treated with an excess of ammonium hydroxide to precipitnte the uranium, iron, and chromium and convert the nickel and copper to soluble ammonio complexions. The precipitated material is removed, dried and treated with carbon tetrachloride at an elevated temperature of about 500 to 600 deg C to form a vapor mixture of UCl/ sub 4/, UCl/sub 5/, FeCl/sub 3/, and CrCl/sub 4/. The UCl/sub 4/ is separated from this vapor mixture by selective fractional condensation at a temperature of about 500 to 400 deg C.

  15. Recovering oil from shale

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Leahey, T; Wilson, H

    1920-11-13

    To recover oil free from inorganic impurities and water, and utilize the oil vapor and tarry matter for the production of heat, shale is heated in a retort at a temperature of not less than 120/sup 0/C. The vapors pass by a pipe into a water jacketed condenser from which the condensate and gas pass through a pipe into a chamber and then by a pipe to a setting chamber from where the light oils are decanted through a pipe into a tank. The heavy oil is siphoned through a pipe into a tank, while the gas passes through a pipe into a scrubber and then into a drier, exhauster and pipe to the flue and ports, above the fire-bars, into the retort. Air is introduced through a pipe, flue, and ports.

  16. Fully automated joint space width measurement and digital X-ray radiogrammetry in early RA

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Platten, Michael; Kisten, Yogan; Kälvesten, Johan; Arnaud, Laurent; Forslind, Kristina; van Vollenhoven, Ronald

    2017-01-01

    To study fully automated digital joint space width (JSW) and bone mineral density (BMD) in relation to a conventional radiographic scoring method in early rheumatoid arthritis (eRA). Radiographs scored by the modified Sharp van der Heijde score (SHS) in patients with eRA were acquired from the

  17. A Fully Automated Web-Based Program Improves Lifestyle Habits and HbA1c in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and Abdominal Obesity: Randomized Trial of Patient E-Coaching Nutritional Support (The ANODE Study).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hansel, Boris; Giral, Philippe; Gambotti, Laetitia; Lafourcade, Alexandre; Peres, Gilbert; Filipecki, Claude; Kadouch, Diana; Hartemann, Agnes; Oppert, Jean-Michel; Bruckert, Eric; Marre, Michel; Bruneel, Arnaud; Duchene, Emilie; Roussel, Ronan

    2017-11-08

    The prevalence of abdominal obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a public health challenge. New solutions need to be developed to help patients implement lifestyle changes. The objective of the study was to evaluate a fully automated Web-based intervention designed to help users improve their dietary habits and increase their physical activity. The Accompagnement Nutritionnel de l'Obésité et du Diabète par E-coaching (ANODE) study was a 16-week, 1:1 parallel-arm, open-label randomized clinical trial. Patients with T2DM and abdominal obesity (n=120, aged 18-75 years) were recruited. Patients in the intervention arm (n=60) had access to a fully automated program (ANODE) to improve their lifestyle. Patients were asked to log on at least once per week. Human contact was limited to hotline support in cases of technical issues. The dietetic tool provided personalized menus and a shopping list for the day or the week. Stepwise physical activity was prescribed. The control arm (n=60) received general nutritional advice. The primary outcome was the change of the dietary score (International Diet Quality Index; DQI-I) between baseline and the end of the study. Secondary endpoints included changes in body weight, waist circumference, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and measured maximum oxygen consumption (VO2 max). The mean age of the participants was 57 years (standard deviation [SD] 9), mean body mass index was 33 kg/m² (SD 4), mean HbA1c was 7.2% (SD 1.1), and 66.7% (80/120) of participants were women. Using an intention-to-treat analysis, the DQI-I score (54.0, SD 5.7 in the ANODE arm; 52.8, SD 6.2 in the control arm; P=.28) increased significantly in the ANODE arm compared to the control arm (+4.55, SD 5.91 vs -1.68, SD 5.18; between arms Pchanges improved significantly in the intervention. Among patients with T2DM and abdominal obesity, the use of a fully automated Web-based program resulted in a significant improvement in dietary habits and favorable clinical and

  18. New approach to solve symmetric fully fuzzy linear systems

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    concepts of fuzzy set theory and then define a fully fuzzy linear system of equations. .... To represent the above problem as fully fuzzy linear system, we represent x .... Fully fuzzy linear systems can be solved by Linear programming approach, ...

  19. Thermoset composite recycling: Properties of recovered glass fiber

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Beauson, Justine; Fraisse, Anthony; Toncelli, C.

    2015-01-01

    Recycling of glass fiber thermoset polymer composite is a challenging topic and a process able to recover the glass fibers original properties in a limited cost is still under investigation. This paper focuses on the recycling technique separating the glass fiber from the matrix material. Four...

  20. Recovering energy and materials from hazardous waste

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anon.

    2003-12-01

    The tannery industry faces growing environmental concerns because of the high hazardous metal content of its process waste. The formation, during the tanning process, of the highly toxic hexavalent chromium precludes the use of conventional thermal incineration processes. Borge Tannery in Norway, which processes 600 cattle hides per day, has solved the problem by using new PyroArc technology. The PyroArc waste processing plant can treat all of the tannery's production wastes, transforming them into useful products such as fuel gas and re-usable metal. The fuel gas consists mainly of carbon monoxide, hydrogen and nitrogen, and has a calorific value of about 4 MJ/Nm{sub 3}. About 65-70% of the energy content of the source material (waste or biomass) is recovered in the gas, and this is used to produce steam and/or electricity in a gas engine with a capacity of 580 kW. A further 20-25% of the initial energy content is recovered as heat or low-pressure steam. The plant is designed to be self-sufficient in energy (1.5 MW) and to meet the tannery's maximum requirements for hot water and steam. (UK)

  1. Recovering method for high level radioactive material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fukui, Toshiki

    1998-01-01

    Offgas filters such as of nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities and waste control facilities are burnt, and the burnt ash is melted by heating, and then the molten ashes are brought into contact with a molten metal having a low boiling point to transfer the high level radioactive materials in the molten ash to the molten metal. Then, only the molten metal is evaporated and solidified by drying, and residual high level radioactive materials are recovered. According to this method, the high level radioactive materials in the molten ashes are transferred to the molten metal and separated by the difference of the distribution rate of the molten ash and the molten metal. Subsequently, the molten metal to which the high level radioactive materials are transferred is heated to a temperature higher than the boiling point so that only the molten metal is evaporated and dried to be removed, and residual high level radioactive materials are recovered easily. On the other hand, the molten ash from which the high level radioactive material is removed can be discarded as ordinary industrial wastes as they are. (T.M.)

  2. Process for recovering xenon from radioactive gaseous wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kishimoto, Tsuneo.

    1980-01-01

    Purpose: To recover pure xenon economically and efficiently by amply removing radioactive krypton mixed in xenon without changing the rectifying capacity of an xenon rectifying system itself. Method: Xe containing radioactive Kr(Kr-85) is rectified to reduce the concentration of radioactive Kr. Thereafter, non-radioactive Kr or Ar is added to Xe and further the rectification is carried out. The raw material Xe from the Xe adsorption system of, for example, a radioactive gaseous waste disposal system is cooled to about 100 0 C by a heat-exchanger and thereafter supplied to a rectifying tower to carry out normal rectification of Xe thereby to reduce the concentration of Kr contained in Xe at the tower bottom to the rectification limit concentration. Then, non-radioactive Kr is supplied via a precooler to the tower bottom to continue the rectification, thus the Xe fractions at the tower bottom, in which the concentration of radioactive Kr is reduced, being compressed and recovered. (Kamimura, M.)

  3. An alternative approach to recovering valuable metals from zinc phosphating sludge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuo, Yi-Ming

    2012-01-30

    This study used a vitrification process (with good potential for commercialization) to recover valuable metals from Zn phosphating sludge. The involved vitrification process achieves two major goals: it transformed hazardous Zn phosphating sludge into inert slag and it concentrated Fe (83.5%) and Zn (92.8%) into ingot and fine particulate-phase material, respectively. The Fe content in the ingot was 278,000 mg/kg, making the ingot a potential raw material for iron making. The fine particulate-phase material (collected from flue gas) contained abundant Zn (544,000 mg/kg) in the form of ZnO. The content (67.7%) of ZnO was high, so it can be directly sold to refineries. The recovered coarse particulate-phase material, with insufficient amount of ZnO, can be recycled as a feeding material for Zn re-concentration. Therefore, the vitrification process can not only treat hazardous materials but also effectively recover valuable metals. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. New arrangement for the air cleanup system to recover tritium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nishikawa, Masabumi; Takahashi, Kohsaku; Munakata, Kenzo; Fukada, Satoshi; Kotoh, Kenji; Takeishi, Toshiharu

    1997-01-01

    At present, the standard arrangement of the air cleanup system responsible for emergency tritium recovery from room air is a catalytic oxidation bed with a heater followed by an adsorption bed with a cooler. One disadvantage of this arrangement is that trouble with the heater or the cooler could result in a loss of capacity to recover tritium. Another disadvantage of the catalyst-adsorption-bed arrangement is that tritiated water must be recovered with a high decontamination factor after dilution with a large amount of water vapor in the working atmosphere. The performance of a new arrangement for the air cleanup system, which consists of a precious metal catalyst bed preceded by an adsorption bed without heating equipment, is discussed. According to calculations, most of the tritium released to the room air is recovered in the catalyst bed through oxidation, adsorption, and isotope exchange reaction when the new arrangement is applied. The adsorption bed placed before the catalyst bed dehumidifies the process gas to such a degree that the oxidation reaction of tritium in the catalyst bed is not hindered by water vapor. 15 refs., 6 figs., 6 tabs

  5. Mechanical lifter for recovering highly viscous oil and bitumens

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rakhmanov, R N; Akhunov, A M; Asfandiyarov, Kh A; Maksutov, R A

    1982-01-01

    A mechanical lifter is described for recovering highly viscous oil and bitumens. The lifter differs from the known and has significant advantages over them. The lifter was made and tested on a stand well.

  6. Long-term storage of recovered krypton

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Horii, Yuji; Yamamoto, Yoshimasa

    1983-01-01

    Various storage methods for krypton-85 recovered from a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant are under development in many countries. These methods include:(1) direct storage in pressurized cylinders, (2) storage of krypton adsorbed on charcoal or zeolite in pressurized cylinders and (3) immobilization (encapsulation) in zeolite. A krypton storage facility using pressurized cylinders has been constructed in the krypton recovery pilot plant in Tokaimura and other methods are now under development. These three methods are evaluated and the features of the constructed facility are also reported. (author)

  7. Neutron activation analysis of maltenes recovered from EUROBITUM simulates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Impens, N

    2006-01-01

    According to the present Belgian reference scenario, Eurobitum bituminised radioactive waste has to be disposed off in a deep underground repository in a stable geological formation such as Boom Clay. This waste originated mainly from mixtures of nuclear fuel decladding slurries and waste concentrates from the nuclear fuel cycle. Even though safety assessment studies up till present do not show that this waste is unacceptable for deep underground disposal, a final decision about the disposal of the bituminised waste has not been taken so far, and alternative solutions are still conceivable. To support the decision-making we investigate methods to recondition this bituminised waste. We continued studying a room temperature re-treatment method for Eurobitum. The aim of the method is the stabilisation and minimisation of final waste, and the free release of recovered materials. The method comprises the recovery of maltenes and water soluble salts. The recovery of maltenes is performed by dissolving the complete bitumen matrix with a 'solvent', followed by the precipitation of the asphaltenes by addition of a so-called 'nonsolvent'. The 'solvent' is a 50 percent aromatic blend of Shellsol A150 and Shellsol H, whereas the 'nonsolvent' is aliphatic Shellsol T. The recovered maltenes represent 40 % wt of the waste, as shown in the inner pie chart. Part of the maltenes could not be recovered and remain in the asphaltene matrix, as can be seen from the difference between the inner and outer pie chart, representing the real composition and the weight fractions after separation, respectively. A second step of the room temperature re-treatment method covers the complete removal of the water soluble (nitrate) salts, and is described in the main reference and references therein. Application of the room temperature re-treatment method results in a final waste that consists of water insoluble salts embedded in an asphaltene matrix which is less sensitive towards radiolysis than

  8. The susceptible-infected-recovered (SIR) model for viral marketing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ismail, Siti Suhaila; Akil, Ku Azlina Ku; Chulan, Majdah; Sharif, Noorzila

    2017-11-01

    Viral marketing is a marketing strategy utilizes social media to spread information about a product or services provided. It is the most powerful way to share information in a short amount of time. The objective of this study is to investigate the dynamic of viral marketing within a time duration in the point of view of mathematics. This study used the epidemiological model known as Susceptible-Infected-Recovered (SIR). The model consists of a system of three differential equations with three state variables namely susceptible (S), infected (I) and recovered (R). It considers a case of SIR model with demography. Numerical experiments have been performed. The results show that viral marketing reaches its peak within two days. The online messages shared will become higher if the initial number of the infected individual has been increased.

  9. Nontraumatic Fracture of the Femoral Condylar Prosthesis in a Total Knee Arthroplasty Leading to Mechanical Failure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Girish N. Swamy

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper reports a case of fatigue fracture of the femoral component in a cruciate-retaining cemented total knee arthroplasty (TKA. A 64-year-old man had undergone a primary TKA for osteoarthritis 10 years previously at another institution using the PFC-Sigma prosthesis. The patient recovered fully and was back to his regular activities. He presented with a history of sudden onset pain and locking of the left knee since the preceding three months. There was no history of trauma, and the patient was mobilizing with difficulty using crutches. Radiographs revealed fracture of the posterior condyle of the femoral prosthesis. Revision surgery was performed as an elective procedure revealing the broken prosthesis. The TC3RP-PFC revision prosthesis was used with a medial parapatellar approach. The patient recovered fully without any squeal. Mechanical failure of the knee arthroplasty prosthesis is rare, and nontraumatic fracture of the femoral metallic component has not been reported before.

  10. Nontraumatic fracture of the femoral condylar prosthesis in a total knee arthroplasty leading to mechanical failure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swamy, Girish N; Quah, Conal; Bagouri, Elmunzar; Badhe, Nitin P

    2014-01-01

    This paper reports a case of fatigue fracture of the femoral component in a cruciate-retaining cemented total knee arthroplasty (TKA). A 64-year-old man had undergone a primary TKA for osteoarthritis 10 years previously at another institution using the PFC-Sigma prosthesis. The patient recovered fully and was back to his regular activities. He presented with a history of sudden onset pain and locking of the left knee since the preceding three months. There was no history of trauma, and the patient was mobilizing with difficulty using crutches. Radiographs revealed fracture of the posterior condyle of the femoral prosthesis. Revision surgery was performed as an elective procedure revealing the broken prosthesis. The TC3RP-PFC revision prosthesis was used with a medial parapatellar approach. The patient recovered fully without any squeal. Mechanical failure of the knee arthroplasty prosthesis is rare, and nontraumatic fracture of the femoral metallic component has not been reported before.

  11. Searching for prostate cancer by fully automated magnetic resonance imaging classification: deep learning versus non-deep learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xinggang; Yang, Wei; Weinreb, Jeffrey; Han, Juan; Li, Qiubai; Kong, Xiangchuang; Yan, Yongluan; Ke, Zan; Luo, Bo; Liu, Tao; Wang, Liang

    2017-11-13

    Prostate cancer (PCa) is a major cause of death since ancient time documented in Egyptian Ptolemaic mummy imaging. PCa detection is critical to personalized medicine and varies considerably under an MRI scan. 172 patients with 2,602 morphologic images (axial 2D T2-weighted imaging) of the prostate were obtained. A deep learning with deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) and a non-deep learning with SIFT image feature and bag-of-word (BoW), a representative method for image recognition and analysis, were used to distinguish pathologically confirmed PCa patients from prostate benign conditions (BCs) patients with prostatitis or prostate benign hyperplasia (BPH). In fully automated detection of PCa patients, deep learning had a statistically higher area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) than non-deep learning (P = 0.0007 deep learning method and 0.70 (95% CI 0.63-0.77) for non-deep learning method, respectively. Our results suggest that deep learning with DCNN is superior to non-deep learning with SIFT image feature and BoW model for fully automated PCa patients differentiation from prostate BCs patients. Our deep learning method is extensible to image modalities such as MR imaging, CT and PET of other organs.

  12. Method for recovering or recirculating stable nitroxide radicals

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Heeres, Andre; Van Doren, Hendrik Arend; Bleeker, Ido Pieter; Gotlieb, Kornelis Fester.

    1996-01-01

    The invention relates fo a method for recovering stable nitroxide radicals, wherein at least a part of a reaction mixt. consisting of a soln. or suspension, or a filtrate or supernatant of a suspension, in which stable nitroxide radicals are present in non-solid form, is subjected to an azeotropic

  13. Process of recovering shale oil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1949-01-17

    A process is disclosed for recovering oil from shale rock by means of channels cut in the shale deposit, to which heat is carried for warming the shale mass and which are separated from the fume channels formed in the shale by parts of the shale rock, characterized in that heating elements are put down in the heating channels, which occupy less cross section than these channels, and in the so-formed space between the channel wall and the heating element a filling is placed, which facilitates heat transfer between the heating element and the shale and simultaneously prevents a streaming of the oily product gasified out of the shale from working into the heating element and stopping it.

  14. Reward banding to determine reporting rate of recovered mourning dove bands

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tomlinson, R.E.

    1968-01-01

    Reward bands placed on the other leg of certain regularly banded immature mourning doves (Zenaidura macroura) were used to develop information on reporting rates of recovered dove bands. Reports from 15 widely separated sections of the United States showed considerable variation in recovery rate of doves both with and without reward bands. The overall percentages of banded doves that were reported as recovered were 9.69% for those with reward bands and 3.83% for controls. The bandreporting rate for states influenced by publicity was 66%; that for states not influenced was 32%.

  15. Recovering an obstacle using integral equations

    KAUST Repository

    Rundell, William

    2009-05-01

    We consider the inverse problem of recovering the shape, location and surface properties of an object where the surrounding medium is both conductive and homogeneous and we measure Cauchy data on an accessible part of the exterior boundary. It is assumed that the physical situation is modelled by harmonic functions and the boundary condition on the obstacle is one of Dirichlet type. The purpose of this paper is to answer some of the questions raised in a recent paper that introduced a nonlinear integral equation approach for the solution of this type of problem.

  16. Process and system for recovering energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Trichet, J.-C.

    1975-01-01

    The invention concerns a system for heating a room or similar, using a 'dibare' cycle working with a less volatile fluid and a more volatile fluid and employing a coupling between a fractionated separation area working at high pressure and a fractionated mixing zone working at low pressure. The invention relates to the following uses: heating a room or building, drying any material and recovering the thermal discharge from a motive cycle, particularly the recovery of the thermal discharge of an electric nuclear power station to carry out district heating [fr

  17. Susceptible-infected-recovered epidemics in random networks with population awareness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Qingchu; Chen, Shufang

    2017-10-01

    The influence of epidemic information-based awareness on the spread of infectious diseases on networks cannot be ignored. Within the effective degree modeling framework, we discuss the susceptible-infected-recovered model in complex networks with general awareness and general degree distribution. By performing the linear stability analysis, the conditions of epidemic outbreak can be deduced and the results of the previous research can be further expanded. Results show that the local awareness can suppress significantly the epidemic spreading on complex networks via raising the epidemic threshold and such effects are closely related to the formulation of awareness functions. In addition, our results suggest that the recovered information-based awareness has no effect on the critical condition of epidemic outbreak.

  18. 7 CFR 718.304 - Failure to fully comply.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... authorized in accordance with § 718.305 if the participant made a good faith effort to comply fully with the... FSA approval official to have made a good faith effort to comply fully with the terms and conditions...

  19. 10-year survival rate and the incidence of peri-implant disease of 374 titanium dental implants with a SLA surface: a prospective cohort study in 177 fully and partially edentulous patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Velzen, Frank J J; Ofec, Ronen; Schulten, Engelbert A J M; Ten Bruggenkate, Christiaan M

    2015-10-01

    This prospective cohort study evaluates the 10-year survival and incidence of peri-implant disease at implant and patient level of sandblasted, large grid, and acid-etched titanium dental implants (Straumann, soft tissue level, SLA surface) in fully and partially edentulous patients. Patients who had dental implant surgery in the period between November 1997 and June 2001, with a follow-up of at least 10 years, were investigated for clinical and radiological examination. Among the 506 inserted dental implants in 250 patients, 10-year data regarding the outcome of implants were available for 374 dental implants in 177 patients. In the current study, peri-implantitis was defined as advanced bone loss (≧1.5 mm. postloading) in combination with bleeding on probing. At 10-year follow-up, only one implant was lost (0.3%) 2 months after implant surgery due to insufficient osseointegration. The average bone loss at 10 year postloading was 0.52 mm. Advanced bone loss at 10-year follow-up was present in 35 dental implants (9.8%). Seven percent of the observed dental implants showed bleeding on probing in combination with advanced bone loss and 4.2% when setting the threshold for advanced bone loss at 2.0 mm. Advanced bone loss without bleeding on probing was present in 2.8% of all implants. In this prospective study, the 10-year survival rate at implant and patient level was 99.7% and 99.4%, respectively. Peri-implantitis was present in 7% of the observed dental implants according to the above-mentioned definition of peri-implantitis. This study shows that SLA implants offer predictable long-term results as support in the treatment of fully and partially edentulous patients. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  20. Clonal diversity and detection of carbapenem resistance encoding genes among multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolates recovered from patients and environment in two intensive care units in a Moroccan hospital

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jean Uwingabiye

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii has recently been defined by the World Health Organization as a critical pathogen. The aim of this study was to compare clonal diversity and carbapenemase-encoding genes of A. baumannii isolates collected from colonized or infected patients and hospital environment in two intensive care units (ICUs in Morocco. Methods The patient and environmental sampling was carried out in the medical and surgical ICUs of Mohammed V Military teaching hospital from March to August 2015. All A. baumannii isolates recovered from clinical and environmental samples, were identified using routine microbiological techniques and Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using disc diffusion method. The carbapenemase-encoding genes were screened for by PCR. Clonal relatedness was analyzed by digestion of the DNA with low frequency restriction enzymes and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE and the multi locus sequence typing (MLST was performed on two selected isolates from two major pulsotypes. Results A total of 83 multidrug-resistant A. baumannii isolates were collected: 47 clinical isolates and 36 environmental isolates. All isolates were positive for the bla OXA51-like and bla OXA23-like genes. The coexistence of bla NDM-1 /bla OXA-23-like and bla OXA 24-like /bla OXA-23-like were detected in 27 (32.5% and 2 (2.4% of A. baumannii isolates, respectively. The environmental samples and the fecally-colonized patients were significantly identified (p < 0.05 as the most common sites of isolation of NDM-1-harboring isolates. PFGE grouped all isolates into 9 distinct clusters with two major groups (0007 and 0008 containing up to 59% of the isolates. The pulsotype 0008 corresponds to sequence type (ST 195 while pulsotype 0007 corresponds to ST 1089.The genetic similarity between the clinical and environmental isolates

  1. Hematologic and biochemistry values for black-faced spoonbills (Platalea minor) with and recovering from botulism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chou, Shih-Jen; Shieh, Yao-Ching; Yu, Chang-You

    2008-07-01

    Type C1 botulism outbreaks in Black-faced Spoonbills (Platalea minor) occurred in Taiwan from 2002 to 2003, and hematologic and biochemistry parameters from botulism-paralyzed birds and recovered birds were compared. Values for creatinine and uric acid were higher (Pbirds with botulism than in recovered birds. Lower white blood cell counts (Pbirds. Based on these observations, we suggest that hematologic and biochemistry analyses should be performed to assess the health condition of birds recovering from botulism.

  2. A probabilistic model to recover individual genomes from metagenomes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    J. Dröge (Johannes); A. Schönhuth (Alexander); A.C. McHardy (Alice)

    2017-01-01

    textabstractShotgun metagenomics of microbial communities reveal information about strains of relevance for applications in medicine, biotechnology and ecology. Recovering their genomes is a crucial but very challenging step due to the complexity of the underlying biological system and technical

  3. Theoretical effects of fully ductile versus fully brittle behaviors of bone tissue on the strength of the human proximal femur and vertebral body.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nawathe, Shashank; Yang, Haisheng; Fields, Aaron J; Bouxsein, Mary L; Keaveny, Tony M

    2015-05-01

    The influence of the ductility of bone tissue on whole-bone strength represents a fundamental issue of multi-scale biomechanics. To gain insight, we performed a computational study of 16 human proximal femurs and 12 T9 vertebral bodies, comparing the whole-bone strength for the two hypothetical bounding cases of fully brittle versus fully ductile tissue-level failure behaviors, all other factors, including tissue-level elastic modulus and yield stress, held fixed. For each bone, a finite element model was generated (60-82 μm element size; up to 120 million elements) and was virtually loaded in habitual (stance for femur, compression for vertebra) and non-habitual (sideways fall, only for femur) loading modes. Using a geometrically and materially non-linear model, the tissue was assumed to be either fully brittle or fully ductile. We found that, under habitual loading, changing the tissue behavior from fully ductile to fully brittle reduced whole-bone strength by 38.3±2.4% (mean±SD) and 39.4±1.9% for the femur and vertebra, respectively (p=0.39 for site difference). These reductions were remarkably uniform across bones, but (for the femur) were greater for non-habitual (57.1±4.7%) than habitual loading (pductile cases. These theoretical results suggest that the whole-bone strength of the proximal femur and vertebra can vary substantially between fully brittle and fully ductile tissue-level behaviors, an effect that is relatively insensitive to bone morphology but greater for non-habitual loading. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Method for recovering uranium from sea water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schwochau, K.; Astheimer, L.; Schenk, H.J.; Schmitz, J.

    1977-04-01

    In view of the augmenting uranium demand for energy supply and of the anticipated depletion of the actually assured and economic uranium resources the possibility of recovering uranium from sea water receives increasing attention. It is the purpose of the present report to give a detailed discussion of fundamental problems involved and a critical survey of hitherto proposed processes of recovery and to recommend some general directives for further work. (orig.) [de

  5. Transport of significant metals recovered in real sea experiment of adsorbents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takeda, Hayato; Tamada, Masao; Kasai, Noboru; Katakai, Akio; Hasegawa, Shin; Seko, Noriaki; Sugo, Takanobu; Kawabata, Yukiya

    2001-10-01

    Real sea experiment for the recovery of significant metals such as uranium and vanadium which dissolved in seawater with extremely low concentration has been carried out at the offing of Mutsu establishment to evaluate the adsorption performance of adsorbent synthesized by radiation-induced graft-polymerization. The significant metals of uranium and vanadium eluted from the adsorbent which was soaked in the real sea were adsorbed onto the conventional chelate resin. The chelate resin which adsorbed the metals was packed in a plastic (PVC) column and further put in a cylindrical stainless transport container. This container was transported to the facility for separation and purification by a truck for the exclusive loading. Then the recovers metals were purified there. The recovered metals contained the uranium of 150g (1.92 MBq) and less in one recovery experiment. The maximum concentration is 60 Bq/g when the uranium is adsorbed on the chelate resin. Transport of recovered metals can be treated as general substance since these amount and concentration are out of legal control. However, the recovered metals were transported in conformity to L type Transport as a voluntary regulation. Though there is no requirements of structural strength for L type package legally, the structural strength of container was designed on that of IP-2 type which is higher transport grade than L type to take its safety measure. Its strength analysis proved the safety under general transport process. The transport was based on the plan made in advance. (author)

  6. Hypoosmotic swelling test in alpaca (Vicugna pacos spermatozoa recovered the vas deferens

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Quispe HA

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available The study objective was to evaluate the endosmotic reaction in 5 hypoosmotic solutions 100, 125, 150, 175 and 200 mOsm/l (HOS test incubated 5 and 15 minutes using alpaca sperm recovered the vas deferens. We used 5 male alpacas with the vas deferens surgically diverted, recovering sperm 10 times for each animal; the microscopic characteristics were evaluated with ISAS®. Information’s hipoosmotic test was analyzed with a factorial arrangement in a random one-way model, the correlation between endosmosis and percentages of motility and vitality was analyzed with Spearman correlation. There were no significant differences (p>0,05 in incubation times; highly significant differences (p 0,05was found to endosmosis with percentages of sperm motility and vitality; in conclusion, a 125 mOsm/l solution with 5 minutes of incubation is sufficient to perform the hipoosmotic test in alpaca spermatozoa recovered the vas deferens.

  7. Assessment of safety and efficacy of an indigenous self-expandable fully covered esophageal metal stent for palliation of esophageal cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Padhan, R K; Nongthombam, S K; Venuthurimilli, A; Dhingra, R; Sahni, P; Garg, P K

    2016-01-01

    Patients with unresectable esophageal cancer require palliation for dysphagia. Placement of a self-expandable metal stent (SEMS) is the procedure of choice for palliation of dysphagia. To evaluate the safety and efficacy of an indigenous fully-covered SEMS in patients with esophageal cancer. Eligible patients with unresectable esophageal cancer requiring palliation for dysphagia were included in the study. An indigenous fully covered SEMS of appropriate length was placed under endoscopic and fluoroscopic guidance. Outcome measures assessed were adverse events and improvement in dysphagia. Twenty one patients (mean age 57.71±13.14 years; 17 males) were included. After stenting, dysphagia score decreased from 3.2+0.4 to 0.35+0.74 at 4 weeks. Adverse events included retrosternal pain, respiratory distress and aspiration pneumonia in 12, 2 and 1 patients respectively. Five patients required repeat stenting due to stent migration in 4 (following radiotherapy in 3) and tumour ingrowth in 1. There was primary stent malfunction in one patient. The median survival of patients was 140 (76-199) days, which was higher in those who received radiotherapy. The stent was reasonably safe and effective to relieve dysphagia due to unresectable esophageal cancer.

  8. Uranium oxide recovering method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ota, Kazuaki; Takazawa, Hiroshi; Teramae, Naoki; Onoue, Takeshi.

    1997-01-01

    Nitrates containing uranium nitrate are charged in a molten salt electrolytic vessel, and a heat treatment is applied to prepare molten salts. An anode and a cathode each made of a graphite rod are disposed in the molten salts. AC voltage is applied between the anode and the cathode to conduct electrolysis of the molten salts. Uranium oxides are deposited as a recovered product of uranium, on the surface of the anode. The nitrates containing uranium nitrate are preferably a mixture of one or more nitrates selected from sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate, calcium nitrate and magnesium nitrate with uranium nitrate. The nitrates may be liquid wastes of nitrates. The temperature for the electrolysis of the molten salts is preferably from 150 to 300degC. The voltage for the electrolysis of the molten salts is preferably an AC voltage of from 2 to 6V, more preferably from 4 to 6V. (I.N.)

  9. Process for recovering tungsten from alkaline leaching solution of tungsten ores

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Onozaki, S.; Nemoto, S.; Hazeyama, T.

    1976-01-01

    This invention relates to a process for recovering tungsten from an alkaline leaching solution of tungsten ores. This invention comprises adjusting the pH of an alkaline leaching solution which is obtained by lixiviating ore containing tungsten with an alkaline solution to 7--8 with acid to oxidize molybdic acid ions in the solution, adding a sulfide donor, then precipitating molybdenum sulfide compounds by adjusting the pH value of the solution to 2--3. Tungstic acid ions are recovered as calcium tungstate by the addition of a calcium ion donor after the molybdenum sulfide compounds are separated

  10. METHOD OF RECOVERING URANIUM COMPOUNDS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poirier, R.H.

    1957-10-29

    S>The recovery of uranium compounds which have been adsorbed on anion exchange resins is discussed. The uranium and thorium-containing residues from monazite processed by alkali hydroxide are separated from solution, and leached with an alkali metal carbonate solution, whereby the uranium and thorium hydrorides are dissolved. The carbonate solution is then passed over an anion exchange resin causing the uranium to be adsorbed while the thorium remains in solution. The uranium may be recovered by contacting the uranium-holding resin with an aqueous ammonium carbonate solution whereby the uranium values are eluted from the resin and then heating the eluate whereby carbon dioxide and ammonia are given off, the pH value of the solution is lowered, and the uranium is precipitated.

  11. Clinical application and observation of curative effect in the near future of iodine-131 therapy in juvenile patients with hyperthyroidism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Huilin; Liang Jun; Liang Fengyun

    2004-01-01

    Objective: To assess clinical application of 131 I therapy and observation of curative effect in the near future after treatment in juvenile patients with hyperthyroidism Methods: 44 juvenile patients with hyperthyroidism were divided two subgroups of that children and early youths .The dosage of 131 I were respectively 135.1±34.0(3.65±0.92), 200.2±64.0 MBq(5.41±1.73 mCi). The curative effect belonged in four kinds being to fully recovered, quite a lot, fail to respond to medical and hypothyroidism at six month slater or from then. Results: 46 times treatment were gave and therapy effect was same in every subgroups. The effective rate of total was 89.1% and rater on clinical hypothyroidism was 4.3%. Conclusions: It had an obvious effect that 131 I therapy for juvenile patients with hyperthyroidism. 131 I therapy was also a firmly good select because a well ratio effect/cost. (authors)

  12. Spiral-Shaped Piezoelectric MEMS Cantilever Array for Fully Implantable Hearing Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Péter Udvardi

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Fully implantable, self-powered hearing aids with no external unit could significantly increase the life quality of patients suffering severe hearing loss. This highly demanding concept, however, requires a strongly miniaturized device which is fully implantable in the middle/inner ear and includes the following components: frequency selective microphone or accelerometer, energy harvesting device, speech processor, and cochlear multielectrode. Here we demonstrate a low volume, piezoelectric micro-electromechanical system (MEMS cantilever array which is sensitive, even in the lower part of the voice frequency range (300–700 Hz. The test array consisting of 16 cantilevers has been fabricated by standard bulk micromachining using a Si-on-Insulator (SOI wafer and aluminum nitride (AlN as a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS and biocompatible piezoelectric material. The low frequency and low device footprint are ensured by Archimedean spiral geometry and Si seismic mass. Experimentally detected resonance frequencies were validated by an analytical model. The generated open circuit voltage (3–10 mV is sufficient for the direct analog conversion of the signals for cochlear multielectrode implants.

  13. Low-Grade Glioma Segmentation Based on CNN with Fully Connected CRF

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zeju Li

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This work proposed a novel automatic three-dimensional (3D magnetic resonance imaging (MRI segmentation method which would be widely used in the clinical diagnosis of the most common and aggressive brain tumor, namely, glioma. The method combined a multipathway convolutional neural network (CNN and fully connected conditional random field (CRF. Firstly, 3D information was introduced into the CNN which makes more accurate recognition of glioma with low contrast. Then, fully connected CRF was added as a postprocessing step which purposed more delicate delineation of glioma boundary. The method was applied to T2flair MRI images of 160 low-grade glioma patients. With 59 cases of data training and manual segmentation as the ground truth, the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC of our method was 0.85 for the test set of 101 MRI images. The results of our method were better than those of another state-of-the-art CNN method, which gained the DSC of 0.76 for the same dataset. It proved that our method could produce better results for the segmentation of low-grade gliomas.

  14. The Clinical Test of Nano gold Cosmetic for Recovering Skin Damage Due to Chemicals: Special Case

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taufikurohmah, T.; Wardana, A. P.; Tjahjani, S.; Sanjaya, I. G. M.; Baktir, A.; Syahrani, A.

    2018-01-01

    Manufacturing of Nano gold cosmetics was done at PT. Gizi Indonesia. Clinical trials to cosmetics data supported that cosmetics are able to treat skin health which has been reported partially. For special cases, the recovery process of facial skin damage should also receive attention including cases of facial skin damage caused by chemicals such as phenol, HCl, aqua regia or other harsh chemicals. The problem determined whether the Nano gold is able to recover skin damage due to the harsh chemicals. This clinical trial data on the forms of early skin damage caused by phenol was delivered in the forms of facial photos patients. The recovery progress of facial skin condition was obtained every week for two months. The data included the forms of widespread wounds during the recovery process. This statement supported by anova statistical analysis of the widespread wound changing every week for 8 times. The conclusion is skin damage due to Phenol impregnation can be recovered with the use of Nano gold cosmetics for 8 weeks. This results support the manufacturing of Nano gold cosmetics for the needs of society. It also suggest that Nano gold material can be used for medicine manufacturing in the future.

  15. Massive Electrical Storm at Disease Onset in a Patient with Brugada Syndrome

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pallisgaard, Jannik L; Gang, Uffe; Kanters, Jørgen K.

    2014-01-01

    Background Brugada syndrome (BrS) is a genetic arrhythmogenic disease characterized by ST-segment elevations in the right precordial leads of the electrocardiogram (ECG). These ECG changes may be concealed and BrS may present with electrical storm characterized by recurrent ventricular tachycardia...... and fibrillation. Case Report A 49-year-old previously healthy man was admitted with electrical storm. The patient received direct current (DC) cardioversion shocks and only after intravenous lidocaine did the electrical storm slowly subside with a total of 255 DC shocks administered during the first 24 h after...... admission. He fully recovered and received an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. Subsequent drug challenge with flecainide revealed type 1 BrS. Conclusions Massive electrical storm can be the first symptom of BrS and the diagnostic ECG changes may be concealed at presentation. Although hundreds of DC...

  16. Recovering from conflict in romantic relationships: a developmental perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salvatore, Jessica E; Kuo, Sally I-Chun; Steele, Ryan D; Simpson, Jeffry A; Collins, W Andrew

    2011-03-01

    This study adopted a developmental perspective on recovery from conflict in romantic relationships. Participants were 73 young adults (target participants), studied since birth, and their romantic partners. A novel observational coding scheme was used to evaluate each participant's degree of conflict recovery, operationalized as the extent to which the participant disengaged from conflict during a 4-min "cool-down" task immediately following a 10-min conflict discussion. Conflict recovery was systematically associated with developmental and dyadic processes. Targets who were rated as securely attached more times in infancy recovered from conflict better, as did their romantic partners. Concurrently, having a romantic partner who displayed better recovery predicted more positive relationship emotions and greater relationship satisfaction. Prospectively, target participants' early attachment security and their partners' degree of conflict recovery interacted to predict relationship stability 2 years later, such that having a partner who recovered from conflict better buffered targets with insecure histories.

  17. Evaluation of plan quality assurance models for prostate cancer patients based on fully automatically generated Pareto-optimal treatment plans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yibing; Breedveld, Sebastiaan; Heijmen, Ben; Petit, Steven F

    2016-06-07

    IMRT planning with commercial Treatment Planning Systems (TPSs) is a trial-and-error process. Consequently, the quality of treatment plans may not be consistent among patients, planners and institutions. Recently, different plan quality assurance (QA) models have been proposed, that could flag and guide improvement of suboptimal treatment plans. However, the performance of these models was validated using plans that were created using the conventional trail-and-error treatment planning process. Consequently, it is challenging to assess and compare quantitatively the accuracy of different treatment planning QA models. Therefore, we created a golden standard dataset of consistently planned Pareto-optimal IMRT plans for 115 prostate patients. Next, the dataset was used to assess the performance of a treatment planning QA model that uses the overlap volume histogram (OVH). 115 prostate IMRT plans were fully automatically planned using our in-house developed TPS Erasmus-iCycle. An existing OVH model was trained on the plans of 58 of the patients. Next it was applied to predict DVHs of the rectum, bladder and anus of the remaining 57 patients. The predictions were compared with the achieved values of the golden standard plans for the rectum D mean, V 65, and V 75, and D mean of the anus and the bladder. For the rectum, the prediction errors (predicted-achieved) were only  -0.2  ±  0.9 Gy (mean  ±  1 SD) for D mean,-1.0  ±  1.6% for V 65, and  -0.4  ±  1.1% for V 75. For D mean of the anus and the bladder, the prediction error was 0.1  ±  1.6 Gy and 4.8  ±  4.1 Gy, respectively. Increasing the training cohort to 114 patients only led to minor improvements. A dataset of consistently planned Pareto-optimal prostate IMRT plans was generated. This dataset can be used to train new, and validate and compare existing treatment planning QA models, and has been made publicly available. The OVH model was highly accurate

  18. A Novel Designed Bioreactor for Recovering Precious Metals from Waste Printed Circuit Boards

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jujun, Ruan; Jie, Zheng; Jian, Hu; Zhang, Jianwen

    2015-01-01

    For recovering precious metals from waste printed circuit boards (PCBs), a novel hybrid technology including physical and biological methods was developed. It consisted of crushing, corona-electrostatic separation, and bioleaching. Bioleaching process is the focus of this paper. A novel bioreactor for bioleaching was designed. Bioleaching was carried out using Pseudomonas chlororaphis. Bioleaching experiments using mixed particles of Au and Cu were performed and leachate contained 0.006 mg/L, 2823 mg/L Au+ and Cu2+ respectively. It showed when Cu existed, the concentrations of Au were extremely small. This provided the feasibility to separate Cu from Au. The method of orthogonal experimental design was employed in the simulation bioleaching experiments. Experimental results showed the optimized parameters for separating Cu from Au particles were pH 7.0, temperature 22.5 °C, and rotation speed 80 r/min. Based on the optimized parameters obtained, the bioreactor was operated for recovering mixed Au and Cu particles. 88.1 wt.% of Cu and 76.6 wt.% of Au were recovered. The paper contributed important information to recover precious metals from waste PCBs. PMID:26316021

  19. Mass, energy and material balances of SRF production process. Part 3: solid recovered fuel produced from municipal solid waste.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nasrullah, Muhammad; Vainikka, Pasi; Hannula, Janne; Hurme, Markku; Kärki, Janne

    2015-02-01

    This is the third and final part of the three-part article written to describe the mass, energy and material balances of the solid recovered fuel production process produced from various types of waste streams through mechanical treatment. This article focused the production of solid recovered fuel from municipal solid waste. The stream of municipal solid waste used here as an input waste material to produce solid recovered fuel is energy waste collected from households of municipality. This article presents the mass, energy and material balances of the solid recovered fuel production process. These balances are based on the proximate as well as the ultimate analysis and the composition determination of various streams of material produced in a solid recovered fuel production plant. All the process streams are sampled and treated according to CEN standard methods for solid recovered fuel. The results of the mass balance of the solid recovered fuel production process showed that 72% of the input waste material was recovered in the form of solid recovered fuel; 2.6% as ferrous metal, 0.4% as non-ferrous metal, 11% was sorted as rejects material, 12% as fine faction and 2% as heavy fraction. The energy balance of the solid recovered fuel production process showed that 86% of the total input energy content of input waste material was recovered in the form of solid recovered fuel. The remaining percentage (14%) of the input energy was split into the streams of reject material, fine fraction and heavy fraction. The material balances of this process showed that mass fraction of paper and cardboard, plastic (soft) and wood recovered in the solid recovered fuel stream was 88%, 85% and 90%, respectively, of their input mass. A high mass fraction of rubber material, plastic (PVC-plastic) and inert (stone/rock and glass particles) was found in the reject material stream. © The Author(s) 2014.

  20. How telling stories helps patients to recover psychologically after intensive care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, Susan Lecky

    Studies have shown both the risk of post traumatic stress following intensive care unit treatment, and the helpfulness of telling trauma stories for psychological recovery. This article is based on recent doctoral research exploring the impact of unexpected life threatening events after admission to hospital. The original research used a qualitative design blending discourse, narrative and phenomenological approaches, guided by sensitivity to participants' evolving work of pulling stories together. Patients chosen from ICU discharge summaries showing a critical life threatening event after admission gave unstructured interviews soon after discharge from hospital and a year later. This article focuses on one particular finding, showing that critical illness can make it difficult for patients to construct personal stories of their experience. Limited evidence suggested overcoming those difficulties meant they had an improved sense of wellbeing a year after discharge. Stories are an essential way in which humans make sense of their experience, which is crucial both for responding appropriately and for personal wellbeing following traumatic life events. Therefore, difficulties in "storying" significant experience can have a negative impact on wellbeing. Some patients need help piecing together stories of their critical illness experience.

  1. RECOVER: An Automated, Cloud-Based Decision Support System for Post-Fire Rehabilitation Planning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schnase, J. L.; Carroll, M. L.; Weber, K. T.; Brown, M. E.; Gill, R. L.; Wooten, M.; May, J.; Serr, K.; Smith, E.; Goldsby, R.; Newtoff, K.; Bradford, K.; Doyle, C.; Volker, E.; Weber, S.

    2014-11-01

    RECOVER is a site-specific decision support system that automatically brings together in a single analysis environment the information necessary for post-fire rehabilitation decision-making. After a major wildfire, law requires that the federal land management agencies certify a comprehensive plan for public safety, burned area stabilization, resource protection, and site recovery. These burned area emergency response (BAER) plans are a crucial part of our national response to wildfire disasters and depend heavily on data acquired from a variety of sources. Final plans are due within 21 days of control of a major wildfire and become the guiding document for managing the activities and budgets for all subsequent remediation efforts. There are few instances in the federal government where plans of such wide-ranging scope and importance are assembled on such short notice and translated into action more quickly. RECOVER has been designed in close collaboration with our agency partners and directly addresses their high-priority decision-making requirements. In response to a fire detection event, RECOVER uses the rapid resource allocation capabilities of cloud computing to automatically collect Earth observational data, derived decision products, and historic biophysical data so that when the fire is contained, BAER teams will have a complete and ready-to-use RECOVER dataset and GIS analysis environment customized for the target wildfire. Initial studies suggest that RECOVER can transform this information-intensive process by reducing from days to a matter of minutes the time required to assemble and deliver crucial wildfire-related data.

  2. RECOVER: An Automated Cloud-Based Decision Support System for Post-fire Rehabilitation Planning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schnase, John L.; Carroll, Mark; Weber, K. T.; Brown, Molly E.; Gill, Roger L.; Wooten, Margaret; May J.; Serr, K.; Smith, E.; Goldsby, R.; hide

    2014-01-01

    RECOVER is a site-specific decision support system that automatically brings together in a single analysis environment the information necessary for post-fire rehabilitation decision-making. After a major wildfire, law requires that the federal land management agencies certify a comprehensive plan for public safety, burned area stabilization, resource protection, and site recovery. These burned area emergency response (BAER) plans are a crucial part of our national response to wildfire disasters and depend heavily on data acquired from a variety of sources. Final plans are due within 21 days of control of a major wildfire and become the guiding document for managing the activities and budgets for all subsequent remediation efforts. There are few instances in the federal government where plans of such wide-ranging scope and importance are assembled on such short notice and translated into action more quickly. RECOVER has been designed in close collaboration with our agency partners and directly addresses their high-priority decision-making requirements. In response to a fire detection event, RECOVER uses the rapid resource allocation capabilities of cloud computing to automatically collect Earth observational data, derived decision products, and historic biophysical data so that when the fire is contained, BAER teams will have a complete and ready-to-use RECOVER dataset and GIS analysis environment customized for the target wildfire. Initial studies suggest that RECOVER can transform this information-intensive process by reducing from days to a matter of minutes the time required to assemble and deliver crucial wildfire-related data.

  3. Design of a statically balanced fully compliant grasper

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lamers, A.J.; Gallego Sanchez, J.A.; Herder, Justus Laurens

    2015-01-01

    Monolithic and thus fully compliant surgical graspers are promising when they provide equal or better force feedback than conventional graspers. In this work for the first time a fully compliant grasper is designed to exhibit zero stiffness and zero operation force. The design problem is addressed

  4. Two missense mutations, E123Q and K151E, identified in the ERG11 allele of an azole-resistant isolate of Candida kefyr recovered from a stem cell transplant patient for acute myeloid leukemia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Célia Couzigou

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available We report on the first cloning and nucleotide sequencing of an ERG11 allele from a clinical isolate of Candida kefyr cross-resistant to azole antifungals. It was recovered from a stem cell transplant patient, in an oncohematology unit exhibiting unexpected high prevalence of C. kefyr. Two amino acid substitutions were identified: K151E, whose role in fluconazole resistance was already demonstrated in Candida albicans, and E123Q, a new substitution never described so far in azole-resistant Candida yeast.

  5. Parents and other relatives accused of sexual abuse on the basis of recovered memories: a New Zealand family survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goodyear-Smith, F A; Laidlaw, T M; Large, R G

    1998-06-26

    To survey New Zealand families where an alleged perpetrator and/or other family member denies an accusation involving the childhood molestation of one family member by another, based on a memory recovered in adulthood. As the validity of such memories is crucial, our aim was to develop a profile of such families and to compare it with New Zealand epidemiological data. Information was collected by questionnaire regarding family demographics, characteristics of the accuser, family life, events surrounding and leading up to the accusations, consequences of the accusations and details of the accuser's current life situation. The 73 subjects included fathers, mothers, siblings and other relatives of the accusing adults. Most accusers were highly educated white women, frequently first born or older children from relatively large families, statistically different proportions from those expected. Many accusations involved events of low base-rate probability including satanic ritual abuse. Proportions differed from those of another New Zealand prevalence survey of 1019 18-year-olds in almost every way. The data suggest that it is unlikely that many, if not most, of the memories of child sexual abuse recovered in adulthood are a true reflection of history. Memories recovered during therapy should be treated with respect as part of the patient's narrative truth, but not assumed to be factually accurate without corroborative evidence.

  6. Dynamical phase transition in a fully frustrated Josephson array on a square lattice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fisher, K. D.; Stroud, D.; Janin, L.

    1999-01-01

    We study dynamical phase transitions at temperature T=0 in a fully frustrated square Josephson junction array subject to a driving current density, which has nonzero components i x , i y parallel to both axes of the lattice. Our numerical results show clear evidence for three dynamical phases: a pinned vortex lattice characterized by zero time-averaged voltages x > t and y > t , a ''plastic'' phase in which both x > t and y > t are nonzero, and a moving lattice phase in which only one of the time-average voltage components is nonzero. The last of these has a finite transverse critical current: if a current is applied in the x direction, a nonzero transverse current density i y is required before y > t becomes nonzero. The voltage traces in the moving lattice phase are periodic in time. By contrast, the voltages in the plastic phase have continuous power spectra that are weakly dependent on frequency. This phase diagram is found numerically to be qualitatively unchanged by the presence of weak disorder. We also describe two simple analytical models that recover some, but not all, the characteristics of the three dynamical phases, and of the phase diagram calculated numerically. (c) 1999 The American Physical Society

  7. Fusarium spp. recovered from waste peanuts associated with sandhill crane mortality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nelson, P.E.; Cole, R.J.; Tousson, T.A.; Dorner, J.W.; Windingstad, R.M.

    1990-01-01

    Approximately 5000 sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis ) died from undetermined causes in Gains County, Texas, 1985, and an additional 200 died in 1986. Prominent clinical signs were the inability of many sick cranes to hold their necks horizontal and the neck, head, and legs sometimes drooped perpendicularly during flight. Approximately 95% of the dead cranes' gizzards contained peanuts. Culturing of peanuts, shells, soil and soil debris from fields in which sandhill cranes died showed that Fusarium species were the fungi most frequently isolated and eight species were recovered from these substrates. Fusarium compactum, F. solani , and F. equiseti were the only species recovered from all substrates cultured from both fields.

  8. Greater anterior insula activation during anticipation of food images in women recovered from anorexia nervosa versus controls

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oberndorfer, Tyson; Simmons, Alan; McCurdy, Danyale; Strigo, Irina; Matthews, Scott; Yang, Tony; Irvine, Zoe; Kaye, Walter

    2013-01-01

    Individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN) restrict food consumption and become severely emaciated. Eating food, even thinking of eating food, is often associated with heightened anxiety. However, food cue anticipation in AN is poorly understood. Fourteen women recovered from AN and 12 matched healthy control women performed an anticipation task viewing images of food and object images during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Comparing anticipation of food versus object images between control women and recovered AN groups showed significant interaction only in the right ventral anterior insula, with greater activation in recovered AN anticipating food images. These data support the hypothesis of a disconnect between anticipating and experiencing food stimuli in recovered AN. Insula activation positively correlated with pleasantness ratings of palatable foods in control women, while no such relationship existed in recovered AN, which is further evidence of altered interoceptive function. Finally, these findings raise the possibility that enhanced anterior insula anticipatory response to food cues in recovered AN could contribute to exaggerated sensitivity and anxiety related to food and eating. PMID:23993362

  9. Method for recovering palladium and technetium values from nuclear fuel reprocessing waste solutions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horwitz, E. Philip; Delphin, Walter H.

    1979-07-24

    A method for recovering palladium and technetium values from nuclear fuel reprocessing waste solutions containing these and other values by contacting the waste solution with an extractant of tricaprylmethylammonium nitrate in an inert hydrocarbon diluent which extracts the palladium and technetium values from the waste solution. The palladium and technetium values are recovered from the extractant and from any other coextracted values with a strong nitric acid strip solution.

  10. Process for recovering cesium from cesium alum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mein, P.G.

    1984-01-01

    Cesium is recovered from cesium alum, CsAl(SO 4 ) 2 , by an aqueous conversion and precipitation reaction using a critical stoichiometric excess of a water-soluble permanganate to form solid cesium permanganate (CsMnO 4 ) free from cesium alum. The other metal salts remain in solution, providing the final pH does not cause hydroxides of aluminium or iron to form. The precipitate is separated from the residual solution to obtain CsMnO 4 of high purity

  11. Apparatus for recovering oil from Posidonien shale

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1920-04-13

    Equipment for recovering oil from shale and the like, as well as the distilling of coal is characterized in that a number of chambers provided in a known way with upper and lower air supply are arranged open to the receiver of the oil vapors through removable domes which can be attached to the usual oil-vapor carry-off. Arrangement is characterized in that the domes are movable to the side, so that they can be interchangeably attached to the different chambers.

  12. Wernicke encephalopathy as rare complication of cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonio Macrì

    2015-01-01

    Conclusion: WE is an uncommon neurological disorder. Only 16% of these patients inadequately treated recover fully, with a mortality rate of 10–20%. We consider useful to report this case, because it is the first time that WE is correlated to CRS plus HIPEC.

  13. Fully wireless pressure sensor based on endoscopy images

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maeda, Yusaku; Mori, Hirohito; Nakagawa, Tomoaki; Takao, Hidekuni

    2018-04-01

    In this paper, the result of developing a fully wireless pressure sensor based on endoscopy images for an endoscopic surgery is reported for the first time. The sensor device has structural color with a nm-scale narrow gap, and the gap is changed by air pressure. The structural color of the sensor is acquired from camera images. Pressure detection can be realized with existing endoscope configurations only. The inner air pressure of the human body should be measured under flexible-endoscope operation using the sensor. Air pressure monitoring, has two important purposes. The first is to quantitatively measure tumor size under a constant air pressure for treatment selection. The second purpose is to prevent the endangerment of a patient due to over transmission of air. The developed sensor was evaluated, and the detection principle based on only endoscopy images has been successfully demonstrated.

  14. Life Cycle Primary Energy and Carbon Analysis of Recovering Softwood Framing Lumber and Hardwood Flooring for Reuse

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richard D. Bergman; Hongmei Gu; Thomas R. Napier; James Salazar; Robert H. Falk

    2012-01-01

    Recovering wood for reuse in a new house affects energy and greenhouse gas emissions. This paper finds the energy and emissions for recovering softwood framing lumber and hardwood flooring from an old house for installation in a new house. Recovering wood displaces primary production of new wood products and avoids the end-of-life (EOL) burdens for the old house. We...

  15. Android Fully Loaded

    CERN Document Server

    Huddleston, Rob

    2012-01-01

    Fully loaded with the latest tricks and tips on your new Android! Android smartphones are so hot, they're soaring past iPhones on the sales charts. And the second edition of this muscular little book is equally impressive--it's packed with tips and tricks for getting the very most out of your latest-generation Android device. Start Facebooking and tweeting with your Android mobile, scan barcodes to get pricing and product reviews, download your favorite TV shows--the book is positively bursting with practical and fun how-tos. Topics run the gamut from using speech recognition, location-based m

  16. Five-year clinical and functional multislice computed tomography angiographic results after coronary implantation of the fully resorbable polymeric everolimus-eluting scaffold in patients with de novo coronary artery disease: the ABSORB cohort A trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Onuma, Yoshinobu; Dudek, Dariusz; Thuesen, Leif; Webster, Mark; Nieman, Koen; Garcia-Garcia, Hector M; Ormiston, John A; Serruys, Patrick W

    2013-10-01

    This study sought to demonstrate the 5-year clinical and functional multislice computed tomography angiographic results after implantation of the fully resorbable everolimus-eluting scaffold (Absorb BVS, Abbott Vascular, Santa Clara, California). Multimodality imaging of the first-in-humans trial using a ABSORB BVS scaffold demonstrated at 2 years the bioresorption of the device while preventing restenosis. However, the long-term safety and efficacy of this therapy remain to be documented. In the ABSORB cohort A trial (ABSORB Clinical Investigation, Cohort A [ABSORB A] Everolimus-Eluting Coronary Stent System Clinical Investigation), 30 patients with a single de novo coronary artery lesion were treated with the fully resorbable everolimus-eluting Absorb scaffold at 4 centers. As an optional investigation in 3 of the 4 centers, the patients underwent multislice computed tomography (MSCT) angiography at 18 months and 5 years. Acquired MSCT data were analyzed at an independent core laboratory (Cardialysis, Rotterdam, the Netherlands) for quantitative analysis of lumen dimensions and was further processed for calculation of fractional flow reserve (FFR) at another independent core laboratory (Heart Flow, Redwood City, California). Five-year clinical follow-up is available for 29 patients. One patient withdrew consent after 6 months, but the vital status of this patient remains available. At 46 days, 1 patient experienced a single episode of chest pain and underwent a target lesion revascularization with a slight troponin increase after the procedure. At 5 years, the ischemia-driven major adverse cardiac event rate of 3.4% remained unchanged. Clopidogrel was discontinued in all but 1 patient. Scaffold thrombosis was not observed in any patient. Two noncardiac deaths were reported, 1 caused by duodenal perforation and the other from Hodgkin's disease. At 5 years, 18 patients underwent MSCT angiography. All scaffolds were patent, with a median minimal lumen area of 3

  17. Transcriptome analysis of symptomatic and recovered leaves of geminivirus-infected pepper (Capsicum annuum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Góngora-Castillo Elsa

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Geminiviruses are a large and important family of plant viruses that infect a wide range of crops throughout the world. The Begomovirus genus contains species that are transmitted by whiteflies and are distributed worldwide causing disease on an array of horticultural crops. Symptom remission, in which newly developed leaves of systemically infected plants exhibit a reduction in symptom severity (recovery, has been observed on pepper (Capsicum annuum plants infected with Pepper golden mosaic virus (PepGMV. Previous studies have shown that transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene silencing mechanisms are involved in the reduction of viral nucleic acid concentration in recovered tissue. In this study, we employed deep transcriptome sequencing methods to assess transcriptional variation in healthy (mock, symptomatic, and recovered pepper leaves following PepGMV infection. Results Differential expression analyses of the pepper leaf transcriptome from symptomatic and recovered stages revealed a total of 309 differentially expressed genes between healthy (mock and symptomatic or recovered tissues. Computational prediction of differential expression was validated using quantitative reverse-transcription PCR confirming the robustness of our bioinformatic methods. Within the set of differentially expressed genes associated with the recovery process were genes involved in defense responses including pathogenesis-related proteins, reactive oxygen species, systemic acquired resistance, jasmonic acid biosynthesis, and ethylene signaling. No major differences were found when compared the differentially expressed genes in symptomatic and recovered tissues. On the other hand, a set of genes with novel roles in defense responses was identified including genes involved in histone modification. This latter result suggested that post-transcriptional and transcriptional gene silencing may be one of the major mechanisms involved in the

  18. Transcriptome analysis of symptomatic and recovered leaves of geminivirus-infected pepper (Capsicum annuum)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Background Geminiviruses are a large and important family of plant viruses that infect a wide range of crops throughout the world. The Begomovirus genus contains species that are transmitted by whiteflies and are distributed worldwide causing disease on an array of horticultural crops. Symptom remission, in which newly developed leaves of systemically infected plants exhibit a reduction in symptom severity (recovery), has been observed on pepper (Capsicum annuum) plants infected with Pepper golden mosaic virus (PepGMV). Previous studies have shown that transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene silencing mechanisms are involved in the reduction of viral nucleic acid concentration in recovered tissue. In this study, we employed deep transcriptome sequencing methods to assess transcriptional variation in healthy (mock), symptomatic, and recovered pepper leaves following PepGMV infection. Results Differential expression analyses of the pepper leaf transcriptome from symptomatic and recovered stages revealed a total of 309 differentially expressed genes between healthy (mock) and symptomatic or recovered tissues. Computational prediction of differential expression was validated using quantitative reverse-transcription PCR confirming the robustness of our bioinformatic methods. Within the set of differentially expressed genes associated with the recovery process were genes involved in defense responses including pathogenesis-related proteins, reactive oxygen species, systemic acquired resistance, jasmonic acid biosynthesis, and ethylene signaling. No major differences were found when compared the differentially expressed genes in symptomatic and recovered tissues. On the other hand, a set of genes with novel roles in defense responses was identified including genes involved in histone modification. This latter result suggested that post-transcriptional and transcriptional gene silencing may be one of the major mechanisms involved in the recovery process. Genes

  19. Quality standards and requirements for solid recovered fuels: a review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flamme, Sabine; Geiping, Julia

    2012-04-01

    The utilization of solid recovered fuels (SRF) for energy recovery has been increasing steadily in recent years, and this development is set to continue. In order to use SRF efficiently, it is necessary to define quality standards and introduce targeted quality assurance measures. SRF can be used both in mono-incineration and in co-incineration systems, for instance in power generation and cement plants; but as quality requirements differ, it is necessary to unambiguously define the term 'solid recovered fuel'. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the origin, development and the current status of quality assurance for SRF. The basic principles of quality assurance for SRF are explained with reference to the development of the German RAL Quality Assurance System and in addition specifications that have emerged from European standardization work of CEN/TC 343 are analysed.

  20. Fully plastic solutions of semi-elliptical surface cracks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yagawa, Genki; Yoshimura, Shinobu; Kitajima, Yasumi; Ueda, Hiroyoshi.

    1990-01-01

    Nonlinear finite element analyses of semi-elliptical surface cracks are performed under the fully plastic condition. The power-law hardening materials and the deformation theory of plasticity are assumed. Either the penalty function method or the Uzawa's algorithm is utilized to treat the incompressibility of plastic strains. The local and global J-integral values are obtained using a virtual crack extension technique for plates and cylinders with semi-elliptical surface cracks subjected to uniform tensions. The fully plastic solutions for surface cracked plates are given in the form of polynominals with geometric parameters a/t, a/c and the strain hardening exponent (n). In addition, the effects of curvature on fully plastic solutions are discussed through the comparison between the results of plates and cylinders. (author)

  1. Thoracic empyema caused by Campylobacter rectus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ogata, Tomoyuki; Urata, Teruo; Nemoto, Daisuke; Hitomi, Shigemi

    2017-03-01

    We report a case of thoracic empyema caused by Campylobacter rectus, an organism considered as a periodontal pathogen but rarely recovered from extraoral specimens. The patient fully recovered through drainage of purulent pleural fluid and administration of antibiotics. The present case illustrates that C. rectus can be a cause of not only periodontal disease but also pulmonary infection. Copyright © 2016 Japanese Society of Chemotherapy and The Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. A randomized controlled trial on rehabilitation through caregiver-delivered nurse-organized service programs for disabled stroke patients in rural china (the RECOVER trial): design and rationale.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Lijing L; Chen, Shu; Zhou, Bo; Zhang, Jing; Xie, Bin; Luo, Rong; Wang, Ninghua; Lindley, Richard; Zhang, Yuhong; Zhao, Yi; Li, Xian; Liu, Xiao; Peoples, Nicholas; Bettger, Janet Prvu; Anderson, Craig; Lamb, Sarah E; Wu, Yangfeng; Shi, Jingpu

    2016-10-01

    Stroke is the leading cause of death and disability in rural China. For stroke patients residing in resource-limited rural areas, secondary prevention and rehabilitation are largely unavailable, and where present, are far below evidence-based standards. This study aims to develop and implement a simplified stroke rehabilitation program that utilizes nurses and family caregivers for service delivery, and evaluate its feasibility and effectiveness in rural China. This 2-year randomized controlled trial is being conducted in 2-3 county hospitals located in northwest, northeast, and southwest China. Eligible and consenting stroke inpatients (200 in total) have been recruited and randomized into either a control or intervention group. Nurses in the county hospital are trained by rehabilitation specialists and in turn train the family caregivers in the intervention group. They also provide telephone follow-up care three times post discharge. The recruitment, baseline, intervention, follow-up care, and evaluation are guided by the RECOVER mobile phone app specifically designed for this study. The primary outcome is patients' Barthel Index (activities of daily living: mobility, self-care, and toileting) at 6 months. Process and economic evaluation will also be conducted. The results of our study will generate initial high-quality evidence to improve stroke care in resource-scarce settings. If proven effective, this innovative care delivery model has the potential to improve the health and function of stroke patients, relieve caregiver burden, guide policy-making, and advance translational research in the field of stroke care. © 2016 World Stroke Organization.

  3. Pandemic (H1N1 2009 Influenza Virus Infection in A Survivor who has recovered from severe H7N9 Virus Infection, China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shan-Hui Chen

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available We firstly report a patient who presented with severe complications after infection with influenza A(H1N1 pdm2009, more than one year after recovery from severe H7N9 virus infections. The population of patients who recovered from severe H7N9 infections might be at a higher risk to suffer severe complications after seasonal influenza infections, and they should be included in the high-risk populations recommended to receive seasonal influenza vaccination.

  4. Massive electrical storm at disease onset in a patient with Brugada syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pallisgaard, Jannik L; Gang, Uffe; Kanters, Jørgen K; Hansen, Peter R

    2014-12-16

    Brugada syndrome (BrS) is a genetic arrhythmogenic disease characterized by ST-segment elevations in the right precordial leads of the electrocardiogram (ECG). These ECG changes may be concealed and BrS may present with electrical storm characterized by recurrent ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation. A 49-year-old previously healthy man was admitted with electrical storm. The patient received direct current (DC) cardioversion shocks and only after intravenous lidocaine did the electrical storm slowly subside with a total of 255 DC shocks administered during the first 24 h after admission. He fully recovered and received an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. Subsequent drug challenge with flecainide revealed type 1 BrS. Massive electrical storm can be the first symptom of BrS and the diagnostic ECG changes may be concealed at presentation. Although hundreds of DC shocks may be required during initial treatment, full recovery can be achieved.

  5. Performance of a fully automated program for measurement of left ventricular ejection fraction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Douglass, K.H.; Tibbits, P.; Kasecamp, W.; Han, S.T.; Koller, D.; Links, J.M.; Wagner, H.H. Jr.

    1982-01-01

    A fully automated program developed by us for measurement of left ventricular ejection fraction from equilibrium gated blood studies was evaluated in 130 additional patients. Both of 6-min (130 studies) and 2-min (142 studies in 31 patients) gated blood pool studies were acquired and processed. The program successfully generated ejection fractions in 86% of the studies. These automatically generated ejection fractions were compared with ejection fractions derived from manually drawn regions the interest. When studies were acquired for 6-min with the patient at rest, the correlation between automated and manual ejection fractions was 0.92. When studies were acquired for 2-min, both at rest and during bicycle exercise, the correlation was 0.81. In 25 studies from patients who also underwent contrast ventriculography, the program successfully generated regions of interest in 22 (88%). The correlation between the ejection fraction determined by contrast ventriculography and the automatically generated radionuclide ejection fraction was 0.79. (orig.)

  6. Fully automated deformable registration of breast DCE-MRI and PET/CT

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dmitriev, I. D.; Loo, C. E.; Vogel, W. V.; Pengel, K. E.; Gilhuijs, K. G. A.

    2013-02-01

    Accurate characterization of breast tumors is important for the appropriate selection of therapy and monitoring of the response. For this purpose breast imaging and tissue biopsy are important aspects. In this study, a fully automated method for deformable registration of DCE-MRI and PET/CT of the breast is presented. The registration is performed using the CT component of the PET/CT and the pre-contrast T1-weighted non-fat suppressed MRI. Comparable patient setup protocols were used during the MRI and PET examinations in order to avoid having to make assumptions of biomedical properties of the breast during and after the application of chemotherapy. The registration uses a multi-resolution approach to speed up the process and to minimize the probability of converging to local minima. The validation was performed on 140 breasts (70 patients). From a total number of registration cases, 94.2% of the breasts were aligned within 4.0 mm accuracy (1 PET voxel). Fused information may be beneficial to obtain representative biopsy samples, which in turn will benefit the treatment of the patient.

  7. CMOS current controlled fully balanced current conveyor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Chunhua; Zhang Qiujing; Liu Haiguang

    2009-01-01

    This paper presents a current controlled fully balanced second-generation current conveyor circuit (CF-BCCII). The proposed circuit has the traits of fully balanced architecture, and its X-Y terminals are current controllable. Based on the CFBCCII, two biquadratic universal filters are also proposed as its applications. The CFBCCII circuits and the two filters were fabricated with chartered 0.35-μm CMOS technology; with ±1.65 V power supply voltage, the total power consumption of the CFBCCII circuit is 3.6 mW. Comparisons between measured and HSpice simulation results are also given.

  8. 26 CFR 1.1336-1 - Basis of recovered property.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... benefits by reason of the basis determined under subparagraph (1) of this paragraph, that it would be... recovered it has an unadjusted basis of $100. After $70 depreciation has been allowed on A, an allocation is sought which would give A an unadjusted basis of $60. Since this is less than the depreciation which is...

  9. Process for recovering cesium from pollucite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mein, P.G.

    1985-01-01

    Cesium is recovered from a cesium-bearing mineral such as pollucite by extraction with hydrochloric acid to obtain an extract of cesium chloride and other alkali metal and polyvalent metal chlorides. The iron and aluminum chlorides can be precipitated as the hydroxides and separated from the solution of the alkali metal chlorides to which is added potassium permanganate or other water-soluble permanganate to selectively precipitate cesium permanganate. The cesium precipitate is then separated from the residual solution containing the metal chlorides. The cesium permanganate, which is in a very pure form, can be converted to other cesium compounds by reaction with a reducing agent to obtain cesium carbonate and cesium delta manganese dioxide

  10. Phytoremediation of 1,4-dioxane-containing recovered groundwater.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferro, Ari M; Kennedy, Jean; LaRue, James C

    2013-01-01

    The results of a pilot-scale phytoremediation study are reported in this paper. Small plots of trees established on a closed municipal waste landfill site were irrigated with recovered groundwater containing 1,4-dioxane (dioxane) and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The plots were managed to minimize the leaching of irrigation water, and leaching was quantified by the use of bromide tracer. Results indicated that the dioxane (2.5 microg/L) was effectively removed, probably via phytovolatilization, and that a full-scale phytoremediation system could be used. A system is now in place at the site in which the recovered groundwater can be treated using two different approaches. A physical treatment system (PTS) will be used during the winter months, and a 12 ha phytoremediation system (stands of coniferous trees) will be used during the growing season. The PTS removes VOCs using an air-stripper, and destroys dioxane using a photo-catalytic oxidation process. Treated water will be routed to the local sewer system. The phytoremediation system, located on the landfill, will be irrigated with effluent from the PTS air-stripper containing dioxane. Seasonal use of the phytoremediation system will reduce reliance on the photo-catalytic oxidation process that is extremely energy consumptive and expensive to operate.

  11. Fully automated synthesis of [(18) F]fluoro-dihydrotestosterone ([(18) F]FDHT) using the FlexLab module.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ackermann, Uwe; Lewis, Jason S; Young, Kenneth; Morris, Michael J; Weickhardt, Andrew; Davis, Ian D; Scott, Andrew M

    2016-08-01

    Imaging of androgen receptor expression in prostate cancer using F-18 FDHT is becoming increasingly popular. With the radiolabelling precursor now commercially available, developing a fully automated synthesis of [(18) F] FDHT is important. We have fully automated the synthesis of F-18 FDHT using the iPhase FlexLab module using only commercially available components. Total synthesis time was 90 min, radiochemical yields were 25-33% (n = 11). Radiochemical purity of the final formulation was > 99% and specific activity was > 18.5 GBq/µmol for all batches. This method can be up-scaled as desired, thus making it possible to study multiple patients in a day. Furthermore, our procedure uses 4 mg of precursor only and is therefore cost-effective. The synthesis has now been validated at Austin Health and is currently used for [(18) F]FDHT studies in patients. We believe that this method can easily adapted by other modules to further widen the availability of [(18) F]FDHT. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  12. A Concept Analysis of Fully Informed: Breastfeeding Promotion

    Science.gov (United States)

    2005-12-21

    updated breastfeeding policy statement, the American Academy of Pediatrics 3 ( AAP , 2005) identified the compelling advantages of breastfeeding and urged...healthcare 4 professionals to implement principles to promote breastfeeding . The AAP cited obstacles 5 to the initiation and continuation of...Analysis of Fully Informed 2 14 A Concept Analysis of Fully Informed: Breastfeeding Promotion 15 In February 2005, the American Academy of Pediatrics ( AAP

  13. Opportunity Analysis for Recovering Energy from Industrial Waste Heat and Emissions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Viswanathan, V. V. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Davies, R. W. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Holbery, J. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

    2006-04-01

    This report analyzes the opportunity to recover chemical emissions and thermal emissions from U.S. industry. It also analyzes the barriers and pathways to more effectively capitalize on these opportunities.

  14. Physical activity level among children recovering from severe acute malnutrition

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Babirekere-Iriso, Esther; Rytter, Maren Johanne Heilskov; Namusoke, Hanifa

    2018-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To assess the level and predictors of physical activity at discharge among children recovering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM). METHODS: We conducted a prospective study among 69 children 6 - 59 months of age admitted with SAM for nutritional rehabilitation at Mulago National...

  15. Fully developed turbulence via Feigenbaum's period-doubling bifurcations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duong-van, M.

    1987-08-01

    Since its publication in 1978, Feigenbaum's predictions of the onset of turbulence via period-doubling bifurcations have been thoroughly borne out experimentally. In this paper, Feigenbaum's theory is extended into the regime in which we expect to see fully developed turbulence. We develop a method of averaging that imposes correlations in the fluctuating system generated by this map. With this averaging method, the field variable is obtained by coarse-graining, while microscopic fluctuations are preserved in all averaging scales. Fully developed turbulence will be shown to be a result of microscopic fluctuations with proper averaging. Furthermore, this model preserves Feigenbaum's results on the physics of bifurcations at the onset of turbulence while yielding additional physics both at the onset of turbulence and in the fully developed turbulence regime

  16. Local brain herniation after partial membranectomy for organized chronic subdural hematoma in an adult patient: case report and review of the literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kusano, Yoshikazu; Horiuchi, Tetsuyoshi; Seguchi, Tatsuya; Kakizawa, Yukinari; Tanaka, Yuichiro; Hongo, Kazuhiro

    2010-01-01

    Local brain herniation after removal of chronic subdural haematoma is extremely rare, especially in adult patients. This study reports a case of local brain herniation after partial membranectomy for organized chronic subdural haematoma. A 77-year-old man presented with dysarthria and dysphasia caused by local brain herniation of the right frontal lobe through a defect of the inner membrane. The herniated brain was detected by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. The patient underwent a craniotomy to release the herniated and strangulated brain, which were consistent with the MR imaging findings. The patient recovered fully within 1 month after surgery. To date, five cases of brain herniation through the internal subdural membrane have been reported as complications of chronic subdural haematomas. All but one case occurred in the paediatric population. Urgent surgery should be performed, even if an adult patient suffers from local brain herniation, for preservation of brain function. This is the sixth reported case of brain herniation through a defect of the inner membrane and the second reported case in the adult population.

  17. Bradycardia during Induction Therapy with All-trans Retinoic Acid in Patients with Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia: Case Report and Literature Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pin-Zi Chen

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available A 41-year-old man with newly diagnosed acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL received induction chemotherapy, containing all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA, idarubicin, and arsenic trioxide. On the 11th day of therapy, he experienced complete atrioventricular (AV block; therefore, ATRA and arsenic trioxide were immediately postponed. His heart rate partially recovered, and ATRA was rechallenged with a half dose. However, complete AV block as well as differentiation syndrome recurred on the next day. ATRA was immediately discontinued, and a temporary pacemaker was inserted. Two days after discontinuing ATRA, AV block gradually improved, and ATRA was uneventfully rechallenged again. The Naranjo adverse drug reaction probability scale was 7 for ATRA, suggesting it was the probable cause of arrhythmia. A literature search identified 6 other cases of bradycardia during ATRA therapy, and all of them occurred during APL induction therapy, with onset ranging from 4 days to 25 days. Therefore, monitoring vital signs and performing electrocardiogram are highly recommended during the first month of induction therapy with ATRA. ATRA should be discontinued if complete AV block occurs. Rechallenging with ATRA can be considered in fully recovered and clinically stable patients.

  18. Recovering uranium from phosphoric acid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1979-01-01

    Wet-process phosphoric acid contains a significant amount of uranium. This uranium totals more than 1,500 tons/yr in current U.S. acid output--and projections put the uranium level at 8,000 tons/yr in the year 2000. Since the phosphoric acid is a major raw material for fertilizers, uranium finds its way into those products and is effectively lost as a resource, while adding to the amount of radioactive material that can contaminate the food chain. So, resource-conservation and environmental considerations both make recovery of the uranium from phosphoric acid desirable. This paper describes the newly developed process for recovering uranium from phosphoric acid by using solvent-extraction technique. After many extractants had been tested, the researchers eventually selected the combination of di (2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (DEPA) and trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) as the most suitable. The flowscheme of the process is included

  19. Fully automatic segmentation of left atrium and pulmonary veins in late gadolinium-enhanced MRI: Towards objective atrial scar assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tao, Qian; Ipek, Esra Gucuk; Shahzad, Rahil; Berendsen, Floris F; Nazarian, Saman; van der Geest, Rob J

    2016-08-01

    To realize objective atrial scar assessment, this study aimed to develop a fully automatic method to segment the left atrium (LA) and pulmonary veins (PV) from late gadolinium-enhanced (LGE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The extent and distribution of atrial scar, visualized by LGE-MRI, provides important information for clinical treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. Forty-six AF patients (age 62 ± 8, 14 female) who underwent cardiac MRI prior to RF ablation were included. A contrast-enhanced MR angiography (MRA) sequence was acquired for anatomy assessment followed by an LGE sequence for LA scar assessment. A fully automatic segmentation method was proposed consisting of two stages: 1) global segmentation by multiatlas registration; and 2) local refinement by 3D level-set. These automatic segmentation results were compared with manual segmentation. The LA and PVs were automatically segmented in all subjects. Compared with manual segmentation, the method yielded a surface-to-surface distance of 1.49 ± 0.65 mm in the LA region when using both MRA and LGE, and 1.80 ± 0.93 mm when using LGE alone (P automatic and manual segmentation was comparable to the interobserver difference (P = 0.8 in LA region and P = 0.7 in PV region). We developed a fully automatic method for LA and PV segmentation from LGE-MRI, with comparable performance to a human observer. Inclusion of an MRA sequence further improves the segmentation accuracy. The method leads to automatic generation of a patient-specific model, and potentially enables objective atrial scar assessment for AF patients. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2016;44:346-354. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. Fully portable blood irradiator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hungate, F.P.; Riemath, W.F.; Bunnell, L.R.

    1980-01-01

    A fully portable blood irradiator was developed using the beta emitter thulium-170 as the radiation source and vitreous carbon as the body of the irradiator, matrix for isotope encapsulation, and blood interface material. These units were placed in exteriorized arteriovenous shunts in goats, sheep, and dogs and the effects on circulating lymphocytes and on skin allograft retention times measured. The present work extends these studies by establishing baseline data for skin graft rejection times in untreated animals

  1. Fully automated joint space width measurement and digital X-ray radiogrammetry in early RA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Platten, Michael; Kisten, Yogan; Kälvesten, Johan; Arnaud, Laurent; Forslind, Kristina; van Vollenhoven, Ronald

    2017-01-01

    To study fully automated digital joint space width (JSW) and bone mineral density (BMD) in relation to a conventional radiographic scoring method in early rheumatoid arthritis (eRA). Radiographs scored by the modified Sharp van der Heijde score (SHS) in patients with eRA were acquired from the SWEdish FarmacOTherapy study. Fully automated JSW measurements of bilateral metacarpals 2, 3 and 4 were compared with the joint space narrowing (JSN) score in SHS. Multilevel mixed model statistics were applied to calculate the significance of the association between ΔJSW and ΔBMD over 1 year, and the JSW differences between damaged and undamaged joints as evaluated by the JSN. Based on 576 joints of 96 patients with eRA, a significant reduction from baseline to 1 year was observed in the JSW from 1.69 (±0.19) mm to 1.66 (±0.19) mm (p0) joints: 1.68 mm (95% CI 1.70 to 1.67) vs 1.54 mm (95% CI 1.63 to 1.46). Similarly the unadjusted multilevel model showed significant differences in JSW between undamaged (1.68 mm (95% CI 1.72 to 1.64)) and damaged joints (1.63 mm (95% CI 1.68 to 1.58)) (p=0.0048). This difference remained significant in the adjusted model: 1.66 mm (95% CI 1.70 to 1.61) vs 1.62 mm (95% CI 1.68 to 1.56) (p=0.042). To measure the JSW with this fully automated digital tool may be useful as a quick and observer-independent application for evaluating cartilage damage in eRA. NCT00764725.

  2. Recovery of Visual Function in a Patient with an Onodi Cell Mucocele Compressive Optic Neuropathy Who Had a 5-Week Interval between Onset and Surgical Intervention: A Case Report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wencan Wu

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. To report on a patient with compressive optic neuropathy secondary to an Onodi cell mucocele, who fully recovered visual function following surgery. Method. Case report. Results. A 28-year-old male was admitted with a right visual acuity of 20/100 following treatment for an initial diagnosis of optic neuritis. Subsequent examination suggested compressive optic neuropathy, and neuroimaging confirmed the presence of an Onodi mucocele compressing the optic nerve. The patient underwent a right endonasal sphenoethmoidectomy with decompression 5 weeks after the initial onset of symptoms. Three weeks following surgery, the visual acuity was 20/20, and there was complete resolution of the visual field defect, which has remained stable at 1 year. Conclusion. Onodi cell mucocele should be included in the differential diagnosis of a young patient with compressive optic neuropathy. Surgical decompression should be considered even when symptoms have been present for over a month.

  3. Phosphorus uptake by potato from fertilizers recovered from anaerobic digestion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Field experiments were conducted in the Columbia Basin of South Central Washington to assess the yield of potato (Solanum tuberosum) in response to application of phosphorus enriched materials recovered from anaerobic digestion of manure. The treatments were comprised of four rates (0, 56, 112 and ...

  4. Fully exponentially correlated wavefunctions for small atoms

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Harris, Frank E. [Department of Physics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 and Quantum Theory Project, University of Florida, P.O. Box 118435, Gainesville, FL 32611 (United States)

    2015-01-22

    Fully exponentially correlated atomic wavefunctions are constructed from exponentials in all the interparticle coordinates, in contrast to correlated wavefunctions of the Hylleraas form, in which only the electron-nuclear distances occur exponentially, with electron-electron distances entering only as integer powers. The full exponential correlation causes many-configuration wavefunctions to converge with expansion length more rapidly than either orbital formulations or correlated wavefunctions of the Hylleraas type. The present contribution surveys the effectiveness of fully exponentially correlated functions for the three-body system (the He isoelectronic series) and reports their application to a four-body system (the Li atom)

  5. Process for recovering tritium from molten lithium metal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maroni, Victor A.

    1976-01-01

    Lithium tritide (LiT) is extracted from molten lithium metal that has been exposed to neutron irradiation for breeding tritium within a thermonuclear or fission reactor. The extraction is performed by intimately contacting the molten lithium metal with a molten lithium salt, for instance, lithium chloride - potassium chloride eutectic to distribute LiT between the salt and metal phases. The extracted tritium is recovered in gaseous form from the molten salt phase by a subsequent electrolytic or oxidation step.

  6. SOIL NITROUS OXIDE, NITRIC OXIDE, AND AMMONIA EMISSIONS FROM A RECOVERING RIPARIAN ECOSYSTEM IN SOUTHERN APPALACHIA

    Science.gov (United States)

    The paper presents two years of seasonal nitric oxide, ammonia, and nitrous oxide trace gas fluxes measured in a recovering riparian zone with cattle excluded and in an adjacent riparian zone grazed by cattle. In the recovering riparian zone, average nitric oxide, ammonia, and ni...

  7. Recovering a hidden polarization by ghost polarimetry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Janassek, Patrick; Blumenstein, Sébastien; Elsäßer, Wolfgang

    2018-02-15

    By exploiting polarization correlations of light from a broadband fiber-based amplified spontaneous emission source we succeed in reconstructing a hidden polarization in a ghost polarimetry experiment in close analogy to ghost imaging and ghost spectroscopy. Thereby, an original linear polarization state in the object arm of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer configuration which has been camouflaged by a subsequent depolarizer is recovered by correlating it with light from a reference beam. The variation of a linear polarizer placed inside the reference beam results in a Malus law type second-order intensity correlation with high contrast, thus measuring a ghost polarigram.

  8. Contribution of forensic anthropology to identification process in Croatia: examples of victims recovered in wells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slaus, Mario; Strinović, Davor; Petrovecki, Vedrana; Vyroubal, Vlasta

    2007-08-01

    To describe the contribution of forensic anthropology to the recovery, analysis, and identification of victims from the 1991-1995 war in Croatia recovered in wells. From 1996 to the present, human remains of a total of 61 individuals have been recovered from 13 wells. Six wells contained the remains of a single individual, one well contained the remains of 2 individuals, and 6 wells contained the remains 3 or more individuals. The majority of wells, containing 90.2% (55/61) of recovered individuals, were located within a 4 km radius of the Croatian-Serbian border. Forensic anthropologists re-individualized 26/61 (42.6%) individuals out of skeletonized and commingled remains, provided basic biological data on sex, age-at-death, and stature in all identifications (n=37), as well as established positive identification by recognizing unique skeletal features (antemortem fractures and skeletal evidence of antemortem surgical interventions) in 3/37 (8.1%) cases. Trauma analyses carried out by forensic anthropologists contributed to the determination of the cause of death in 38/61 (62.3%) individuals and to the probable cause of death in an additional 18/61 (29.5%) individuals. The most frequent (27/38, 71.0%) type of trauma causing death in individuals recovered from wells was a single gunshot wound. Forensic anthropologists, collaborating closely with forensic pathologists, forensic odontologists, forensic radiologists, criminologists, and molecular biologists contributed significantly to trauma analysis and identification of war victims recovered from wells.

  9. Fully-distributed randomized cooperation in wireless sensor networks

    KAUST Repository

    Bader, Ahmed

    2015-01-07

    When marrying randomized distributed space-time coding (RDSTC) to geographical routing, new performance horizons can be created. In order to reach those horizons however, routing protocols must evolve to operate in a fully distributed fashion. In this letter, we expose a technique to construct a fully distributed geographical routing scheme in conjunction with RDSTC. We then demonstrate the performance gains of this novel scheme by comparing it to one of the prominent classical schemes.

  10. Fully-distributed randomized cooperation in wireless sensor networks

    KAUST Repository

    Bader, Ahmed; Abed-Meraim, Karim; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

    2015-01-01

    When marrying randomized distributed space-time coding (RDSTC) to geographical routing, new performance horizons can be created. In order to reach those horizons however, routing protocols must evolve to operate in a fully distributed fashion. In this letter, we expose a technique to construct a fully distributed geographical routing scheme in conjunction with RDSTC. We then demonstrate the performance gains of this novel scheme by comparing it to one of the prominent classical schemes.

  11. Digi-Clima Grid: image processing and distributed computing for recovering historical climate data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sergio Nesmachnow

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available This article describes the Digi-Clima Grid project, whose main goals are to design and implement semi-automatic techniques for digitalizing and recovering historical climate records applying parallel computing techniques over distributed computing infrastructures. The specific tool developed for image processing is described, and the implementation over grid and cloud infrastructures is reported. A experimental analysis over institutional and volunteer-based grid/cloud distributed systems demonstrate that the proposed approach is an efficient tool for recovering historical climate data. The parallel implementations allow to distribute the processing load, achieving accurate speedup values.

  12. Clinical management of rapidly growing mycobacterial cutaneous infections in patients after mesotherapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Regnier, Stéphanie; Cambau, Emmanuelle; Meningaud, Jean-Paul; Guihot, Amelie; Deforges, Lionel; Carbonne, Anne; Bricaire, François; Caumes, Eric

    2009-11-01

    Increasing numbers of patients are expressing an interest in mesotherapy as a method of reducing body fat. Cutaneous infections due to rapidly growing mycobacteria are a common complication of such procedures. We followed up patients who had developed cutaneous infections after undergoing mesotherapy during the period October 2006-January 2007. Sixteen patients were infected after mesotherapy injections performed by the same physician. All patients presented with painful, erythematous, draining subcutaneous nodules at the injection sites. All patients were treated with surgical drainage. Microbiological examination was performed on specimens that were obtained before and during the surgical procedure. Direct examination of skin smears demonstrated acid-fast bacilli in 25% of the specimens that were obtained before the procedure and 37% of the specimens obtained during the procedure; culture results were positive in 75% of the patients. Mycobacterium chelonae was identified in 11 patients, and Mycobacterium frederiksbergense was identified in 2 patients. Fourteen patients were treated with antibiotics, 6 received triple therapy as first-line treatment (tigecycline, tobramycin, and clarithromycin), and 8 received dual therapy (clarithromycin and ciprofloxacin). The mean duration of treatment was 14 weeks (range, 1-24 weeks). All of the patients except 1 were fully recovered 2 years after the onset of infection, with the mean time to healing estimated at 6.2 months (range, 1-15 months). This series of rapidly growing mycobacterial cutaneous infections highlights the difficulties in treating such infections and suggests that in vitro susceptibility to antibiotics does not accurately predict their clinical efficacy.

  13. Recovering and recycling uranium used for production of molybdenum-99

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reilly, Sean Douglas; May, Iain; Copping, Roy; Dale, Gregory Edward

    2017-12-12

    A processes for recycling uranium that has been used for the production of molybdenum-99 involves irradiating a solution of uranium suitable for forming fission products including molybdenum-99, conditioning the irradiated solution to one suitable for inducing the formation of crystals of uranyl nitrate hydrates, then forming the crystals and a supernatant and then separating the crystals from the supernatant, thus using the crystals as a source of uranium for recycle. Molybdenum-99 is recovered from the supernatant using an adsorbent such as alumina. Another process involves irradiation of a solid target comprising uranium, forming an acidic solution from the irradiated target suitable for inducing the formation of crystals of uranyl nitrate hydrates, then forming the crystals and a supernatant and then separating the crystals from the supernatant, thus using the crystals as a source of uranium for recycle. Molybdenum-99 is recovered from the supernatant using an adsorbent such as alumina.

  14. Recovering missing mesothelioma deaths in death certificates using hospital records.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santana, Vilma S; Algranti, Eduardo; Campos, Felipe; Cavalcante, Franciana; Salvi, Leonardo; Santos, Simone A; Inamine, Rosemeire N; Souza, William; Consonni, Dario

    2018-04-02

    In Brazil, underreporting of mesothelioma and cancer of the pleura (MCP) is suspected to be high. Records from death certificates (SIM) and hospital registers (SIH-SUS) can be combined to recover missing data but only anonymous databases are available. This study shows how common data can be used for linkage and as an assessment of accuracy. Mesothelioma (all sites, ICD-10 codes C45.0-C45.9) and cancer of the pleura (C38.4) were retrieved from both information systems and combined using a linkage algorithm. Accuracy was examined with non-anonymous databases, limited to the state of São Paulo. We found 775 cases in death certificates and 283 in hospital registers. The linkage matched 57 cases, all accurately paired. Three cases, 0.4% in SIM and 1.3% in SIH-SUS, could not be matched because of data inconsistencies. A computer linkage can recover MCP cases from hospital records not found in death certificates in Brazil. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  15. Case report. Neurosyphilis Masquerading as Stroke in an 84-year-old

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bologa Cristina

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The case of an 84 years old woman with uncharacteristic neurologic and cognitive symptoms, suspected of ischemic stroke is presented. Following an extensive assessment in the departments of neurology and internal medicine, the unusual aetiology of stroke was identified as meningovascular neurosyphilis. The patient fully recovered after antibiotic therapy. To our knowledge, this the eldest patient with tertiary neurosyphilis reported in the literature.

  16. Altered food cue processing in chronically ill and recovered women with Anorexia Nervosa.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicole eSanders

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Anorexia Nervosa (AN is a severe mental disorder characterized by food restriction and weight loss.This study aimed to test the model posed by Brooks et al. (2012, that women suffering from chronic AN show decreased food cue processing activity in brain regions associated with energy balance and food reward (bottom-up; BU and increased activity in brain regions associated with cognitive control (top-down; TD when compared to long term recovered AN (REC and healthy controls (HC. Three groups of women, 15 AN (mean illness duration 7.8 ± 4.1 y, 14 REC (mean duration of recovery 4.7 ± 2.7 yr and 15 HC viewed alternating blocks of food and non-food images preceded by a short instruction during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI, after fasting overnight. Functional ROIs (fROIs were defined in BU (e.g. striatum, hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamus and cerebellum, TD (e.g. medial and lateral prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate, the insula and visual processing areas (VPA. Food-cue processing activation was extracted from all fROIs and compared between the groups. In addition, functional connectivity between the fROIs was examined by modular partitioning of the correlation matrix of all fROIs.We could not confirm the hypothesis that BU areas are activated to a lesser extent in AN upon visual processing of food images. Among the BU areas the caudate showed higher activation in both patient groups compared to HC. In accordance with Brooks et al.’s model, we did find evidence for increased TD control in AN and REC. The functional connectivity analysis yielded two clusters in HC and REC, but three clusters in AN. In HC fROIs across BU, TD and VPA areas clustered, in AN one cluster span across BU, TD and insula, one across BU, TD and VPA areas and one was confined to the VPA network. In REC BU, TD and VPA or VPA and insula clustered.In conclusion, despite weight recovery, neural processing of food cues is also altered in recovered AN patient

  17. Genotyping of vacA alleles of Helicobacter pylori strains recovered ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Genotyping of vacA alleles of Helicobacter pylori strains recovered from some Iranian food items. ... Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research ... Conclusion: The presence of similar genotypes in H. pylori strains of foods and those of human clinical samples suggest that contaminated foods may be the source of bacteria ...

  18. Enterococcal endocarditis - a case treated with teicoplanin and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    In vitro minimal bactericidal results and serum activity were the basis of the postoperative choice of drugs. ... found to be bactericidal in vitro at the trough levels of the antibiotics in the serum. The patient recovered fully. ... container holding Robertson's meat medium. A. Carbomedics mechanical replacement valve (size 25) ...

  19. Recovering Nimbus era Observations at the NASA GES DISC

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyer, D. J.; Johnson, J. E.; Esfandiari, A. E.; Zamkoff, E. B.; Al-Jazrawi, A. F.; Gerasimov, I. V.; Alcott, G. T.

    2017-12-01

    Between 1964 and 1978, NASA launched a series of seven Nimbus meteorological satellites which provided Earth observations for 30 years. These satellites, carrying a total of 33 instruments to observe the Earth at visible, infrared, ultraviolet, and microwave wavelengths, revolutionized weather forecasting, provided early observations of ocean color and atmospheric ozone, and prototyped location-based search and rescue capabilities. The Nimbus series paved the way for a number of currently operational systems such as the EOS Terra, Aqua and Aura platforms.The original data archive included both magnetic tapes and film media. These media are well past their expected end of life, placing at risk valuable data that are critical to extending the history of Earth observations back in time. GES DISC has been incorporating these data into a modern online archive by recovering the digital data files from the tapes, and scanning images of the data from film strips. The original data products were written on obsolete hardware systems in outdated file formats, and in the absence of metadata standards at that time, were often written in proprietary file structures. Through a tedious and laborious process, oft-corrupted data are recovered, and incomplete metadata and documentation are reconstructed.

  20. Electrical impedance spectroscopy as a potential tool for recovering bone porosity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bonifasi-Lista, C; Cherkaev, E

    2009-01-01

    This paper deals with the recovery of porosity of bone from measurements of its effective electrical properties. The microstructural information is contained in the spectral measure in the Stieltjes representation of the bone effective complex permittivity or complex conductivity and can be recovered from the measurements over a range of frequencies. The problem of reconstruction of the spectral measure is very ill-posed and requires the use of regularization techniques. We apply the method to the effective electrical properties of cancellous bone numerically calculated using micro-CT images of human vertebrae. The presented method is based on an analytical approach and does not rely on correlation analysis nor on any a priori model of the bone micro-architecture. However the method requires a priori knowledge of the properties of the bone constituents (trabecular tissue and bone marrow). These properties vary from patient to patient. To address this issue, a sensitivity analysis of the technique was performed. Normally distributed random noise was added to the data to simulate uncertainty in the properties of the constituents and possible experimental errors in measurements of the effective properties. The values of porosity calculated from effective complex conductivity are in good agreement with the true values of bone porosity even assuming high level errors in the estimation of the bone components. These results prove the future potential of electrical impedance spectroscopy for in vivo monitoring of level and treatment of osteoporosis.

  1. Rainwater drained through fully filled pipes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kuhn, B; Koestel, P

    1989-02-01

    The conventional rainwater drainage system according to DIN 1986 always seems to be a point of problemacy in the building services as far as the occupancy of installation shafts and ducts is at stake. The excavation work and the necessary gravity lines are considered to be expensive. The consideration of the necessary slope complicates the installation additionally. Basing on those considerations, the raindraining system with fully filled pipes has been developed. DIN 1986, edition June 1988, part 1, point 6.1.1 allows to install rainwater pipes operated as planned, fully filled without slope. An enterprise specialised in building services investigated all system laws because only by a hydraulically exact balance, the function of the rainwater drainage system operated by negative and positive pressure can be insured. The results of those investigations are integrated in a computer program developed for this purpose.

  2. Removable fully covered self-expandable metal stents in the treatment of common bile duct strictures due to chronic pancreatitis: a case series

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cahen, D. L.; Rauws, E. A.; Gouma, D. J.; Fockens, P.; Bruno, M. J.

    2008-01-01

    The aim of this study was to test the removability of fully covered self-expandable metal stents (FCSEMS) in patients with a benign common bile duct (CBD) stricture. A FCSEMS was inserted in six patients with a CBD stricture due to chronic pancreatitis who were considered to be unfit for surgery,

  3. Solving Fully Fuzzy Linear System of Equations in General Form

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Yousefzadeh

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available In this work, we propose an approach for computing the positive solution of a fully fuzzy linear system where the coefficient matrix is a fuzzy $nimes n$ matrix. To do this, we use arithmetic operations on fuzzy numbers that introduced by Kaffman in and convert the fully fuzzy linear system into two $nimes n$ and $2nimes 2n$ crisp linear systems. If the solutions of these linear systems don't satisfy in positive fuzzy solution condition, we introduce the constrained least squares problem to obtain optimal fuzzy vector solution by applying the ranking function in given fully fuzzy linear system. Using our proposed method, the fully fuzzy linear system of equations always has a solution. Finally, we illustrate the efficiency of proposed method by solving some numerical examples.

  4. Physics of fully ionized regions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Flower, D.

    1975-01-01

    In this paper the term fully ionised regions is taken to embrace both planetary nebulae and the so-called 'H II' regions referred to as H + regions. Whilst these two types of gaseous nebulae are very different from an evolutionary standpoint, they are physically very similar, being characterised by photoionisation of a low-density plasma by a hot star. (Auth.)

  5. Quantum Fully Homomorphic Encryption with Verification

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Alagic, Gorjan; Dulek, Yfke; Schaffner, Christian

    2017-01-01

    Fully-homomorphic encryption (FHE) enables computation on encrypted data while maintaining secrecy. Recent research has shown that such schemes exist even for quantum computation. Given the numerous applications of classical FHE (zero-knowledge proofs, secure two-party computation, obfuscation, e...

  6. 13 CFR 120.1719 - SBA's right to recover from Seller.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false SBA's right to recover from Seller. 120.1719 Section 120.1719 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION BUSINESS LOANS Establishment of SBA Secondary Market Guarantee Program for First Lien Position 504 Loan Pools § 120.1719 SBA's...

  7. Recovering from childhood sexual abuse: a theoretical framework for practice and research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chouliara, Z; Karatzias, T; Gullone, A

    2014-02-01

    Research on survivors' experiences of recovering from childhood sexual abuse (CSA) has been limited and focused on those with severe mental health difficulties. This study elicited experiences of recovery from CSA in male and female survivors who have/have not utilized mental health services. The tangible end-point was to propose a theoretical model of personally meaningful recovery. This is a qualitative study, which utilized semi-structured individual interviews following the critical incident technique. Transcripts were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to identify recurrent themes. A total 22 adult survivors of CSA. Main themes identified were: The Affected Self, Factors Hindering Recovery, Factors Enhancing Recovery, The Hurdles of Recovery and the Recovering Self. The affected self included: lack of boundary awareness and self-blame, over self-reliance, over-vigilance and guilt, shame, aloneness and social stigma. The recovering self was characterized by increasing confidence, assertiveness, ability to self-care and self-acceptance, and by embracing vulnerability. These findings have potentially major implications for clinical practice, service provision, policy development and professional training in this field. The importance of disclosure in the healing process seemed paramount and can have major implications for current service protocols. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. Codependents of Recovering Addicts: Exploring Their Level of Depression and Self-Esteem

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    AIMEE ROSE A. ARGUELLES – MANDA

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Addiction is a family disease. It causes members of a family to develop coping methods that help them interact with one another. This descriptive study explored the relationship between level of depression and self-esteem of 30 codependents of recovering addicts. Respondents are mostly in their midlife, married, and college graduate females who were spouses or wives of recovering addicts. Majority of them experience low levels of depression while only minimal are clinically depressed. As for self esteem, half of the respondents had moderately low levels while the other half had either mildly low or severely low levels. Results show there is no significant relationship between the level of depression and self esteem of codependents of recovering addicts and that depression doesn’t really equate into a low level of self esteem. This research recommends that a more in-depth research be done to explore more contributing factors on the level of selfesteem of Codependents including a comparative study on those who have dependents still in active addiction. Aside from this, institutions involved such as schools, counselors and rehabilitation centers educate families and children of codependents at a young age about addiction as a disease and use the findings of this study to come up with more supportive programs for the family

  9. Synthesis of linear regression coefficients by recovering the within-study covariance matrix from summary statistics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoneoka, Daisuke; Henmi, Masayuki

    2017-06-01

    Recently, the number of regression models has dramatically increased in several academic fields. However, within the context of meta-analysis, synthesis methods for such models have not been developed in a commensurate trend. One of the difficulties hindering the development is the disparity in sets of covariates among literature models. If the sets of covariates differ across models, interpretation of coefficients will differ, thereby making it difficult to synthesize them. Moreover, previous synthesis methods for regression models, such as multivariate meta-analysis, often have problems because covariance matrix of coefficients (i.e. within-study correlations) or individual patient data are not necessarily available. This study, therefore, proposes a brief explanation regarding a method to synthesize linear regression models under different covariate sets by using a generalized least squares method involving bias correction terms. Especially, we also propose an approach to recover (at most) threecorrelations of covariates, which is required for the calculation of the bias term without individual patient data. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  10. Fully convolutional neural networks improve abdominal organ segmentation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bobo, Meg F.; Bao, Shunxing; Huo, Yuankai; Yao, Yuang; Virostko, Jack; Plassard, Andrew J.; Lyu, Ilwoo; Assad, Albert; Abramson, Richard G.; Hilmes, Melissa A.; Landman, Bennett A.

    2018-03-01

    Abdominal image segmentation is a challenging, yet important clinical problem. Variations in body size, position, and relative organ positions greatly complicate the segmentation process. Historically, multi-atlas methods have achieved leading results across imaging modalities and anatomical targets. However, deep learning is rapidly overtaking classical approaches for image segmentation. Recently, Zhou et al. showed that fully convolutional networks produce excellent results in abdominal organ segmentation of computed tomography (CT) scans. Yet, deep learning approaches have not been applied to whole abdomen magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) segmentation. Herein, we evaluate the applicability of an existing fully convolutional neural network (FCNN) designed for CT imaging to segment abdominal organs on T2 weighted (T2w) MRI's with two examples. In the primary example, we compare a classical multi-atlas approach with FCNN on forty-five T2w MRI's acquired from splenomegaly patients with five organs labeled (liver, spleen, left kidney, right kidney, and stomach). Thirty-six images were used for training while nine were used for testing. The FCNN resulted in a Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) of 0.930 in spleens, 0.730 in left kidneys, 0.780 in right kidneys, 0.913 in livers, and 0.556 in stomachs. The performance measures for livers, spleens, right kidneys, and stomachs were significantly better than multi-atlas (p < 0.05, Wilcoxon rank-sum test). In a secondary example, we compare the multi-atlas approach with FCNN on 138 distinct T2w MRI's with manually labeled pancreases (one label). On the pancreas dataset, the FCNN resulted in a median DSC of 0.691 in pancreases versus 0.287 for multi-atlas. The results are highly promising given relatively limited training data and without specific training of the FCNN model and illustrate the potential of deep learning approaches to transcend imaging modalities. 1

  11. CMOS serial link for fully duplexed data communication

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Kyeongho; Kim, Sungjoon; Ahn, Gijung; Jeong, Deog-Kyoon

    1995-04-01

    This paper describes a CMOS serial link allowing fully duplexed 500 Mbaud serial data communication. The CMOS serial link is a robust and low-cost solution to high data rate requirements. A central charge pump PLL for generating multiphase clocks for oversampling is shared by several serial link channels. Fully duplexed serial data communication is realized in the bidirectional bridge by separating incoming data from the mixed signal on the cable end. The digital PLL accomplishes process-independent data recovery by using a low-ratio oversampling, a majority voting, and a parallel data recovery scheme. Mostly, digital approach could extend its bandwidth further with scaled CMOS technology. A single channel serial link and a charge pump PLL are integrated in a test chip using 1.2 micron CMOS process technology. The test chip confirms upto 500 Mbaud unidirectional mode operation and 320 Mbaud fully duplexed mode operation with pseudo random data patterns.

  12. Fully Automated Detection of Corticospinal Tract Damage in Chronic Stroke Patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ming Yang

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Structural integrity of the corticospinal tract (CST after stroke is closely linked to the degree of motor impairment. However, current methods for measurement of fractional atrophy (FA of CST based on region of interest (ROI are time-consuming and open to bias. Here, we used tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS together with a CST template with healthy volunteers to quantify structural integrity of CST automatically. Two groups of patients after ischemic stroke were enrolled, group 1 (10 patients, 7 men, and Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA scores ⩽ 50 and group 2 (12 patients, 12 men, and FMA scores = 100. CST of FAipsi, FAcontra, and FAratio was compared between the two groups. Relative to group 2, FA was decreased in group 1 in the ipsilesional CST (P<0.01, as well as the FAratio (P<0.01. There was no significant difference between the two subgroups in the contralesional CST (P=0.23. Compared with contralesional CST, FA of ipsilesional CST decreased in group 1 (P<0.01. These results suggest that the automated method used in our study could detect a surrogate biomarker to quantify the CST after stroke, which would facilitate implementation of clinical practice.

  13. Physics of fully depleted CCDs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holland, S E; Bebek, C J; Kolbe, W F; Lee, J S

    2014-01-01

    In this work we present simple, physics-based models for two effects that have been noted in the fully depleted CCDs that are presently used in the Dark Energy Survey Camera. The first effect is the observation that the point-spread function increases slightly with the signal level. This is explained by considering the effect on charge-carrier diffusion due to the reduction in the magnitude of the channel potential as collected signal charge acts to partially neutralize the fixed charge in the depleted channel. The resulting reduced voltage drop across the carrier drift region decreases the vertical electric field and increases the carrier transit time. The second effect is the observation of low-level, concentric ring patterns seen in uniformly illuminated images. This effect is shown to be most likely due to lateral deflection of charge during the transit of the photo-generated carriers to the potential wells as a result of lateral electric fields. The lateral fields are a result of space charge in the fully depleted substrates arising from resistivity variations inherent to the growth of the high-resistivity silicon used to fabricate the CCDs

  14. Recovering the fine structures in solar images

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karovska, Margarita; Habbal, S. R.; Golub, L.; Deluca, E.; Hudson, Hugh S.

    1994-01-01

    Several examples of the capability of the blind iterative deconvolution (BID) technique to recover the real point spread function, when limited a priori information is available about its characteristics. To demonstrate the potential of image post-processing for probing the fine scale and temporal variability of the solar atmosphere, the BID technique is applied to different samples of solar observations from space. The BID technique was originally proposed for correction of the effects of atmospheric turbulence on optical images. The processed images provide a detailed view of the spatial structure of the solar atmosphere at different heights in regions with different large-scale magnetic field structures.

  15. Cochlear implantation in Mondini's deformity: could the straight electrode array with length of 31 mm be fully inserted?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Jia-Qiang; Sun, Jing-Wu; Hou, Xiao-Yan

    2017-07-01

    The straight electrode array with length of 31 mm can be fully inserted using round window insertion in cochlear implantation with Mondini's deformity. It is a safe and effective process, but also a challenging task of the full implantation in children with Mondini's deformity. The aim of this study is to discuss whether the straight electrode array with a length of 31 mm could be fully inserted in cochlear implantation with Mondini's deformity. A chart review of 30 patients undergoing cochlear implantation with Mondini's deformity using the electrode array with length of 31 mm was undertaken from January 2012 and December 2015 in Anhui Provincial Hospital. Full insertion of the straight electrode array with length of 31 mm were performed successfully in all patients with Mondini's deformity using round window insertion. Resistance was not encountered while introducing the electrodes. Ten of 30 patients had cerebrospinal fluid drainage during cochlear implantation. Cerebrospinal fluid drainage was controlled with small pieces of temporalis fascia packing round window in all patients. Intra-operative neural response telemetry was performed in all patients, and results were good. The result of X-ray showed proper placement of the cochlear implant electrode array. During surgery, no patients had experienced any immediate or delayed post-operative complications such as wound infection, intracranial complication, extrusion, or migration of the implant during an average follow-up period of 6-36 months.

  16. Genomovirus Genomes Recovered from Echinothrips americanus Sampled in Florida, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kraberger, Simona; Polston, Jane E.; Capobianco, Heather M.; Alcalá-Briseño, Ricardo I.; Fontenele, Rafaela S.

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Four genomovirus genomes were recovered from thrips (Echinothrips americanus) collected in Florida, USA. These represent four new species which are members of the Gemycircularvirus (n = 2), Gemyduguivirus (n = 1), and Gemykibivirus (n = 1) genera. This is the first record, to our knowledge, of genomoviruses associated with a phytophagous insect. PMID:28546499

  17. Healing and recovering after a suicide attempt: a grounded theory study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chi, Mei-Ting; Long, Ann; Jeang, Shiow-Rong; Ku, Yan-Chiou; Lu, Ti; Sun, Fan-Ko

    2014-06-01

    To explore the healing and recovery process following a suicide attempt over 12 months ago. Literature has explored the process leading up to attempted suicide. However, there is a lack of information exploring the healing and recovery process after a suicide attempt. Qualitative research using the grounded theory approach. Data were collected during 2010-2011 from the psychiatric outpatient's centre in Taiwan. Interviews were conducted with people who had attempted suicide more than 12 months prior to data collection and had not reattempted since that time (n = 14). Constant comparison analysis was used to scrutinise the data. Findings demonstrated that healing and recovering evolved in five phases: (1) self-awareness: gained self-awareness of their responsibilities in life and their fear of death; (2) the inter-relatedness of life: awareness of the need to seek help from professionals, friends and family for support; (3) the cyclical nature of human emotions: reappearance of stressors and activators causing psyche disharmony; (4) adjustment: changes in adjustment patterns of behaviour, discovering and owning one's own unique emotions, deflecting attention from stressors and facing reality and (5) acceptance: accepting the reality of life and investing in life. The healing and recovery process symbolises an emotional navigation wheel. While each phase might follow the preceding phase, it is not a linear process, and patients might move backwards and forwards through the phases depending on the nursing interventions they receive coupled with their motivation to heal. It is important for nurses to use advanced communication skills to enable them to co-travel therapeutically with patients. Listening to patients' voices and analysing their healing and recovery process could serve as a reference for psychiatric nurses to use to inform therapeutic interventions. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  18. In vivo study of the HC-TN strain of hepatitis C virus recovered from a patient with fulminant hepatitis: RNA transcripts of a molecular clone (pHC-TN) are infectious in chimpanzees but not in Huh7.5 cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sakai, Akito; Takikawa, Shingo; Thimme, Robert

    2007-01-01

    Both viral and host factors are thought to influence the pathogenesis of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. We studied strain HC-TN (genotype 1a), which caused fulminant hepatic failure in a patient and, subsequently, severe hepatitis in a chimpanzee (CH1422), to analyze the relationship between...... persistently infected. CH1579 and CH1581, despite their differing outcomes, both developed significant intrahepatic cellular immune responses, but not antibodies to the envelope glycoproteins or neutralizing antibodies, during the acute infection. We analyzed the polyprotein sequences of virus recovered...

  19. Heightened Olfactory Sensitivity in Young Females with Recent-Onset Anorexia Nervosa and Recovered Individuals.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mette Bentz

    Full Text Available Olfaction may be related to food restriction and weight loss. However, reports regarding olfactory function in individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN have been inconclusive.Characterize olfactory sensitivity and identification in female adolescents and young adults with first-episode AN and young females recovered from AN.We used the Sniffin' Sticks Odor Threshold Test and Odor Identification Test to assess 43 participants with first-episode AN, 27 recovered participants, and 39 control participants. Participants completed the Importance of Olfaction questionnaire, the Beck Youth Inventory and the Eating Disorder Inventory. We also conducted a psychiatric diagnostic interview and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule with participants.Both clinical groups showed heightened olfactory sensitivity. After excluding participants with depression, participants with first-episode AN identified more odors than recovered participants.Heightened olfactory sensitivity in AN may be independent of clinical status, whereas only individuals with current AN and without depression show more accurate odor identification.

  20. Assessment of Tigecycline Prescription and Patients' Outcomes at ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Susceptibility testing revealed 22 different bacterial pathogens, most commonly Acinetobacter baumannii (20 patients) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (14 patients). A significant proportion (56.7 %) was polymicrobial and 16.2. % involved suspected resistant pathogens. Sixteen patients recovered (5 on tigecycline alone, 5 with.

  1. Has Phytodetritus Processing by an Abyssal Soft-Sediment Community Recovered 26 Years after an Experimental Disturbance?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tanja Stratmann

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available The potential harvest of polymetallic nodules will heavily impact the abyssal, soft sediment ecosystem by removing sediment, hard substrate, and associated fauna inside mined areas. It is therefore important to know whether the ecosystem can recover from this disturbance and if so at which rate. The first objective of this study was to measure recovery of phytodetritus processing by the benthic food web from a sediment disturbance experiment in 1989. The second objective was to determine the role of holothurians in the uptake of fresh phytodetritus by the benthic food web. To meet both objectives, large benthic incubation chambers (CUBEs; 50 × 50 × 50 cm were deployed inside plow tracks (with and without holothurian presence and at a reference site (holothurian presence, only at 4100 m water depth. Shortly after deployment, 13C- and 15N-labeled phytodetritus was injected in the incubation chambers and during the subsequent 3-day incubation period, water samples were taken five times to measure the production of 13C-dissolved inorganic carbon over time. At the end of the incubation, holothurians and sediment samples were taken to determine biomass, densities and incorporation of 13C and 15N into bacteria, nematodes, macrofauna, and holothurians. For the first objective, the results showed that biomass of bacteria, nematodes and macrofauna did not differ between reference sites and plow track sites when holothurians were present. Additionally, meiofauna and macrofauna taxonomic composition was not significantly different between the sites. In contrast, total 13C uptake by bacteria, nematodes and holothurians was significantly lower at plow track sites compared to reference sites, though the number of replicates was low. This result suggests that important ecosystem functions such as organic matter processing have not fully recovered from the disturbance that occurred 26 years prior to our study. For the second objective, the analysis indicated

  2. Fully implicit kinetic modelling of collisional plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mousseau, V.A.

    1996-05-01

    This dissertation describes a numerical technique, Matrix-Free Newton Krylov, for solving a simplified Vlasov-Fokker-Planck equation. This method is both deterministic and fully implicit, and may not have been a viable option before current developments in numerical methods. Results are presented that indicate the efficiency of the Matrix-Free Newton Krylov method for these fully-coupled, nonlinear integro-differential equations. The use and requirement for advanced differencing is also shown. To this end, implementations of Chang-Cooper differencing and flux limited Quadratic Upstream Interpolation for Convective Kinematics (QUICK) are presented. Results are given for a fully kinetic ion-electron problem with a self consistent electric field calculated from the ion and electron distribution functions. This numerical method, including advanced differencing, provides accurate solutions, which quickly converge on workstation class machines. It is demonstrated that efficient steady-state solutions can be achieved to the non-linear integro-differential equation, obtaining quadratic convergence, without incurring the large memory requirements of an integral operator. Model problems are presented which simulate plasma impinging on a plate with both high and low neutral particle recycling typical of a divertor in a Tokamak device. These model problems demonstrate the performance of the new solution method

  3. Rapid detection of enterovirus in cerebrospinal fluid by a fully-automated PCR assay is associated with improved management of aseptic meningitis in adult patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giulieri, Stefano G; Chapuis-Taillard, Caroline; Manuel, Oriol; Hugli, Olivier; Pinget, Christophe; Wasserfallen, Jean-Blaise; Sahli, Roland; Jaton, Katia; Marchetti, Oscar; Meylan, Pascal

    2015-01-01

    Enterovirus (EV) is the most frequent cause of aseptic meningitis (AM). Lack of microbiological documentation results in unnecessary antimicrobial therapy and hospitalization. To assess the impact of rapid EV detection in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) by a fully-automated PCR (GeneXpert EV assay, GXEA) on the management of AM. Observational study in adult patients with AM. Three groups were analyzed according to EV documentation in CSF: group A = no PCR or negative PCR (n=17), group B = positive real-time PCR (n = 20), and group C = positive GXEA (n = 22). Clinical, laboratory and health-care costs data were compared. Clinical characteristics were similar in the 3 groups. Median turn-around time of EV PCR decreased from 60 h (IQR (interquartile range) 44-87) in group B to 5h (IQR 4-11) in group C (p<0.0001). Median duration of antibiotics was 1 (IQR 0-6), 1 (0-1.9), and 0.5 days (single dose) in groups A, B, and C, respectively (p < 0.001). Median length of hospitalization was 4 days (2.5-7.5), 2 (1-3.7), and 0.5 (0.3-0.7), respectively (p < 0.001). Median hospitalization costs were $5458 (2676-6274) in group A, $2796 (2062-5726) in group B, and $921 (765-1230) in group C (p < 0.0001). Rapid EV detection in CSF by a fully-automated PCR improves management of AM by significantly reducing antibiotic use, hospitalization length and costs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Experience of a patient with an extracorporeal ventricular assist system who participated in a sleepover program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gon, Shigeyoshi; Suematsu, Yoshihito; Morizumi, Sei; Shimizu, Tsuyoshi

    2011-09-01

    A 19-year-old woman suffered fulminant myocarditis owing to a mycoplasma infection and was inserted with an intra-aortic balloon pump and a percutaneous cardiopulmonary support. Antibiotics and gamma globulin were administered, however, the patient's cardiac function did not recover, and the TOYOBO ventricular assist device (VAD) was implanted. She had rehabilitation training such as maintaining a standing position at the bedside and walking in the hospital, and a hospital outing program to a family restaurant was conducted two times with the VAD. The patient wished to attend the coming-of-age ceremony in Tachikawa city, which is 3 h away from our hospital by car. Therefore, we planned the program including a night stay at her home. The patient and her family fully understood the risks and wished to participate in the sleepover program. In preparing for the sleepover, the patient and her family learned to operate the VAD, and she was able to move to the lavatory and through the house with the help of only her family. A physician and a clinical engineer stayed at her house for infusion of antibiotics and management of sudden changes. There was no adverse event. In Japan, the community support of patients with VAD is not yet established, and we hope that our experience becomes a help to support return to society for patients with VAD.

  5. Acute exercise attenuates negative affect following repeated sad mood inductions in persons who have recovered from depression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mata, Jutta; Hogan, Candice L; Joormann, Jutta; Waugh, Christian E; Gotlib, Ian H

    2013-02-01

    Identifying factors that may protect individuals from developing Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) in the face of stress is critical. In the current study we experimentally tested whether such a potentially protective factor, engaging in acute exercise, reduces the adverse effects of repeated sad mood inductions in individuals who have recovered from depression. We hypothesized that recovered depressed participants who engage in acute exercise report a smaller increase in negative affect (NA) and a smaller decrease in positive affect (PA) when exposed to a repeated sad mood induction (i.e., habituation), whereas participants who do not exercise show sensitization (i.e., increased NA and decreased PA in response to a repeated adverse stimulus). Forty-one women recovered from MDD and 40 healthy control women were randomly assigned to either exercise for 15 minutes or quiet rest. Afterward, participants were exposed to two sad mood inductions and reported their levels of affect throughout the study. Recovered depressed participants who had not exercised exhibited higher NA after the second sad mood induction, a finding consistent with sensitization. In contrast, both recovered depressed participants who had engaged in acute exercise and healthy control participants showed no increase in NA in response to the repeated sad mood induction. Participants who exercised reported higher PA after the exercise bout; however, our hypothesis concerning reported PA trajectories following the sad mood inductions was not supported. Results suggest that exercise can serve as a protective factor in the face of exposure to repeated emotional stressors, particularly concerning NA in individuals who have recovered from depression. 2013 APA, all rights reserved

  6. Fully simulatable quantum-secure coin-flipping and applications

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lunemann, Carolin; Nielsen, Jesper Buus

    2011-01-01

    schemes which we show how to construct in the given setting. We then show that the interactive generation of random coins at the beginning or during outer protocols allows for quantum-secure realizations of classical schemes, again without any set-up assumptions. As example applications we discuss quantum...... zero-knowledge proofs of knowledge and quantum-secure two-party function evaluation. Both applications assume only fully simulatable coin-flipping and mixed commitments. Since our framework allows to construct fully simulatable coin-flipping from mixed commitments, this in particular shows that mixed...

  7. Modular Accident Analysis Program (MAAP) - MELCOR Crosswalk: Phase II Analyzing a Partially Recovered Accident Scenario

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Andrews, Nathan [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Faucett, Christopher [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Haskin, Troy Christopher [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Luxat, Dave [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Geiger, Garrett [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Codella, Brittany [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2017-10-01

    Following the conclusion of the first phase of the crosswalk analysis, one of the key unanswered questions was whether or not the deviations found would persist during a partially recovered accident scenario, similar to the one that occurred in TMI - 2. In particular this analysis aims to compare the impact of core degradation morphology on quenching models inherent within the two codes and the coolability of debris during partially recovered accidents. A primary motivation for this study is the development of insights into how uncertainties in core damage progression models impact the ability to assess the potential for recovery of a degraded core. These quench and core recovery models are of the most interest when there is a significant amount of core damage, but intact and degraded fuel still remain in the cor e region or the lower plenum. Accordingly this analysis presents a spectrum of partially recovered accident scenarios by varying both water injection timing and rate to highlight the impact of core degradation phenomena on recovered accident scenarios. This analysis uses the newly released MELCOR 2.2 rev. 966 5 and MAAP5, Version 5.04. These code versions, which incorporate a significant number of modifications that have been driven by analyses and forensic evidence obtained from the Fukushima - Daiichi reactor site.

  8. Fully conditional specification in multivariate imputation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Buuren, S.; Brand, J. P.L.; Groothuis-Oudshoorn, C. G.M.; Rubin, D. B.

    2006-01-01

    The use of the Gibbs sampler with fully conditionally specified models, where the distribution of each variable given the other variables is the starting point, has become a popular method to create imputations in incomplete multivariate data. The theoretical weakness of this approach is that the

  9. Modeling Irrigation Networks for the Quantification of Potential Energy Recovering: A Case Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Modesto Pérez-Sánchez

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Water irrigation systems are required to provide adequate pressure levels in any sort of network. Quite frequently, this requirement is achieved by using pressure reducing valves (PRVs. Nevertheless, the possibility of using hydraulic machines to recover energy instead of PRVs could reduce the energy footprint of the whole system. In this research, a new methodology is proposed to help water managers quantify the potential energy recovering of an irrigation water network with adequate conditions of topographies distribution. EPANET has been used to create a model based on probabilities of irrigation and flow distribution in real networks. Knowledge of the flows and pressures in the network is necessary to perform an analysis of economic viability. Using the proposed methodology, a case study has been analyzed in a typical Mediterranean region and the potential available energy has been estimated. The study quantifies the theoretical energy recoverable if hydraulic machines were installed in the network. Particularly, the maximum energy potentially recovered in the system has been estimated up to 188.23 MWh/year with a potential saving of non-renewable energy resources (coal and gas of CO2 137.4 t/year.

  10. A fully printed ferrite nano-particle ink based tunable antenna

    KAUST Repository

    Ghaffar, Farhan A.; Vaseem, Mohammad; Shamim, Atif

    2016-01-01

    on conventional microwave substrates. In order to have a fully printed fabrication process, the substrate also need to be printed. In this paper, a fully printed multi-layer process utilizing custom Fe2O3 based magnetic ink and a silver organic complex (SOC) ink

  11. Cognitive impairment in patients clinically recovered from central nervous system depressant drug overdose.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dassanayake, Tharaka L; Michie, Patricia T; Jones, Alison; Carter, Gregory; Mallard, Trevor; Whyte, Ian

    2012-08-01

    Central nervous system depressant drugs (CNS-Ds) are known to impair cognitive functions. Overdose of these drugs is common, and most of the hospital-treated patients are discharged within 24 to 48 hours. No previous studies have examined whether they have residual impairment at the time of discharge. Our aim was to evaluate whether patients with CNS-D overdose are impaired in cognitive domains important in daily activities at that time. We compared visuomotor skills (Trail-Making Test A and Choice Reaction Time), executive functions (viz attentional set-shifting: Trail-Making Test B; and planning: Stockings of Cambridge Task from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery), working memory (Letter-Number Sequencing), and impulsivity and decision making (Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery Information Sampling) in 107 patients with CNS-D overdose (benzodiazepines, opioids, or antipsychotics) with a control group of 68 with non-CNS-D overdose (acetaminophen, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and serotonin noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors) on discharge from hospital. Outcome measures were adjusted for demographic and clinical covariates in multivariate regression models. Compared with the controls, patients in the CNS-D group were significantly impaired in all domains: they had prolonged Trail-Making completion times and reaction times, poorer working memory and planning and were more impulsive in decision making. Their Stockings of Cambridge Task performance was comparable to that of the control group for simple problems but worsened with increasing task complexity. The results show that patients with CNS-D overdose could be impaired in multiple cognitive domains underlying everyday functioning even at the time they are deemed medically fit to be discharged. Such impairments could adversely affect social and professional lives of this relatively young population during the immediate postdischarge period.

  12. Communication: Fully coherent quantum state hopping

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Martens, Craig C., E-mail: cmartens@uci.edu [University of California, Irvine, California 92697-2025 (United States)

    2015-10-14

    In this paper, we describe a new and fully coherent stochastic surface hopping method for simulating mixed quantum-classical systems. We illustrate the approach on the simple but unforgiving problem of quantum evolution of a two-state quantum system in the limit of unperturbed pure state dynamics and for dissipative evolution in the presence of both stationary and nonstationary random environments. We formulate our approach in the Liouville representation and describe the density matrix elements by ensembles of trajectories. Population dynamics are represented by stochastic surface hops for trajectories representing diagonal density matrix elements. These are combined with an unconventional coherent stochastic hopping algorithm for trajectories representing off-diagonal quantum coherences. The latter generalizes the binary (0,1) “probability” of a trajectory to be associated with a given state to allow integers that can be negative or greater than unity in magnitude. Unlike existing surface hopping methods, the dynamics of the ensembles are fully entangled, correctly capturing the coherent and nonlocal structure of quantum mechanics.

  13. Fully CMOS-compatible titanium nitride nanoantennas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Briggs, Justin A., E-mail: jabriggs@stanford.edu [Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, 348 Via Pueblo Mall, Stanford, California 94305 (United States); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, 496 Lomita Mall, Stanford, California 94305 (United States); Naik, Gururaj V.; Baum, Brian K.; Dionne, Jennifer A. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, 496 Lomita Mall, Stanford, California 94305 (United States); Petach, Trevor A.; Goldhaber-Gordon, David [Department of Physics, Stanford University, 382 Via Pueblo Mall, Stanford, California 94305 (United States)

    2016-02-01

    CMOS-compatible fabrication of plasmonic materials and devices will accelerate the development of integrated nanophotonics for information processing applications. Using low-temperature plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD), we develop a recipe for fully CMOS-compatible titanium nitride (TiN) that is plasmonic in the visible and near infrared. Films are grown on silicon, silicon dioxide, and epitaxially on magnesium oxide substrates. By optimizing the plasma exposure per growth cycle during PEALD, carbon and oxygen contamination are reduced, lowering undesirable loss. We use electron beam lithography to pattern TiN nanopillars with varying diameters on silicon in large-area arrays. In the first reported single-particle measurements on plasmonic TiN, we demonstrate size-tunable darkfield scattering spectroscopy in the visible and near infrared regimes. The optical properties of this CMOS-compatible material, combined with its high melting temperature and mechanical durability, comprise a step towards fully CMOS-integrated nanophotonic information processing.

  14. Time course of recovery of erectile function after radical retropubic prostatectomy: does anyone recover after 2 years?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rabbani, Farhang; Schiff, Jeffrey; Piecuch, Michael; Yunis, Luis Herran; Eastham, James A; Scardino, Peter T; Mulhall, John P

    2010-12-01

    Given the paucity of literature on the time course of recovery of erectile function (EF) after radical prostatectomy (RP), many publications have led patients and clinicians to believe that erections are unlikely to recover beyond 2 years after RP. We sought to determine the time course of recovery of EF beyond 2 years after bilateral nerve sparing (BNS) RP and to determine factors predictive of continued improved recovery beyond 2 years. EF was assessed prospectively on a 5-point scale: (i) full erections; (ii) diminished erections routinely sufficient for intercourse; (iii) partial erections occasionally satisfactory for intercourse; (iv) partial erections unsatisfactory for intercourse; and (v) no erections. From 01/1999 to 01/2007, 136 preoperatively potent (levels 1-2) men who underwent BNS RP without prior treatment and who had not recovered consistently functional erections (levels 1-2) at 24 months had further follow-up regarding EF. Median follow-up after the 2-year visit was 36.0 months. Recovery of improved erections at a later date: recovery of EF level 1-2 in those with level 3 EF at 2 years and recovery of EF level 1-3 in those with level 4-5 EF at 2 years. The actuarial rates of further improved recovery of EF to level 1-2 in those with level 3 EF at 2 years and to level 1-3 in those with level 4-5 EF at 2 years were 8%, 20%, and 23% at 3, 4, and 5 years postoperatively, and 5%, 17%, and 21% at 3, 4, and 5 years postoperatively, respectively. Younger age was predictive of greater likelihood of recovery beyond 2 years. There is continued improvement in EF beyond 2 years after BNS RP. Discussion of this prolonged time course of recovery may allow patients to have a more realistic expectation. © 2010 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

  15. Self-Recovering Sensor-Actor Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maryam Kamali

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Wireless sensor-actor networks are a recent development of wireless networks where both ordinary sensor nodes and more sophisticated and powerful nodes, called actors, are present. In this paper we formalize a recently introduced algorithm that recovers failed actor communication links via the existing sensor infrastructure. We prove via refinement that the recovery is terminating in a finite number of steps and is distributed, thus self-performed by the actors. Most importantly, we prove that the recovery can be done at different levels, via different types of links, such as direct actor links or indirect links between the actors, in the latter case reusing the wireless infrastructure of sensors. This leads to identifying coordination classes, e.g., for delegating the most security sensitive coordination to the direct actor-actor coordination links, the least real-time constrained coordination to indirect links, and the safety critical coordination to both direct actor links and indirect sensor paths between actors. Our formalization is done using the theorem prover in the RODIN platform.

  16. Return to Education for Recovering Drug Addicts: The Soilse Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barter, Eric

    2010-01-01

    This article is an account of a return to education course set up to cater to the needs of recovering heroin addicts in a Dublin rehabilitation project in the summer of 2008. It begins with a brief outline of the HSE Soilse rehabilitation and recovery programme and the rationale for seeking association with the Department of Adult and Community…

  17. Fully hadronic ttbar cross section measurement with ATLAS detector

    CERN Document Server

    Bertella, C; The ATLAS collaboration

    2011-01-01

    The top quark pair production cross section in the fully hadronic final state is characterized by a six jet topology, two of which could be identified as originating from a b-quark using ATLAS b-tagging algorithms. Compared to other decay channels, this final state presents an advantageous larger branching ratio; on the other hand it suffers from a very large QCD multi-jet background, generally difficult to estimate from Monte Carlo simulation and therefore evaluated using data-driven techniques. It is essential, to efficiently trigger on these fully hadronic ttbar events, to use dedicated triggers. An overview of the analysis for ttbar production cross section measurement in the fully hadronic final state and the state-of-the-art of the b-jet trigger performance estimation are presented in this contribution.

  18. Recovering fraudulent claims for Australian federal expenditure on pharmaceuticals and medical devices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Faunce, Thomas; Urbas, Gregor; Skillen, Lesley; Smith, Marc

    2010-12-01

    The Australian Federal Government expends increasingly large amounts of money on pharmaceuticals and medical devices. It is likely, given government experience in other jurisdictions, that a significant proportion of this expenditure is paid as a result of fraudulent claims presented by corporations. In the United States, legislation such as the False Claims Act 1986 (US), the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act 2009 (US), the Stark (Physician Self-Referral) Statute 1995 (US), the Anti-Kickback Statute 1972 (US), the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act 1938 (US), the Social Security Act 1965 (US), and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act 2010 (US) has created systematic processes allowing the United States Federal Government to recover billions of dollars in fraudulently made claims in the health and procurement areas. The crucial component involves the creation of financial incentives for information about fraud to be revealed from within the corporate sector to the appropriate state officials. This article explores the opportunities for creating a similar system in Australia in the health care setting.

  19. Metabolome Profiling of Partial and Fully Reprogrammed Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Soon-Jung; Lee, Sang A; Prasain, Nutan; Bae, Daekyeong; Kang, Hyunsu; Ha, Taewon; Kim, Jong Soo; Hong, Ki-Sung; Mantel, Charlie; Moon, Sung-Hwan; Broxmeyer, Hal E; Lee, Man Ryul

    2017-05-15

    Acquisition of proper metabolomic fate is required to convert somatic cells toward fully reprogrammed pluripotent stem cells. The majority of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are partially reprogrammed and have a transcriptome different from that of the pluripotent stem cells. The metabolomic profile and mitochondrial metabolic functions required to achieve full reprogramming of somatic cells to iPSC status have not yet been elucidated. Clarification of the metabolites underlying reprogramming mechanisms should enable further optimization to enhance the efficiency of obtaining fully reprogrammed iPSCs. In this study, we characterized the metabolites of human fully reprogrammed iPSCs, partially reprogrammed iPSCs, and embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Using capillary electrophoresis time-of-flight mass spectrometry-based metabolomics, we found that 89% of analyzed metabolites were similarly expressed in fully reprogrammed iPSCs and human ESCs (hESCs), whereas partially reprogrammed iPSCs shared only 74% similarly expressed metabolites with hESCs. Metabolomic profiling analysis suggested that converting mitochondrial respiration to glycolytic flux is critical for reprogramming of somatic cells into fully reprogrammed iPSCs. This characterization of metabolic reprogramming in iPSCs may enable the development of new reprogramming parameters for enhancing the generation of fully reprogrammed human iPSCs.

  20. Perfectionism Across Stages of Recovery from Eating Disorders

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bardone-Cone, Anna M.; Sturm, Katrina; Lawson, Melissa A.; Robinson, D. Paul; Smith, Roma

    2009-01-01

    Objective This study examined perfectionism in relation to recovery from eating disorders by comparing different conceptualizations of perfectionism across healthy controls and fully recovered, partially recovered, and active eating disorder cases, where full recovery was defined using physical, behavioral, and psychological indices. Method Participants were primarily young adult females; 53 active eating disorder cases, 15 partially recovered cases, 20 fully recovered cases, and 67 healthy controls. Participants completed questionnaires assessing trait perfectionism, perfectionistic self-presentation style, and frequency of perfectionism cognitions, as well as a diagnostic interview to determine lifetime and current eating disorder diagnoses. Results A robust pattern emerged whereby the fully recovered eating disorder individuals and healthy controls had similar levels of perfectionism that were significantly lower than the perfectionism levels of the partially recovered and active eating disorder individuals, who were comparable to each other. Conclusion These findings have implications for more clearly defining eating disorder recovery and for the role perfectionism may play in achieving full recovery. PMID:19308994

  1. Impulse control behaviours in patients with Parkinson's disease after subthalamic deep brain stimulation: de novo cases and 3-year follow-up.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amami, P; Dekker, I; Piacentini, S; Ferré, F; Romito, L M; Franzini, A; Foncke, E M J; Albanese, A

    2015-05-01

    To document the occurrence of impulse control behaviours (ICBs) in patients with Parkinson's disease after 3 years of continuous deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN). Detailed neurological and ICB assessments were performed before STN DBS and up to 3 years after implant. 13 out of 56 patients (23.2%) had ICBs at baseline; they took higher doses of dopamine agonists (DAA). Three years after implant 11 had fully remitted with a 60.8% reduction of DAA medication; the remaining two, who had a similar medication reduction, had only compulsive eating, having recovered from hypersexuality. Six of the 43 patients without ICBs at baseline (14%) developed transient de novo ICBs after implant; none of them had ICBs at the 3-year observation. ICBs were abolished in patients 3 years after STN DBS and DAA dosages were lowered. New ICBs may occur after implant and are transient in most cases. Compulsive eating may be specifically related to STN stimulation. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  2. Clinical features and prognostic factors of cutaneous vasculitis among dermatology patients in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Latha, S; Choon, S E; Tey, K E; Chee, Y N

    2017-12-01

    Cutaneous vasculitis is common, yet the risk factors for its chronicity have not been established. To describe the clinical spectrum and identify risk factors for chronicity of cutaneous vasculitis. Retrospective data analysis of 275 patients diagnosed with cutaneous vasculitis from January 2008 to December 2013. The mean age was 33.7 (±17.89) years, with female predominance. The majority of patients were Malays (67.3%). Skin biopsy was performed in 110 (40%) patients. The commonest sign was palpable purpura (30.6%). The aetiology remained elusive in 51.3% of patients. Common identifiable causes include infection (19.7%) and connective tissue disease (10.2%). Extracutaneous features were noted in 46.5% of patients. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate and antinuclear antibody were raised in 124 of 170 and 27 of 175 patients with documented results respectively. Cutaneous vasculitis was the presenting symptom in seven patients with newly diagnosed systemic lupus erythematosus. Anti Streptolysin O Titre was positive in 82 of 156 patients with documented results. Despite antibiotics, 31.7% of them had chronic lesions. Prednisolone alone was used in 20% of patients while 16.4% needed steroid-sparing agents. Most patients who needed systemic therapy (62%) had unidentifiable aetiology. Among the 155 patients who remained under follow up, 36.4% had chronic disease, one patient succumbed due to septicaemia, and the rest fully recovered within three months. The presence of ulcerative lesion was significantly associated with developing chronic vasculitis (p=0.003). The clinical spectrum of cutaneous vasculitis in our population was similar to other studies. Ulcerative lesion predicts a chronic outcome.

  3. Developments towards a fully automated AMS system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Steier, P.; Puchegger, S.; Golser, R.; Kutschera, W.; Priller, A.; Rom, W.; Wallner, A.; Wild, E.

    2000-01-01

    The possibilities of computer-assisted and automated accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) measurements were explored. The goal of these efforts is to develop fully automated procedures for 'routine' measurements at the Vienna Environmental Research Accelerator (VERA), a dedicated 3-MV Pelletron tandem AMS facility. As a new tool for automatic tuning of the ion optics we developed a multi-dimensional optimization algorithm robust to noise, which was applied for 14 C and 10 Be. The actual isotope ratio measurements are performed in a fully automated fashion and do not require the presence of an operator. Incoming data are evaluated online and the results can be accessed via Internet. The system was used for 14 C, 10 Be, 26 Al and 129 I measurements

  4. A Preliminary Study on the Reuse of the Recovered Uranium from the Spent CANDU Fuel Using Pyroprocessing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, C. J.; Na, S. H.; Yang, J. H.; Kang, K. H.; Lee, J. W.

    2009-01-01

    During the pyroprocessing, most of the uranium is gathered in metallic form around a solid cathode during an electro-refining process, which is composed of about 94 weight percent of the spent fuel. In the previous study, a feasibility study has been done to reuse the recovered uranium for the CANDU reactor fuel following the traditional DUPIC (direct use of spent pressurized water reactor fuel into CANDU reactor) fuel fabrication process. However, the weight percent of U-235 in the recovered uranium is about 1 wt% and it is sufficiently re-utilized in a heavy water reactor which uses a natural uranium fuel. The reuse of recovered uranium will bring not only a huge economic profit and saving of uranium resources but also an alleviation of the burden on the management and the disposal of the spent fuel. The research on recycling of recovered uranium was carried out 10 years ago and most of the recovered uranium was assumed to be imported from abroad at that time. The preliminary results showed there is the sufficient possibility to recycle recovered uranium in terms of a reactor's characteristics as well as the fuel performance. However, the spent CANDU fuel is another issue in the storage and disposal problem. At present, most countries are considering that the spent CANDU fuel is disposed directly due to the low enrichment (∼0.5 wt%) of the discharge fissile content and lots of fission products. If mixing the spent CANDU fuel and the spent PWR fuel, the estimated uranium fissile enrichment will be about 0.6 wt% ∼ 1.0 wt% depending on the mixing ratio, which is sufficiently reusable in a CANDU reactor. Therefore, this paper deals with a feasibility study on the recovered uranium of the mixed spent fuel from the pyroprocessing. With the various mixing ratios between the PWR spent fuel and the CANDU spent fuel, a reactor characteristics including the safety parameters of the CANDU reactor was evaluated

  5. Combining Semi-Endogenous and Fully Endogenous Growth: a Generalization.

    OpenAIRE

    Cozzi, Guido

    2017-01-01

    This paper shows that combining the semi-endogenous and the fully endogenous growth mechanisms with a general CES aggregator, either growth process can prevail in the balanced growth path depending on their degree of complementarity/substitutability. Policy-induced long-run economic switches to the fully endogenous steady state as the R&D employment ratio surpasses a positive threshold are possible if the two growth engines are gross substitutes.

  6. Treatment of exhaust fluorescent lamps to recover yttrium: Experimental and process analyses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    De Michelis, Ida; Ferella, Francesco; Varelli, Ennio Fioravante; Veglio, Francesco

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → Recovery of yttrium from spent fluorescent lamps by sulphuric acid leaching. → The use of sulphuric acid allows to reduce calcium dissolutions. → Main contaminant of fluorescent powder are Si, Pb, Ca and Ba. → Hydrated yttrium oxalate, recovered by selective precipitation, is quite pure (>90%). → We have studied the whole process for the treatment of dangerous waste (plant capability). - Abstract: The paper deals with recovery of yttrium from fluorescent powder coming from dismantling of spent fluorescent tubes. Metals are leached by using different acids (nitric, hydrochloric and sulphuric) and ammonia in different leaching tests. These tests show that ammonia is not suitable to recover yttrium, whereas HNO 3 produces toxic vapours. A full factorial design is carried out with HCl and H 2 SO 4 to evaluate the influence of operating factors. HCl and H 2 SO 4 leaching systems give similar results in terms of yttrium extraction yield, but the last one allows to reduce calcium extraction with subsequent advantage during recovery of yttrium compounds in the downstream. The greatest extraction of yttrium is obtained by 20% w/v S/L ratio, 4 N H 2 SO 4 concentration and 90 deg. C. Yttrium and calcium yields are nearly 85% and 5%, respectively. The analysis of variance shows that acid concentration alone and interaction between acid and pulp density have a significant positive effect on yttrium solubilization for both HCl and H 2 SO 4 medium. Two models are empirically developed to estimate yttrium and calcium concentration during leaching. Precipitation tests demonstrate that at least the stoichiometric amount of oxalic acid is necessary to recover yttrium efficiently and a pure yttrium oxalate n-hydrate can be produced (99% grade). The process is economically feasible if other components of the fluorescent lamps (glass, ferrous and non-ferrous scraps) are recovered after the equipment dismantling and valorized, besides the cost that is usually paid

  7. 280 one-opposition near-Earth asteroids recovered by the EURONEAR with the Isaac Newton Telescope

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaduvescu, O.; Hudin, L.; Mocnik, T.; Char, F.; Sonka, A.; Tudor, V.; Ordonez-Etxeberria, I.; Díaz Alfaro, M.; Ashley, R.; Errmann, R.; Short, P.; Moloceniuc, A.; Cornea, R.; Inceu, V.; Zavoianu, D.; Popescu, M.; Curelaru, L.; Mihalea, S.; Stoian, A.-M.; Boldea, A.; Toma, R.; Fields, L.; Grigore, V.; Stoev, H.; Lopez-Martinez, F.; Humphries, N.; Sowicka, P.; Ramanjooloo, Y.; Manilla-Robles, A.; Riddick, F. C.; Jimenez-Lujan, F.; Mendez, J.; Aceituno, F.; Sota, A.; Jones, D.; Hidalgo, S.; Murabito, S.; Oteo, I.; Bongiovanni, A.; Zamora, O.; Pyrzas, S.; Génova-Santos, R.; Font, J.; Bereciartua, A.; Perez-Fournon, I.; Martínez-Vázquez, C. E.; Monelli, M.; Cicuendez, L.; Monteagudo, L.; Agulli, I.; Bouy, H.; Huélamo, N.; Monguió, M.; Gänsicke, B. T.; Steeghs, D.; Gentile-Fusillo, N. P.; Hollands, M. A.; Toloza, O.; Manser, C. J.; Dhillon, V.; Sahman, D.; Fitzsimmons, A.; McNeill, A.; Thompson, A.; Tabor, M.; Murphy, D. N. A.; Davies, J.; Snodgrass, C.; Triaud, A. H. M. J.; Groot, P. J.; Macfarlane, S.; Peletier, R.; Sen, S.; İkiz, T.; Hoekstra, H.; Herbonnet, R.; Köhlinger, F.; Greimel, R.; Afonso, A.; Parker, Q. A.; Kong, A. K. H.; Bassa, C.; Pleunis, Z.

    2018-01-01

    Context. One-opposition near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) are growing in number, and they must be recovered to prevent loss and mismatch risk, and to improve their orbits, as they are likely to be too faint for detection in shallow surveys at future apparitions. Aims: We aimed to recover more than half of the one-opposition NEAs recommended for observations by the Minor Planet Center (MPC) using the Isaac Newton Telescope (INT) in soft-override mode and some fractions of available D-nights. During about 130 h in total between 2013 and 2016, we targeted 368 NEAs, among which 56 potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs), observing 437 INT Wide Field Camera (WFC) fields and recovering 280 NEAs (76% of all targets). Methods: Engaging a core team of about ten students and amateurs, we used the THELI, Astrometrica, and the Find_Orb software to identify all moving objects using the blink and track-and-stack method for the faintest targets and plotting the positional uncertainty ellipse from NEODyS. Results: Most targets and recovered objects had apparent magnitudes centered around V 22.8 mag, with some becoming as faint as V 24 mag. One hundred and three objects (representing 28% of all targets) were recovered by EURONEAR alone by Aug. 2017. Orbital arcs were prolonged typically from a few weeks to a few years; our oldest recoveries reach 16 years. The O-C residuals for our 1854 NEA astrometric positions show that most measurements cluster closely around the origin. In addition to the recovered NEAs, 22 000 positions of about 3500 known minor planets and another 10 000 observations of about 1500 unknown objects (mostly main-belt objects) were promptly reported to the MPC by our team. Four new NEAs were discovered serendipitously in the analyzed fields and were promptly secured with the INT and other telescopes, while two more NEAs were lost due to extremely fast motion and lack of rapid follow-up time. They increase the counting to nine NEAs discovered by the EURONEAR in 2014 and

  8. Canakinumab (ACZ885, a fully human IgG1 anti-IL-1β mAb) induces sustained remission in pediatric patients with cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuemmerle-Deschner, Jasmin B; Ramos, Eduardo; Blank, Norbert; Roesler, Joachim; Felix, Sandra D; Jung, Thomas; Stricker, Kirstin; Chakraborty, Abhijit; Tannenbaum, Stacey; Wright, Andrew M; Rordorf, Christiane

    2011-02-28

    Cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS) represents a spectrum of three auto-inflammatory syndromes, familial cold auto-inflammatory syndrome (FCAS), Muckle-Wells syndrome (MWS), and neonatal-onset multisystem inflammatory disease/chronic infantile neurological cutaneous and articular syndrome (NOMID/CINCA) with etiology linked to mutations in the NLRP3 gene resulting in elevated interleukin-1β (IL-1β) release. CAPS is a rare hereditary auto-inflammatory disease, which may start early in childhood and requires a life-long treatment. Canakinumab, a fully human anti-IL-1β antibody, produces sustained selective inhibition of IL-1β. This study was conducted to assess the efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics of canakinumab in the treatment of pediatric CAPS patients. Seven pediatric patients (five children and two adolescents) with CAPS were enrolled in a phase II, open-label study of canakinumab in patients with CAPS. Canakinumab was administered at a dose of 2 mg/kg subcutaneously (s.c.) (for patients with body weight ≤ 40 kg) or 150 mg s.c. (for patients with body weight > 40 kg) with re-dosing upon each relapse. The primary efficacy variable was time to relapse following achievement of a complete response (defined as a global assessment of no or minimal disease activity and no or minimal rash and values for serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and/or serum amyloid A (SAA) within the normal range, CAPS. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00487708.

  9. Towards dense volumetric pancreas segmentation in CT using 3D fully convolutional networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roth, Holger; Oda, Masahiro; Shimizu, Natsuki; Oda, Hirohisa; Hayashi, Yuichiro; Kitasaka, Takayuki; Fujiwara, Michitaka; Misawa, Kazunari; Mori, Kensaku

    2018-03-01

    Pancreas segmentation in computed tomography imaging has been historically difficult for automated methods because of the large shape and size variations between patients. In this work, we describe a custom-build 3D fully convolutional network (FCN) that can process a 3D image including the whole pancreas and produce an automatic segmentation. We investigate two variations of the 3D FCN architecture; one with concatenation and one with summation skip connections to the decoder part of the network. We evaluate our methods on a dataset from a clinical trial with gastric cancer patients, including 147 contrast enhanced abdominal CT scans acquired in the portal venous phase. Using the summation architecture, we achieve an average Dice score of 89.7 +/- 3.8 (range [79.8, 94.8])% in testing, achieving the new state-of-the-art performance in pancreas segmentation on this dataset.

  10. MaxBin 2.0: an automated binning algorithm to recover genomes from multiple metagenomic datasets

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wu, Yu-Wei [Joint BioEnergy Inst. (JBEI), Emeryville, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Simmons, Blake A. [Joint BioEnergy Inst. (JBEI), Emeryville, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Singer, Steven W. [Joint BioEnergy Inst. (JBEI), Emeryville, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

    2015-10-29

    The recovery of genomes from metagenomic datasets is a critical step to defining the functional roles of the underlying uncultivated populations. We previously developed MaxBin, an automated binning approach for high-throughput recovery of microbial genomes from metagenomes. Here, we present an expanded binning algorithm, MaxBin 2.0, which recovers genomes from co-assembly of a collection of metagenomic datasets. Tests on simulated datasets revealed that MaxBin 2.0 is highly accurate in recovering individual genomes, and the application of MaxBin 2.0 to several metagenomes from environmental samples demonstrated that it could achieve two complementary goals: recovering more bacterial genomes compared to binning a single sample as well as comparing the microbial community composition between different sampling environments. Availability and implementation: MaxBin 2.0 is freely available at http://sourceforge.net/projects/maxbin/ under BSD license. Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

  11. Late Streptococcus bovis infection of total knee replacement complicated by infective endocarditis and associated with colonic ulcers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagy, Mathias Thomas; Hla, Sann Minn; Keys, Graham Watson

    2013-01-01

    Streptococcus bovis is rare cause of late infections after total knee replacement (TKR). This report presents a case of confirmed late septic arthritis following TKR caused by S bovis that was further complicated with infective endocarditis resulting in aortic valve insufficiency in an immunecompetent patient. As an association between S bovis and gastrointestinal malignancies is suggested, a workup for such malignancies was performed that revealed non-malignant ulcers in patient's ascending colon. The patient is currently recovering from his aortic valve replacement surgery and is scheduled to have annual colonoscopies. His knee joint has improved; however, he developed constant pain because of underlying chronic infection in the affected joint and has difficulties mobilising. Therefore, a revision TKR is considered but postponed until he fully recovers from his heart valve surgery. PMID:23744853

  12. Axiomatisation of fully probabilistic design

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kárný, Miroslav; Kroupa, Tomáš

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 186, č. 1 (2012), s. 105-113 ISSN 0020-0255 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) 2C06001; GA ČR GA102/08/0567 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10750506 Keywords : Bayesian decision making * Fully probabilistic design * Kullback–Leibler divergence * Unified decision making Subject RIV: BB - Applied Statistics, Operational Research Impact factor: 3.643, year: 2012 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2011/AS/karny-0367271.pdf

  13. Defect Shape Recovering by Parameter Estimation Arising in Eddy Current Testing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kojima, Fumio

    2003-01-01

    This paper is concerned with a computational method for recovering a crack shape of steam generator tubes of nuclear plants. Problems on the shape identification are discussed arising in the characterization of a structural defect in a conductor using data of eddy current inspection. A surface defect on the generator tube ran be detected as a probe impedance trajectory by scanning a pancake type coil. First, a mathematical model of the inspection process is derived from the Maxwell's equation. Second, the input and output relation is given by the approximate model by virtue of the hybrid use of the finite element and boundary element method. In that model, the crack shape is characterized by the unknown coefficients of the B-spline function which approximates the crack shape geometry. Finally, a parameter estimation technique is proposed for recovering the crack shape using data from the probe coil. The computational experiments were successfully tested with the laboratory data

  14. Design Study of Fully Superconducting Wind Turbine Generators

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Song, Xiaowei (Andy); Mijatovic, Nenad; Jensen, Bogi Bech

    2015-01-01

    In this paper, two fully superconducting generators employing MgB2 armature winding, with YBCO and MgB2 field winding respectively, are presented and analyzed. The ac loss in armature winding is estimated, and a simple comparative study is carried out. The results show that both electromagnetic...... designs for fully superconducting generators are promising with respect to the power density. However, the cost of removing ac loss in armature winding is as high as $900 000. It is also noted that with the current price of YBCO tape, the generator employing MgB 2 field winding would have lower cost....

  15. Hospital information systems: experience at the fully digitized Seoul National University Bundang Hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoo, Sooyoung; Hwang, Hee; Jheon, Sanghoon

    2016-08-01

    The different levels of health information technology (IT) adoption and its integration into hospital workflow can affect the maximization of the benefits of using of health IT. We aimed at sharing our experiences and the journey to the successful adoption of health IT over 13 years at a tertiary university hospital in South Korea. The integrated system of comprehensive applications for direct care, support care, and smart care has been implemented with the latest IT and a rich user information platform, achieving the fully digitized hospital. The users experience design methodology, barcode and radio-frequency identification (RFID) technologies, smartphone and mobile technologies, and data analytics were integrated into hospital workflow. Applications for user-centered electronic medical record (EMR) and clinical decision support (CDS), closed loop medication administration (CLMA), mobile EMR and dashboard system for care coordination, clinical data warehouse (CDW) system, and patient engagement solutions were designed and developed to improve quality of care, work efficiency, and patient safety. We believe that comprehensive electronic health record systems and patient-centered smart hospital applications will go a long way in ensuring seamless patient care and experience.

  16. Aqueous process for recovering sulfur from hydrogen sulfide-bearing gas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basu, Arunabha

    2015-05-05

    A process for recovering sulfur from a hydrogen sulfide-bearing gas utilizes an aqueous reaction medium, a temperature of about 110-150.degree. C., and a high enough pressure to maintain the aqueous reaction medium in a liquid state. The process reduces material and equipment costs and addresses the environmental disadvantages associated with known processes that rely on high boiling point organic solvents.

  17. Occurrence of organic pollutants in recovered soil fines from construction and demolition waste.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jang, Y C; Townsend, T G

    2001-01-01

    The objective of this study was to characterize recovered soil fines from construction and demolition (C&D) waste recycling facilities for trace organic pollutants. Over a period of 18 months, five sampling trips were made to 14 C&D waste recycling facilities in Florida. Screened soil fines were collected from older stockpiles and newly generated piles at the sites. The samples were analyzed for the total concentration (mg/kg) of a series of volatile organic compound (VOCs) and semi-volatile organic compounds (semi-VOCs). The synthetic precipitation leaching procedure (SPLP) test was also performed to evaluate the leachability of the trace organic chemicals. During the total analysis only a few volatile organic compounds were commonly found in the samples (trichlorofluoromethane, toluene, 4-isopropyltoluene, trimethylbenzene, xylenes, and methylene chloride). A total of nine VOCs were detected in the leaching test. Toluene showed the highest leachability among the compounds (61.3-92.0%), while trichlorofluoromethane, the most commonly detected compound from both the total and leaching tests, resulted in the lowest leachability (1.4-39.9%). For the semi-VOC analysis, three base-neutral semi-VOC compounds (bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, butyl benzyl phthalate, and di-n-butyl phthalate) and several PAHs (acenaphthene, pyrene, fluoranthene, and phenanthrene) were commonly detected in C&D fines samples. These compounds also leached during the SPLP leaching test (0.1-25%). No acid extractable compounds, pesticides, or PCBs were detected. The results of this study were further investigated to assess risk from land applied recovered soil fines by comparing total and leaching concentrations of recovered soil fines samples to risk-based standards. The results of this indicate that the organic chemicals in recovered soil fines from C&D debris recycling facilities were not of a major concern in terms of human risk and leaching risk to groundwater under reuse and contact scenarios.

  18. Design and Evaluation of a Fully Implantable Control Unit for Blood Pumps

    Science.gov (United States)

    Unthan, Kristin; Gräf, Felix; Laumen, Marco; Finocchiaro, Thomas; Sommer, Christoph; Lanmüller, Hermann; Steinseifer, Ulrich

    2015-01-01

    As the number of donor hearts is limited while more and more patients suffer from end stage biventricular heart failure, Total Artificial Hearts become a promising alternative to conventional treatment. While pneumatic devices sufficiently supply the patients with blood flow, the patient's quality of life is limited by the percutaneous pressure lines and the size of the external control unit. This paper describes the development of the control unit of the ReinHeart, a fully implantable Total Artificial Heart. General requirements for any implantable control unit are defined from a technical and medical point of view: necessity of a Transcutaneous Energy Transmission, autonomous operation, safety, geometry, and efficiency. Based on the requirements, a prototype is designed; it incorporates a LiFePo4 battery pack with charger, a rectifier for transcutaneous energy transmission, the motor's driver electronics, and a microcontroller which monitors and controls all functions. In validation tests, the control unit demonstrated a stable operation on TET and battery supply and a safe switching from one supply to the other. The overall mean efficiency is 14% on TET and 22% on battery supply. The control unit is suitable for chronic animal trials of the ReinHeart. PMID:26583095

  19. Abundance of 14C in biomass fractions of wastes and solid recovered fuels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fellner, Johann; Rechberger, Helmut

    2009-01-01

    In recent years thermal utilization of mixed wastes and solid recovered fuels has become of increasing importance in European waste management. Since wastes or solid recovered fuels are generally composed of fossil and biogenic materials, only part of the CO 2 emissions is accounted for in greenhouse gas inventories or emission trading schemes. A promising approach for determining this fraction is the so-called radiocarbon method. It is based on different ratios of the carbon isotopes 14 C and 12 C in fossil and biogenic fuels. Fossil fuels have zero radiocarbon, whereas biogenic materials are enriched in 14 C and reflect the 14 CO 2 abundance of the ambient atmosphere. Due to nuclear weapons tests in the past century, the radiocarbon content in the atmosphere has not been constant, which has resulted in a varying 14 C content of biogenic matter, depending on the period of growth. In the present paper 14 C contents of different biogenic waste fractions (e.g., kitchen waste, paper, wood), as well as mixtures of different wastes (household, bulky waste, and commercial waste), and solid recovered fuels are determined. The calculated 14 C content of the materials investigated ranges between 98 and 135 pMC

  20. Recent Experiences in the Respiratory Unit of the Johannesburg ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    A. W. W. VAN AS, M.B., B.CH. (RAND) ... females, were referred to the Respiratory Unit in 5 months. (It must be ... of a lymphoma. ... patient who had had a renal transplant; she recovered fully. ... tube to slip down the right main-stem bronchus and obstruct the left ... the rate of spontaneous depolarization of automatic cells is.

  1. Preprototype vapor compression distillation subsystem. [recovering potable water from wastewater

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellis, G. S.; Wynveen, R. A.; Schubert, F. H.

    1979-01-01

    A three-person capacity preprototype vapor compression distillation subsystem for recovering potable water from wastewater aboard spacecraft was designed, assembled, and tested. The major components of the subsystem are: (1) a distillation unit which includes a compressor, centrifuge, central shaft, and outer shell; (2) a purge pump; (3) a liquids pump; (4) a post-treat cartridge; (5) a recycle/filter tank; (6) an evaporator high liquid level sensor; and (7) the product water conductivity monitor. A computer based control monitor instrumentation carries out operating mode change sequences, monitors and displays subsystem parameters, maintains intramode controls, and stores and displays fault detection information. The mechanical hardware occupies 0.467 m3, requires 171 W of electrical power, and has a dry weight of 143 kg. The subsystem recovers potable water at a rate of 1.59 kg/hr, which is equivalent to a duty cycle of approximately 30% for a crew of three. The product water has no foul taste or odor. Continued development of the subsystem is recommended for reclaiming water for human consumption as well as for flash evaporator heat rejection, urinal flushing, washing, and other on-board water requirements.

  2. Fully probabilistic design: the way for optimizing of concrete structures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I. Laníková

    Full Text Available Some standards for the design of concrete structures (e.g. EC2 and the original ČSN 73 1201-86 allow a structure to be designed by several methods. This contribution documents the fact that even if a structure does not comply with the partial reliability factor method, according to EC2, it can satisfy the conditions during the application of the fully probabilistic approach when using the same standard. From an example of the reliability of a prestressed spun concrete pole designed by the partial factor method and fully probabilistic approach according to the Eurocode it is evident that an expert should apply a more precise (though unfortunately more complicated method in the limiting cases. The Monte Carlo method, modified by the Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS method, has been used for the calculation of reliability. Ultimate and serviceability limit states were checked for the partial factor method and fully probabilistic design. As a result of fully probabilistic design it is possible to obtain a more efficient design for a structure.

  3. Performance of an Artificial Multi-observer Deep Neural Network for Fully Automated Segmentation of Polycystic Kidneys.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kline, Timothy L; Korfiatis, Panagiotis; Edwards, Marie E; Blais, Jaime D; Czerwiec, Frank S; Harris, Peter C; King, Bernard F; Torres, Vicente E; Erickson, Bradley J

    2017-08-01

    Deep learning techniques are being rapidly applied to medical imaging tasks-from organ and lesion segmentation to tissue and tumor classification. These techniques are becoming the leading algorithmic approaches to solve inherently difficult image processing tasks. Currently, the most critical requirement for successful implementation lies in the need for relatively large datasets that can be used for training the deep learning networks. Based on our initial studies of MR imaging examinations of the kidneys of patients affected by polycystic kidney disease (PKD), we have generated a unique database of imaging data and corresponding reference standard segmentations of polycystic kidneys. In the study of PKD, segmentation of the kidneys is needed in order to measure total kidney volume (TKV). Automated methods to segment the kidneys and measure TKV are needed to increase measurement throughput and alleviate the inherent variability of human-derived measurements. We hypothesize that deep learning techniques can be leveraged to perform fast, accurate, reproducible, and fully automated segmentation of polycystic kidneys. Here, we describe a fully automated approach for segmenting PKD kidneys within MR images that simulates a multi-observer approach in order to create an accurate and robust method for the task of segmentation and computation of TKV for PKD patients. A total of 2000 cases were used for training and validation, and 400 cases were used for testing. The multi-observer ensemble method had mean ± SD percent volume difference of 0.68 ± 2.2% compared with the reference standard segmentations. The complete framework performs fully automated segmentation at a level comparable with interobserver variability and could be considered as a replacement for the task of segmentation of PKD kidneys by a human.

  4. Faster Fully-Dynamic minimum spanning forest

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Holm, Jacob; Rotenberg, Eva; Wulff-Nilsen, Christian

    2015-01-01

    We give a new data structure for the fully-dynamic minimum spanning forest problem in simple graphs. Edge updates are supported in O(log4 n/log logn) expected amortized time per operation, improving the O(log4 n) amortized bound of Holm et al. (STOC’98, JACM’01).We also provide a deterministic data...

  5. Genotypic and phenotypic characterization of multidrug resistant Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Kentucky strains recovered from chicken carcasses.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rizwana Tasmin

    Full Text Available Salmonella Typhimurium is the leading cause of human non-typhoidal gastroenteritis in the US. S. Kentucky is one the most commonly recovered serovars from commercially processed poultry carcasses. This study compared the genotypic and phenotypic properties of two Salmonella enterica strains Typhimurium (ST221_31B and Kentucky (SK222_32B recovered from commercially processed chicken carcasses using whole genome sequencing, phenotype characterizations and an intracellular killing assay. Illumina MiSeq platform was used for sequencing of two Salmonella genomes. Phylogenetic analysis employing homologous alignment of a 1,185 non-duplicated protein-coding gene in the Salmonella core genome demonstrated fully resolved bifurcating patterns with varying levels of diversity that separated ST221_31B and SK222_32B genomes into distinct monophyletic serovar clades. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP analysis identified 2,432 (ST19 SNPs within 13 Typhimurium genomes including ST221_31B representing Sequence Type ST19 and 650 (ST152 SNPs were detected within 13 Kentucky genomes including SK222_32B representing Sequence Type ST152. In addition to serovar-specific conserved coding sequences, the genomes of ST221_31B and SK222_32B harbor several genomic regions with significant genetic differences. These included phage and phage-like elements, carbon utilization or transport operons, fimbriae operons, putative membrane associated protein-encoding genes, antibiotic resistance genes, siderophore operons, and numerous hypothetical protein-encoding genes. Phenotype microarray results demonstrated that ST221_31B is capable of utilizing certain carbon compounds more efficiently as compared to SK222_3B; namely, 1,2-propanediol, M-inositol, L-threonine, α-D-lactose, D-tagatose, adonitol, formic acid, acetoacetic acid, and L-tartaric acid. ST221_31B survived for 48 h in macrophages, while SK222_32B was mostly eliminated. Further, a 3-fold growth of ST221_31B was

  6. Using temperature-responsive zwitterionic surfactant to enhance the enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocelluloses and recover cellulase by cooling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Cheng; Pang, Yuxia; Zhan, Xuejuan; Zeng, Meijun; Lou, Hongming; Qian, Yong; Yang, Dongjie; Qiu, Xueqing

    2017-11-01

    Some zwitterionic surfactants exhibit upper critical solution temperature (UCST) in aqueous solutions. For the zwitterionic surfactant solution mixed with cellulase, when its temperature is below UCST, the cellulase can be recovered by coprecipitation with zwitterionic surfactant. In this work, 3-(Hexadecyldimethylammonio) propanesulfonate (SB3-16) was selected to enhance the enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocelluloses and recover the cellulase. After adding 2mmol/L of SB3-16, the enzymatic digestibility of eucalyptus pretreated by dilute acid (Eu-DA) and by sulfite (Eu-SPORL) increased from 27.9% and 35.1% to 72.6% and 89.7%, respectively. The results showed that SB3-16 could reduce the non-productive adsorption of cellulase on hydrophobic interface, while it did not significantly inhibit the activity of cellulase. For the solution contained 1wt% SB3-16 and 200mg protein/L CTec2 cellulase, 55.2% of protein could be recovered by cooling. The filter paper activity of the recovered cellulase was 1.93FPU/mg protein, which was 95.8% of its initial activity. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  7. An unusual case of neonatal peritoneal calcifications associated with hydrometrocolpos

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hu, M.X.; Methratta, S. [College of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey - New Jersey Medical School, Newark (United States). Dept. of Radiology

    2001-10-01

    Neonatal peritoneal calcifications usually suggest a diagnosis of meconium peritonitis, but in this case, a premature baby girl, peritoneal calcifications were caused by hydrometrocolpos secondary to imperforate hymen, a rare association. The patient presented with respiratory distress and ascites and demonstrated abdominal calcifications on plain film. Other radiographic work-up revealed hydrometrocolpos without evidence of gastrointestinal tract obstruction. The patient was diagnosed and treated for imperforate hymen; she was recovered fully. (orig.)

  8. Fully 3D GPU PET reconstruction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Herraiz, J.L., E-mail: joaquin@nuclear.fis.ucm.es [Grupo de Fisica Nuclear, Departmento Fisica Atomica, Molecular y Nuclear, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Spain); Espana, S. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (United States); Cal-Gonzalez, J. [Grupo de Fisica Nuclear, Departmento Fisica Atomica, Molecular y Nuclear, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Spain); Vaquero, J.J. [Departmento de Bioingenieria e Ingenieria Espacial, Universidad Carlos III, Madrid (Spain); Desco, M. [Departmento de Bioingenieria e Ingenieria Espacial, Universidad Carlos III, Madrid (Spain); Unidad de Medicina y Cirugia Experimental, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Maranon, Madrid (Spain); Udias, J.M. [Grupo de Fisica Nuclear, Departmento Fisica Atomica, Molecular y Nuclear, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Spain)

    2011-08-21

    Fully 3D iterative tomographic image reconstruction is computationally very demanding. Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) has been proposed for many years as potential accelerators in complex scientific problems, but it has not been used until the recent advances in the programmability of GPUs that the best available reconstruction codes have started to be implemented to be run on GPUs. This work presents a GPU-based fully 3D PET iterative reconstruction software. This new code may reconstruct sinogram data from several commercially available PET scanners. The most important and time-consuming parts of the code, the forward and backward projection operations, are based on an accurate model of the scanner obtained with the Monte Carlo code PeneloPET and they have been massively parallelized on the GPU. For the PET scanners considered, the GPU-based code is more than 70 times faster than a similar code running on a single core of a fast CPU, obtaining in both cases the same images. The code has been designed to be easily adapted to reconstruct sinograms from any other PET scanner, including scanner prototypes.

  9. Fully 3D GPU PET reconstruction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herraiz, J.L.; Espana, S.; Cal-Gonzalez, J.; Vaquero, J.J.; Desco, M.; Udias, J.M.

    2011-01-01

    Fully 3D iterative tomographic image reconstruction is computationally very demanding. Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) has been proposed for many years as potential accelerators in complex scientific problems, but it has not been used until the recent advances in the programmability of GPUs that the best available reconstruction codes have started to be implemented to be run on GPUs. This work presents a GPU-based fully 3D PET iterative reconstruction software. This new code may reconstruct sinogram data from several commercially available PET scanners. The most important and time-consuming parts of the code, the forward and backward projection operations, are based on an accurate model of the scanner obtained with the Monte Carlo code PeneloPET and they have been massively parallelized on the GPU. For the PET scanners considered, the GPU-based code is more than 70 times faster than a similar code running on a single core of a fast CPU, obtaining in both cases the same images. The code has been designed to be easily adapted to reconstruct sinograms from any other PET scanner, including scanner prototypes.

  10. Process for recovering cesium from cesium alum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mein, P.G.

    1984-01-01

    Cesium is recovered from cesium alum, CsAl(SO 4 ) 2 , by a two-reaction sequence in which the cesium alum is first dissolved in an aqueous hydroxide solution to form cesium alum hydroxide, CsAl(OH) 3 , and potassium sulfate, K 2 SO 4 . Part of the K 2 SO 4 precipitates and is separated from the supernatant solution. In the second reaction, a water-soluble permanganate, such as potassium permanganate, KMnO 4 , is added to the supernatant. This reaction forms a precipitate of cesium permanganate, CsMnO 4 . This precipitate may be separated from the residual solution to obtain cesium permanganate of high purity, which can be sold as a product or converted into other cesium compounds

  11. Longitudinal phase space manipulation in energy recovering linac-driven free-electron lasers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Piot

    2003-03-01

    Full Text Available Energy recovering an electron beam after it has participated in a free-electron laser (FEL interaction can be quite challenging because of the substantial FEL-induced energy spread and the energy antidamping that occurs during deceleration. In the Jefferson Lab infrared FEL driver accelerator, such an energy recovery scheme was implemented by properly matching the longitudinal phase space throughout the recirculation transport by employing the so-called energy compression scheme. In the present paper, after presenting a single-particle dynamics approach of the method used to energy recover the electron beam, we report on experimental validation of the method obtained by measurements of the so-called “compression efficiency” and “momentum compaction” lattice transfer maps at different locations in the recirculation transport line. We also compare these measurements with numerical tracking simulations.

  12. Process for recovering oil from shale and other bituminous materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1918-08-23

    A process for recovering oil from shale and other bituminous minerals in rotary retorts heated from outside and flushed with water vapor or other oxygen-free gases is characterized by the fact that all kinds of minerals are carbonized, and that during the carbonization process the temperature of the superheated steam or gases is about 50/sup 0/ C higher than the temperature of the carbonized mineral.

  13. Recovering gold from thiosulfate leach pulps via ion exchange

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nicol, Michael J.; O'Malley, Glen

    2002-10-01

    Increasing environmental and occupational safety concerns about the use of cyanide in gold processing has increased interest in more acceptable alternative lixiviants, the most promising of which is thiosulfate. However, the thiosulfate process lacks a proven inpulp method of recovering the dissolved gold because activated carbon is not effective for the absorption of the gold-thiosulfate complex. This paper describes work aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of commercially available anion exchange resins for the recovery of gold from thiosulfate leach liquors and pulps.

  14. Coexistence of two clades of enterovirus D68 in pediatric Swedish patients in the summer and fall of 2014.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dyrdak, Robert; Rotzén-Östlund, Maria; Samuelson, Agneta; Eriksson, Margareta; Albert, Jan

    2015-01-01

    In 2014, an outbreak of enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) was observed in North America, with cases of severe respiratory illness and a possible etiological link to cases of acute flaccid paralysis. EV-D68 has also been reported from European countries, but no data from Sweden are available. This study investigated respiratory specimens collected during July-October 2014 from 30 Swedish children aged 0-9 years who were positive for enterovirus and/or rhinovirus in routine clinical PCR. Seven samples were typed as EV-D68 by VP4/VP2 sequencing. Two genetically distinct EV-D68 variants coexisted. Six viruses belonged to clade B, the variant involved in the North American outbreak, and one virus belonged to clade A. Respiratory illness was the major symptom among EV-D68 infected patients and all fully recovered. This is the first report of EV-D68 in Sweden. Considering the current epidemiological situation, genotyping and specific EV-D68 testing should be considered in patients with severe respiratory illness who test positive for enterovirus or rhinovirus in routine diagnostics.

  15. Efficacy and safety of a new fully covered self-expandable non-foreshortening metal esophageal stent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dua, Kulwinder S; Latif, Sahibzada U; Yang, Juliana F; Fang, Tom C; Khan, Abdul; Oh, Young

    2014-10-01

    Fully covered esophageal self-expandable metal stents (SEMSs) are potentially removable but can be associated with high migration rates. For precise positioning, non-foreshortening SEMSs are preferred. Recently, a new fully covered non-foreshortening SEMS with anti-migration features was introduced. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of this new esophageal SEMS. Retrospective study. Single, tertiary-care center. Consecutive patients with malignant and benign strictures with dysphagia grade of ≥3 and patients with fistulas/leaks were studied. Stent placement and removal. Technical success in stent deployment/removal, efficacy in relieving dysphagia and sealing fistulas/leaks, and adverse events. Forty-three stents were placed in 35 patients (mean [± standard deviation] age 65 ± 11 years; 31 male), 24 for malignant and 11 for benign (5 strictures, 6 leaks) indications. Technical success in precise SEMS placement was 100%. The after-stent dysphagia grade improved significantly (at 1 week: 1.5 ± 0.7; at 4 weeks: 1.2 ± 0.4; baseline: 3.8 ± 0.4; P stents were removed for clinical indications, with technical success of 100%. All leaks sealed after SEMS placement and did not recur after stent removal. All benign strictures recurred after stent removal. Adverse events included migration (14%), chest pain (11%), and dysphagia from tissue hyperplasia (6%). There was no stent-related mortality. Nonrandomized, single-center study. The new esophageal SEMS was effective in relieving malignant dysphagia, allowed for precise placement, and was easily removable. It was effective in treating benign esophageal fistulas and leaks. Stent-related adverse events were acceptable. Copyright © 2014 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. RECOVER - An Automated Burned Area Emergency Response Decision Support System for Post-fire Rehabilitation Management of Savanna Ecosystems in the Western US

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weber, K.; Schnase, J. L.; Carroll, M.; Brown, M. E.; Gill, R.; Haskett, G.; Gardner, T.

    2013-12-01

    In partnership with the Department of Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL), we are building and evaluating the RECOVER decision support system. RECOVER - which stands for Rehabilitation Capability Convergence for Ecosystem Recovery - is an automatically deployable, context-aware decision support system for savanna wildfires that brings together in a single application the information necessary for post-fire rehabilitation decision-making and long-term ecosystem monitoring. RECOVER uses state-of-the-art cloud-based data management technologies to improve performance, reduce cost, and provide site-specific flexibility for each fire. The RECOVER Server uses Integrated Rule-Oriented Data System (iRODS) data grid technology deployed in the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2). The RECOVER Client is an Adobe Flex web map application that is able to provide a suite of convenient GIS analytical capabilities. In a typical use scenario, the RECOVER Server is provided a wildfire name and geospatial extent. The Server then automatically gathers Earth observational data and other relevant products from various geographically distributed data sources. The Server creates a database in the cloud where all relevant information about the wildfire is stored. This information is made available to the RECOVER Client and ultimately to fire managers through their choice of web browser. The Server refreshes the data throughout the burn and subsequent recovery period (3-5 years) with each refresh requiring two minutes to complete. Since remediation plans must be completed within 14 days of a fire's containment, RECOVER has the potential to significantly improve the decision-making process. RECOVER adds an important new dimension to post-fire decision-making by focusing on ecosystem rehabilitation in semiarid savannas. A novel aspect of RECOVER's approach involves the use of soil moisture estimates, which are an important but difficult

  17. A Fully Implantable, NFC Enabled, Continuous Interstitial Glucose Monitor

    OpenAIRE

    Anabtawi, Nijad; Freeman, Sabrina; Ferzli, Rony

    2016-01-01

    This work presents an integrated system-on-chip (SoC) that forms the core of a long-term, fully implantable, battery assisted, passive continuous glucose monitor. It integrates an amperometric glucose sensor interface, a near field communication (NFC) wireless front-end and a fully digital switched mode power management unit for supply regulation and on board battery charging. It uses 13.56 MHz (ISM) band to harvest energy and backscatter data to an NFC reader. System was implemented in 14nm ...

  18. Improving oocyte quality by transfer of autologous mitochondria from fully grown oocytes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kristensen, Stine Gry; Pors, Susanne Elisabeth; Andersen, Claus Yding

    2017-01-01

    options using autologous mitochondria to potentially augment pregnancy potential in ART. Autologous transfer of mitochondria from the patient's own germline cells has attracted much attention as a possible new treatment to revitalize deficient oocytes. IVF births have been reported after transfer...... of oogonial precursor cell-derived mitochondria; however, the source and quality of the mitochondria are still unclear. In contrast, fully grown oocytes are loaded with mitochondria which have passed the genetic bottleneck and are likely to be of high quality. An increased supply of such oocytes could...... with high quality mitochondria can be obtained from natural or stimulated ovaries and potentially be used to improve both quality and quantity of oocytes available for fertility treatment....

  19. Outcome of Radical Surgical Resection for Craniopharyngioma with Hypothalamic Preservation: A Single-Center Retrospective Study of 1054 Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Xiang'en; Zhou, Zhongqing; Wu, Bin; Zhang, Yongli; Qian, Hai; Sun, Yuming; Yang, Yang; Yu, Zaitao; Tang, Zhiwei; Lu, Shuaibin

    2017-06-01

    A retrospective review of the surgical outcome for patients with craniopharyngioma (CP) treated in a single neurosurgical center with surgical resection using visualization to ensure hypothalamic preservation. The study included 1054 patients. Before 2003, a pterional cranial approach was preferred for 78% of patients; after 2004, the unifrontal basal interhemispheric approach was performed in 79.1% of patients. Complete tumor resection was achieved in 89.6% of patients; vision improved in 47.1% of patients who had preoperative vision impairment. However, diabetes insipidus worsened in 70.4% of patients and new-onset diabetes insipidus occurred in 29.7% of the remaining patients. Pituitary stalk preservation occurred in 48.9% of cases. There were 89.6% of patients with total tumor removal; 13.3% of patients showed tumor recurrence within an average of 2.8 years. Of 69 follow-up patients with a subtotal or partial resection, 94.2% showed tumor recurrence within an average of 4.3 months. Of the total patients, 82.3% fully recovered. This study has shown that radical surgical resection of CP using microsurgical excision can be effective with a good patient outcome without more limitations on each individual tumor of distinct features despite the impact of recent endoscopic techniques on CP surgery. The surgical approach depends on a direct and wider visualization of CP located in the midline with preserving hypothalamic structures by identifying some hypothalamic landmark structures. After surgery, most patients can resume their normal activities even after aggressive tumor removal, although patients require postoperative hormonal replacement. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Effectiveness of standard UV depuration at inactivating Cryptosporidium parvum recovered from spiked Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sunnotel, O; Snelling, W J; McDonough, N; Browne, L; Moore, J E; Dooley, J S G; Lowery, C J

    2007-08-01

    When filter-feeding shellfish are consumed raw, because of their ability to concentrate and store waterborne pathogens, they are being increasingly associated with human gastroenteritis and have become recognized as important pathogen vectors. In the shellfish industry, UV depuration procedures are mandatory to reduce pathogen levels prior to human consumption. However, these guidelines are based around more susceptible fecal coliforms and Salmonella spp. and do not consider Cryptosporidium spp., which have significant resistance to environmental stresses. Thus, there is an urgent need to evaluate the efficiency of standard UV depuration against the survival of Cryptosporidium recovered from shellfish. Our study found that in industrial-scale shellfish depuration treatment tanks, standard UV treatment resulted in a 13-fold inactivation of recovered, viable C. parvum oocysts from spiked (1 x 10(6) oocysts liter (-1)) Pacific oysters. Depuration at half power also significantly reduced (P oysters. While UV treatment resulted in significant reductions of recovered viable oocysts, low numbers of viable oocysts were still recovered from oysters after depuration, making their consumption when raw a public health risk. Our study highlights the need for increased periodic monitoring programs for shellfish harvesting sites, improved depuration procedures, and revised microbial quality control parameters, including Cryptosporidium assessment, to minimize the risk of cryptosporidiosis.

  1. An international crowdsourcing study into people's statements on fully automated driving

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bazilinskyy, P.; Kyriakidis, M.; de Winter, J.C.F.; Ahram, Tareq; Karwowski, Waldemar; Schmorrow, Dylan

    2015-01-01

    Fully automated driving can potentially provide enormous benefits to society. However, it has been unclear whether people will appreciate such far-reaching technology. This study investigated anonymous textual comments regarding fully automated driving, based on data extracted from three online

  2. Sampling, characterisation and processing of solid recovered fuel production from municipal solid waste: An Italian plant case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ranieri, Ezio; Ionescu, Gabriela; Fedele, Arcangela; Palmieri, Eleonora; Ranieri, Ada Cristina; Campanaro, Vincenzo

    2017-08-01

    This article presents the classification of solid recovered fuel from the Massafra municipal solid waste treatment plant in Southern Italy in compliancy with the EN 15359 standard. In order to ensure the reproducibility of this study, the characterisation methods of waste input and output flow, the mechanical biological treatment line scheme and its main parameters for each stage of the processing chain are presented in details, together with the research results in terms of mass balance and derived fuel properties. Under this study, only 31% of refused municipal solid waste input stream from mechanical biological line was recovered as solid recovered fuel with a net heating value (NC=HV) average of 15.77 MJ kg -1 ; chlorine content average of 0.06% on a dry basis; median of mercury solid recovered fuel produced meets the European Union standard requirements and can be classified with the class code: Net heating value (3); chlorine (1); mercury (1).

  3. Fully kinetic simulations of megajoule-scale dense plasma focus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schmidt, A.; Link, A.; Tang, V.; Halvorson, C.; May, M. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore California 94550 (United States); Welch, D. [Voss Scientific, LLC, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87108 (United States); Meehan, B. T.; Hagen, E. C. [National Security Technologies, LLC, Las Vegas, Nevada 89030 (United States)

    2014-10-15

    Dense plasma focus (DPF) Z-pinch devices are sources of copious high energy electrons and ions, x-rays, and neutrons. Megajoule-scale DPFs can generate 10{sup 12} neutrons per pulse in deuterium gas through a combination of thermonuclear and beam-target fusion. However, the details of the neutron production are not fully understood and past optimization efforts of these devices have been largely empirical. Previously, we reported on the first fully kinetic simulations of a kilojoule-scale DPF and demonstrated that both kinetic ions and kinetic electrons are needed to reproduce experimentally observed features, such as charged-particle beam formation and anomalous resistivity. Here, we present the first fully kinetic simulation of a MegaJoule DPF, with predicted ion and neutron spectra, neutron anisotropy, neutron spot size, and time history of neutron production. The total yield predicted by the simulation is in agreement with measured values, validating the kinetic model in a second energy regime.

  4. Proposed industrial recovered materials utilization targets for the metals and metal products industry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    1979-05-01

    Set targets for increased utilization of energy-saving recovered materials in the metals and metal products industries (ferrous, aluminium, copper, zinc, and lead) are discussed. Data preparation and methodology development and analysis of the technological and economic factors in order to prepare draft targets for the use of recovered materials are covered. Chapter 2 provides an introductory discussion of the factors that affect the recovery and reuse of secondary materials and the competition between the primary and secondary metals industries. Chapter 3 presents general profiles for the major industrial segments comprising SIC 33, including industry structure, process technology, materials and recycling flow, and future trends for the 5 industries: ferrous, aluminium, copper, zinc, and lead. Chapter 4 presents the evaluation of recycling targets for those industries. (MCW)

  5. Bill W. goes to Hollywood: the rise and fall of recovering addiction experts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Claire

    2011-06-01

    Although historians of addiction have long debated whether an oral culture of "sharing" or "Big Book"-based reading practices are foundational to 12-step recovery culture, the role other types of media have played in the development of contemporary recovery discourse has remained largely unexplored. This essay compares the production, reception and formal elements of the films The Lost Weekend and Smash Up in relation to the popularization of the disease concept of alcoholism. Through an analysis of archival sources, addiction narratives, and nascent alcoholism research, this paper argues that, by emphasizing the importance of popular representations of alcoholics above scientific inquiry, early recovering "experts" successfully promulgated the disease concept of alcoholism, but the testimonials of later recovering alcoholics became relegated to the sphere of popular culture.

  6. Music Therapy Increases Comfort and Reduces Pain in Patients Recovering From Spine Surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mondanaro, John F; Homel, Peter; Lonner, Baron; Shepp, Jennifer; Lichtensztein, Marcela; Loewy, Joanne V

    The treatment of pain continues to gain in saliency as a component of defining best practice in medical care. Music therapy is an integrative treatment modality that impacts patient outcomes in the treatment of spinal pain. At Mount Sinai Beth Israel, we conducted a mixed-methods study addressing the effects of music therapy interventions on the recovery of patients after spine surgery. The study combined standard medical approaches and integrative music therapy. Sixty patients (35 female, 25 male) ranging in age from 40 to 55 years underwent anterior, posterior, or anterior-posterior spinal fusion and were randomly assigned to either music therapy plus standard care (medical and nursing care with scheduled pharmacologic pain intervention) or standard care only. Measurements for both groups were completed before and after the intervention. Music therapy involved the use of patient-preferred live music that supported tension release/relaxation through incentive-based clinical improvisation, singing, and/or rhythmic drumming or through active visualization supported by live music that encompasses tension resolution. The control and music groups showed significant differences in degree and direction of change in the visual analog scale (VAS) pain ratings from before to after intervention (P = .01). VAS pain levels increased slightly in the control group (to 5.87 from 5.20) but decreased by more than 1 point in the music group (to 5.09 from 6.20). The control and music therapy groups did not differ in the rate of change in scores on Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) Anxiety (P = .62), HADS Depression (P = .85), or Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (P = .93). Both groups had slight increases in HADS Anxiety, comparable decreases in HADS Depression, and minimal changes in fear-related movement (Tampa scale).

  7. Restorer-of-Fertility Mutations Recovered in Transposon-Active Lines of S Male-Sterile Maize

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Susan Gabay-Laughnan

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Mitochondria execute key pathways of central metabolism and serve as cellular sensing and signaling entities, functions that depend upon interactions between mitochondrial and nuclear genetic systems. This is exemplified in cytoplasmic male sterility type S (CMS-S of Zea mays, where novel mitochondrial open reading frames are associated with a pollen collapse phenotype, but nuclear restorer-of-fertility (restorer mutations rescue pollen function. To better understand these genetic interactions, we screened Activator-Dissociation (Ac-Ds, Enhancer/Suppressor-mutator (En/Spm, and Mutator (Mu transposon-active CMS-S stocks to recover new restorer mutants. The frequency of restorer mutations increased in transposon-active stocks compared to transposon-inactive stocks, but most mutants recovered from Ac-Ds and En/Spm stocks were unstable, reverting upon backcrossing to CMS-S inbred lines. However, 10 independent restorer mutations recovered from CMS-S Mu transposon stocks were stable upon backcrossing. Many restorer mutations condition seed-lethal phenotypes that provide a convenient test for allelism. Eight such mutants recovered in this study included one pair of allelic mutations that were also allelic to the previously described rfl2-1 mutant. Targeted analysis of mitochondrial proteins by immunoblot identified two features that consistently distinguished restored CMS-S pollen from comparably staged, normal-cytoplasm, nonmutant pollen: increased abundance of nuclear-encoded alternative oxidase relative to mitochondria-encoded cytochrome oxidase and decreased abundance of mitochondria-encoded ATP synthase subunit 1 compared to nuclear-encoded ATP synthase subunit 2. CMS-S restorer mutants thus revealed a metabolic plasticity in maize pollen, and further study of these mutants will provide new insights into mitochondrial functions that are critical to pollen and seed development.

  8. Recovering metallic fractions from waste electrical and electronic equipment by a novel vibration system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Habib, Muddasar; Miles, Nicholas J.; Hall, Philip

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► This work focuses on demonstrating a new scaled up technology to separate the metallic and non-metallic fractions of PCBs. ► PCBs comminuted to <1 mm in size resulted in metallic grade concentration of 95% in some of the recovered products. ► Good separation was observed at 40 mm particle bed height due to the formation of well-structured global convection currents. ► The work reported here contributes to the development of a new approach to dry, fine particle separation. - Abstract: The need to recover and recycle valuable resources from Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) is of growing importance as increasing amounts are generated due to shorter product life cycles, market expansions, new product developments and, higher consumption and production rates. The European Commission (EC) directive, 2002/96/EC, on WEEE became law in UK in January 2007 setting targets to recover up to 80% of all WEEE generated. Printed Wire Board (PWB) and/or Printed Circuit Board (PCB) is an important component of WEEE with an ever increasing tonnage being generated. However, the lack of an accurate estimate for PCB production, future supply and uncertain demands of its recycled materials in international markets has provided the motivation to explore different approaches to recycle PCBs. The work contained in this paper focuses on a novel, dry separation methodology in which vertical vibration is used to separate the metallic and non-metallic fractions of PCBs. When PCBs were comminuted to less than 1 mm in size, metallic grades as high as 95% (measured by heavy liquid analysis) could be achieved in the recovered products

  9. Generative adversarial networks recover features in astrophysical images of galaxies beyond the deconvolution limit

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schawinski, Kevin; Zhang, Ce; Zhang, Hantian; Fowler, Lucas; Santhanam, Gokula Krishnan

    2017-05-01

    Observations of astrophysical objects such as galaxies are limited by various sources of random and systematic noise from the sky background, the optical system of the telescope and the detector used to record the data. Conventional deconvolution techniques are limited in their ability to recover features in imaging data by the Shannon-Nyquist sampling theorem. Here, we train a generative adversarial network (GAN) on a sample of 4550 images of nearby galaxies at 0.01 < z < 0.02 from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and conduct 10× cross-validation to evaluate the results. We present a method using a GAN trained on galaxy images that can recover features from artificially degraded images with worse seeing and higher noise than the original with a performance that far exceeds simple deconvolution. The ability to better recover detailed features such as galaxy morphology from low signal to noise and low angular resolution imaging data significantly increases our ability to study existing data sets of astrophysical objects as well as future observations with observatories such as the Large Synoptic Sky Telescope (LSST) and the Hubble and James Webb space telescopes.

  10. Object Detection Based on Fast/Faster RCNN Employing Fully Convolutional Architectures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yun Ren

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Modern object detectors always include two major parts: a feature extractor and a feature classifier as same as traditional object detectors. The deeper and wider convolutional architectures are adopted as the feature extractor at present. However, many notable object detection systems such as Fast/Faster RCNN only consider simple fully connected layers as the feature classifier. In this paper, we declare that it is beneficial for the detection performance to elaboratively design deep convolutional networks (ConvNets of various depths for feature classification, especially using the fully convolutional architectures. In addition, this paper also demonstrates how to employ the fully convolutional architectures in the Fast/Faster RCNN. Experimental results show that a classifier based on convolutional layer is more effective for object detection than that based on fully connected layer and that the better detection performance can be achieved by employing deeper ConvNets as the feature classifier.

  11. Phytophthora species recovered from the Connecticut River Valley in Massachusetts, USA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brazee, Nicholas J; Wick, Robert L; Hulvey, Jonathan P

    2016-01-01

    Little is currently known about the assemblage of Phytophthora species in northeastern North America, representing a gap in our understanding of species incidence. Therefore, Phytophthora species were surveyed at 20 sites in Massachusetts, with 16 occurring in the Connecticut River Valley. Many of the sampled waterways were adjacent to active agricultural lands, yet were buffered by mature floodplain forests composed of Acer, Platanus, Populus and Ulmus. Isolates were recovered with three types of baits (rhododendron leaves, pear, green pepper) in 2013 and water filtration in 2014. Overall, 457 isolates of Phytophthora were recovered and based on morphological characters and rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS), β-tubulin (β-tub) and cytochrome oxidase c subunit I (cox1) sequences, 18 taxa were identified, including three new species: P. taxon intercalaris, P. taxon caryae and P. taxon pocumtuck. In addition, 49 isolates representing five species of Phytopythium also were identified. Water filtration captured a greater number of taxa (18) compared to leaf and fruit baits (12). Of the three bait types rhododendron leaves yielded the greatest number of isolates and taxa, followed by pear and green pepper, respectively. Despite the proximity to agricultural lands, none of the Phytophthora species baited are considered serious pathogens of vegetable crops in the region. However, many of the recovered species are known woody plant pathogens, including four species in the P. citricola s.l. complex that were identified: P. plurivora, P. citricola III, P. pini and a putative novel species, referred to here as P. taxon caryae. An additional novel species, P. taxon pocumtuck, is a close relative of P. borealis based on cox1 sequences. The results illustrate a high level of Phytophthora species richness in the Connecticut River Valley and that major rivers can serve as a source of inoculum for pathogenic Phytophthora species in the northeast. © 2016 by The Mycological

  12. Western sandpipers have altered migration tactics as peregrine falcon populations have recovered

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ydenberg, R.C.; Butler, R.W.; Lank, D.B.; Smith, B.D.; Ireland, J.

    2004-01-01

    The presence of top predators can affect prey behaviour, morphology and life history, and thereby can produce indirect population consequences greater and further reaching than direct depredation would have alone. Raptor species in the Americas are recovering since restrictions on the use of

  13. A computer-implemented method of recovering a visual event

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2017-01-01

    a synchronization marker at least for a first occurrence of a temporal section classified as a smooth pursuit eye movement; wherein the synchronization marker comprises a link to or impression information of the contents of the viewport at the point in time when the first occurrence of a smooth pursuit eye movement...... occurred; via the synchronization marker, recovering the impression information or the contents of the viewport that was displayed at the point in time when the first occurrence of the smooth pursuit occurred....

  14. Active immunotherapy with ultraviolet B-irradiated autologous whole melanoma cells plus DETOX in patients with metastatic melanoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eton, O; Kharkevitch, D D; Gianan, M A; Ross, M I; Itoh, K; Pride, M W; Donawho, C; Buzaid, A C; Mansfield, P F; Lee, J E; Legha, S S; Plager, C; Papadopoulos, N E; Bedikian, A Y; Benjamin, R S; Balch, C M

    1998-03-01

    Our objective was to determine the clinical activity, toxicity, and immunological effects of active immunotherapy using UVB-irradiated (UVR) autologous tumor (AT) cells plus adjuvant DETOX in metastatic melanoma patients. Eligibility included nonanergic patients fully recovered after resection of 5 or more grams of metastatic melanoma. Treatment consisted of intradermal injections of 10(7) UVR-AT plus 0.25 ml of DETOX every 2 weeks x 6, then monthly. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were harvested for cytotoxicity assays, and skin testing was performed for delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) determinations before the first, fourth, seventh, and subsequent treatments. Forty-two patients were treated, 18 in the adjuvant setting and 24 with measurable disease. Among the latter group, there were two durable responses in soft-tissue sites and in a bone metastasis. Treatment was well tolerated. Thirty-five patients were assessable for immunological parameters; 10 of these patients, including the 2 responders, demonstrated early induction of PBMC cytotoxicity against AT cells that persisted up to 10 months on treatment before falling to background levels. In five of seven patients, the fall-off heralded progressive disease. Late induction of a weak DTH reaction to AT cells was observed in eight patients. Active immunotherapy with UVR-AT + DETOX had modest but definite clinical activity in advanced melanoma. The induction of both PBMC cytotoxicity and DTH reactivity to AT cells supported a specific systemic immune effect of treatment, although the former more closely followed disease course in this study.

  15. Drug residues recovered in feed after various feedlot mixer truck cleanout procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Donkersgoed, Joyce; Sit, Dan; Gibbons, Nicole; Ramogida, Caterina; Hendrick, Steve

    2010-01-01

    A study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of two methods of equipment cleanout, sequencing or flushing, for reducing drug carryover in feedlot mixer trucks. Feed samples were collected from total mixed rations before and after various feed mixer equipment cleanout procedures. Medicated rations contained either 11 ppm of tylosin or 166 or 331 ppm of chlortetracycline. There were no differences between sequencing and flushing or between flushing with dry barley and flushing with barley silage in the median proportion of drug recovered in the next ration. A larger drug reduction was achieved using flush material at a volume of 10 versus 5% of the mixer capacity and mixing the flush material for 3 versus 4 min. Regardless of the drug or prescription concentrations in the total mixed rations or the equipment cleanout procedure used, concentrations of chlortetracycline and tylosin recovered were very low.

  16. Fully digital data processing during cardiovascular implantable electronic device follow-up in a high-volume tertiary center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Staudacher, Ingo; Nalpathamkalam, Asha Roy; Uhlmann, Lorenz; Illg, Claudius; Seehausen, Sebastian; Akhavanpoor, Mohammadreza; Buchauer, Anke; Geis, Nicolas; Lugenbiel, Patrick; Schweizer, Patrick A; Xynogalos, Panagiotis; Zylla, Maura M; Scholz, Eberhard; Zitron, Edgar; Katus, Hugo A; Thomas, Dierk

    2017-10-11

    Increasing numbers of patients with cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) and limited follow-up capacities highlight unmet challenges in clinical electrophysiology. Integrated software (MediConnect ® ) enabling fully digital processing of device interrogation data has been commercially developed to facilitate follow-up visits. We sought to assess feasibility of fully digital data processing (FDDP) during ambulatory device follow-up in a high-volume tertiary hospital to provide guidance for future users of FDDP software. A total of 391 patients (mean age, 70 years) presenting to the outpatient department for routine device follow-up were analyzed (pacemaker, 44%; implantable cardioverter defibrillator, 39%; cardiac resynchronization therapy device, 16%). Quality of data transfer and follow-up duration were compared between digital (n = 265) and manual processing of device data (n = 126). Digital data import was successful, complete and correct in 82% of cases when early software versions were used. When using the most recent software version the rate of successful digital data import increased to 100%. Software-based import of interrogation data was complete and without failure in 97% of cases. The mean duration of a follow-up visit did not differ between the two groups (digital 18.7 min vs. manual data transfer 18.2 min). FDDP software was successfully implemented into the ambulatory follow-up of patients with implanted pacemakers and defibrillators. Digital data import into electronic patient management software was feasible and supported the physician's workflow. The total duration of follow-up visits comprising technical device interrogation and clinical actions was not affected in the present tertiary center outpatient cohort.

  17. A method for recovering and separating palladium, technetium, rhodium and ruthenium contained in solutions resulting from nuclear fuel recycling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moore, R.H.

    1974-01-01

    The invention relates to a method for recovering and separating technetium and metals of the platinum group, i.e. palladium, rhodium and ruthenium existing as fission products. The method according to the invention is characterized by contacting a residuary acid aqueous solution provided by nuclear fuel recycling with successive carbon beds which have adsorbed different chelating agents specific for the metals to be recovered in order that said metals be selectively chelated and extracted from the solution. This method is suitable for recovering the above metals from solutions provided by reprocessing spent fuels [fr

  18. A suicidal recovery theory to guide individuals on their healing and recovering process following a suicide attempt.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Fan-Ko; Long, Ann

    2013-09-01

    To develop a theory to guide the recovery process of a recent suicide attempt. Suicide is one of the 10 leading causes of death in many countries. Many nations have set targets to reduce the high incidence of suicide by aiming to prevent people from taking their own lives and also providing care to promote the healing of those who attempt suicide. A qualitative grounded theory approach was used. Data were collected in 2011-2012 in a Taiwanese hospital until data saturation occurred. Twenty participants were interviewed, comprising patients who recovered from suicide attempts (N = 14) and their caregivers (N = 6). Data were analysed using open, axial, and selective coding and using the constant comparison technique. A substantive theory was formulated to guide the recovery process of people who have recently attempted suicide. The core category that emerged from the data collected was 'Striving to accept the value of self-in-existence'. Other key categories linked to and embraced in this core category were: becoming flexible and open-minded, re-building a positive sense of self, and endeavouring to live a peaceful and contented life. Nurses could use this theory as a theoretical framework to guide people who are recovering from a suicide attempt by affording them the opportunity to grow and heal, and facilitating the re-building a positive sense of self, acknowledging the uncertainties of life, and inspiring hope. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  19. Fracture of Fully-coated Femoral Stem after Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty for Nonunion of Intertrochanteric Fracture: A Case Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chun, Young Soo; Juh, Hyung Suk; Cho, Yoon Je; Rhyu, Kee Hyung

    2015-09-01

    Femoral stem fracture is an uncommon reason for the failure of total hip arthroplasty, with only 16 cases of fully coated stem fractures reported to date. Here we report a case in which a fully coated primary femoral stem fracture occurred after conversion to total hip arthroplasty for the non-union of an intertrochanteric fracture of the femur. Metallurgic evaluation of the etiology and mechanism revealed that the fracture was initiated by fatigue-related failure and completed by ductile failure on the posterior side of the fracture. Considering the recent trend of treating an intertrochanteric fracture with hip arthroplasty, possible stem failure should be considered, since most patients will have at least one of the known risk factors for stem fracture.

  20. Soft Ultrathin Electronics Innervated Adaptive Fully Soft Robots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Chengjun; Sim, Kyoseung; Chen, Jin; Kim, Hojin; Rao, Zhoulyu; Li, Yuhang; Chen, Weiqiu; Song, Jizhou; Verduzco, Rafael; Yu, Cunjiang

    2018-03-01

    Soft robots outperform the conventional hard robots on significantly enhanced safety, adaptability, and complex motions. The development of fully soft robots, especially fully from smart soft materials to mimic soft animals, is still nascent. In addition, to date, existing soft robots cannot adapt themselves to the surrounding environment, i.e., sensing and adaptive motion or response, like animals. Here, compliant ultrathin sensing and actuating electronics innervated fully soft robots that can sense the environment and perform soft bodied crawling adaptively, mimicking an inchworm, are reported. The soft robots are constructed with actuators of open-mesh shaped ultrathin deformable heaters, sensors of single-crystal Si optoelectronic photodetectors, and thermally responsive artificial muscle of carbon-black-doped liquid-crystal elastomer (LCE-CB) nanocomposite. The results demonstrate that adaptive crawling locomotion can be realized through the conjugation of sensing and actuation, where the sensors sense the environment and actuators respond correspondingly to control the locomotion autonomously through regulating the deformation of LCE-CB bimorphs and the locomotion of the robots. The strategy of innervating soft sensing and actuating electronics with artificial muscles paves the way for the development of smart autonomous soft robots. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  1. Technology Implementation Plan. Fully Ceramic Microencapsulated Fuel for Commercial Light Water Reactor Application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Snead, Lance Lewis; Terrani, Kurt A.; Powers, Jeffrey J.; Worrall, Andrew; Robb, Kevin R.; Snead, Mary A.

    2015-01-01

    This report is an overview of the implementation plan for ORNL's fully ceramic microencapsulated (FCM) light water reactor fuel. The fully ceramic microencapsulated fuel consists of tristructural isotropic (TRISO) particles embedded inside a fully dense SiC matrix and is intended for utilization in commercial light water reactor application.

  2. Technology Implementation Plan. Fully Ceramic Microencapsulated Fuel for Commercial Light Water Reactor Application

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Snead, Lance Lewis [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Terrani, Kurt A. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Powers, Jeffrey J. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Worrall, Andrew [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Robb, Kevin R. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Snead, Mary A. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

    2015-04-01

    This report is an overview of the implementation plan for ORNL's fully ceramic microencapsulated (FCM) light water reactor fuel. The fully ceramic microencapsulated fuel consists of tristructural isotropic (TRISO) particles embedded inside a fully dense SiC matrix and is intended for utilization in commercial light water reactor application.

  3. 12 CFR 370.8 - Systemic risk emergency special assessment to recover loss.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... recover loss. 370.8 Section 370.8 Banks and Banking FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION REGULATIONS AND STATEMENTS OF GENERAL POLICY TEMPORARY LIQUIDITY GUARANTEE PROGRAM § 370.8 Systemic risk emergency special... temporary liquidity guarantee program, the Corporation shall impose an emergency special assessment on...

  4. A Fully Implantable, NFC Enabled, Continuous Interstitial Glucose Monitor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anabtawi, Nijad; Freeman, Sabrina; Ferzli, Rony

    2016-02-01

    This work presents an integrated system-on-chip (SoC) that forms the core of a long-term, fully implantable, battery assisted, passive continuous glucose monitor. It integrates an amperometric glucose sensor interface, a near field communication (NFC) wireless front-end and a fully digital switched mode power management unit for supply regulation and on board battery charging. It uses 13.56 MHz (ISM) band to harvest energy and backscatter data to an NFC reader. System was implemented in 14nm CMOS technology and validated with post layout simulations.

  5. Radiation Planning Assistant - A Streamlined, Fully Automated Radiotherapy Treatment Planning System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Court, Laurence E.; Kisling, Kelly; McCarroll, Rachel; Zhang, Lifei; Yang, Jinzhong; Simonds, Hannah; du Toit, Monique; Trauernicht, Chris; Burger, Hester; Parkes, Jeannette; Mejia, Mike; Bojador, Maureen; Balter, Peter; Branco, Daniela; Steinmann, Angela; Baltz, Garrett; Gay, Skylar; Anderson, Brian; Cardenas, Carlos; Jhingran, Anuja; Shaitelman, Simona; Bogler, Oliver; Schmeller, Kathleen; Followill, David; Howell, Rebecca; Nelson, Christopher; Peterson, Christine; Beadle, Beth

    2018-01-01

    The Radiation Planning Assistant (RPA) is a system developed for the fully automated creation of radiotherapy treatment plans, including volume-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans for patients with head/neck cancer and 4-field box plans for patients with cervical cancer. It is a combination of specially developed in-house software that uses an application programming interface to communicate with a commercial radiotherapy treatment planning system. It also interfaces with a commercial secondary dose verification software. The necessary inputs to the system are a Treatment Plan Order, approved by the radiation oncologist, and a simulation computed tomography (CT) image, approved by the radiographer. The RPA then generates a complete radiotherapy treatment plan. For the cervical cancer treatment plans, no additional user intervention is necessary until the plan is complete. For head/neck treatment plans, after the normal tissue and some of the target structures are automatically delineated on the CT image, the radiation oncologist must review the contours, making edits if necessary. They also delineate the gross tumor volume. The RPA then completes the treatment planning process, creating a VMAT plan. Finally, the completed plan must be reviewed by qualified clinical staff. PMID:29708544

  6. Pseudoneutropenia in lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) patients receiving sirolimus: evaluation in a 100 patient cohort.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gopalakrishnan, Vissagan; Jones, Amanda M; Julien-Williams, Patricia; Machado, Tania; Danner, Robert L; Swigris, Jeffrey J; Paine, Robert; Lozier, Jay N; Moss, Joel

    2018-01-01

    In lymphangioleiomyomatosis patients receiving sirolimus treatment, transient leukopenia in the morning may be due to circadian rhythm, with leukocyte counts recovering later in the day, indicating that a decrease in drug dose may not be warranted http://ow.ly/jPFz30iysgV.

  7. Short wave infrared hyperspectral imaging for recovered post-consumer single and mixed polymers characterization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonifazi, Giuseppe; Palmieri, Roberta; Serranti, Silvia

    2015-03-01

    Postconsumer plastics from packing and packaging represent about the 60% of the total plastic wastes (i.e. 23 million of tons) produced in Europe. The EU Directive (2014/12/EC) fixes as target that the 60%, by weight, of packaging waste has to be recovered, or thermally valorized. When recovered, the same directive established that packaging waste has to be recycled in a percentage ranging between 55% (minimum) and 60% (maximum). The non-respect of these rules can produce that large quantities of end-of-life plastic products, specifically those utilized for packaging, are disposed-off, with a strong environmental impact. The application of recycling strategies, finalized to polymer recovery, can represent an opportunity to reduce: i) not renewable raw materials (i.e. oil) utilization, ii) carbon dioxide emissions and iii) amount of plastic waste disposed-off. Aim of this work was to perform a full characterization of different end-of-life polymers based products, constituted not only by single polymers but also of mixtures, in order to realize their identification for quality control and/or certification assessment. The study was specifically addressed to characterize the different recovered products as resulting from a recycling plant where classical processing flow-sheets, based on milling, classification and separation, are applied. To reach this goal, an innovative sensing technique, based on the utilization of a HyperSpectral[b] I[/b]maging (HSI) device working in the SWIR region (1000-2500 nm), was investigated. Following this strategy, single polymers and/or mixed polymers recovered were correctly recognized. The main advantage of the proposed approach is linked to the possibility to perform "on-line" analyses, that is directly on the different material flow streams, as resulting from processing, without any physical sampling and classical laboratory "off-line" determination.

  8. Process for separating and recovering oil from oil-sands, etc

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Preller, H

    1921-02-24

    A process for separating and recovering oil from oil-sands, bitumen from oil-chalk, oil-shale, and coal, according to Patent 400,122, is described. It is characterized in that the mined material falling on account of its weight is exposed to the running hot water in circulation through the wash-chamber and the clarifying chamber arranged separate or built on (circulation) being obtained by pumps or injectors in a regulatable motion.

  9. iPhone Forensics Recovering Evidence, Personal Data, and Corporate Assets

    CERN Document Server

    Zdziarski, Jonathan

    2008-01-01

    With iPhone use increasing in business networks, IT and security professionals face a serious challenge: these devices store an enormous amount of information. If your staff conducts business with iPhones, you need to know how to recover, analyze, and securely destroy sensitive data. iPhone Forensics supplies the knowledge necessary to conduct complete and highly specialized forensic analysis of the iPhone, iPhone 3G, and iPod Touch.

  10. Anger-Control Group Counseling for Women Recovering from Alcohol or Drug Addiction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonzalez-Prendes, A. Antonio

    2008-01-01

    Two experimental conditions, a manualized cognitive-behavioral anger-control treatment incorporating empowerment strategies and a relapse-prevention treatment without the anger-control component, were compared to assess their impact on levels of trait anger and attributional styles of women recovering from alcohol and drug addiction. Participants…

  11. Limit load and fully plastic stress analysis for circular notched plates and bars using fully plastic analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oh, Chang Kyun; Myung, Man Sik; Kim, Yun Jae; Park, Jin Moo

    2005-01-01

    For the last four decades, tension test of notched bars has been performed to investigate the effect of stress triaxiality on ductile fracture. To quantify the effect of the notch radius on stress triaxiality, the Bridgman equation is typically used. However, recent works based on detailed finite element analysis have shown that the Bridgman equation is not correct, possibly due to his assumption that strain is constant in the necked ligament. Up to present, no systematic work has been performed on fully plastic stress fields for notched bars in tension. This paper presents fully plastic results for tension of notched bars and plates in plane strain, via finite element limit analysis. The notch radius is systematically varied, covering both un-cracked and cracked cases. Comparison of plastic limit loads with existing solutions shows that existing solutions are accurate for notched plates, but not for notched bars. Accordingly new limit load solutions are given for notched bars. Variations of stress triaxiality with the notch radius and depth are also given, which again indicates that the Bridgman solution for notched bars is not correct and inaccuracy depends on the notch radius and depth

  12. Fully hadronic ttbar cross section measurement with ATLAS detector

    CERN Document Server

    Bertella, Claudia

    2011-01-01

    The top quark pair production cross section in the fully hadronic final state is characterized by a six jet topology, two of which could be identified as originating from a b-quark using ATLAS b-tagging algorithms. Compared to other decay channels, this final state presents an advantageous larger branching ratio; on the other hand it suffers from a very large QCD multi-jet background, generally difficult to estimate from Monte Carlo simulation and therefore evaluated using data-driven techniques. The analysis is performed using 36pb-1 of pp collisions produced at the LHC with a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV. The observed upper limit is set at 261 pb at 95% confidence level, where the expected Standard Model cross-section for the ttbar process is 165+11-16 pb. In the future, when the LHC luminosity increases, it is essential, to efficiently trigger on these fully hadronic ttbar events, to use dedicated triggers. An overview of the analysis for ttbar production cross section measurement in the fully hadronic f...

  13. Industrial recovered-materials-utilization targets for the metals and metal-products industry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    1980-03-01

    The National Energy Conservation Policy Act of 1978 directs DOE to set targets for increased utilization of energy-saving recovered materials for certain industries. These targets are to be established at levels representing the maximum feasible increase in utilization of recovered materials that can be achieved progressively by January 1, 1987 and is consistent with technical and economic factors. A benefit to be derived from the increased use of recoverable materials is in energy savings, as state in the Act. Therefore, emhasis on different industries in the metals sector has been related to their energy consumption. The ferrous industry (iron and steel, ferrour foundries and ferralloys), as defined here, accounts for approximately 3%, and all others for the remaining 3%. Energy consumed in the lead and zinc segments is less than 1% each. Emphasis is placed on the ferrous scrap users, followed by the aluminum and copper industries. A bibliography with 209 citations is included.

  14. Preliminary studies into profiling DNA recovered from a radiation or radioactivity incident

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hodgson, A.; Baxter, A.

    2013-01-01

    The examination and profiling of human DNA recovered from a scene of crime is an essential aspect of criminal investigations. However, it is currently not known whether DNA recovered from a scene where an ionising radiation source or radioactive contamination is present can be successfully profiled. The direct examination and analysis of radioactively contaminated DNA has not been widely explored using the current procedures employed by forensic service providers. As a result, AWE is putting in place an extensive research and development programme to better understand the effects that radiation has on the ability to profile human DNA, and assess the associated retention of different radioactive contaminants within each step of the profiling procedure. A summary will be provided on the aims of this project and progress that has been made to date; together with a discussion of the lessons that have been learnt during the course of the programme's development. (author)

  15. Pain-related fear and functional recovery in sciatica: results from a 2-year observational study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haugen AJ

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available AJ Haugen,1 L Grøvle,1 JI Brox,2 B Natvig,3 M Grotle4 1Department of Rheumatology, Østfold Hospital Trust, Grålum, 2Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Division for Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital, 3Department of General Practice, Institute of Health and Society, University of Oslo, 4FORMI (Communication Unit for Musculoskeletal Disorders, Division of Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore the associations between pain-related fear, pain disability, and self-perceived recovery among patients with sciatica and disk herniation followed up for 2 years.Patients and methods: Pain-related fear was measured by the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK and the Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire-Physical Activity (FABQ-PA subscale. Disability was measured by the Maine–Seattle Back Questionnaire. At 2 years, patients reported their sciatica/back problem on a global change scale ranging from completely gone to much worse. No specific interventions regarding pain-related fear were provided.Results: Complete data were obtained for 372 patients. During follow-up, most patients improved. In those who at 2 years were fully recovered (n=66, pain-related fear decreased substantially. In those who did not improve (n=50, pain-related fear remained high. Baseline levels of pain-related fear did not differ significantly between those who were fully recovered and the rest of the cohort. In the total cohort, the correlation coefficients between the 0–2-year change in disability and the changes in the TSK and the FABQ-PA were 0.33 and 0.38, respectively. In the adjusted regression models, the 0–2-year change in pain-related disability explained 15% of the variance in the change in both questionnaires.Conclusion: Pain-related fear decreased substantially in patients who recovered from sciatica and remained high in those who did not improve. Generally, the TSK and the FABQ

  16. [Fully absorbable drug eluting coronary stent: where do we stand in 2014?].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kočka, Viktor; Toušek, Petr; Lisa, Libor; Buděšínský, Tomáš

    2014-04-01

    Coronary stent is routinely used in majority percutaneous coronary interventions for a long time. They have an important role, especially, in the first months after intervention. We can consider as a breakthrough point the development of stent which has ability to absorb in intervened artery after a few years. The review presents current techniques of fully absorbable coronary stents and also provides clinical trials and experiences available in 2014. The article continues with discussion between supporters and opponents of this new technique, but definitive conclusion can't be done yet. The authors conclude the review with their own opinion. There are many encouraging data in patients with good clinical outcome after implantation of absorbable stents in more than 10 years follow-up.

  17. Fully covered self-expanding metal stents are effective for benign esophagogastric disruptions and strictures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Jennifer L; Louie, Brian E; Farivar, Alexander S; Vallières, Eric; Aye, Ralph W

    2013-12-01

    Self-expanding fully covered metal stents (CSs) are ideal for use in benign esophagogastric disease. We reviewed our experience with CS to evaluate outcomes, to determine a role for CS in a standard treatment for benign esophageal conditions, and to compare our results with recently published studies. We performed a retrospective chart review from 2005 to 2012. A total of 57 CSs were placed in 44 patients. Indications were stricture (11 patients), anastomotic leak (20), perforation (7), and tracheoesophageal fistulae (6). For GI tract disruptions, open repair or diversion was avoided in 31/33 patients (93.9 %) but required an associated drainage procedure in 22/33 (67 %) patients. Resolution does not depend on achieving radiological control with 6/26 (23 %) having evidence of a persistent leak. Benign strictures were dilated at a mean of 3.7 times prior to stenting. Adjunctive intra-mucosal steroid injections were used in 8/11 patients. Stents were removed at a mean of 33 days. At a mean of 283 days of follow-up, 6/11 (54.5 %) had symptom resolution. The most common complication was stent migration occurring in 17.5 % of patients overall. Covered stents are an effective adjunct in the management of benign upper gastrointestinal tract fistulae, leaks, perforations and benign strictures.

  18. Swedish recovered wood waste: linking regulation and contamination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krook, J; Mårtensson, A; Eklund, M; Libiseller, C

    2008-01-01

    In Sweden, large amounts of wood waste are generated annually from construction and demolition activities, but also from other discarded products such as packaging and furniture. A large share of this waste is today recovered and used for heat production. However, previous research has found that recovered wood waste (RWW) contains hazardous substances, which has significant implications for the environmental performance of recycling. Improved sorting is often suggested as a proper strategy to decrease such implications. In this study, we aim to analyse the impacts of waste regulation on the contamination of RWW. The occurrence of industrial preservative-treated wood, which contains several hazardous substances, was used as an indicator for contamination. First the management of RWW during 1995-2004 was studied through interviews with involved actors. We then determined the occurrence of industrial preservative-treated wood in RWW for that time period for each supplier (actor). From the results, it can be concluded that a substantially less contaminated RWW today relies on extensive source separation. The good news is that some actors, despite several obstacles for such upstream efforts, have already today proved capable of achieving relatively efficient separation. In most cases, however, the existing waste regulation has not succeeded in establishing strong enough incentives for less contaminated waste in general, nor for extensive source separation in particular. One important factor for this outcome is that the current market forces encourage involved actors to practice weak quality requirements and to rely on end-of-pipe solutions, rather than put pressure for improvements on upstream actors. Another important reason is that there is a lack of communication and oversight of existing waste regulations. Without such steering mechanisms, the inherent pressure from regulations becomes neutralized.

  19. Evident cognitive impairments in seemingly recovered patients after midazolam-based light sedation during diagnostic endoscopy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yen-Hsuan Hsu

    2015-06-01

    Conclusion: Midazolam-based light sedation induced selective cognitive impairments and prolonged cognitive impairments occurred in patients with advanced age. A longer observation time and further screening were recommended for patients due to their at risk state.

  20. A Fully Sensorized Cooperative Robotic System for Surgical Interventions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tovar-Arriaga, Saúl; Vargas, José Emilio; Ramos, Juan M.; Aceves, Marco A.; Gorrostieta, Efren; Kalender, Willi A.

    2012-01-01

    In this research a fully sensorized cooperative robot system for manipulation of needles is presented. The setup consists of a DLR/KUKA Light Weight Robot III especially designed for safe human/robot interaction, a FD-CT robot-driven angiographic C-arm system, and a navigation camera. Also, new control strategies for robot manipulation in the clinical environment are introduced. A method for fast calibration of the involved components and the preliminary accuracy tests of the whole possible errors chain are presented. Calibration of the robot with the navigation system has a residual error of 0.81 mm (rms) with a standard deviation of ±0.41 mm. The accuracy of the robotic system while targeting fixed points at different positions within the workspace is of 1.2 mm (rms) with a standard deviation of ±0.4 mm. After calibration, and due to close loop control, the absolute positioning accuracy was reduced to the navigation camera accuracy which is of 0.35 mm (rms). The implemented control allows the robot to compensate for small patient movements. PMID:23012551

  1. Low-dose tryptophan depletion in recovered depressed women induces impairments in autobiographical memory specificity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haddad, Anneke D M; Williams, J Mark G; McTavish, Sarah F B; Harmer, Catherine J

    2009-12-01

    Depressed patients perform poorly on tests of autobiographical memory specificity (AMS); this may have negative consequences for other important cognitive abilities, delays recovery from mood episodes, and, in recovered patients, may mediate vulnerability to future episodes. Although the cognitive mechanisms underlying AMS deficits are beginning to be understood, the neurobiological mechanisms remain unclear. Serotonin is implicated in both depression and long-term memory; therefore, temporary lowering of brain serotonin function via acute tryptophan depletion (ATD) offers a means of studying the role of serotonin in autobiographical memory specificity. In this study, 24 previously depressed women underwent low-dose ATD or sham depletion and completed tests of initial and delayed memory, recollection- and familiarity-based recognition, and AMS. ATD did not differentially affect state mood. Compared with sham depletion, ATD impaired immediate recall on the Auditory Verbal Learning Test. Although ATD did not differentially impair recollection- and familiarity-based recognition, it did slow recognition of positive words. ATD also reduced autobiographical memory specificity in response to negative cue words. The results confirm previous findings that low-dose ATD can reinstate depression-congruent biases in cognition without causing depressive mood in vulnerable populations. The ATD-induced reduction in memory specificity suggests that serotonergic dysfunction may mediate depressive deficits in autobiographical memory; the interaction of cognitive and neurobiological vulnerability mechanisms is discussed.

  2. Equipment for fully automatic radiographic pipe inspection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Basler, G.; Sperl, H.; Weinschenk, K.

    1977-01-01

    The patent describes a device for fully automatic radiographic testing of large pipes with longitudinal welds. Furthermore the invention enables automatic marking of films in radiographic inspection with regard to a ticketing of the test piece and of that part of it where testing took place. (RW) [de

  3. Myopathies of endocrine disorders: A prospective clinical and biochemical study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vikas Sharma

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Major categories of endocrine myopathy include those associated with: Adrenal dysfunction (as in Cushing′s disease or steroid myopathy; thyroid dysfunction (as in myxedema coma or thyrotoxic myopathy; vitamin D deficiency; parathyroid dysfunction; and pituitary dysfunction. Steroid myopathy is the most common endocrine myopathy. Objective: To study the etiology, varied presentations, and outcome after therapy of patients with endocrine myopathies. Materials and Methods: Myopathy was evaluated by the standard clinical procedures: Detailed clinical history, manual muscle strength testing, and creatine phosphokinase (CPK. Endocrine disorders were diagnosed as per clinical features and biochemical parameters. The treatment was given to patients as per underlying endocrine disease. Myopathy was assessed before and after treatment. Results: Out of the 37 patients who were diagnosed with endocrine myopathies, thyroid dysfunction was the most common cause (17 cases, followed by vitamin D deficiency in nine, adrenal dysfunction in six, parathyroid dysfunction in three, and pituitary dysfunction in two. Some patients had atypical presentation (repeated falls in one, tongue fasciculations in one, neck weakness in five, one with ptosis and facial weakness, asymmetrical onset in one, and calf hypertrophy in one. The serum creatine kinase (CK concentration did not correlate with muscle weakness. Following the treatment regimen which was specific for a given myopathy, 26 patients recovered fully. Conclusion: We found varied clinical presentations of endocrine myopathies. All the patients with neuromuscular complaints should be investigated for endocrine causes because significant number of them recovers fully with specific treatment.

  4. Recovering phosphorus and uranium values from phosphate rock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sze, M.C.Y.; Long, R.H.

    1981-01-01

    Phosphate rock is acidulated with aqueous nitric acid to produce an aqueous solution containing phosphate values, calcium and uranium values. The aqueous solution is contacted with an extraction solvent for the uranium values: the extraction solvent comprising a water immiscible organic diluent, a dialkyl phosphoric acid having at least 10 carbon atoms, and an organic phosphorus compound having the formula R 1 R 2 R 3 P = O where R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are each either alkyl or alkoxy, the organic phosphorus compound having at least 10 carbon atoms. The uranium values are then recovered from the extraction solvent. In an example the extraction solvent is HDEHP and TOPO in kerosene. (author)

  5. FMFT. Fully massive four-loop tadpoles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pikelner, Andrey [Hamburg Univ. (Germany). 2. Inst. fuer Theoretische Physik

    2017-07-15

    We present FMFT - a package written in FORM that evaluates four-loop fully massive tadpole Feynman diagrams. It is a successor of the MATAD package that has been successfully used to calculate many renormalization group functions at three-loop order in a wide range of quantum field theories especially in the Standard Model. We describe an internal structure of the package and provide some examples of its usage.

  6. FMFT: fully massive four-loop tadpoles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pikelner, Andrey

    2018-03-01

    We present FMFT - a package written in FORM that evaluates four-loop fully massive tadpole Feynman diagrams. It is a successor of the MATAD package that has been successfully used to calculate many renormalization group functions at three-loop order in a wide range of quantum field theories especially in the Standard Model. We describe an internal structure of the package and provide some examples of its usage.

  7. Diagnostic glenohumeral arthroscopy fails to fully evaluate the biceps-labral complex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, Samuel A; Khair, M Michael; Gulotta, Lawrence V; Pearle, Andrew D; Baret, Nikolas J; Newman, Ashley M; Dy, Christopher J; O'Brien, Stephen J

    2015-02-01

    The purpose of this study was to define the limits of diagnostic glenohumeral arthroscopy and determine the prevalence and frequency of hidden extra-articular "bicipital tunnel" lesions among chronically symptomatic patients. Eight fresh-frozen cadaveric specimens underwent diagnostic glenohumeral arthroscopy with percutaneous tagging of the long head of the biceps tendon (LHBT) during maximal tendon excursion. The percentage of visualized LHBT was calculated relative to the distal margin of subscapularis tendon and the proximal margin of the pectoralis major tendon. Then, a retrospective review of 277 patients who underwent subdeltoid transfer of the LHBT to the conjoint tendon were retrospectively analyzed for lesions of the biceps-labral complex. Lesions were categorized by anatomic location (inside, junctional, or bicipital tunnel). Inside lesions were labral tears. Junctional lesions were LHBT tears visualized during glenohumeral arthroscopy. Bicipital tunnel lesions were extra-articular lesions hidden from view during standard glenohumeral arthroscopy. Seventy-eight percent of LHBT were visualized relative to the distal margin of the subscapularis tendon and only 55% relative to the proximal margin of the pectoralis major tendon. No portion of the LHBT inferior to the subscapularis tendon was visualized. Forty-seven percent of patients had hidden bicipital tunnel lesions. Scarring was most common and accounted for 48% of all such lesions. Thirty-seven percent of patients had multiple lesion locations. Forty-five percent of patients with junctional lesions also had hidden bicipital tunnel lesions. The only offending lesion was in the bicipital tunnel for 18% of patients. Diagnostic glenohumeral arthroscopy fails to fully evaluate the biceps-labral complex because it visualizes only 55% of the LHBT relative to the proximal margin of the pectoralis major tendon and did not identify extra-articular bicipital tunnel lesions present in 47% of chronically

  8. Isolation of Enterobacter aerogenes carrying blaTEM-1 and blaKPC-3 genes recovered from a hospital Intensive Care Unit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pulcrano, Giovanna; Pignanelli, Salvatore; Vollaro, Adriana; Esposito, Matilde; Iula, Vita Dora; Roscetto, Emanuela; Soriano, Amata Amy; Catania, Maria Rosaria

    2016-06-01

    Enterobacter aerogenes has recently emerged as an important hospital pathogen. In this study, we showed the emergence of E. aerogenes isolates carrying the blaKPC gene in patients colonized by carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae strains. Two multiresistant E. aerogenes isolates were recovered from bronchial aspirates of two patients hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit at the "Santa Maria della Scaletta" Hospital, Imola. The antimicrobial susceptibility test showed the high resistance to carbapenems and double-disk synergy test confirmed the phenotype of KPC and AmpC production. Other investigation revealed that ESBL and blaKPC genes were carried on the conjugative pKpQIL plasmid. This is a relevant report in Italy that describes a nosocomial infection due to the production of KPC beta-lactamases by an E. aerogenes isolate in patients previously colonized by K. pneumoniae carbapenem-resistant. In conclusion, it's necessary a continuous monitoring of multidrug-resistant strains for the detection of any KPC-producing bacteria that could expand the circulation of carbapenem-resistant pathogens. © 2016 APMIS. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  9. Effectiveness of Standard UV Depuration at Inactivating Cryptosporidium parvum Recovered from Spiked Pacific Oysters (Crassostrea gigas)▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sunnotel, O.; Snelling, W. J.; McDonough, N.; Browne, L.; Moore, J. E.; Dooley, J. S. G.; Lowery, C. J.

    2007-01-01

    When filter-feeding shellfish are consumed raw, because of their ability to concentrate and store waterborne pathogens, they are being increasingly associated with human gastroenteritis and have become recognized as important pathogen vectors. In the shellfish industry, UV depuration procedures are mandatory to reduce pathogen levels prior to human consumption. However, these guidelines are based around more susceptible fecal coliforms and Salmonella spp. and do not consider Cryptosporidium spp., which have significant resistance to environmental stresses. Thus, there is an urgent need to evaluate the efficiency of standard UV depuration against the survival of Cryptosporidium recovered from shellfish. Our study found that in industrial-scale shellfish depuration treatment tanks, standard UV treatment resulted in a 13-fold inactivation of recovered, viable C. parvum oocysts from spiked (1 × 106 oocysts liter −1) Pacific oysters. Depuration at half power also significantly reduced (P oysters. While UV treatment resulted in significant reductions of recovered viable oocysts, low numbers of viable oocysts were still recovered from oysters after depuration, making their consumption when raw a public health risk. Our study highlights the need for increased periodic monitoring programs for shellfish harvesting sites, improved depuration procedures, and revised microbial quality control parameters, including Cryptosporidium assessment, to minimize the risk of cryptosporidiosis. PMID:17574996

  10. [18F]FMeNER-D2: Reliable fully-automated synthesis for visualization of the norepinephrine transporter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rami-Mark, Christina; Zhang, Ming-Rong; Mitterhauser, Markus; Lanzenberger, Rupert; Hacker, Marcus; Wadsak, Wolfgang

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: In neurodegenerative diseases and neuropsychiatric disorders dysregulation of the norepinephrine transporter (NET) has been reported. For visualization of NET availability and occupancy in the human brain PET imaging can be used. Therefore, selective NET-PET tracers with high affinity are required. Amongst these, [ 18 F]FMeNER-D2 is showing the best results so far. Furthermore, a reliable fully automated radiosynthesis is a prerequisite for successful application of PET-tracers. The aim of this work was the automation of [ 18 F]FMeNER-D2 radiolabelling for subsequent clinical use. The presented study comprises 25 automated large-scale syntheses, which were directly applied to healthy volunteers and adult patients suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Procedures: Synthesis of [ 18 F]FMeNER-D2 was automated within a Nuclear Interface Module. Starting from 20–30 GBq [ 18 F]fluoride, azeotropic drying, reaction with Br 2 CD 2 , distillation of 1-bromo-2-[ 18 F]fluoromethane-D2 ([ 18 F]BFM) and reaction of the pure [ 18 F]BFM with unprotected precursor NER were optimized and completely automated. HPLC purification and SPE procedure were completed, formulation and sterile filtration were achieved on-line and full quality control was performed. Results: Purified product was obtained in a fully automated synthesis in clinical scale allowing maximum radiation safety and routine production under GMP-like manner. So far, more than 25 fully automated syntheses were successfully performed, yielding 1.0–2.5 GBq of formulated [ 18 F]FMeNER-D2 with specific activities between 430 and 1707 GBq/μmol within 95 min total preparation time. Conclusions: A first fully automated [ 18 F]FMeNER-D2 synthesis was established, allowing routine production of this NET-PET tracer under maximum radiation safety and standardization

  11. [18F]FMeNER-D2: reliable fully-automated synthesis for visualization of the norepinephrine transporter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rami-Mark, Christina; Zhang, Ming-Rong; Mitterhauser, Markus; Lanzenberger, Rupert; Hacker, Marcus; Wadsak, Wolfgang

    2013-11-01

    In neurodegenerative diseases and neuropsychiatric disorders dysregulation of the norepinephrine transporter (NET) has been reported. For visualization of NET availability and occupancy in the human brain PET imaging can be used. Therefore, selective NET-PET tracers with high affinity are required. Amongst these, [(18)F]FMeNER-D2 is showing the best results so far. Furthermore, a reliable fully automated radiosynthesis is a prerequisite for successful application of PET-tracers. The aim of this work was the automation of [(18)F]FMeNER-D2 radiolabelling for subsequent clinical use. The presented study comprises 25 automated large-scale syntheses, which were directly applied to healthy volunteers and adult patients suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Synthesis of [(18)F]FMeNER-D2 was automated within a Nuclear Interface Module. Starting from 20-30 GBq [(18)F]fluoride, azeotropic drying, reaction with Br2CD2, distillation of 1-bromo-2-[(18)F]fluoromethane-D2 ([(18)F]BFM) and reaction of the pure [(18)F]BFM with unprotected precursor NER were optimized and completely automated. HPLC purification and SPE procedure were completed, formulation and sterile filtration were achieved on-line and full quality control was performed. Purified product was obtained in a fully automated synthesis in clinical scale allowing maximum radiation safety and routine production under GMP-like manner. So far, more than 25 fully automated syntheses were successfully performed, yielding 1.0-2.5 GBq of formulated [(18)F]FMeNER-D2 with specific activities between 430 and 1707 GBq/μmol within 95 min total preparation time. A first fully automated [(18)F]FMeNER-D2 synthesis was established, allowing routine production of this NET-PET tracer under maximum radiation safety and standardization. © 2013.

  12. New device architecture of a thermoelectric energy conversion for recovering low-quality heat

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Hoon; Park, Sung-Geun; Jung, Buyoung; Hwang, Junphil; Kim, Woochul

    2014-03-01

    Low-quality heat is generally discarded for economic reasons; a low-cost energy conversion device considering price per watt, /W, is required to recover this waste heat. Thin-film based thermoelectric devices could be a superior alternative for this purpose, based on their low material consumption; however, power generated in conventional thermoelectric device architecture is negligible due to the small temperature drop across the thin film. To overcome this challenge, we propose new device architecture, and demonstrate approximately 60 Kelvin temperature differences using a thick polymer nanocomposite. The temperature differences were achieved by separating the thermal path from the electrical path; whereas in conventional device architecture, both electrical charges and thermal energy share same path. We also applied this device to harvest body heat and confirmed its usability as an energy conversion device for recovering low-quality heat.

  13. How to recover credibility of nuclear technologies in Japan where people wish to have 'Anshin'

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yasui, Itaru

    2014-01-01

    Although it is inevitable to recover credibility of utilities, there are no clear ways to realize a final target yet. Credibility issue is a very difficult especially in Japan, where the word of 'Anshin' has special importance in the mind of people. In this paper, the word of 'Anshin' in Japan was discussed in order to find out differences in other countries by comparison of culture and customs, especially ways to prepare food, i.e. agriculture and hunting and gathering and so on. The meanings of 'Anshin' were decomposed into several elements, and each element was discussed and clarified. Human factor is important in both operation of plants and risk communication. The philosophy and attitude of COE of utilities are those of very important factors to regain credibility. The utilities' responsibilities are important, but not enough by themselves. In order to assure transparency of information used in risk communication, improvement of people's scientific literacy and their attitude to elect their representatives are absolutely necessary. Especially, risk information related to Level 3 RPA to be opened to public have to be fully transparent. Risk is one of most difficult concept for Japanese people to handle. The reoperation issue of nuclear power plants will involve several difficulties, but challenges to overcome this issue will be a good chance to change a way of decision making in Japan. (author)

  14. The Three Major Spanish Clones of Penicillin-Resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae Are the Most Common Clones Recovered in Recent Cases of Meningitis in Spain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Enright, Mark C.; Fenoll, Asunción; Griffiths, David; Spratt, Brian G.

    1999-01-01

    One hundred six isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae recovered in Spain from patients with meningitis in 1997 and 1998 were characterized by multilocus sequence typing. A heterogeneous collection of genotypes was associated with meningitis in Spain: 65 different sequence types were resolved and, even at a genetic distance of 0.43, there were 37 distinct lineages. Thirty-eight percent of the isolates, including all isolates of serotypes 6B, 9V, 14, and 23F, were resistant to penicillin, and 24% of the isolates were members of the three major Spanish penicillin-resistant or multidrug-resistant clones of serotypes 6B, 9V, and 23F or serotype variants of these clones. These three clones (MICs, 1 to 2 μg of penicillin/ml) were the most common clones associated with pneumococcal meningitis in Spain during 1997 and 1998. Only two of the other clones associated with meningitis were penicillin resistant (MICs, 0.12 to 0.5 μg/ml). One of the two most prevalent penicillin-susceptible clones causing meningitis (serotype 3) has not been detected outside of Spain, whereas the other (serotype 18C) has been recovered from patients with meningitis in the United Kingdom, The Netherlands, and Denmark. The prevalence of meningitis caused by isolates of the three major Spanish penicillin-resistant or multiply antibiotic-resistant clones, which are now globally distributed, is disturbing and clearly establishes their ability to cause life-threatening disease. PMID:10488179

  15. A global equilibrium analysis of co-firing coal and solid recovered fuel

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wu, Hao; Glarborg, Peter; Jappe Frandsen, Flemming

    Global equilibrium calculations have been performed to study the behavior of ash forming species in cocombustion of a bituminous coal and a solid recovered fuel (SRF). It revealed that co-combustion of coal and 25% SRF (weight basis) could significantly reduce the formation of NaCl (g) and KCl (g...

  16. On fully stressed design and p-norm measures in structural optimization

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhou, Mingdong; Sigmund, Ole

    2017-01-01

    This brief note revisits the fully stressed design schemes and p-norm measures used in stress-based structural optimization. Two simple shape optimization cases are used to remind the reader that fully stressed designs only are optimal when unimpeded by geometrical restrictions and that high valu...... of the stress norm are needed in order to achieve satisfactory designs....

  17. Length of Recovery From Sports-Related Concussions in Pediatric Patients Treated at Concussion Clinics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Donald J; Coxe, Kathryn; Li, Hongmei; Pommering, Thomas L; Young, Julie A; Smith, Gary A; Yang, Jingzhen

    2018-01-01

    We quantified the length of recovery time by week in a cohort of pediatric sports-related concussion patients treated at concussion clinics, and examined patient and injury characteristics associated with prolonged recovery. A retrospective, cohort design. Seven concussion clinics at a Midwest children's hospital. Patients aged 10 to 17 years with a diagnosed sports-related concussion presenting to the clinic within 30 days of injury. Length of recovery by week. Unadjusted and adjusted multinomial logistic regression analyses were used to model the effect of patient and injury characteristics on length of recovery by week. Median length of recovery was 17 days. Only 16.3% (299/1840) of patients recovered within one week, whereas 26.4% took longer than four weeks to recover. By 2 months postinjury, 6.7% of patients were still experiencing symptoms. Higher symptom scores at injury and initial visit were significantly associated with prolonged symptoms by week. Patients who presented to the clinic more than 2 weeks postinjury or who had 2 or more previous concussions showed increased risk for prolonged recovery. Females were at greater risk for prolonged recovery than males (odds ratio = 2.08, 95% confidence interval = 1.49-2.89). Age was not significantly associated with recovery length. High symptom scores at injury and initial visit, time to initial clinical presentation, presence of 2 or more previous concussions, and female sex are associated with prolonged concussion recovery. Further research should aim to establish objective measures of recovery, accounting for treatment received during the recovery. The median length of recovery is 17 days among pediatric sports-related concussion patients treated at concussion clinics. Only 16.3% of patients recovered within one week, whereas 26.4% took longer than 4 weeks to recover.

  18. Measles: Make Sure Your Child Is Fully Immunized

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... this? Submit What's this? Submit Button Past Emails Measles: Make Sure Your Child is Fully Immunized Language: ... also become infected if they are not protected. Measles in the U.S. From January 2 to March ...

  19. Negative Affective Experiences in Relation to Stages of Eating Disorder Recovery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harney, Megan B.; Fitzsimmons-Crafr, Ellen E.; Maldonado, Christine R.; Bardone-Cone, Anna M.

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine a collection of negative affect symptoms in relation to stages of eating disorder recovery. Depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, loneliness, and perceived stress are known to be present in individuals with eating disorders; however, less is known about the presence of such constructs throughout the recovery process. Does this negative affect fog continue to linger in individuals who have recovered from an eating disorder? Female participants seen at some point for an eating disorder at a primary care clinic were categorized into one of three groups using a stringent definition of eating disorder recovery based on physical, behavioral, and psychological criteria: active eating disorder (n =53), partially recovered (n =15; psychological criteria not met), and fully recovered (n =20; all recovery criteria met). Additionally, data were obtained from 67 female controls who had no history of an eating disorder. Self-report data indicated that controls and women fully recovered from an eating disorder scored significantly lower than partially recovered and active eating disorder groups in perceived stress, depression, and anxiety. Controls and the fully recovered group were statistically indistinguishable from each other in these domains, as were the partially recovered and active eating disorder groups, suggesting an interesting divide depending on whether psychological criteria (e.g., normative levels of weight/shape concern) were met. In contrast, controls and fully recovered and partially recovered groups all reported feeling significantly less lonely relative to those with an active eating disorder suggesting that improved perceptions of interpersonal, social support may act as a stepping stone toward more comprehensive eating disorder recovery. Future research may want to longitudinally determine if an increase in actual or perceived social support facilitates the movement toward full recovery and whether this, in turn, has

  20. Negative affective experiences in relation to stages of eating disorder recovery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harney, Megan B; Fitzsimmons-Craft, Ellen E; Maldonado, Christine R; Bardone-Cone, Anna M

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine a collection of negative affect symptoms in relation to stages of eating disorder recovery. Depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, loneliness, and perceived stress are known to be present in individuals with eating disorders; however, less is known about the presence of such constructs throughout the recovery process. Does this negative affect fog continue to linger in individuals who have recovered from an eating disorder? Female participants seen at some point for an eating disorder at a primary care clinic were categorized into one of three groups using a stringent definition of eating disorder recovery based on physical, behavioral, and psychological criteria: active eating disorder (n=53), partially recovered (n=15; psychological criteria not met), and fully recovered (n=20; all recovery criteria met). Additionally, data were obtained from 67 female controls who had no history of an eating disorder. Self-report data indicated that controls and women fully recovered from an eating disorder scored significantly lower than partially recovered and active eating disorder groups in perceived stress, depression, and anxiety. Controls and the fully recovered group were statistically indistinguishable from each other in these domains, as were the partially recovered and active eating disorder groups, suggesting an interesting divide depending on whether psychological criteria (e.g., normative levels of weight/shape concern) were met. In contrast, controls and fully recovered and partially recovered groups all reported feeling significantly less lonely relative to those with an active eating disorder suggesting that improved perceptions of interpersonal functioning and social support may act as a stepping stone toward more comprehensive eating disorder recovery. Future research may want to longitudinally determine if an increase in actual or perceived social support facilitates the movement toward full recovery and whether this

  1. Failure of RNA synthesis to recover after UV irradiation: an early defect in cells from individuals with Cockayne's syndrome and xeroderma pigmentosum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mayne, L.V.; Lehmann, A.R.

    1982-01-01

    Previous work has shown that in cells from the ultraviolet-sensitive genetic disorder, Cockayne's syndrome, DNA synthesis fails to recover after ultraviolet irradiation, despite the fact that these cells have no detectable defect in either excision or daughter-strand repair pathways. We now show that Cockayne cells, as well as cells from a number of patients with xeroderma pigmentosum, are sensitive to the lethal effects of UV irradiation in stationary phase under conditions in which no DNA is synthesized after irradiation. Furthermore, in normal and defective human fibroblasts, RNA synthesis is depressed after UV irradiation. In normal (dividing) cells, RNA synthesis recovers very rapidly, but this recovery does not occur in Cockayne cells, and it is reduced or absent in xeroderma pigmentosum cells from different complementation groups. Qualitatively, similar results are obtained with cells in stationary phase. The recovery of RNA synthesis in the various defective cell strains is not correlated with the overall extent of excision repair, but there is some correlation between recovery of RNA synthesis and cell survival after ultraviolet irradiation. These results implicate recovery of RNA synthesis as an important early response to ultraviolet irradiation

  2. Objective and subjective comparison of standard 2-D and fully 3-D reconstructed data on a PET/CT system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strobel, Klaus; Rüdy, Matthias; Treyer, Valerie; Veit-Haibach, Patrick; Burger, Cyrill; Hany, Thomas F

    2007-07-01

    The relative advantage of fully 3-D versus 2-D mode for whole-body imaging is currently the focus of considerable expert debate. The nature of 3-D PET acquisition for FDG PET/CT theoretically allows a shorter scan time and improved efficiency of FDG use than in the standard 2-D acquisition. We therefore objectively and subjectively compared standard 2-D and fully 3-D reconstructed data for FDG PET/CT on a research PET/CT system. In a total of 36 patients (mean 58.9 years, range 17.3-78.9 years; 21 male, 15 female) referred for known or suspected malignancy, FDG PET/CT was performed using a research PET/CT system with advanced detector technology with improved sensitivity and spatial resolution. After 45 min uptake, a low-dose CT (40 mAs) from head to thigh was performed followed by 2-D PET (emission 3 min per field) and 3-D PET (emission 1.5 min per field) with both seven slices overlap to cover the identical anatomical region. Acquisition time was therefore 50% less (seven fields; 21 min vs. 10.5 min). PET data was acquired in a randomized fashion, so in 50% of the cases 2-D data was acquired first. CT data was used for attenuation correction. 2-D (OSEM) and 3-D PET images were iteratively reconstructed. Subjective analysis of 2-D and 3-D images was performed by two readers in a blinded, randomized fashion evaluating the following criteria: sharpness of organs (liver, chest wall/lung), overall image quality and detectability and dignity of each identified lesion. Objective analysis of PET data was investigated measuring maximum standard uptake value with lean body mass (SUV(max,LBM)) of identified lesions. On average, per patient, the SUV(max) was 7.86 (SD 7.79) for 2-D and 6.96 (SD 5.19) for 3-D. On a lesion basis, the average SUV(max) was 7.65 (SD 7.79) for 2-D and 6.75 (SD 5.89) for 3-D. The absolute difference on a paired t-test of SUV 3-D-2-D based on each measured lesion was significant with an average of -0.956 (P=0.002) and an average of -0.884 on a

  3. Fully implicit 1D radiation hydrodynamics: Validation and verification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghosh, Karabi; Menon, S.V.G.

    2010-01-01

    A fully implicit finite difference scheme has been developed to solve the hydrodynamic equations coupled with radiation transport. Solution of the time-dependent radiation transport equation is obtained using the discrete ordinates method and the energy flow into the Lagrangian meshes as a result of radiation interaction is fully accounted for. A tridiagonal matrix system is solved at each time step to determine the hydrodynamic variables implicitly. The results obtained from this fully implicit radiation hydrodynamics code in the planar geometry agrees well with the scaling law for radiation driven strong shock propagation in aluminium. For the point explosion problem the self similar solutions are compared with results for pure hydrodynamic case in spherical geometry. Results obtained when radiation interaction is also accounted agree with those of point explosion with heat conduction for lower input energies. Having, thus, benchmarked the code, self convergence of the method w.r.t. time step is studied in detail for both the planar and spherical problems. Spatial as well as temporal convergence rates are ≅1 as expected from the difference forms of mass, momentum and energy conservation equations. This shows that the asymptotic convergence rate of the code is realized properly.

  4. STUDY OF ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY IN SNAKE BITE PATIENTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suma Dasaraju

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND Snake venom is well known to cause toxic damage to the kidneys (Schreiner and Maher, 1965. This study is an attempt to evaluate the snakebite-induced Acute Kidney Injury (AKI. MATERIALS AND METHODS 50 patients with snakebite-induced acute kidney injury were selected randomly and their clinical profile was assessed. Acute kidney injury was evaluated using noninvasive laboratory methods. Inclusion Criteria- 1. History of snakebite; 2. Presence of AKI. Exclusion Criteria- Pre-existing renal diseases, after establishing the diagnosis, patients were started on conservative treatment including ASV, blood/blood products and haemodialysis as required. RESULTS Out of 50 patients included in the study, majority of them were males (62% with mean age of presentation 43.8 ± 12.63 years. The mean interval between snakebite and presentation to hospital was 15.37 hours. In them, 98% patients presented with local signs of inflammation, 52% of patients presented with coagulation abnormality and 60% with decreased urine output. Comparison between good outcome (recovered from AKI and poor outcome (not recovered from AKI shows significant pvalue for ‘lapse of time in hours’ in presenting to the hospital after snakebite (p value 0.005 and ‘alternative treatment taken’ before coming to the hospital (p value 0.001. CONCLUSION Poisonous snakebites have common manifestations of cellulitis, abnormal coagulation profile and decreased urine output. Overall mortality due to snakebite-induced AKI is 6%. Patients who did not recover from AKI had lapse of time in presenting to the hospital and abnormal coagulation profile.

  5. A fully distributed geo-routing scheme for wireless sensor networks

    KAUST Repository

    Bader, Ahmed

    2013-12-01

    When marrying randomized distributed space-time coding (RDSTC) to beaconless geo-routing, new performance horizons can be created. In order to reach those horizons, however, beaconless geo-routing protocols must evolve to operate in a fully distributed fashion. In this letter, we expose a technique to construct a fully distributed geo-routing scheme in conjunction with RDSTC. We then demonstrate the performance gains of this novel scheme by comparing it to one of the prominent classical schemes. © 2013 IEEE.

  6. A fully distributed geo-routing scheme for wireless sensor networks

    KAUST Repository

    Bader, Ahmed; Abed-Meraim, Karim; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

    2013-01-01

    When marrying randomized distributed space-time coding (RDSTC) to beaconless geo-routing, new performance horizons can be created. In order to reach those horizons, however, beaconless geo-routing protocols must evolve to operate in a fully distributed fashion. In this letter, we expose a technique to construct a fully distributed geo-routing scheme in conjunction with RDSTC. We then demonstrate the performance gains of this novel scheme by comparing it to one of the prominent classical schemes. © 2013 IEEE.

  7. A ferrite nano-particles based fully printed process for tunable microwave components

    KAUST Repository

    Ghaffar, Farhan A.; Vaseem, Mohammad; Farooqui, Muhammad Fahad; Shamim, Atif

    2016-01-01

    on conventional microwave substrates. For fully printed designs, ideally, the substrate must also be printed. In this work, we demonstrate a fully printed process utilizing a custom Fe2O3 based magnetic ink for functional substrate printing and a custom silver

  8. A nationwide survey of ixodid tick species recovered from domestic dogs and cats in Japan in 2011.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iwakami, Shinya; Ichikawa, Yasuaki; Inokuma, Hisashi

    2014-10-01

    A nationwide survey of ixodid ticks was performed in 2011, during which a total of 4237 and 298 ticks were recovered from 1162 dogs and 136 cats, respectively. Haemaphysalis longicornis was the most frequently found tick species on canine hosts (739 dogs), followed by H. flava (166), Ixodes ovatus (139), and Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (70). H. hystricis, H. japonica, H. megaspinosa, H. formosensis, H. campanulata, H. ias, I. nipponensis, I. persulcatus, and Amblyomma testudinarium were also recovered. H. longicornis was also the most frequently found species on feline hosts (52 cats), followed by I. ovatus (34), A. testudinarium (19), and H. flava (12). H. hystricis, H. japonica, H. megaspinosa, I. nipponensis, I. persulcatus, I. granulatus and R. sanguineus sensu lato were also recovered from cats. The three major species of ticks found on dogs and cats, H. longicornis, H. flava, and I. ovatus, displayed a wide geographical distribution, with specimens found throughout northern and southern Japan. R. sanguineus sensu lato was primarily recovered in Okinawa, but was also found in Kanagawa, Wakayama, Hiroshima, and Yamaguchi Prefectures. A. testudinarium was mainly distributed throughout western Japan, but small numbers were also recovered from Gumma and Shizuoka Prefectures. H. longicornis was more frequently found on dogs in rural areas than those in urban or suburban areas. Exposure to woodland environments was significantly associated with H. flava and I. ovatus in dogs. Dogs in urban or suburban areas encountered R. sanguineus sensu lato more often than other tick species. Most of the cats surveyed in the present study were from rural areas. In the present study, H. hystricis and R. sanguineus sensu lato were found on cats for the first time in Japan. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  9. Recovering heat from waste air from stables

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1983-01-01

    A milk cow gives off 35.7 kW h/d via its body, excreta and urine. 68.4% of this is body heat. Part of this waste heat escapes with the waste air from the cowsheds. The heat can be recovered from the waste air by an air/air heat exchanger. The air is collected and taken to a heat exchanger. In the heat exchanger, fresh air is heated by the waste air, and is distributed over the cowshed by a system of ducts. The heated waste air escapes through a central chimney at the end of the heat exchanger. It is sensible to fit the heat exchanger above the cowshed roof, if there is sufficient space available and the chimney should run upwards from the cowshed. A double heat exchanger makes it possible to allocate each half of the cowshed to half of the heat exchanger.

  10. Separated-orbit bisected energy-recovered linear accelerator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Douglas, David R.

    2015-09-01

    A separated-orbit bisected energy-recovered linear accelerator apparatus and method. The accelerator includes a first linac, a second linac, and a plurality of arcs of differing path lengths, including a plurality of up arcs, a plurality of downgoing arcs, and a full energy arc providing a path independent of the up arcs and downgoing arcs. The up arcs have a path length that is substantially a multiple of the RF wavelength and the full energy arc includes a path length that is substantially an odd half-integer multiple of the RF wavelength. Operation of the accelerator includes accelerating the beam utilizing the linacs and up arcs until the beam is at full energy, at full energy executing a full recirculation to the second linac using a path length that is substantially an odd half-integer of the RF wavelength, and then decelerating the beam using the linacs and downgoing arcs.

  11. Constipation in early childhood: patient characteristics, treatment, and longterm follow up.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loening-Baucke, V

    1993-10-01

    Little is known about chronic constipation in infants, toddlers, and preschool children and longterm outcome after treatment. The symptoms of 174 children milk of magnesia, and finally toilet training of the preschool child. Longterm outcome could be evaluated in 90 patients (52%) (mean (SD) 6.9 (2.7)) years after initial evaluation. Fifty seven children (63%) had recovered, defined as no soiling with > or = 3 bowel movements per week, while not receiving treatment. The recovery rate of children 2 to 4 years of age. Thirty three children (37%) had not recovered. Constipation recurred as soon as laxatives were discontinued in 31 (94%) of them. Laxatives were still used by 33% of the children who had not recovered, 39% had < 3 bowel movements per week, 48% had faecal soiling, 45% had stool withholding, 27% complained of abdominal pain, 73% passed large stools, and 45% still on occasions clogged the toilet with their large stools. Symptoms of chronic constipation persisted in one third of our patients, 3-12 years after initial evaluation and treatment. Children who had not recovered deserve continued follow up, to reinforce and adjust treatment and to prevent faecal soiling.

  12. Multi-Branch Fully Convolutional Network for Face Detection

    KAUST Repository

    Bai, Yancheng; Ghanem, Bernard

    2017-01-01

    Face detection is a fundamental problem in computer vision. It is still a challenging task in unconstrained conditions due to significant variations in scale, pose, expressions, and occlusion. In this paper, we propose a multi-branch fully

  13. Quantitative studies on the vaginal flora of asymptomatic women and patients with vaginitis and vaginosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hammann, R; Kronibus, A; Lang, N; Werner, H

    1987-07-01

    Vaginal washings of 22 patients with vaginitis, 11 with vaginosis, and 12 healthy subjects were investigated quantitatively and qualitatively for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria and yeasts. Gardnerella vaginalis was recovered from 9 of the vaginitis patients, 7 of the vaginosis patients, and 4 of the asymptomatic subjects. Obligate anaerobes were found in 11 of the vaginitis patients, 4 of the vaginosis patients, and none of the control subjects. Bacteroides bivius was the anaerobe most frequently isolated from symptomatic subjects. Anaerobic vibrios were recovered twice from symptomatic subjects. The counts for Gardnerella vaginalis and anaerobes when present were generally very high. The most frequent aerobes were beta-hemolytic streptococci (group B) and staphylococci.

  14. Respiratory failure in tetanic patient: maintenance of airway problem in intensive care unit setting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Utami, I. N.; Arifin; Susilo, R. S. B.; Redhono, D.; Sumandjar, T.

    2018-03-01

    Tetanus is a toxin-mediated disease caused by Clostridium tetani resulting in muscular stiffness and painful spasm. The case fatality rates are high (10-80%), and the most frequent cause of mortality is airway problem that results in respiratory failure. A 52-year-old malecame to the hospital with lockjaw, rhesussardonicus, opisthotonus, and seizure for the last 12 hours, diagnosed with tetanus grade II. We placed the patient in an isolation room, gave 3000U tetanus immunoglobulin, 20mg diazepam in 500ml dextrose 5%/8 hours, and 500mg/6hrs metronidazole. On the seventh day, seizure became frequent, respiratory rate increased with crackles found on the auscultation, and the blood gas analysis showed respiratory failure type II (PCO2 53mmHg). The patientwas immediately sent to the ICU, intubated and given ventilator support. The patientwas sedated with continuous injection of midazolam 3 mg/h, morphine 10mcg/kgBW/h and also levofloxacin 750mg/24hours. Bronchoalveolar lavage culture was positive for Acinetobacter baumanii, so we changed the antibiotic to amikacin injection 500 mg/8hrs. After four days, we extubated the ventilator and transferred from HCU three days later. The patient was fully recovered and discharged after eighteen days of hospitalization.

  15. Method of recovering neptunium from spent nuclear fuel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsuboya, T.; N.

    1976-01-01

    An improved Purex wet recovery process including the step of extracting and separating uranium and plutonium simultaneously from the fission products in the presence of nitric acid and nitrous acid by using a multistage extractor unit having an extracting section and a washing section is provided for separating and recovering neptunium simultaneously with uranium and plutonium contained in spent nuclear fuel. The improved method comprises the steps of maintaining the nitrous acid concentration in said extracting section at a level suited for effecting oxidation of neptunium from (V) to (VI) valence, while lowering the nitrous acid concentration in said washing section so as to suppress reduction of neptunium from (VI) to (V) valence, and maintaining the nitric acid concentration in said washing section at a high level

  16. Recovering phosphorus and uranium values from phosphate rock

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sze, M C.Y.; Long, R H

    1981-02-11

    Phosphate rock is acidulated with aqueous nitric acid to produce an aqueous solution containing phosphate values, calcium and uranium values. The aqueous solution is contacted with an extraction solvent for the uranium values: the extraction solvent comprising a water immiscible organic diluent, a dialkyl phosphoric acid having at least 10 carbon atoms, and an organic phosphorus compound having the formula R/sub 1/ R/sub 2/ R/sub 3/ P = O where R/sub 1/, R/sub 2/ and R/sub 3/ are each either alkyl or alkoxy, the organic phosphorus compound having at least 10 carbon atoms. The uranium values are then recovered from the extraction solvent. In an example the extraction solvent is HDEHP and TOPO in kerosene.

  17. Energy recuperation in fully electric vehicles subject to stability and drivability requirements

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ólafsdóttir, J.M.; Lidberg, M.; Falcone, P.; Iersel, S. van; Jansen, S.T.H.

    2012-01-01

    This paper presents a combined control and estimation framework for energy recuperation in fully electric vehicles. We consider a fully electric powertrain, with a driven front axle operating on low friction road surfaces. Our objective is to find the blending of regenerative and friction braking

  18. Recovered eating disorder therapists using their experiential knowledge in therapy : A qualitative examination of the therapists’ and the patients’ view

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    De Vos, Jan Alexander; Netten, Carmen; Noordenbos, Greta

    2016-01-01

    In the eating disorder (ED) field there is a lack of guidelines regarding the utilization of recovered therapists and the experiential knowledge they can bring to therapy. In this study, a qualitative design was used to examine recovered eating disorder therapists using their experiential knowledge

  19. Fully NLO Parton Shower in QCD

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Skrzypek, M.; Jadach, S.; Slawinska, M.; Gituliar, O.; Kusina, A.; Placzek, W.

    2011-01-01

    The project of constructing a complete NLO-level Parton Shower Monte Carlo for the QCD processes developed in IFJ PAN in Krakow is reviewed. Four issues are discussed: (1) the extension of the standard inclusive collinear factorization into a new, fully exclusive scheme; (2) reconstruction of the LO Parton Shower in the new scheme; (3) inclusion of the exclusive NLO corrections into the hard process and (4) inclusion of the exclusive NLO corrections into the evolution (ladder) part. (authors)

  20. [Immediate prediction of recovery, based on emotional impact of vertigo].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dal-Lago, Andrés H; Ceballos-Lizarraga, Ricardo; Carmona, Sergio

    2014-01-01

    This work presents deeper studies of comorbidity between anxiety and vestibular pathology. The aim of this work was to comprehend the reasons why patients do not feel «fully recovered» even though the treating professionals discharge them. We studied the features of personality that can favour the continuity of the condition. The questionnaire for measuring the emotional impact of vertigo makes it possible to determine if the patient has a psychological style with a tendency to develop pathological anxiety levels. Anxiety is a subjective characteristic determinant in difficulties with medical treatment. The questionnaire was applied to 198 patients in Argentina and Mexico in parallel. Each pathology was treated by standard medical procedures. The study focused on determining the correlation between «feeling fully recovered or not at the end of treatment» and the questionnaire scores obtained before the approach. In more than 80% of cases, high scores (>15 points) on the questionnaire were correlated with the difficulty presented by the patients for full recovery from the pathology after medical treatment. The objective assessments (duration and intensity of symptoms, time of onset of the disease, etc.) do not exactly predict possible difficulties during treatment of vertigo. Consequently, we consider the patient's subjective assessment of how the vestibular pathology affects him or her to be determinant. That key information allows us to predict the course of the illness and the probability of a full recovery. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

  1. Fully automated data acquisition, processing, and display in equilibrium radioventriculography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bourguignon, M.H.; Douglass, K.H.; Links, J.M.; Wagner, H.N. Jr.; Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD

    1981-01-01

    A fully automated data acquisition, processing, and display procedure was developed for equilibrium radioventriculography. After a standardized acquisition, the study is automatically analyzed to yield both right and left ventricular time-activity curves. The program first creates a series of edge-enhanced images (difference between squared images and scaled original images). A marker point within each ventricle is then identified as that pixel with maximum counts to the patient's right and left of the count center of gravity of a stroke volume image. Regions of interest are selected on each frame as the first contour of local maxima of the two-dimensional second derivative (pseudo-Laplacian) which encloses the appropriate marker point, using a method developed by Goris. After shifting the left ventricular end-systolic region of interest four pixels to the patient's left, a background region of interest is generated as the crescent-shaped area of the shifted region of interest not intersected by the end systolic region. The average counts/pixel in this background region in the end systolic frame of the original study are subtracted from each pixel in all frames of the gated study. Right and left ventricular time-activity curves are then obtained by applying each region of interest to its corresponding background-subtracted frame, and the ejection fraction, end diastolic, end systolic, and stroke counts determined for both ventricles. In fourteen consecutive patients, in addition to the automatic ejection fractions, manually drawn regions of interest were used to obtain ejection fractions for both ventricles. The manual regions of interest were drawn twice, and the average obtained. (orig./TR)

  2. Fully Covered Metallic Stents for the Treatment of Benign Airway Stenosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Caroline Dahlqvist

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. We herein report our experience with new fully covered self-expanding metallic stents in the setting of inoperable recurrent benign tracheobronchial stenosis. Methods. Between May 2010 and July 2014, 21 Micro-Tech® FC-SEMS (Nanjing Co., Republic of Korea were placed in our hospital in 16 patients for inoperable, recurrent (after dilatation, and symptomatic benign airway stenosis. Their medical files were retrospectively reviewed in December 2014, with focus on stent’s tolerance and durability data. Results. Twenty-one stents were inserted: 13 for posttransplant left main bronchus anastomotic stricture, seven for postintubation tracheal stenosis, and one for postlobectomy anastomotic stricture. Positioning was easy for all of them. Stents were in place for a mean duration of 282 days. The most common complications were granulation tissue development (35%, migration (30%, and sputum retention (15%. Fifty-five % of the stents (11/20 had to be removed because of various complications, without difficulty for all of them. None of the patients had life-threatening complications. Conclusion. Micro-Tech FC-SEMS were easy to position and to remove. While the rate of complications requiring stent removal was significant, no life-threatening complication occurred. Further studies are needed to better define their efficacy and safety in the treatment of benign airway disease.

  3. Fully Covered Metallic Stents for the Treatment of Benign Airway Stenosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dahlqvist, Caroline; Ocak, Sebahat; Gourdin, Maximilien; Dincq, Anne Sophie; Putz, Laurie; d'Odémont, Jean-Paul

    2016-01-01

    Introduction. We herein report our experience with new fully covered self-expanding metallic stents in the setting of inoperable recurrent benign tracheobronchial stenosis. Methods. Between May 2010 and July 2014, 21 Micro-Tech® FC-SEMS (Nanjing Co., Republic of Korea) were placed in our hospital in 16 patients for inoperable, recurrent (after dilatation), and symptomatic benign airway stenosis. Their medical files were retrospectively reviewed in December 2014, with focus on stent's tolerance and durability data. Results. Twenty-one stents were inserted: 13 for posttransplant left main bronchus anastomotic stricture, seven for postintubation tracheal stenosis, and one for postlobectomy anastomotic stricture. Positioning was easy for all of them. Stents were in place for a mean duration of 282 days. The most common complications were granulation tissue development (35%), migration (30%), and sputum retention (15%). Fifty-five % of the stents (11/20) had to be removed because of various complications, without difficulty for all of them. None of the patients had life-threatening complications. Conclusion. Micro-Tech FC-SEMS were easy to position and to remove. While the rate of complications requiring stent removal was significant, no life-threatening complication occurred. Further studies are needed to better define their efficacy and safety in the treatment of benign airway disease.

  4. Recovering by Means of Meditation: The Role of Recovery Experiences and Intrinsic Motivation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hooff, M.L.M. van; Baas, M.

    2013-01-01

    The effectiveness of meditation as a tool to recover from stress has already been widely established. However, less is known about the potential psychological mediating and moderating mechanisms affecting its effectiveness. The present study aimed to advance insight in this respect by examining the

  5. Feasibility of fully ceramic microencapsulated (FCM) replacement fuel assembly for OPR-1000 core fully loaded with FCM fuel assemblies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, W.J.; Lee, K.H.; Kwon, H.; Chun, J.H.; Kim, Y.M. [Korea Atomic Energy Research Inst., Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Venneri, F. [Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp., Los Alamos, NM (United States)

    2014-07-01

    The feasibility of replacing conventional UO{sub 2} fuel assemblies (FAs) of light water reactors with accident-tolerant fully ceramic microencapsulated (FCM) FAs has been explored referencing OPR-1000, 1000MW{sub e} PWR. An optimum FCM FA design, 16x16 FCM FA with Silicon Carbide-coated Zircaloy cladding, was selected based on core-level scoping analysis for five FCM FA design candidates screened from FA-level study. For the selected FCM FA design, detailed core following analysis from initial to equilibrium cores, initially fully loaded with the FCM FAs, was carried out to quantify core physics parameters. Using these parameters, the core thermal-hydraulics and coated fuel particle performance of the FCM core was assessed, and the safety margin and accident-tolerance of the FCM core was evaluated for limiting design- and beyond design-basis-accidents. From the study, it has been demonstrated that the FCM fuel is a viable option in replacing the OPR-1000 core with enhanced safety and accident tolerance while maintaining the core neutronics, thermal-hydraulics and mechanical compatibility. (author)

  6. An application of stereoscopy and image processing in forensics: recovering obliterated firearms serial number

    Science.gov (United States)

    da Silva Nunes, L. C.; dos Santos, Paulo Acioly M.

    2004-10-01

    We present an application of the use of stereoscope to recovering obliterated firearms serial number. We investigate a promising new combined cheap method using both non-destructive and destructive techniques. With the use of a stereomicroscope coupled with a digital camera and a flexible cold light source, we can capture the image of the damaged area, and with continuous polishing and sometimes with the help of image processing techniques we could enhance the observed images and they can also be recorded as evidence. This method has already proven to be useful, in certain cases, in aluminum dotted pistol frames, whose serial number is printed with a laser, when etching techniques are not successful. We can also observe acid treated steel surfaces and enhance the images of recovered serial numbers, which sometimes lack of definition.

  7. Maximum mouth opening and trismus in 143 patients treated for oral cancer: a 1-year prospective study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wetzels, Jan-Willem G H; Merkx, Matthias A W; de Haan, Anton F J; Koole, Ron; Speksnijder, Caroline M

    2014-12-01

    Patients with oral cancer can develop restricted mouth opening (trismus) because of the oncologic treatment. Maximum mouth opening (MMO) was measured in 143 patients shortly before treatment and 0, 6, and 12 months posttreatment, and the results were analyzed using a linear mixed-effects model. In every patient, MMO decreased after treatment. The patients who underwent surgery, recovered partially by 6 and 12 months after treatment, whereas the patients who received both surgery and radiotherapy or primary radiotherapy did not recover. Tumor location, tumor size, and alcohol consumption had independent effects on MMO. Having trismus (MMO oral cancer treatment. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  8. A Multicenter, Prospective Study of a New Fully Covered Expandable Metal Biliary Stent for the Palliative Treatment of Malignant Bile Duct Obstruction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bret T. Petersen

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Background and Study Aims. Endoscopic placement of self-expanding metal stents (SEMSs is indicated for palliation of inoperable malignant biliary obstruction. A fully covered biliary SEMS (WallFlex Biliary RX Boston Scientific, Natick, USA was assessed for palliation of extrahepatic malignant biliary obstruction. Patients and Methods. 58 patients were included in this prospective, multicenter series conducted under an FDA-approved IDE. Main outcome measurements included (1 absence of stent occlusion within six months or until death, whichever occurred first and (2 technical success, need for reintervention, bilirubin levels, stent patency, time to stent occlusion, and adverse events. Results. Technical success was achieved in 98% (57/58, with demonstrated acute removability in two patients. Adequate clinical palliation until completion of followup was achievedin 98% (54/55 of evaluable patients, with 1 reintervention due to stent obstruction after 142 days. Mean total bilirubin decreased from 8.9 mg/dL to 1.2 mg/dL at 1 month. Device-related adverse events were limited and included 2 cases of cholecystitis. One stent migrated following radiation therapy. Conclusions. The WallFlex Biliary fully covered stent yielded technically successful placement with uncomplicated acute removal where required, appropriate reduction in bilirubin levels, and low rates of stent migration and occlusion. This SEMS allows successful palliation of malignant extrahepatic biliary obstruction.

  9. Evaluation of Uniform Cost Accounting System to Fully Capture Depot Level Repair Costs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1985-12-01

    RD-RI65 522 EVALUATION OF UNIFORM COST ACCOUNTING SYSTEM TO FULLY i/I CAPTURE DEPOT LEVEL REPAIR COSTS (U) NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA D R...8217.LECTE B ,- THESIS EVALUATION OF UNIFORM COST ACCOUNTING SYSTEM 0TO FULLY CAPTURE DEPOT LEVEL REPAIR COSTS Jby __jDavid Richmond O’Brien lj,,, December...Include Security Classification) EVALUATION OF UNIFORM COST ACCOUNTING SYSTEM TO FULLY CAPTURE DEPOT LEVEL REPAIR COSTS 12 PERSONAL AUTHOR(S) O’Brien- David

  10. The production of fully deacetylated chitosan by compression method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaofei He

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Chitosan’s activities are significantly affected by degree of deacetylation (DDA, while fully deacetylated chitosan is difficult to produce in a large scale. Therefore, this paper introduces a compression method for preparing 100% deacetylated chitosan with less environmental pollution. The product is characterized by XRD, FT-IR, UV and HPLC. The 100% fully deacetylated chitosan is produced in low-concentration alkali and high-pressure conditions, which only requires 15% alkali solution and 1:10 chitosan powder to NaOH solution ratio under 0.11–0.12 MPa for 120 min. When the alkali concentration varied from 5% to 15%, the chitosan with ultra-high DDA value (up to 95% is produced.

  11. A fully-coupled approach combining plastic deformation and liquid lubrication

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Üstünyagiz, Esmeray; Christiansen, Peter; Nielsen, Chris Valentin

    This paper presents a new approach based on a fully coupled procedure in which the lubricant flow and theplastic deformation of the metallic material are solved simultaneously. The approach is applied to strip reduction of asheet with surface pockets in order to investigate the escape of the lubr......This paper presents a new approach based on a fully coupled procedure in which the lubricant flow and theplastic deformation of the metallic material are solved simultaneously. The approach is applied to strip reduction of asheet with surface pockets in order to investigate the escape...

  12. CHARACTERIZING THE INFRARED SPECTRA OF SMALL, NEUTRAL, FULLY DEHYDROGENATED POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mackie, C. J.; Peeters, E.; Cami, J. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7 (Canada); Bauschlicher, C. W. Jr., E-mail: mackie@strw.leidenuniv.nl [NASA Ames Research Center, MS 245-6, Moffett Field, CA 94035 (United States)

    2015-02-01

    We present the results of a computational study to investigate the infrared spectroscopic properties of a large number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules and their fully dehydrogenated counterparts. We constructed a database of fully optimized geometries for PAHs that is complete for eight or fewer fused benzene rings, thus containing 1550 PAHs and 805 fully dehydrogenated aromatics. A large fraction of the species in our database have clearly non-planar or curved geometries. For each species, we determined the frequencies and intensities of their normal modes using density functional theory calculations. Whereas most PAH spectra are fairly similar, the spectra of fully dehydrogenated aromatics are much more diverse. Nevertheless, these fully dehydrogenated species show characteristic emission features at 5.2 μm, 5.5 μm, and 10.6 μm; at longer wavelengths, there is a forest of emission features in the 16-30 μm range that appears as a structured continuum, but with a clear peak centered around 19 μm. We searched for these features in Spitzer-IRS spectra of various positions in the reflection nebula NGC 7023. We find a weak emission feature at 10.68 μm in all positions except that closest to the central star. We also find evidence for a weak 19 μm feature at all positions that is not likely due to C{sub 60}. We interpret these features as tentative evidence for the presence of a small population of fully dehydrogenated PAHs, and discuss our results in the framework of PAH photolysis and the formation of fullerenes.

  13. Deep muscle pain, tender points and recovery in acute whiplash patients: a 1-year follow-up study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kasch, Helge; Qerama, Erisela; Kongsted, Alice; Bach, Flemming W; Bendix, Tom; Jensen, Troels S

    2008-11-15

    Local sensitization to noxious stimuli has been previously described in acute whiplash injury and has been suggested to be a risk factor for chronic sequelae following acute whiplash injury. In this study, we prospectively examined the development of tender points and mechano-sensitivity in 157 acute whiplash injured patients, who fulfilled criteria for WAD grade 2 (n=153) or grade 3 (n=4) seen about 5 days after injury (4.8+/-2.3) and who subsequently had or had not recovered 1 year after a cervical sprain. Tender point scores and stimulus-response function for mechanical pressure were determined in injured and non-injured body regions at specific time-points after injury. Thirty-six of 157 WAD grade 2 patients (22.9%) had not recovered, defined as reduced work capacity after 1 year. Non-recovered patients had higher total tender point scores after 12 (pwhiplash injury and the development of further sensitization in patients with long-term disability.

  14. Genetic characterization of commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolates recovered from vineyard environments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schuller, Dorit; Pereira, Leonor; Alves, Hugo; Cambon, Brigitte; Dequin, Sylvie; Casal, Margarida

    2007-08-01

    One hundred isolates of the commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain Zymaflore VL1 were recovered from spontaneous fermentations carried out with grapes collected from vineyards located close to wineries in the Vinho Verde wine region of Portugal. Isolates were differentiated based on their mitochondrial DNA restriction patterns and the evaluation of genetic polymorphisms was carried out by microsatellite analysis, interdelta sequence typing and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Genetic patterns were compared to those obtained for 30 isolates of the original commercialized Zymaflore VL1 strain. Among the 100 recovered isolates we found a high percentage of chromosomal size variations, most evident for the smaller chromosomes III and VI. Complete loss of heterozygosity was observed for two isolates that had also lost chromosomal heteromorphism; their growth and fermentative capacity in a synthetic must medium was also affected. A considerably higher number of variant patterns for interdelta sequence amplifications was obtained for grape-derived strains compared to the original VL1 isolates. Our data show that the long-term presence of strain VL1 in natural grapevine environments induced genetic changes that can be detected using different fingerprinting methods. The observed genetic changes may reflect adaptive mechanisms to changed environmental conditions that yeast cells encounter during their existence in nature. (c) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  15. Preliminary fee methodology for recovering GTCC-LLW management costs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clark, L.L.

    1990-06-01

    The US Department of Energy (DOE) is currently planning a fee to recover costs of managing Greater-Than-Class-C Low-Level Waste (GTCC-LLW). A cash flow basis will be used for fee calculations to ensure recovery of all applicable program costs. Positive cash flows are revenues received from waste generators. Negative cash flows are program expenses for storage, transportation, treatment, and disposal of the wastes and for program development, evaluation, and administration. Program balances are the net result of positive and negative cash flows each year. The methodology calculates fees that will recovery all program expenses taking into account cost inflation. 3 refs., 1 tab

  16. Robust Fully Distributed Minibatch Gradient Descent with Privacy Preservation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gábor Danner

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Privacy and security are among the highest priorities in data mining approaches over data collected from mobile devices. Fully distributed machine learning is a promising direction in this context. However, it is a hard problem to design protocols that are efficient yet provide sufficient levels of privacy and security. In fully distributed environments, secure multiparty computation (MPC is often applied to solve these problems. However, in our dynamic and unreliable application domain, known MPC algorithms are not scalable or not robust enough. We propose a light-weight protocol to quickly and securely compute the sum query over a subset of participants assuming a semihonest adversary. During the computation the participants learn no individual values. We apply this protocol to efficiently calculate the sum of gradients as part of a fully distributed minibatch stochastic gradient descent algorithm. The protocol achieves scalability and robustness by exploiting the fact that in this application domain a “quick and dirty” sum computation is acceptable. We utilize the Paillier homomorphic cryptosystem as part of our solution combined with extreme lossy gradient compression to make the cost of the cryptographic algorithms affordable. We demonstrate both theoretically and experimentally, based on churn statistics from a real smartphone trace, that the protocol is indeed practically viable.

  17. An uncommon manifestation of paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration in a patient with high grade urothelial, carcinoma with squamous differentiation: A case report and literature review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhu, Yaofeng; Chen, Shouzhen; Chen, Songyu; Song, Jing; Chen, Fan; Guo, Hu; Shang, Zhenhua; Wang, Yong; Zhou, Changkuo; Shi, Benkang

    2016-01-01

    Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes (PNS) are rare disorders associated with malignant tumours, which are triggered by autoimmune reactions. Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD) is the PNS type most commonly associated with ovarian and breast cancer. Two bladder cancers manifesting in PCD were previously reported. However, the cancers in these cases had poor outcomes. Here, we present a 68-year old man with history of high-grade papillary urothelial carcinoma of the bladder. The patient suffered from persistent cerebellar ataxia accompanied by bladder cancer recurrence five months after transurethral resection of the bladder tumour (TURBt). Laboratory screening for the specific antibodies of paraneoplastic neurological syndromes revealed no positive results. Symptoms were not remitted after a 7-day-course of high-dose glucocorticoid therapy. To our surprise, the patient recovered fully after laparoscopic radical cystectomy. Postoperative pathology revealed that surgical specimens were urothelial carcinoma in situ (CIS) and squamous cell carcinoma of the bladder. The patient remained asymptomatic and there was no evidence of recurrence after the followup period of 11 months. To our knowledge, this is the third report of PCD in a patient with bladder cancer. This case showed that tumour resection cured the PCD. To assist clinical evaluation and management, literature regarding basic PNS characteristics and bladder cancers was reviewed

  18. A Fully Transparent Resistive Memory for Harsh Environments

    KAUST Repository

    Yang, Po-Kang; Ho, Chih-Hsiang; Lien, Der-Hsien; Duran Retamal, Jose Ramon; Kang, Chen-Fang; Chen, Kuan-Ming; Huang, Teng-Han; Yu, Yueh-Chung; Wu, Chih-I; He, Jr-Hau

    2015-01-01

    A fully transparent resistive memory (TRRAM) based on Hafnium oxide (HfO2) with excellent transparency, resistive switching capability, and environmental stability is demonstrated. The retention time measured at 85 °C is over 3 × 104 sec

  19. [{sup 18}F]FMeNER-D2: Reliable fully-automated synthesis for visualization of the norepinephrine transporter

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rami-Mark, Christina [Radiochemistry and Biomarker Development Unit, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna (Austria); Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Vienna (Austria); Zhang, Ming-Rong [Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba (Japan); Mitterhauser, Markus [Radiochemistry and Biomarker Development Unit, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna (Austria); Hospital Pharmacy of the General Hospital of Vienna (Austria); Lanzenberger, Rupert [Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna (Austria); Hacker, Marcus [Radiochemistry and Biomarker Development Unit, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna (Austria); Wadsak, Wolfgang [Radiochemistry and Biomarker Development Unit, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna (Austria); Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Vienna (Austria)

    2013-11-15

    Purpose: In neurodegenerative diseases and neuropsychiatric disorders dysregulation of the norepinephrine transporter (NET) has been reported. For visualization of NET availability and occupancy in the human brain PET imaging can be used. Therefore, selective NET-PET tracers with high affinity are required. Amongst these, [{sup 18}F]FMeNER-D2 is showing the best results so far. Furthermore, a reliable fully automated radiosynthesis is a prerequisite for successful application of PET-tracers. The aim of this work was the automation of [{sup 18}F]FMeNER-D2 radiolabelling for subsequent clinical use. The presented study comprises 25 automated large-scale syntheses, which were directly applied to healthy volunteers and adult patients suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Procedures: Synthesis of [{sup 18}F]FMeNER-D2 was automated within a Nuclear Interface Module. Starting from 20–30 GBq [{sup 18}F]fluoride, azeotropic drying, reaction with Br{sub 2}CD{sub 2}, distillation of 1-bromo-2-[{sup 18}F]fluoromethane-D2 ([{sup 18}F]BFM) and reaction of the pure [{sup 18}F]BFM with unprotected precursor NER were optimized and completely automated. HPLC purification and SPE procedure were completed, formulation and sterile filtration were achieved on-line and full quality control was performed. Results: Purified product was obtained in a fully automated synthesis in clinical scale allowing maximum radiation safety and routine production under GMP-like manner. So far, more than 25 fully automated syntheses were successfully performed, yielding 1.0–2.5 GBq of formulated [{sup 18}F]FMeNER-D2 with specific activities between 430 and 1707 GBq/μmol within 95 min total preparation time. Conclusions: A first fully automated [{sup 18}F]FMeNER-D2 synthesis was established, allowing routine production of this NET-PET tracer under maximum radiation safety and standardization.

  20. A Model-Based Approach to Recovering the Structure of a Plant from Images

    KAUST Repository

    Ward, Ben

    2015-03-19

    We present a method for recovering the structure of a plant directly from a small set of widely-spaced images for automated analysis of phenotype. Structure recovery is more complex than shape estimation, but the resulting structure estimate is more closely related to phenotype than is a 3D geometric model. The method we propose is applicable to a wide variety of plants, but is demonstrated on wheat. Wheat is composed of thin elements with few identifiable features, making it difficult to analyse using standard feature matching techniques. Our method instead analyses the structure of plants using only their silhouettes. We employ a generate-and-test method, using a database of manually modelled leaves and a model for their composition to synthesise plausible plant structures which are evaluated against the images. The method is capable of efficiently recovering accurate estimates of plant structure in a wide variety of imaging scenarios, without manual intervention.

  1. A Model-Based Approach to Recovering the Structure of a Plant from Images

    KAUST Repository

    Ward, Ben; Bastian, John; van den Hengel, Anton; Pooley, Daniel; Bari, Rajendra; Berger, Bettina; Tester, Mark A.

    2015-01-01

    We present a method for recovering the structure of a plant directly from a small set of widely-spaced images for automated analysis of phenotype. Structure recovery is more complex than shape estimation, but the resulting structure estimate is more closely related to phenotype than is a 3D geometric model. The method we propose is applicable to a wide variety of plants, but is demonstrated on wheat. Wheat is composed of thin elements with few identifiable features, making it difficult to analyse using standard feature matching techniques. Our method instead analyses the structure of plants using only their silhouettes. We employ a generate-and-test method, using a database of manually modelled leaves and a model for their composition to synthesise plausible plant structures which are evaluated against the images. The method is capable of efficiently recovering accurate estimates of plant structure in a wide variety of imaging scenarios, without manual intervention.

  2. Innovative Elution Processes for Recovering Uranium from Seawater

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wai, Chien; Tian, Guoxin; Janke, Christopher

    2014-01-01

    Utilizing amidoxime-based polymer sorbents for extraction of uranium from seawater has attracted considerable interest in recent years. Uranium collected in the sorbent is recovered typically by elution with an acid. One drawback of acid elution is deterioration of the sorbent which is a significant factor that limits the economic competitiveness of the amidoxime-based sorbent systems for sequestering uranium from seawater. Developing innovative elution processes to improve efficiency and to minimize loss of sorbent capacity become essential in order to make this technology economically feasible for large-scale industrial applications. This project has evaluated several elution processes including acid elution, carbonate elution, and supercritical fluid elution for recovering uranium from amidoxime-based polymer sorbents. The elution efficiency, durability and sorbent regeneration for repeated uranium adsorption- desorption cycles in simulated seawater have been studied. Spectroscopic techniques are used to evaluate chemical nature of the sorbent before and after elution. A sodium carbonate-hydrogen peroxide elution process for effective removal of uranium from amidoxime-based sorbent is developed. The cause of this sodium carbonate and hydrogen peroxide synergistic leaching of uranium from amidoxime-based sorbent is attributed to the formation of an extremely stable uranyl peroxo-carbonato complex. The efficiency of uranium elution by the carbonate-hydrogen peroxide method is comparable to that of the hydrochloric acid elution but damage to the sorbent material is much less for the former. The carbonate- hydrogen peroxide elution also does not need any elaborate step to regenerate the sorbent as those required for hydrochloric acid leaching. Several CO2-soluble ligands have been tested for extraction of uranium from the sorbent in supercritical fluid carbon dioxide. A mixture of hexafluoroacetylacetone and tri-n-butylphosphate shows the best result but uranium

  3. Innovative Elution Processes for Recovering Uranium from Seawater

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wai, Chien [Univ. of Idaho, Moscow, ID (United States); Tian, Guoxin [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Janke, Christopher [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

    2014-05-29

    Utilizing amidoxime-based polymer sorbents for extraction of uranium from seawater has attracted considerable interest in recent years. Uranium collected in the sorbent is recovered typically by elution with an acid. One drawback of acid elution is deterioration of the sorbent which is a significant factor that limits the economic competitiveness of the amidoxime-based sorbent systems for sequestering uranium from seawater. Developing innovative elution processes to improve efficiency and to minimize loss of sorbent capacity become essential in order to make this technology economically feasible for large-scale industrial applications. This project has evaluated several elution processes including acid elution, carbonate elution, and supercritical fluid elution for recovering uranium from amidoxime-based polymer sorbents. The elution efficiency, durability and sorbent regeneration for repeated uranium adsorption- desorption cycles in simulated seawater have been studied. Spectroscopic techniques are used to evaluate chemical nature of the sorbent before and after elution. A sodium carbonate-hydrogen peroxide elution process for effective removal of uranium from amidoxime-based sorbent is developed. The cause of this sodium carbonate and hydrogen peroxide synergistic leaching of uranium from amidoxime-based sorbent is attributed to the formation of an extremely stable uranyl peroxo-carbonato complex. The efficiency of uranium elution by the carbonate-hydrogen peroxide method is comparable to that of the hydrochloric acid elution but damage to the sorbent material is much less for the former. The carbonate- hydrogen peroxide elution also does not need any elaborate step to regenerate the sorbent as those required for hydrochloric acid leaching. Several CO2-soluble ligands have been tested for extraction of uranium from the sorbent in supercritical fluid carbon dioxide. A mixture of hexafluoroacetylacetone and tri-n-butylphosphate shows the best result but uranium

  4. Nuclear Security Summit and Workshop 2015: Preventing, Understanding and Recovering from Nuclear Accidents lessons learned from Chernobyl and Fukushima

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-09-01

    Workshop 2015 "Preventing, Understanding and Recovering from Nuclear Accidents"--lessons learned from Chernobyl and Fukushima Distribution Statement...by the factor to get the U.S. customary unit. “Preventing, Understanding and Recovering from Nuclear Accidents” – lessons learned from Chernobyl ...and Fukushima NUCLEAR SECURITY SUMMIT & WORKSHOP 2015 2 Background The 1986 Chernobyl and the 2011 Fukushima accidents provoked world-wide concern

  5. Novel, Family-Centered Intervention to Improve Nutrition in Patients Recovering From Critical Illness: A Feasibility Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marshall, Andrea P; Lemieux, Margot; Dhaliwal, Rupinder; Seyler, Hilda; MacEachern, Kristen N; Heyland, Daren K

    2017-06-01

    Critically ill patients are at increased risk of developing malnutrition-related complications because of physiological changes, suboptimal delivery, and reduced intake. Strategies to improve nutrition during critical illness recovery are required to prevent iatrogenic underfeeding and risk of malnutrition. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a novel family-centered intervention to improve nutrition in critically ill patients. A 3-phase, prospective cohort feasibility study was conducted in 4 intensive care units (ICUs) across 2 countries. Intervention feasibility was determined by patient eligibility, recruitment, and retention rates. The acceptability of the intervention was assessed by participant perspectives collected through surveys. Participants included family members of the critically ill patients and ICU and ward healthcare professionals (HCPs). A total of 75 patients and family members, as well as 56 HCPs, were enrolled. The consent rate was 66.4%, and 63 of 75 (84%) of family participants completed the study. Most family members (53/55; 98.1%) would recommend the nutrition education program to others and reported improved ability to ask questions about nutrition (16/20; 80.0%). Family members viewed nutrition care more positively in the ICU. HCPs agreed that families should partner with HCPs to achieve optimal nutrition in the ICU and the wards. Health literacy was identified as a potential barrier to family participation. The intervention was feasible and acceptable to families of critically ill patients and HCPs. Further research to evaluate intervention impact on nutrition intake and patient-centered outcomes is required.

  6. Salt-soda sinter process for recovering aluminum from fly ash

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDowell, W.J.; Seeley, F.G.

    A method for recovering aluminum values from fly ash comprises sintering the fly ash with a mixture of NaCl and Na/sub 2/CO/sub 3/ to a temperature in the range 700/sup 0/ to 900/sup 0/C for a period of time sufficient to convert greater than 90% of the aluminum content of the fly ash into an acidsoluble fraction and then contacting the thus-treated fraction with an aqueous solution of nitric or sulfuric acid to effect dissolution of aluminum and other metal values in said solution.

  7. A Wireless Fully Passive Neural Recording Device for Unobtrusive Neuropotential Monitoring.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiourti, Asimina; Lee, Cedric W L; Chae, Junseok; Volakis, John L

    2016-01-01

    We propose a novel wireless fully passive neural recording device for unobtrusive neuropotential monitoring. Previous work demonstrated the feasibility of monitoring emulated brain signals in a wireless fully passive manner. In this paper, we propose a novel realistic recorder that is significantly smaller and much more sensitive. The proposed recorder utilizes a highly efficient microwave backscattering method and operates without any formal power supply or regulating elements. Also, no intracranial wires or cables are required. In-vitro testing is performed inside a four-layer head phantom (skin, bone, gray matter, and white matter). Compared to our former implementation, the neural recorder proposed in this study has the following improved features: 1) 59% smaller footprint, 2) up to 20-dB improvement in neuropotential detection sensitivity, and 3) encapsulation in biocompatible polymer. For the first time, temporal emulated neuropotentials as low as 63 μVpp can be detected in a wireless fully passive manner. Remarkably, the high-sensitivity achieved in this study implies reading of most neural signals generated by the human brain. The proposed recorder brings forward transformational possibilities in wireless fully passive neural detection for a very wide range of applications (e.g., epilepsy, Alzheimer's, mental disorders, etc.).

  8. Avian Polyomavirus Genome Sequences Recovered from Parrots in Captive Breeding Facilities in Poland

    OpenAIRE

    Dayaram, Anisha; Piasecki, Tomasz; Chrząstek, Klaudia; White, Robyn; Julian, Laurel; van Bysterveldt, Katherine; Varsani, Arvind

    2015-01-01

    Eight genomes of avian polyomaviruses (APVs) were recovered and sequenced from deceased Psittacula eupatria, Psittacula krameri, and Melopsittacus undulatus from various breeding facilities in Poland. Of these APV-positive samples, six had previously tested positive for beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) and/or parrot hepatitis B virus (PHBV).

  9. Clinical validation of fully automated computation of ejection fraction from gated equilibrium blood-pool scintigrams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reiber, J.H.C.; Lie, S.P.; Simoons, M.L.; Hoek, C.; Gerbrands, J.J.; Wijns, W.; Bakker, W.H.; Kooij, P.P.M.

    1983-01-01

    A fully automated procedure for the computation of left-ventricular ejection fraction (EF) from cardiac-gated Tc-99m blood-pool (GBP) scintigrams with fixed, dual, and variable ROI methods is described. By comparison with EF data from contrast ventriculography in 68 patients, the dual-ROI method (separate end-diastolic and end-systolic contours) was found to be the method of choice; processing time was 2 min. Success score of dual-ROI procedure was 92% as assessed from 100 GBP studies. Overall reproducibility of data acquisition and analysis was determined in 12 patients. Mean value and standard deviation of differences between repeat studies (average time interval 27 min) were 0.8% and 4.3% EF units, respectively, (r=0.98). The authors conclude that left-ventricular EF can be computed automatically from GBP scintigrams with minimal operator-interaction and good reproducibility; EFs are similar to those from contrast ventriculography

  10. Development of a fully injectable calcium phosphate cement

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Permanent link: https://www.ias.ac.in/article/fulltext/boms/026/04/0415-0422. Keywords. Calcium phosphate cements; hydroxyapatite; bioceramics; bone substitute; orthopedic; dental. Abstract. A study on the development of a fully injectable calcium phosphate cement for orthopedic and dental applications is presented.

  11. Fully integrated modelling for sustainability assessment of resource recovery from waste.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Millward-Hopkins, Joel; Busch, Jonathan; Purnell, Phil; Zwirner, Oliver; Velis, Costas A; Brown, Andrew; Hahladakis, John; Iacovidou, Eleni

    2018-01-15

    This paper presents an integrated modelling approach for value assessments, focusing on resource recovery from waste. The method tracks and forecasts a range of values across environmental, social, economic and technical domains by attaching these to material-flows, thus building upon and integrating unidimensional models such as material flow analysis (MFA) and lifecycle assessment (LCA). We argue that the usual classification of metrics into these separate domains is useful for interpreting the outputs of multidimensional assessments, but unnecessary for modelling. We thus suggest that multidimensional assessments can be better performed by integrating the calculation methods of unidimensional models rather than their outputs. To achieve this, we propose a new metric typology that forms the foundation of a multidimensional model. This enables dynamic simulations to be performed with material-flows (or values in any domain) driven by changes in value in other domains. We then apply the model in an illustrative case highlighting links between the UK coal-based electricity-production and concrete/cement industries, investigating potential impacts that may follow the increased use of low-carbon fuels (biomass and solid recovered fuels; SRF) in the former. We explore synergies and trade-offs in value across domains and regions, e.g. how changes in carbon emissions in one part of the system may affect mortality elsewhere. This highlights the advantages of recognising complex system dynamics and making high-level inferences of their effects, even when rigorous analysis is not possible. We also indicate how changes in social, environmental and economic 'values' can be understood as being driven by changes in the technical value of resources. Our work thus emphasises the advantages of building fully integrated models to inform conventional sustainability assessments, rather than applying hybrid approaches that integrate outputs from parallel models. The approach we

  12. Identifying Armed Respondents to Domestic Violence Restraining Orders and Recovering Their Firearms: Process Evaluation of an Initiative in California

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frattaroli, Shannon; Claire, Barbara E.; Vittes, Katherine A.; Webster, Daniel W.

    2014-01-01

    Objectives. We evaluated a law enforcement initiative to screen respondents to domestic violence restraining orders for firearm ownership or possession and recover their firearms. Methods. The initiative was implemented in San Mateo and Butte counties in California from 2007 through 2010. We used descriptive methods to evaluate the screening process and recovery effort in each county, relying on records for individual cases. Results. Screening relied on an archive of firearm transactions, court records, and petitioner interviews; no single source was adequate. Screening linked 525 respondents (17.7%) in San Mateo County to firearms; 405 firearms were recovered from 119 (22.7%) of them. In Butte County, 88 (31.1%) respondents were linked to firearms; 260 firearms were recovered from 45 (51.1%) of them. Nonrecovery occurred most often when orders were never served or respondents denied having firearms. There were no reports of serious violence or injury. Conclusions. Recovering firearms from persons subject to domestic violence restraining orders is possible. We have identified design and implementation changes that may improve the screening process and the yield from recovery efforts. Larger implementation trials are needed. PMID:24328660

  13. Ukrainian brown-coal tars recovered at low-temperature carbonization with solid heating medium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kuznetsov, V I; Govorova, R P; Fadeicheva, A G; Kigel, T B; Chernykh, M K

    1955-01-01

    Three samples of tar were recovered in the laboratory from brown coals carbonized at 375/sup 0/ to 456/sup 0/ +- 25/sup 0/ in a retort with inner heating by solid circulating medium, namely, semicoke (ratio: 4 or 3:1) first heated to 700/sup 0/. One comparative (parallel) experiment was carried out in a retort with inner heating by inert gases entering the retort at 580/sup 0/ to 600/sup 0/ and leaving it at 115/sup 0/ to 120/sup 0/. The tars that were recovered from the retort with the solid heating medium contained a high percentage of coal dust and moisture, which were separated from the tars in supercentrifuges (15,000 rpm). Four samples of cleaned tars were fractionated in a Cu flask with a 2-ball fractional column. The tars from the retort with the solid-heating medium are characterized by increased yield of the petroleum-ether fraction (16.3 or 19.3%) and decreased yield of the paraffin fraction (15.1 to 21.2%) in comparison with those of tar from the retort with gas heating (5.9% of the petroleum ether fraction and 36.5% of paraffin fraction). The yield of paraffin from the paraffin fraction also decreased from 90.6% to 62.6-74.3%. This result shows that in the first case the carbonized products were cracked to a higher degree than those from the retort with gas heating. In raw phenols recovered from fractions of investigated tars, the yield of the phenol-cresol fraction (182/sup 0/ to 204/sup 0/) decreased from 25.9% to 13.0-18.9%.

  14. Fully automatic detection and segmentation of abdominal aortic thrombus in post-operative CTA images using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    López-Linares, Karen; Aranjuelo, Nerea; Kabongo, Luis; Maclair, Gregory; Lete, Nerea; Ceresa, Mario; García-Familiar, Ainhoa; Macía, Iván; González Ballester, Miguel A

    2018-05-01

    Computerized Tomography Angiography (CTA) based follow-up of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms (AAA) treated with Endovascular Aneurysm Repair (EVAR) is essential to evaluate the progress of the patient and detect complications. In this context, accurate quantification of post-operative thrombus volume is required. However, a proper evaluation is hindered by the lack of automatic, robust and reproducible thrombus segmentation algorithms. We propose a new fully automatic approach based on Deep Convolutional Neural Networks (DCNN) for robust and reproducible thrombus region of interest detection and subsequent fine thrombus segmentation. The DetecNet detection network is adapted to perform region of interest extraction from a complete CTA and a new segmentation network architecture, based on Fully Convolutional Networks and a Holistically-Nested Edge Detection Network, is presented. These networks are trained, validated and tested in 13 post-operative CTA volumes of different patients using a 4-fold cross-validation approach to provide more robustness to the results. Our pipeline achieves a Dice score of more than 82% for post-operative thrombus segmentation and provides a mean relative volume difference between ground truth and automatic segmentation that lays within the experienced human observer variance without the need of human intervention in most common cases. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Severe Cardiomyopathy after Huffing Dust-Off™

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexis L. Cates

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available A 34-year-old man was found down in a parking lot after huffing fifteen cans of Dust-Off. Though lucid during the initial hospital evaluation, the patient experienced a generalized seizure followed by a torsades de pointes arrhythmia and was resuscitated. An echocardiogram revealed left and right ventricular dysfunction with an ejection fraction of 25%. This unique outcome of inhalant abuse has scarcely been reported in similar cases. The patient fully recovered and had a normal ejection fraction prior to discharge.

  16. TU-H-CAMPUS-JeP1-02: Fully Automatic Verification of Automatically Contoured Normal Tissues in the Head and Neck

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McCarroll, R [UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX (United States); UT Health Science Center, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX (United States); Beadle, B; Yang, J; Zhang, L; Kisling, K; Balter, P; Stingo, F; Nelson, C; Followill, D; Court, L [UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX (United States); Mejia, M [University of Santo Tomas Hospital, Manila, Metro Manila (Philippines)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: To investigate and validate the use of an independent deformable-based contouring algorithm for automatic verification of auto-contoured structures in the head and neck towards fully automated treatment planning. Methods: Two independent automatic contouring algorithms [(1) Eclipse’s Smart Segmentation followed by pixel-wise majority voting, (2) an in-house multi-atlas based method] were used to create contours of 6 normal structures of 10 head-and-neck patients. After rating by a radiation oncologist, the higher performing algorithm was selected as the primary contouring method, the other used for automatic verification of the primary. To determine the ability of the verification algorithm to detect incorrect contours, contours from the primary method were shifted from 0.5 to 2cm. Using a logit model the structure-specific minimum detectable shift was identified. The models were then applied to a set of twenty different patients and the sensitivity and specificity of the models verified. Results: Per physician rating, the multi-atlas method (4.8/5 point scale, with 3 rated as generally acceptable for planning purposes) was selected as primary and the Eclipse-based method (3.5/5) for verification. Mean distance to agreement and true positive rate were selected as covariates in an optimized logit model. These models, when applied to a group of twenty different patients, indicated that shifts could be detected at 0.5cm (brain), 0.75cm (mandible, cord), 1cm (brainstem, cochlea), or 1.25cm (parotid), with sensitivity and specificity greater than 0.95. If sensitivity and specificity constraints are reduced to 0.9, detectable shifts of mandible and brainstem were reduced by 0.25cm. These shifts represent additional safety margins which might be considered if auto-contours are used for automatic treatment planning without physician review. Conclusion: Automatically contoured structures can be automatically verified. This fully automated process could be used to

  17. Temporary corneal stem cell dysfunction after radiation therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hiroshi, Fujishima; Kazuo, Tsubota

    1996-01-01

    Radiation therapy can cause corneal and conjuctival abnormalities that sometimes require surgical treatment. Corneal stem cell dysfunction is described, which recovered after the cessation of radiation. Methods - A 44-year-old man developed a corneal epithelial abnormality associated with conjuctival and corneal inflammation following radiation therapy for maxillary cancer. Examination of brush cytology samples showed goblet cells in the upper and lower parts of the cornea, which showed increased fluorescein permeability, and intraepithelial lymphocytes. Impression cytology showed goblet cells in the same part of the cornea. Specular microscopy revealed spindle type epithelial cells. Patient follow up included artificial tears and an antibiotic ophthalmic ointment. The corneal abnormalities resolved after 4 months with improved visual acuity without any surgical intervention, but the disappearance of the palisades of Vogt did not recover at 1 year after radiation. Radiation therapy in this patient caused temporary stem cell dysfunction which resulted in conjunctivalisation in a part of the cornea. Although limbal stem cell function did not fully recover, this rare case suggested that medical options should be considered before surgery. (Author)

  18. Patient representatives? views on patient information in clinical cancer trials

    OpenAIRE

    Dellson, Pia; Nilbert, Mef; Carlsson, Christina

    2016-01-01

    Background Patient enrolment into clinical trials is based on oral information and informed consent, which includes an information sheet and a consent certificate. The written information should be complete, but at the same time risks being so complex that it may be questioned if a fully informed consent is possible to provide. We explored patient representatives? views and perceptions on the written trial information used in clinical cancer trials. Methods Written patient information leaflet...

  19. The remote monitoring systems LOVER and RECOVER for international safeguards technical, economic and legal aspects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lauppe, W.D.; Stein, G.; Rezniczek, A.; Stienen, U.

    1983-12-01

    The electronic remote monitoring systems RECOVER and LOVER were developed to comply with the IAEA's tasks concerning international nuclear materials safeguards with the aim of reducing the inspection expenditure and enhancing control effectiveness. The present study on the technical, economic and legal aspects of an application of these systems is intended to show possible implications and provide argumentation aids for discussions on the application of these systems. RECOVER and LOVER offer the possibility of establishing a direct communication path between containment and surveillance system (c/s), instruments at the site of application and a central monitoring station. The demonstration versions of both systems have shown that remote interrogation of data under safeguards-specific boundary conditions (e.g. requirement of tamper safety) will be technically feasible. (orig./HP)

  20. A new memory effect (MSD) in fully depleted SOI MOSFETs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bawedin, M.; Cristoloveanu, S.; Yun, J. G.; Flandre, D.

    2005-09-01

    We demonstrate that the transconductance and drain current of fully depleted MOSFETs can display an interesting time-dependent hysteresis. This new memory effect, called meta-stable dip (MSD), is mainly due to the long carrier generation lifetime in the silicon film. Our parametric analysis shows that the memory window can be adjusted in view of practical applications. Various measurement conditions and devices with different doping, front oxide and silicon film thicknesses are systematically explored. The MSD effect can be generalized to several fully depleted CMOS technologies. The MSD mechanism is discussed and validated by two-dimensional simulations results.

  1. Fully Printed Flexible and Stretchable Electronics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Suoming

    Through this thesis proposal, the author has demonstrated series of flexible or stretchable sensors including strain gauge, pressure sensors, display arrays, thin film transistors and photodetectors fabricated by a direct printing process. By adopting the novel serpentine configuration with conventional non-stretchable materials silver nanoparticles, the fully printed stretchable devices are successfully fabricated on elastomeric substrate with the demonstration of stretchable conductors that can maintain the electrical properties under strain and the strain gauge, which could be used to measure the strain in desired locations and also to monitor individual person's finger motion. And by investigating the intrinsic stretchable materials silver nanowires (AgNWs) with the conventional configuration, the fully printed stretchable conductors are achieved on various substrates including Si, glass, Polyimide, Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and Very High Bond (VHB) tape with the illustration of the capacitive pressure sensor and stretchable electroluminescent displays. In addition, intrinsically stretchable thin-film transistors (TFTs) and integrated logic circuits are directly printed on elastomeric PDMS substrates. The printed devices utilize carbon nanotubes and a type of hybrid gate dielectric comprising PDMS and barium titanate (BaTiO3) nanoparticles. The BaTiO3/PDMS composite simultaneously provides high dielectric constant, superior stretchability, low leakage, as well as good printability and compatibility with the elastomeric substrate. Both TFTs and logic circuits can be stretched beyond 50% strain along either channel length or channel width directions for thousands of cycles while showing no significant degradation in electrical performance. Finally, by applying the SWNTs as the channel layer of the thin film transistor, we successfully fabricate the fully printed flexible photodetector which exhibits good electrical characteristics and the transistors exhibit

  2. Evident cognitive impairments in seemingly recovered patients after midazolam-based light sedation during diagnostic endoscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsu, Yen-Hsuan; Lin, Feng-Sheng; Yang, Chi-Cheng; Lin, Chih-Peng; Hua, Mau-Sun; Sun, Wei-Zen

    2015-06-01

    Midazolam is a widely used sedative agent during colonoscopy, with cognitive toxicity. However, the potential cognitive hazard of midazolam-based light sedation has not been sufficiently examined. We aimed to examine the cognitive safety and vulnerability profile under midazolam light sedation, with a particular focus on individual variations. We conducted a prospective case-controlled study in an academic hospital. In total, 30 patients undergoing sedative colonoscopy as part of a health check-up were recruited. Neuropsychological testing on the full cognitive spectrum was evaluated at 15 minutes and 120 minutes after low-dose midazolam administration. The modified reliable change index (RCI) was used for intrapersonal comparisons and controlling for practice effects. Midazolam affected psychomotor speed (48%), memory (40%), learning (32%), working memory (17%), and sustained attention (11%), while sparing orientation and the fluency aspect of executive function at the acute stage. Residual memory (10%) and learning (10%) impairments at 2 hours after administration were evidenced in some patients. The three object recall and digit symbol coding tests can serve as useful screening tools. Midazolam-based light sedation induced selective cognitive impairments and prolonged cognitive impairments occurred in patients with advanced age. A longer observation time and further screening were recommended for patients due to their at risk state. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  3. UPLC-MS/MS based diagnostics for epithelial ovarian cancer using fully sialylated C4-binding protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tanabe, Kazuhiro; Matsuo, Koji; Miyazawa, Masaki; Hayashi, Masaru; Ikeda, Masae; Shida, Masako; Hirasawa, Takeshi; Sho, Ryuichiro; Mikami, Mikio

    2018-05-01

    Serum levels of fully sialylated C4-binding protein (FS-C4BP) are remarkably elevated in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) and can be used as a marker to distinguish ovarian clear cell carcinoma from endometrioma. This study aimed to develop a stable, robust and reliable liquid chromatography-hybrid mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) based diagnostic method that would generalize FS-C4BP as a clinical EOC biomarker. Glycopeptides derived from 20 μL of trypsin-digested serum glycoprotein were analyzed via UPLC equipped with an electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer. This UPLC-MS/MS-based diagnostic method was optimized for FS-C4BP and validated using sera from 119 patients with EOC and 127 women without cancer. A1958 (C4BP peptide with two fully sialylated biantennary glycans) was selected as a marker of FS-C4BP because its level in serum was highest among FS-C4BP family members. Preparation and UPLC-MS/MS were optimized for A1958, and performance and robustness were significantly improved relative to our previous method. An area under the curve analysis of the FS-C4BP index receiver operating characteristic curve revealed that the ratio between A1958 and A1813 (C4BP peptide with two partially sialylated biantennary glycans) reached 85%. A combination of the FS-C4BP index and carbohydrate antigen-125 levels further enhanced the sensitivity and specificity. © 2017 The Authors. Biomedical Chromatography published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  4. Clinical Holistic Medicine: The Patient with Multiple Diseases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Søren Ventegodt

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available In clinical practice, patients can present with many different diseases, often both somatic and mental. Holistic medicine will try to see the diseases as a whole, as symptoms of a more fundamental imbalance in the state of being. The holistic physician must help the patient to recover existence and a good relationship with self. According to the life mission theory, theory of character, and holistic process theory of healing, recovering the purpose of life (the life mission is essential for the patient to regain life, love, and trust in order to find happiness and realize the true purpose of life. We illustrate the power of the holistic medical approach with a case study of an invalidated female artist, aged 42 years, who suffered from multiple severe health problems, many of which had been chronic for years. She had a combination of neurological disturbances (tinnitus, migraine, minor hallucinations, immunological disturbances (recurrent herpes simplex, phlegm in the throat, fungal infection in the crotch, hormonal disturbances (14 days of menstruation in each cycle, muscle disturbances (neck tensions, mental disturbances (tendency to cry, inferiority feeling, mild depression, desolation, anxiety, abdominal complaints, hemorrhoids, and more. The treatment was a combined strategy of improving the general quality of life, recovering her human character and purpose of life (“renewing the patients life energy”, “balancing her global information system”, and processing the local blockages, thus healing most of her many different diseases in a treatment using 30 h of intense holistic therapy over a period of 18 months.

  5. Solid recovered fuel production through the mechanical-biological treatment of wastes

    OpenAIRE

    Velis, C. A.

    2010-01-01

    This thesis is concerned with the production of solid recovered fuel (SRF) from municipal solid waste using mechanical biological treatment (MBT) plants. It describes the first in-depth analysis of a UK MBT plant and addresses the fundamental research question: are MBT plants and their unit operations optimised to produce high quality SRF in the UK? A critical review of the process science and engineering of MBT provides timely insights into the quality management and standa...

  6. Fast alternating projected gradient descent algorithms for recovering spectrally sparse signals

    KAUST Repository

    Cho, Myung

    2016-06-24

    We propose fast algorithms that speed up or improve the performance of recovering spectrally sparse signals from un-derdetermined measurements. Our algorithms are based on a non-convex approach of using alternating projected gradient descent for structured matrix recovery. We apply this approach to two formulations of structured matrix recovery: Hankel and Toeplitz mosaic structured matrix, and Hankel structured matrix. Our methods provide better recovery performance, and faster signal recovery than existing algorithms, including atomic norm minimization.

  7. Phase recovering algorithms for extended objects encoded in digitally recorded holograms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peng Z.

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents algorithms to recover the optical phase of digitally encoded holograms. Algorithms are based on the use of a numerical spherical reconstructing wave. Proof of the validity of the concept is performed through an experimental off axis digital holographic set-up. Two-color digital holographic reconstruction is also investigated. Application of the color set-up and algorithms concerns the simultaneous two-dimensional deformation measurement of an object submitted to a mechanical loading.

  8. Fast alternating projected gradient descent algorithms for recovering spectrally sparse signals

    KAUST Repository

    Cho, Myung; Cai, Jian-Feng; Liu, Suhui; Eldar, Yonina C.; Xu, Weiyu

    2016-01-01

    We propose fast algorithms that speed up or improve the performance of recovering spectrally sparse signals from un-derdetermined measurements. Our algorithms are based on a non-convex approach of using alternating projected gradient descent for structured matrix recovery. We apply this approach to two formulations of structured matrix recovery: Hankel and Toeplitz mosaic structured matrix, and Hankel structured matrix. Our methods provide better recovery performance, and faster signal recovery than existing algorithms, including atomic norm minimization.

  9. Hydrometallurgical process for recovering iron sulfate and zinc sulfate from baghouse dust

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zaromb, Solomon; Lawson, Daniel B.

    1994-01-01

    A process for recovering zinc/rich and iron-rich fractions from the baghouse dust that is generated in various metallurgical operations, especially in steel-making and other iron-making plants, comprises the steps of leaching the dust by hot concentrated sulfuric acid so as to generate dissolved zinc sulfate and a precipitate of iron sulfate, separating the precipitate from the acid by filtration and washing with a volatile liquid, such as methanol or acetone, and collecting the filtered acid and the washings into a filtrate fraction. The volatile liquid may be recovered distillation, and the zinc may be removed from the filtrate by alternative methods, one of which involves addition of a sufficient amount of water to precipitate hydrated zinc sulfate at 10.degree. C., separation of the precipitate from sulfuric acid by filtration, and evaporation of water to regenerate concentrated sulfuric acid. The recovery of iron may also be effected in alternative ways, one of which involves roasting the ferric sulfate to yield ferric oxide and sulfur trioxide, which can be reconverted to concentrated sulfuric acid by hydration. The overall process should not generate any significant waste stream.

  10. Uranium recovering from slags generated in the metallic uranium by magnesiothermic reduction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fornarolo, F.; Carvalho, E.F. Urano de; Durazzo, M.; Riella, H.G.

    2008-01-01

    The Nuclear Fuel Center of IPEN/CNEN-SP has recent/y concluded a program for developing the fabrication technology of the nuclear fuel based on the U 3 Si 2 -Al dispersion, which is being used in the IEA-R1 research reactor. The uranium silicide (U 3 Si 2 ) fuel production starts with the uranium hexafluoride (UF 6 ) processing and uranium tetrafluoride (UF 4 ) precipitation. Then, the UF 4 is converted to metallic uranium by magnesiothermic reduction. The UF 4 reduction by magnesium generates MgF 2 slag containing considerable concentrations of uranium, which could reach 20 wt%. The uranium contained in that slag should be recovered and this work presents the results obtained in recovering the uranium from that slag. The uranium recovery is accomplished by acidic leaching of the calcined slag. The calcination transforms the metallic uranium in U 3 O 8 , promoting the pulverization of the pieces of metallic uranium and facilitating the leaching operation. As process variables, have been considered the nitric molar concentration, the acid excess regarding the stoichiometry and the leaching temperature. As result, the uranium recovery reached a 96% yield. (author)

  11. Fully differential cross sections for heavy particle impact ionization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McGovern, M; Walters, H R J [Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Queen' s University, Belfast BT7 1NN (United Kingdom); Assafrao, D; Mohallem, J R [Laboratorio de Atomos e Moleculas Especiais, Departamento de Fisica, ICEx, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, P.O Box 702, 30123-970 Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil); Whelan, Colm T, E-mail: mmcgovern06@qub.ac.u [Department of Physics, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529-0116 (United States)

    2009-11-15

    We describe a procedure for extracting fully differential ionization cross sections from an impact parameter coupled pseudostate treatment of the collision. Some examples from antiproton impact ionization of atomic Hydrogen are given.

  12. Autoimmune Demyelinating Polyneuropathy as a Manifestation of Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease after Adult Cord Blood Transplantation in a Patient with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fredrick Hogan

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Immune mediated demyelinating disease after allogeneic stem cell transplantation is a rare entity with unclear etiology. Acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP has been reported after related and adult unrelated allogeneic stem cell transplantation but no such case has been reported after unrelated cord blood transplantation. We hereby present the first case of AIDP after double umbilical cord blood transplantation (DUCBT. A 55-year-old man with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL received a cord blood transplant for relapsed refractory disease with high risk cytogenetics. On day 221, patient presented with skin rash, tingling in both lower extremites, and ascending paralysis that progressed rapidly over the course of 2 days. The workup resulted in a diagnosis of AIDP and administration of intravenous immunoglobulins plus steroids was initiated. Motor and sensory powers were fully recovered and his chronic GVHD was managed for several months with single agent sirolimus.

  13. Scale-invariant gravity: spacetime recovered

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kelleher, Bryan

    2004-01-01

    The configuration space of general relativity is superspace-the space of all Riemannian 3-metrics modulo diffeomorphisms. However, it has been argued that the configuration space for gravity should be conformal superspace-the space of all Riemannian 3-metrics modulo diffeomorphisms and conformal transformations. Recently a manifestly three-dimensional theory was constructed with conformal superspace as the configuration space. Here a fully four-dimensional action is constructed so as to be invariant under conformal transformations of the 4-metric using general relativity as a guide. This action is then decomposed to a (3 + 1)-dimensional form and from this to its Jacobi form. The surprising thing is that the new theory turns out to be precisely the original three-dimensional theory. The physical data are identified and used to find the physical representation of the theory. In this representation the theory is extremely similar to general relativity. The clarity of the four-dimensional picture should prove very useful for comparing the theory with those aspects of general relativity which are usually treated in the four-dimensional framework

  14. The effect of total knee arthroplasty on patients' balance and incidence of falls: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moutzouri, M; Gleeson, N; Billis, E; Tsepis, E; Panoutsopoulou, I; Gliatis, J

    2017-11-01

    Despite the high incidence of falls in patients with OA, few studies have explored whether falls risk is affected after patients undergo total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Therefore, the aim of this systematic review was to identify the extent of the effects of TKA on balance and incidence of falls by critically reviewing the available literature. A systematic review of published literature sources was conducted up to March 2014. All studies assessing balance and incidence of falls after TKA (without physiotherapeutic intervention) were included. The methodological quality of each study was reviewed using the Critical Appraisal Skill Programme tool. Thirteen studies were included, comprising of ten cohort studies (Level II) and three studies with Level of evidence III. Findings provide evidence that TKA improves significantly single-limb standing balance (~60%) and dynamic balance up to 1-year following surgery (Level of evidence II). Moreover, TKA influences positively fear of falling and incidence of falls by switching 54.2 % of pre-operative fallers to post-operative non-fallers (Level of evidence II-III). It is highlighted that knee extension strength, proprioception and symmetrization of postural strategies have not fully recovered post-TKA and influence balance performance. Clinically, these persistent deficits need to be mitigated by physiotherapy even before TKA takes place.

  15. A CASE SERIES ON FISH BILE TOXICITY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dwijen

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available A case series of 3 cases of fish bile poisoning are reported. After ingestion of gall bladder of Labeo rohita for alleged vision improvement, generally presented with gastrointestinal symptoms such as cramping pain abdomen, nausea and vomiting within 12 hours after ingestion. Subsequently rena l and hepatic dysfunctions were found in all the three cases. The patient recovered fully with conservative treatment and supportive haemodialysis.

  16. Characteristics of Indium Tin Oxide (ITO Nanoparticles Recovered by Lift-off Method from TFT-LCD Panel Scraps

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dongchul Choi

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available In this study, indium-tin-oxide (ITO nanoparticles were simply recovered from the thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD panel scraps by means of lift-off method. This can be done by dissolving color filter (CF layer which is located between ITO layer and glass substrate. In this way the ITO layer was easily lifted off the glass substrate of the panel scrap without panel crushing. Over 90% of the ITO on the TFT-LCD panel was recovered by using this method. After separating, the ITO was obtained as particle form and their characteristics were investigated. The recovered product appeared as aggregates of particles less than 100 nm in size. The weight ratio of In/Sn is very close to 91/9. XRD analysis showed that the ITO nanoparticles have well crystallized structures with (222 preferred orientation even after recovery. The method described in this paper could be applied to the industrial recovery business for large size LCD scraps from TV easily without crushing the glass substrate.

  17. Helping Yourself Heal: A Recovering Woman's Guide to Coping with Childhood Abuse Issues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (DHHS/PHS), Rockville, MD. Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.

    This eight-page brochure identifies the many different feelings that recovering women have during substance abuse treatment. In addition, it identifies experiences generally considered as abuse, and common symptoms of adults who were abused as children. It also provides guidance on how to address childhood abuse issues while in treatment, as well…

  18. Characterization of Toxoplasma gondii-specific T cells recovered from vitreous fluid of patients with ocular toxoplasmosis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Feron, E. J.; Klaren, V. N.; Wierenga, E. A.; Verjans, G. M.; Kijlstra, A.

    2001-01-01

    The mechanisms involved in reactivations of latent ocular Toxoplasma gondii (Tg) infections in immunocompetent patients are poorly understood. In view of the possible role of T cells in the immunopathogenesis of the disease, ocular infiltrating T cells obtained from patients with recurrent ocular

  19. Cortical venous thrombosis following exogenous androgen use for bodybuilding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sveinsson, Olafur; Herrman, Lars

    2013-02-05

    There are only a few reports of patients developing cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) after androgen therapy. We present a young man who developed cortical venous thrombosis after using androgens to increase muscle mass. He was hospitalised for parasthesia and dyspraxia in the left hand followed by a generalised tonic-clonic seizure. At admission, he was drowsy, not fully orientated, had sensory inattention, pronation drift and a positive extensor response, all on the left side. The patient had been using anabolic steroids (dainabol 20 mg/day) for the last month for bodybuilding. CT angiography showed a right cortical venous thrombosis. Anticoagulation therapy was started with intravenous heparin for 11 days and oral anticoagulation (warfarin) thereafter. A control CT angiography 4 months later showed resolution of the thrombosis. He recovered fully.

  20. Fully electric waste collection

    CERN Multimedia

    Anaïs Schaeffer

    2015-01-01

    Since 15 June, Transvoirie, which provides waste collection services throughout French-speaking Switzerland, has been using a fully electric lorry for its collections on the CERN site – a first for the region!   Featuring a motor powered by electric batteries that charge up when the brakes are used, the new lorry that roams the CERN site is as green as can be. And it’s not only the motor that’s electric: its waste compactor and lifting mechanism are also electrically powered*, making it the first 100% electric waste collection vehicle in French-speaking Switzerland. Considering that a total of 15.5 tonnes of household waste and paper/cardboard are collected each week from the Meyrin and Prévessin sites, the benefits for the environment are clear. This improvement comes as part of CERN’s contract with Transvoirie, which stipulates that the firm must propose ways of becoming more environmentally friendly (at no extra cost to CERN). *The was...