Tall reinforced concrete (RC) building designs must satisfy serviceability stiffness criteria in terms of maximum lateral displacement and interstory drift. It is therefore important to assess accurately the effects of concrete cracking on lateral stiffness of such structures. This study integrates nonlinear cracking analysis methods with a powerful optimization technique and presents an effective numerical approach for the stiffness-based optimum design of tall RC buildings under service loads. A probability-based effective stiffness method is employed to identify cracked members and to modify their effective cracked stiffness. Iterative procedures are necessary for the serviceability analysis of tall RC buildings to determine their nonlinear stiffness char...

This paper aims firstly to provide a conceptual overview on the two main objectives that should be addressed when modifying international environmental law and subordinated law in a more sustainable direction in the sense of Ecological Economics. This first aim is addressed based on ongoing research on ‘3-D Sustainability’, a concept providing decision-making support for priority setting between environmental, social and economic dimensions within sustainable development. The two main objectives identified within this aim are to stay by means of international environmental law within the ecologically sustainable scale and to legally define flexible trade-off mechanisms, which better deal with conflicts of interests among the three sustainability dimensio...

Different lymphocyte subsets are involved in autoimmune pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes (T1D). Previous studies suggested a role of CD5-expressing T and B cells including rare unconventional lymphocytes with combined T- and B-cell features [dual expressing (DE) cells]. We performed algorithm-supported multiparameter flow cytometry and quantitative PCR to investigate immune cell subsets and DE cells in children with T1D (n = 20) and matched controls (n = 20). Comparisons of conventional immune cells detected increased proportions of CD3+ T cells in T1D patients, whereas CD19+ B-cell proportions were comparable to controls. Self-organizing maps for flow cytometry analyses (FlowSOM) showed highly similar CD5-expressing B-cell subsets and no differences for DE c...

Microchanneled reactors made from Fecralloy and impregnated with Rh were studied in partial oxidation (POX) and oxidative steam reforming (OSR) reactions for production of hydrogen or synthesis gas. Temperature profiles obtained along the reactor axis confirmed that the metallic microchannel reactor is able to minimize temperature gradients and pointed to gas phase ignition in front of the reactor as the main reason for reduced syngas production and increased hydrocarbon by-product formation at the highest furnace temperatures. Addition of steam to the reactant mixture (OSR) resulted in increased formation of hydrogen relative to propane converted (S*(H2)), mainly in accordance with the water–gas shift reaction. Reducing the residence time below 10 ms at 8...

This study examined the effect of (a) creatine supplementation on exercise metabolism and performance and (b) changes in intramuscular total creatine stores following a 5 day supplementation period and a 28 day wash-out period. Six men performed four exercise trials, each consisting of four 1 min cycling bouts, punctuated by 1 min of rest followed by a fifth bout to fatigue, all at a workload estimated to require 115 or 125% VO2,max. After three familiarization trials, one trial was conducted following a creatine monohydrate supplementation protocol (CREAT); the other after 28 d without creatine supplementation, in which the last 5 d involved placebo ingestion (CON). Intramuscular TCr was elevated (P < 0.05) in CREAT compared with the final familiarization t...

Given symmetric matrices A0,A1,…,An of size m with rational entries, the set of real vectors x=(x1,…,xn) such that the matrix A0+x1A1+⋯+xnAn has non-negative eigenvalues is called a spectrahedron. Minimization of linear functions over spectrahedra is called semidefinite programming. Such problems appear frequently in control theory and real algebra, especially in the context of nonnegativity certificates for multivariate polynomials based on sums of squares. Numerical software for semidefinite programming are mostly based on interior point methods, assuming non-degeneracy properties such as the existence of an interior point in the spectrahedron. In this paper, we design an exact algorithm based on symbolic homotopy for solving semidefinite programs wi...

Microorganisms can degrade numerous organic pollutants owing to their metabolic machinery and to their capacity to adapt to inhospitable environments. Thus, microorganisms are major players in site remediation. However, their efficiency depends on many factors, including the chemical nature and the concentration of pollutants, their availability to microorganisms, and the physicochemical characteristics of the environment. The capacity of a microbial population to degrade pollutants within an environmental matrix (e.g. soil, sediment, sludge or wastewater) can be enhanced either by stimulation of the indigenous microorganisms by addition of nutrients or electron acceptors (biostimulation) or by the introduction of specific microorganisms to the local populat...

Three factors govern adiabatic shear localization: strain hardening (or softening), strain-rate hardening, and thermal softening. It is typically associated with large shear strains (>1), high strain rates (103–107 s−1), and high temperatures (40–100% of melting point), all of which happen within narrow regions with widths of about 1–200 μm. It is often an undesirable phenomenon, leading to failure, but there are situations where it is desirable, e. g., the generation of machining chips. Here, we review the development of both theoretical and experimental achievements, from the initiation of shear bands to their propagation with emphasis on three aspects: novel experimental techniques, novel materials, and nano/microstructural effects. The principal...

Abstract Background It is customary to believe that a patient with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score less than or equal to 8 should be intubated to avoid aspiration. We conducted a systematic review to establish if patients with GCS ≤ 8 for trauma or non-traumatic emergencies and treated in the acute care setting (e.g., Emergency Department or Pre-hospital environment) should be intubated to avoid aspiration or aspiration pneumonia/pneumonitis, and consequently, reduce mortality. Methods We searched six databases, Pubmed, Embase, Scopus, SpringerLink, Cochrane Library, and Ovid Emcare, from April 15th to October 14th, 2020, for studies involving low GCS score patients of whom the risk of aspiration and related complications was assessed. Results Thirteen st...

This article deals with the tuning of a complex robotic workcell of eight joints devoted to milling tasks. It consists of a KUKA™ manipulator mounted on a linear track and synchronised with a rotary table. Prior to any machining, the additional joints require an in situ calibration in an industrial environment. For this purpose, a novel planar calibration method is developed to estimate the external joint configuration parameters by means of a laser displacement sensor and avoiding direct contact with the pattern. Moreover, a redundancy resolution scheme on the joint rate level is integrated within a computer aided manufacturing system for the complete control of the workcell during the path tracking of a milling task. Finally, the whole system is tested i...

The position of the skin paddle on the breast area is a fundamental element for the breast reconstructions by latissimus dorsi flap and prosthesis implantation. Should, as Millard advocated, to recreate the initial defect and include it in the mastectomy scar or is it better in an additional incision as have others authors. This study compares the long-term morphological results of these two attitudes, with or without additional incision.Eighty-two breast reconstructions by latissimus dorsi flap and prosthesis implantation, with a mean follow-up of 9.5 years were scored from 1 to 5 by a panel of expert and non-expert. The patients scored also their own reconstruction. Various parameters of the reconstructed breast were thus evaluated. We compared the results...

Major depression is one of the most common psychiatric disorders with a high rate of treatment resistance where new treatment options are urgently warranted. One of these new options are non-invasive brain stimulation techniques like transcranial magnetic or electric stimulation. One of the latter is transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) in various frequencies. Here, we report a case series of six patients suffering from major depression treated with tACS in gamma (40 Hz) frequency. Patients were randomized to two groups, receiving either two 10-min stimulations (group 1) or a 20-min stimulation or per day (group 2) over ten days. Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and Beck Depression Inventory decreased during treatment in both study groups by 8...

Given advances in methodology of deep neural networks, this study used the LMDI (logarithmic mean Divisia index) to decompose 1983–2017 United States solar energy consumption data and identified four driving factors. These factors were considered as a group to provide a single variable input, and as four individually decomposed effects used to combine with LSTM (long short−term memory) to predict changes in solar energy consumption. Compared with the autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) method, the results show that the proposed approach combined with LSTM has better feasibility. First, the structural effect accounts for the largest proportion of the total contribution in consumption, reflecting the significance of the growth of solar energy....

Primary insomnia is defined as difficulties in falling asleep, maintaining sleep or non-restorative sleep accompanied by significantly impaired daytime functioning in the absence of a specific physical, mental or substance-related cause. The current review provides substantial support for the concept that hyperarousal processes from the molecular to the higher system level play a key role in the pathophysiology of primary insomnia. Autonomous, neuroendocrine, neuroimmunological, electrophysiological and neuroimaging studies demonstrate increased levels of arousal in primary insomnia during both night and daytime. In the light of neurobiological theories of sleep–wake regulation, primary insomnia may be conceptualized as a final common pathway resulting fro...

Industrial ecology is one of a number of new fields of study, such as 'green chemistry' or 'ecological economics', that have deliberately reached across different disciplines in both name and substance. This raises a number of issues for the practitioner, including difficult questions of boundary and field content (when is something 'industrial ecology' and when is it a part of another dialogue?). Such issues are challenging enough. But industrial ecology raises even more complex questions, in particular the possibility that in some senses, industrial ecology is one of the first post-modern fields of study, in that, unlike most more traditional disciplines, it embodies not a single ontology, but a set of complex and, in some ways, mutually exclusive ontologi...

In recent years I have had occasion to examine the Dîwâns of these two Arabic poets in connexion with theses prepared by two Indian candidates for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the University of Oxford, and it has occurred to me that a short selection of what appeared to me at the time to be the best verses of these poets might not be lacking in interest, as no translations into English of any of the poems of either have yet been published, so far as I have been able to discover. I am not unmindful of the objections made by Doctor Nicholson when I applied a similar method of selection to the works of Mutanabbi eleven years ago, but I think that they apply, if at all, only in a very limited degree to poets of the calibre of Abu Tammâm and Ibn Hân�...

Since the discovery of the first trypsinogen mutation in families with hereditary pancreatitis, pancreatic genetics has made rapid progress. The identification of mutations in genes involved in the digestive protease-antiprotease pathway has lent additional support to the notion that pancreatitis is a disease of autodigestion. Clinical and experimental observations have provided compelling evidence that premature intrapancreatic activation of digestive proteases is critical in pancreatitis onset. However, disease course and severity are mostly governed by inflammatory cells that drive local and systemic immune responses. In this article, we review the genetics, cell biology, and immunology of pancreatitis with a focus on protease activation pathways and othe...

This paper examines the planning, physical development, and housing in Tema New Town, an appendix of the newly created Tema industrial and harbour city, located on the northeastern part of Accra in the Greater Accra Region in Ghana. The city and its appendage were designed and built during the 1950s, as the country was rapidly approaching political independence. Tema, originally an old Ga-fishing village, became a significant part of a much larger and ambitious scheme, known as the Volta River Project proposed as part of Kwame Nkrumah's domestic policy, embracing multifaceted and multidimensional development projects. These projects were to serve as a symbol of ‘progress’ and were part of Ghana's desire for modernization as it emerged from a colonial pas...

A new test method using moisture rate to represent workability indicators of dry-hard mixture is introduced in order to test the control indicators of VC value in the construction of roller compacted concrete rapidly. In view of the complexity of the impact of proportional difference on VC value and moisture rate, this paper carries out field tests of roller compacted concrete in Guoduo hydropower station of Tibet. A simplified linear quantitative model formula of VC value and moisture rate at the construction site is established based on determined aggregate grading, admixture, additive type and the amount of admixture of roller compacted concrete mixture, providing conditions for the rapid and accurate measurement of construction quality indicators of roll...

The solubility of rhenium (Re) in a haplobasaltic melt (anorthite-diopside eutectic composition) has been experimentally determined using the mechanically assisted equilibration technique at 1400°C as a function of oxygen fugacity (10−12 < fO2 ≤ 10−7 bar), imposed by CO-CO2 gas mixtures. Samples were analysed by laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). This is a true microanalytical technique, which allows small-scale sample heterogeneity to be detected, while providing a limit of detection of 2 ppb Re. Time-resolved LA-ICP-MS spectra revealed the presence of suboptically sized micronuggets of Re in all samples, which, because they are present at the 0.5 to 10 ppm level, dominate the true solubilities of Re (

Menopause at a young age is associated with many health problems in women, including osteoporosis, depressive symptoms, coronary disease, and stroke. Many traditional observational studies have reported some potential risk factors for early menopause but have drawn different conclusions. This inconsistency can be attributed mainly to unmodified confounding factors. Identifying the factors causally associated with age at menopause is important for early intervention in women with abnormal menopause timing, and for improving the quality of life for postmenopausal women. This study aims to appraise whether the previously reported risk factors are causally associated with early age at natural menopause (ANM) susceptibility.We used Mendelian randomization, a stat...

Studying the stability of Pickering emulsion is of great interest for applications including catalysis, oil recovery, and cosmetics. Conventional methods emphasize the overall behavior of bulk emulsions and neglect the influence of particle adsorbing dynamics, leading to discrepancies in predicting the shelf-life of Pickering emulsion-based products. By employing a microfluidic method, the particle adsorption is controlled and the stability of the Pickering emulsions is consequently examined. This approach enables us to elucidate the relationship between the particle adsorption dynamics and the stability of Pickering emulsions on droplet-level quantitatively. Using oil/water emulsions stabilized by polystyrene nanoparticles as an example, the diffusion-limit...

Intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) rates increase in winter months. We aimed to determine associations of ambient temperature with clinical severity and haematoma size in acute ICH among Chinese participants in the Intensive Blood Pressure Reduction in Acute Cerebral Haemorrhage Trial (INTERACT1).INTERACT1 was a randomised controlled trial of early intensive blood pressure lowering in 404 patients with acute ICH. Among 304 (79%) Chinese participants, data on ambient temperature (average, minimum, maximum and range) on the day of ICH onset obtained from the China Meteorological Data Sharing Service System were linked to measures of clinical severity: elevated National Institute of Health Stroke Scale score (>10), low Glasgow Coma Scale score (

The requirements to define End-of-Waste Criteria (EWC) were set in the Waste Framework Directive (WFD), Article 6 and the detailed data collected are considered to be the baseline for the elaboration of the operational EWC through several steps. Such waste stream (which is produced from End of Life Tires-ELT) could be a valuable source for energy recovery and can be used on a pan-European basis as an alternative fuel, for co-incineration in cement plants or furthermore in internal compunctions engines. The exploration for sustainable energy is one of the most dynamic areas of research currently. This study aims to investigate the ability to manage and exploit the energy content of Tire Pyrolysis Oil (TPO), through pyrolysis technology as incineration/co-inci...

To compare the 1-year outcomes of patients with lumbar spinal stenosis treated with supervised physical therapy or unsupervised exercise.A single-center randomized controlled trial with concealed allocation, blinded assessor and intention-to-treat analysis.Spine care center.A total of 86 patients presenting with symptoms of neurogenic claudication caused by lumbar spinal stenosis.The physical therapy group received supervised physical therapy sessions twice a week for 6 weeks and home exercise program. The home exercise group received 6-week home exercise program only.The primary outcome was symptom severity on the Zurich claudication questionnaire at 1 year. Secondary outcomes included physical function, pain, health-related quality of life and the surgery ...

A thorough review of the available orthopaedic literature shows significant controversies, inconsistencies and sparse data regarding the terminology used to describe foot deformities. This lack of consensus on terminology creates confusion in professional discussions of foot anatomy, pathoanatomy and treatment of deformities. The controversies apply to joint movements as well as static relationships between the bones.The calcaneopedal unit (CPU) is a specific anatomical and physiological entity, represented by the entire foot excepted the talus. The calcaneus, midfoot and forefoot are solidly bound by three strong ligaments that create a unit that articulates with the talus. The movement of the CPU is complex, as it rotates under the talus, around the axis o...

Synopsis Pain is complex. It is no longer acceptable to consider pain solely as a peripheral phenomenon involving activation of nociceptive neurons. The contemporary understanding of pain involves consideration of different underlying pain mechanisms and an increasing awareness of plasticity in all of the biological systems. Of note, recent advances in technology and understanding have highlighted the critical importance of neuroimmune interactions, both in the peripheral and central nervous systems, and the interaction between the nervous system and body tissues in the development and maintenance of pain, including low back pain (LBP). Further, the biology of many tissues changes when challenged by pain and injury, as reported in a growing body of literatur...

Metformin, an AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activator, is an oral hypoglycemic drug widely used to treat patients with type 2 diabetes. As AMPK plays a role in the nociceptive processing, investigating the effects induced by metformin in experimental models of pain is warranted. In the present study, we further evaluated the effects induced by metformin in models of nociceptive and neuropathic pain and investigated mechanisms that could mediate such effects. Metformin was administered per os (p.o.) in mice. Nociceptive response induced by heat (hot-plate) and mechanical allodynia induced by chronic constriction injury (CCI) were used as pain models. Naltrexone (intraperitoneal) and glibenclamide (p.o.) were used to investigate mechanisms mediating metf...

WIF-1 is a negative regulator of the Wnt-signaling pathway that may have important implications for tumorigenesis. Microarray analysis of whole genome expression in mesothelioma tissue revealed down-regulation of 491 genes and up-regulation of 167 genes involved mainly in Jak-STAT signaling (8 genes), MAPK signaling (16 genes) and Wnt signaling (13 genes) pathways. Of these, WIF-1 gene was down-regulated in mesothelioma 72-fold compared to normal tissue. We also analyzed WIF-1 and SFRPs promoter methylations in 46 mesothelioma tissues, 8 mesothelioma cell lines by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP). WIF-1 promoter methylation was observed in 34 of 46 mesothelioma tissues (73.9%) and in all 8 mesothelioma cell lines. SFRP1, 2 and 4 promoter ...

Aim: The Wilms’ Tumour gene is thought to have tumour suppressor activity and to play an important role in nephrogenesis, genitourinary development, haematopoiesis and sex determination. WT1 mutations will impair gonadal and urinary tract development and have been demonstrated to cause syndromes of WAGR, Denys–Drash and Fraiser. Methods: To elucidate the role of constitutional mutations of WT1, in the expression of the different clinical feature, we describe a 14-year-9-month nonmosaic XY sex-reversed woman with pure gonadal dysgenesis (46, XY karyotype, completely female external genitalia, normal Mullerian ducts, absence of Wolffian ducts, streak gonads) who had right kidney removed at 7 months of age because of Wilms’ tumour and was diagnosed as sec...

From the viewpoint of the cost and safety, aqueous sodium-ion batteries are attractive candidate for large-scale energy storage. Although the operating voltage range of the aqueous battery is theoretically limited to 1.23 V by the electrochemical decomposition of water, the voltage restriction is a little bit eased in real aqueous battery system by the charge/discharge overvoltage. Effect of the concentrated electrolyte on the operation voltage was studied in aqueous Na-ion battery with Na2MnFe(CN)6 hexacyanoferrates cathode and NaTi2(PO4)3 NASICON-type anode, in order to increase the discharge voltage. According to the cyclic voltammetry, the electrochemical window of diluted 1 mol kg−1 NaClO4 aqueous electrolyte is only 1.9 V, whereas the corresponding e...

Unraveling the genetic background of common complex traits is a major goal in modern genetics. In recent years, genome-wide association (GWA) studies have been conducted with large-scale data sets of genetic variants. Most of those studies have relied on single-marker approaches that identify single genetic factors individually and can be limited in considering fully the joint effects of multiple genetic factors on complex traits. Joint identification of multiple genetic factors would be more powerful and would provide better prediction on complex traits since it utilizes combined information across variants. Here we propose a multi-stage approach for GWA analysis: (1) prescreening, (2) joint identification of putative SNPs based on elastic-net variable sele...

The present prospective study compared the standard nonpulsatile twin roller pump with the Sarns centrifugal pump, in the pulsatile mode, as arterial pumps for extracorporeal circulation during coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The study was conducted in two consecutive groups of 25 patients receiving a standard anaesthetic and surgical protocol. The investigated parameters included haemodynamic profiles, oxygen exchange, blood gas and acid-base homeostasis, haematology, coagulation and complement consumption. With comparable settings for pump flow, gas flow and delivered oxygen concentrations, there was no difference between the groups in the main haemodynamic parameters during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). However, a tenfold lower dose of sodium nitr...

BackgroundThe infection caused by Mayaro virus (MAYV), which presents as an acute febrile illness, is considered a neglected tropical disease. The virus is an endemic and emerging pathogen in South America and the Caribbean, responsible for occasional and poorly characterized outbreaks. Currently there is limited information about its expansion and risk areas.MethodsA cross-sectional study was performed in 10 urban primary care health centers in the Cajamarca region of Peru from January to June 2017. A total of 359 patients with suspected febrile illness were assessed. RNA was extracted from serum samples, following which MAYV real-time reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) for the detection of the nsP1 gene was performed.ResultsMAYV was detected in 11.1% (40/3...

Abstract This study investigated the effect of DAMGO-induced μ opioid receptor (MOR) internalization on morphine tolerance. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (200–250 g) aged 6–8 weeks were administered morphine via intrathecal (i.t.) injection (15 μg/10 μl twice daily for 6 days) to induce antinociceptive tolerance, which was evaluated using the tail-flick and paw-withdrawal tests. Response latency was calculated as the percentage of maximum possible effect (%MPE). A bolus of DAMGO was administered by i.t. injection on day 6, and the tail-flick and paw-withdrawal tests were carried out 24, 48, and 72 h later. Membrane and cytosolic MOR expression was assessed by western blotting. HEK293 cells were transfected with MOR-FLAG plasmid and after 6 days of morph...

The regeneration of whole osteochondral constructs with a physiological structure has been a significant issue, both clinically and academically. In this study, we present a method using rabbit bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) cultured on a silk-RADA peptide scaffold in a specially designed two-chambered co-culture well for the generation of multilayered osteochondral constructs in vitro. This specially designed two-chambered well can simultaneously provide osteogenic and chondrogenic stimulation to cells located in different regions of the scaffold. We demonstrated that this co-culture approach could successfully provide specific chemical stimulation to BMSCs located on different layers within a single scaffold, resulting in the formation of multilayered o...

The administration of intra-articular local anaesthetic is common following arthroscopy of the knee. However, recent evidence has suggested that bupivacaine may be harmful to articular cartilage. This study aimed to establish whether infiltration of bupivacaine around the portals is as effective as intra-articular injection. We randomised 137 patients to receive either 20 ml 0.5% bupivacaine introduced into the joint (group 1) or 20 ml 0.5% bupivacaine infiltrated only around the portals (group 2) following arthroscopy. A visual analogue scale was administered one hour post-operatively to assess pain relief. Both patients and observers were blinded to the treatment group. A power calculation was performed. The mean visual analogue score was 3.24 (sd 2.20) in...

In the last decades nutraceuticals have entered the health market as an easy and attractive means of preventing diseases. These products are of interest for an increasingly health-concerned society and may be especially relevant for preventing or delaying a number of age-related diseases, i.e. arthritis, cancer, metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, cataracts, brain disorders, etc. Nutraceuticals are marketed in a variety of forms, composition and potential applications which have made their definition ambiguous and their use uncontrolled and poorly funded. Although epidemiological, animal and in vitro studies have given evidence of the potential benefits of some of these nutraceuticals or of their components, definitive proof of their effects...

Background: Gram-negative bacterial resistance to antibiotics is of increasing concern. Carbapenem resistance among strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae is a relatively new phenomenon. Resistance attributable to production of carbapenemases is notoriously difficult to combat. Methods: Case report and review of the pertinent English-language literature. Results: A patient, hospitalized for aortic dissection complicated by intra-abdominal catastrophe and acute kidney injury, developed bacteremia exhibiting meropenem non-susceptibility secondary to expression of blaKPC-2. High-dose, continuous-infusion meropenem achieved serum drug concentrations above the minimum inhibitory concentration and eradicated the infection. Conclusion: This is the first report of a merop...

2-Phenyl-4-quinolone series compounds have exhibited growth inhibitory influence on several human cancer cell lines. In this study, we investigated the effects of 2-(3-(methylamino)phenyl)-6-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)quinolin-4-one (Smh-3) on viability, cell cycle and apoptotic cell death which occurred in different leukemia cell lines (HL-60, U937 and K562) in a dose- and time-dependent manner, but which did not obviously impair the viability of normal human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) in vitro. The approximate IC50 was 103.26±4.59 nM for a 48 h treatment in HL-60 cells. Cell cycle analysis showed that 100 nM Smh-3 induced signi­ficant G2/M arrest in examined cells. Within 0, 12, 24 and 48 h of treatment, Smh-3 inhibited CDK1 activity and decreased pr...

A bipolar plate is designed to have high electric conductivity, low corrosion and good mechanical strength characteristics. The two most common materials adopted for bipolar plates are carbon and metal. The carbon bipolar plate has good electric conductivity and corrosion resistance but brittle. The metal bipolar plate has good mechanical strength, acceptable electrical conductivity but worse corrosion resistance. The main objective of this paper is to design and fabricate graphite composite laminate based PEMFC bipolar plate. A thermoset type phenolic resin is adopted as the matrix with a plain weave type woven graphite fiber cloth adopted as the composite laminate reinforcement. In the fabrication process, thermoset phenol-formaldehyde resin is first print...

We combine measurements using a surface balance technique, ellipsometry, and surface light scattering in order to study the interfacial properties of graft copolymers and the corresponding ungrafted «parent» homopolymer at the air/water interface. Furthermore, by using Langmuir-Blodgett (L-B) techniques to transfer monolayers of the graft copolymers onto silica substrates, we also examine thin films at the air/solid interface by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The polymers are composed of a poly(ethyl acrylate) (PEA) main chain and pendant polystyrene (PS) grafts. In addition, the copolymers have on average one, three, and five PS grafts per PEA chain backbone. The PEA component in these graft copolymers provide sufficient hydrophilicity to form stable mono...

Journal of Environmental QualityVolume 16, Issue 3 p. 286-287 Book Review The Ecology of Natural Disturbance and Patch Dynamics Edited by S.T.A. Pickett and P.S. White, Academic Press, Inc., 6277 Sea Harbor Dr., Orlando, FL 32821. 1985. 472 p. Kate Lajtha, Department of Botany, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210Search for more papers by this author Kate Lajtha, Department of Botany, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210Search for more papers by this author First published: 01 July 1987 https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq1987.00472425001600030019xAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below t...

Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (hoFH) is a rare genetic disease, hallmarked by a lifelong exposure to very high levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Untreated, patients can experience a cardiovascular event in the first decade of life. Early detection and monitoring of subclinical atherosclerosis in these patients is therefore extremely important. We set out to assess the diagnostic yield of low-dose coronary computed tomography angiography (cCTA) compared to echocardiography in detecting subclinical atherosclerosis.For this single-center cross-sectional study, we included all pediatric hoFH patients treated with lipoprotein-apheresis (LA) in Amsterdam UMC. We performed both cCTA and echocardiography in all patients as part of rou...

Since its introduction in the late 1990s, the unskilled and unaware effect motivated several further studies. As it stands, low-performing students are assumed to provide inaccurate and overconfident performance judgments. However, as research with second-order judgments (SOJs) indicates, they apparently have some metacognitive awareness of this. The current study with 266 undergraduate students aimed to provide in-depth insights into both the reasons for (in)accurate performance judgments and the appropriateness of SOJs. We implemented a general linear mixed model (GLMM) approach to study item-specific performance judgments in the domain of mathematics at the person and item level. The analyses replicated the well-known effects. However, the GLMM analyses r...

A novel modification of the sample preparation procedure for the Folin–Ciocalteu colorimetric assay for the determination of total phenolic compounds in natural solid and semisolid organic materials (e.g., foods, organic solid waste, soils, plant tissues, agricultural residues, manure) is proposed. In this method, the sample is prepared by adding sodium sulfate as a solid diluting agent before homogenization. The method allows for the determination of total phenols (TP) in samples with high solids contents, and it provides good accuracy and reproducibility. Additionally, this method permits analyses of significant amounts of sample, which reduces problems related to heterogeneity. We applied this method to phenols-rich lignocellulosic and humic-like solids...

The heterogeneous reaction of soot with NO can be considered as a means of reduction of the emissions of both pollutants from combustion systems. In this paper, the influence of the presence of CO in the soot–NO reaction is studied. Soot was obtained by pyrolysis at 1373 K of 5000 ppmv acetylene in nitrogen. The study of the influence of CO on the soot–NO reaction was performed in experiments fixing NO concentration at 900 ppmv and introducing different CO concentrations among 0 and 9900 ppmv. An increase in both the carbon consumption rate and NO reduction by acetylene soot was observed as the concentration of CO increases. These results can be explained by the oxide-stripping reaction, CO + Cf(O) → CO2 + Cf. The direct reaction of CO with NO catalyze...

Methods available for the measurement of antioxidant capacity are reviewed, presenting the general chemistry underlying the assays, the types of molecules detected, and the most important advantages and shortcomings of each method. This overview provides a basis and rationale for developing standardized antioxidant capacity methods for the food, nutraceutical, and dietary supplement industries. From evaluation of data presented at the First International Congress on Antioxidant Methods in 2004 and in the literature, as well as consideration of potential end uses of antioxidants, it is proposed that procedures and applications for three assays be considered for standardization: the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay, the Folin-Ciocalteu method, a...

The presence of lesions in visible areas of skin may cause emotional troubles in patients, including low self-worth, embarrassment, sorrow, and social isolation. Those alterations may predispose to psychiatric disorders such as anxiety, depression, and even suicidal ideation, severely affecting patients' health state and quality of life (QoL). In this article, we focus on dermatologic patients that present with secondary mental health alterations. Thus, we offer a detailed description of mental disorders observed in patients with acne vulgaris, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, ichthyosis, vitiligo, and hidradenitis suppurativa. Moreover, we point out the relationship between the severity of the cutaneous symptoms with mental illnesses and QoL decline. Our objec...

For thousands of years, scientists have studied human anatomy by dissecting bodies. Our knowledge of their findings is limited, however, both by the subsequent loss of many of the oldest texts, and by a tendency toward a Eurocentric perspective in medicine. As a discipline, anatomy tends to be much more familiar with ancient Greek texts than with those from India, China, or Persia. Here, we show that the Mawangdui medical texts, entombed in the Mawangdui burial site in Changsha, China 168 BCE, are the oldest surviving anatomical atlas in the world. These medical texts both predate and inform the later acupuncture texts which have been the foundation for acupuncture practice in the subsequent two millennia. The skills necessary to interpret them are diverse, ...

The present study aimed to test effects of unexpected task-irrelevant environmental sounds, that were short-term learned to be significant, on deviance-related brain activity (event-related potentials; ERPs) and performance in children aged 9-10 years and young adults. Participants performed three conditions. In the first ignore condition an oddball paradigm was presented including two neutral deviant sounds. In the second learning condition significance was attributed to one of the two deviant sounds by defining it as target. In the third condition participants then performed a version of an oddball paradigm, embedded in a narrative, that included the neutral and the now significant but task-irrelevant deviant sound. Results revealed decreased reaction time...

Solar biomass gasification is an attractive pathway to promote biomass valorization while chemically storing intermittent solar energy into solar fuels. The economic feasibility of a solar gasification process at a large scale for centralized H2 production was assessed, based on the discounted cash-flow rate of return method to calculate the minimum H2 production cost. H2 production costs from solar-only, hybrid and conventional autothermal biomass gasification were evaluated under various economic scenarios. Considering a biomass reference cost of 0.1 €/kg, and a land cost of 12.9 €/m2, H2 minimum price was estimated at 2.99 €/kgH2 and 2.48 €/kgH2 for the allothermal and hybrid processes, respectively, against 2.25 €/kgH2 in the conventional proce...

One of the critical issues in orthopaedic regenerative medicine is the design of bone scaffolds and implants that replicate the biomechanical properties of the host bones. Porous metals have found themselves to be suitable candidates for repairing or replacing the damaged bones since their stiffness and porosity can be adjusted on demands. Another advantage of porous metals lies in their open space for the in-growth of bone tissue, hence accelerating the osseointegration process. The fabrication of porous metals has been extensively explored over decades, however only limited controls over the internal architecture can be achieved by the conventional processes. Recent advances in additive manufacturing have provided unprecedented opportunities for producing ...

Throughout evolution, organisms have created numerous mechanisms to sense and respond to their environment. One such highly conserved mechanism involves regulation by heterotrimeric G-protein complex comprised of alpha (Gα), beta (Gβ) and gamma (Gγ) subunits. In plants, these proteins play important roles in signal transduction pathways related to growth and development including response to biotic and abiotic stresses and consequently affect yield. In this work, we have identified and characterized the complete heterotrimeric G-protein repertoire in the Capsicum annuum (Capsicum) genome which consists of one Gα, one Gβ and three Gγ genes. We have also identified one RGS gene in the Capsicum genome that acts as a regulator of the G-protein signaling. B...

Music perception involves complex brain functions underlying acoustic analysis, auditory memory, auditory scene analysis, and processing of musical syntax and semantics. Moreover, music perception potentially affects emotion, influences the autonomic nervous system, the hormonal and immune systems, and activates (pre)motor representations. During the past few years, research activities on different aspects of music processing and their neural correlates have rapidly progressed. This article provides an overview of recent developments and a framework for the perceptual side of music processing. This framework lays out a model of the cognitive modules involved in music perception, and incorporates information about the time course of activity of some of these ...

This paper proposes a novel adaptive robust optimization (ARO)-based mathematical framework for resilience enhancement of interdependent critical infrastructure (CI) systems against natural hazards (NHs). In this framework, the potential impacts of a specific NH on an infrastructure are firstly evaluated, in terms of failure and recovery probabilities of system components; these are, then, fed into a two-stage ARO model to determine the optimal planning of resilience strategies under limited investment budget, anticipating the most-likely worst realization of the uncertainty of component failures under the NH. For its exact solution, a decomposition method based on simultaneous column-and-constraint generation is adopted. The approach is applied to a case st...

The use of the dynamic pendant drop method has permitted the accumulation of information in real time on the kinetic and rheological processes that accompany the adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA) at the dichloromethane (DCM)/water interface in the presence and in the absence of poly(D,L-lactide) (PLA50). These results have been compared with those obtained at the air/water interface. The study of the adsorption kinetics of BSA at the DCM/water and air/water interfaces has shown that the adsorption process was diffusion controlled in both cases for relatively low concentrations of protein (0.005 g/L). In the presence of PLA50, the adsorption of BSA at the DCM/water interface led to a mixed interfacial layer. The mechanism of the formation of this mixed...

Summary1. An infectious agent similar to that described by Riley(1) has been demonstrated in 2 transplantable mouse tumors (CD/5 lymphoma and DBA/59 mammary carcinoma). The presence of the agent is detected only by a rapid rise in the plasma lactic dehydrogenase beginning about 29 hours following infection, reaching maximum levels in 9 days and persisting for up to 9 months. 2. Levels of the enzyme in brain, heart, kidney, liver, lung, pancreas, skeletal muscle, spleen, submaxillary gland, thymus and red and white blood cells were determined. No significant differences in any of these tissues were noted between normal and infected mice. 3. Hematocrit values were slightly but significantly lower than normal in mice bearing the LDH agent. These results are dis...

Low interfacial energy, an intrinsic property of complex coacervate, enables the complex coacervate to easily encapsulate desired cargo substances, making it widely used in encapsulation applications. Despite this advantage, the low interfacial energy of the complex coacervate makes it unstable against mechanical mixing, and changes in pH and salt concentration. Hence, a chemical cross-linker is usually added to enhance the stability of the complex coacervate at the expense of sacrificing all intrinsic properties of the coacervate, including phase transition of the coacervate from liquid to solid. In this study, we observed an abrupt increase in the interfacial energy of the coacervate phase in mineral oil. By controlling the interfacial energy of the coacer...

Objective: To evaluate safety of same-day administration of verteporfin and ranibizumab. Methods: Prospective, open-label, multicentre study; patients with predominantly classic (n = 13) or occult (n = 19) choroidal neovascularisation secondary to age-related macular degeneration received standard-fluence verteporfin at baseline and months 3, 6 and 9, based on fluorescein angiography (FA). Ranibizumab 0.5 mg was administered at baseline and months 1, 2 and 3. Main outcome measure: The incidence of severe vision loss (best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) loss ⩾30 letters; primary safety assessment). Results: No severe vision loss due to ocular inflammation or uveitis occurred. One patient had moderate vision loss (BCVA los...

A feasibility study was performed to investigate the presence of VEGF in melanoma lesions by VEGF-SPECT with (111)In-bevacizumab. In addition the effect of a single therapeutic bevacizumab dose on (111)In-bevacizumab uptake was compared with VEGF levels in resected melanoma lesions.Eligible were patients with stage III/IV melanoma who presented with nodal recurrent disease. VEGF-SPECT was performed after administration of 100 Mbq (111)In-bevacizumab (8 mg) at days 0, 2, 4 and 7 post injection. Tumour visualisation and quantification were compared with CT and FDG-PET. On day 7 a single dose of 7.5mg/kg bevacizumab was administered intravenously. On day 21, a second tracer dose (111)In-bevacizumab was administered and scans were obtained on days 21, 25 and 28....

In this study, bacterial cellulose was synthesized by Taonella mepensis from traditional Chinese medicinal herb residues hydrolysate. To overcome the inhibitory effect of fermentation environment, in-situ fermentation with gellan gum adding was carried out for the first time. After 10 days' static fermentation, both high-acyl gellan gum and low-acyl gellan gum adding showed certain beneficial effects for bacterial cellulose production that the highest bacterial cellulose yield (0.866 and 0.798 g/L, respectively) was 59% and 47% higher than that (0.543 g/L) without gellan gum adding. Besides, gellan gum based bacterial cellulose showed some better texture characteristics. Gellan gum was loaded in the nano network of bacterial cellulose, and gellan gum adding ...

T and B cell receptor repertoires are diversified by variable region gene rearrangement and selected based on functionality and lack of self-reactivity. Repertoires can also be defined based on phenotype and function rather than receptor specificity - such as the diversity of T helper cell subsets. Natural killer (NK) cell repertoires, in which each cell expresses a randomly chosen subset of its inhibitory receptor genes, and is educated based on self-MHC recognition by yet unknown mechanisms, are also phenotypic repertoires. Studying the generation, development and selection of lymphocyte repertoires, and their functions during immune responses, is essential for understanding the function of the immune system in healthy individuals and in immune deficient, ...

The aim of this study was to assess the intra- and inter-rater reliability/agreement of the lateral abdominal muscle (LAM) stiffness and thickness measurements at rest and during contraction and to determine the relationship between the superficial fat thickness and the LAM stiffness measurements. LAM stiffness and thickness were measured using supersonic shear wave elastography (SSI) in pediatric participants. The reliability of LAM stiffness and thickness measurements ranged from moderate to excellent. There was an inverse correlation between fat thickness and between-rater difference in the resting external oblique stiffness (r > -0.37) and the contracted external and internal oblique stiffness (r > -0.40). SSI is a reliable method for assessing LAM stiff...

ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ISSUEPREVArticleNEXTGrand Ensemble Monte Carlo Simulation of Simple Molecules Adsorbed in Silicalite-1 ZeoliteRoland J.M. Pellenq and David NicholsonCite this: Langmuir 1995, 11, 5, 1626–1635Publication Date (Print):May 1, 1995Publication History Published online1 May 2002Published inissue 1 May 1995https://doi.org/10.1021/la00005a035RIGHTS & PERMISSIONSArticle Views315Altmetric-Citations66LEARN ABOUT THESE METRICSArticle Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days.Citations are the number of other articles citing this article, calculated by Cross...

The cocatalytic properties of monodisperse 2,4-ionene oligomers were tested in the cobalt(II) phthalocyaninetetrakis(sodium sulfonate) (CoPc(NaSO 3 ) 4 )-catalyzed autoxidation of 1-dodecanethiol. A tremendous rate increase in the dodecanethiol oxidation by a factor of 100, as compared with the polymer-free system, was observed for monodisperse ionene oligomers, with four quaternary ammonium groups and with 4-bromobutyl end groups. By contrast, the same oligomers terminated with the more hydrophilic dimethylamino end groups showed no enhancement in the catalytic activity. These differences can be ascribed to very effective interactions between the hydrophobic 4-bromobutyl end groups with the hydrophobic thiol, resulting in an enormous increase of the thiol-w...

This study examined reactions of 1-year-olds and young 2-year-olds to being controlled by mothers. Mothers’ supportive behavior predicted children’s willing compliance. However, contrary to research with older children, defiance was also associated with variables linked to maternal competence, specifically, mothers’ supportive behavior, autonomy-granting controls, and low depressive symptoms. At this age high-defiant children initiated positive interaction with mothers more than did low-defiant children. With age, children displayed more willing compliance and more active resistance (defiance, low passivity). However, developmental increases in active resistance were absent when mothers were high in depressive symptoms. Findings are consistent with the...

Charge reduction reactions are important for native mass spectrometry (nMS) because lower charge states help retain native-like conformations and preserve noncovalent interactions of protein complexes. While mechanisms of charge reduction reactions are not well understood, they are generally achieved through the addition of small molecules, such as polyamines, to traditional nMS buffers. Here, we present new evidence that surface-active, charge reducing reagents carry away excess charge from the droplet after being emitted due to Coulombic repulsion, thereby reducing the overall charge of the droplet. Furthermore, these processes are directly linked to two mechanisms for electrospray ionization, specifically the charge residue and ion evaporation models (CRM...

Nicorandil is an antianginal drug used for 20 years in Japan and introduced in France in 1994. Since 1997, side effects such as mucocutaneous ulcerations have regularly been reported.To describe the first case of a patient with a spontaneous corneal perforation associated with mucocutaneous ulcerations while taking Nicorandil.A 81-year-old patient, with no past history of ocular disease but a long past history of cardiovascular disease, presented with a spontaneous paracentral corneal perforation. This was consecutive to 5 months of recurrent keratoconjunctivitis and mucocutaneous ulcerations resistant to conventional therapy. (He was taking nicorandil for 5 years.) A penetrating keratoplasty was performed in emergency.Inflammatory and infectious causes of s...

We report a new family with autosomal dominant epilepsy with auditory features (ADEAF) including focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) in the proband. We aim to identify the molecular cause in this family and clarify the relationship between FCD and ADEAF. A large Iranian Jewish family including 14 individuals with epileptic seizures was phenotyped including high-resolution 3-T MRI. We performed linkage analysis and exome sequencing. LGI1, KANK1 and RELN were Sanger sequenced. Seizure semiology of 11 individuals was consistent with ADEAF. The proband underwent surgery for right mesiotemporal FCD. 3-T MRIs in four individuals were unremarkable. Linkage analysis revealed peaks on chromosome 9p24 (LOD 2.43) and 10q22-25 (LOD 2.04). A novel heterozygous LGI1 mutation w...

Objectives: The aim of this study is to assess current counseling recommendations for women undergoing elective oocyte cryopreservation. Data Sources: PubMed and Clinical Key. Materials and Methods: A search of PubMed and Clinical Key was conducted to assess current counseling practices for elective oocyte cryopreservation. Results: It is substantiated that uniform counseling guidelines are lacking for this group of assisted reproductive technology (ART) patients presenting only for cryopreserving their oocytes. However, although a woman may be a suitable candidate for pregnancy at the point that she undergoes oocyte cryopreservation, possibly many years later, at the time of oocyte thawing, this same woman may have multiple risk factors, which will increase...

As a largest wetland of north China, Lake Baiyangdian is of great significance to the regional climate and ecological environment. However, as the impact of human activities and dry climate, the lakes water pollution and eutrophication is becoming worsen and worsen. We analyzed the hydro-chemical composition and used five indexes [Chla, TN, TP, CODMn and S to assessment the hydrochemistry characteristics and eutrophication level of Lake Baiyangdian. The results show that the type of water was CIINa. Using principal component analysis, we find that TN and TP are the two main factor of the lakes pollution. The diatom assemblage shows that the main diatom species are Cymbella microcephala and Synedra nana and the contents of Cyclotella atomus and C.meneghiniana...

The present investigation describes the synthesis and characterization of novel biodegradable nanoparticles based on chitosan for biomedical applications. Natural di- and tricarboxylic acids were used for intramolecular cross-linking of the chitosan linear chains. The condensation reaction of carboxylic groups and pendant amino groups of chitosan was performed by using water-soluble carbodiimide. This method allows the formation of polycations, polyanions, and polyampholyte nanoparticles. The prepared nanosystems were stable in aqueous media at low pH, neutral, and mild alkaline conditions. The structure of products was determined by NMR spectroscopy, and the particle size was identified by laser light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (T...

Typical moral dilemmas pitting the consequences of a given action against the action’s consistency with moral norms confound several determinants of moral judgments. Dissociating these determinants, the CNI model allows researchers to quantify sensitivity to consequences, sensitivity to norms, and general preference for inaction over action regardless of consequences and norms. However, with the currently available set of dilemmas for research using the CNI model, the model is not suitable for studies with individual-difference designs. To overcome this limitation, the current research investigated the suitability of an extended dilemma battery to make the CNI model amenable for individual-difference research, examining relations of its parameters with psy...

Background There are ambiguous results regarding the role n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and fish might play in primary prevention of allergic diseases. The aim was to investigate the association between cod liver oil and fish consumption during pregnancy and in the first year of life and asthma and eczema at 2 years of age. Methods From the Prevention of Allergy among Children in Trondheim study, a prospective birth cohort study in primary healthcare in Trondheim, Norway, 3086 children were followed prospectively from 1 year to approximately 2 years of age. The primary outcome variable was parental reported asthma and eczema at 2 years. Results The mean age for introducing fish in the diet was 9.1 months. Excluding children with ...

We address the task of single depth image inpainting. Without the corresponding color images, previous or next frames, depth image inpainting is quite challenging. One natural solution is to regard the image as a matrix and adopt the low rank regularization just as color image inpainting. However, the low rank assumption does not make full use of the properties of depth images. A shallow observation inspires us to penalize the nonzero gradients by sparse gradient regularization. However, statistics show that though most pixels have zero gradients, there is still a non-ignorable part of pixels, whose gradients are small but nonzero. Based on this property of depth images, we propose a low gradient regularization method in which we reduce the penalty for small...

Resumo O objetivo foi discutir os limites do modelo de avaliação quantitativa da produção científica na Saúde Coletiva. Foi realizada uma análise da produção científica dos docentes nas subáreas da Saúde Coletiva no triênio 2010-2012. Foram comparadas as distribuições da pontuação anual média de docentes segundo subáreas. Estimou-se a probabilidade de 60% dos docentes do programa de pós-graduação (PPG) terem pontuação igual ou acima do P50 da área (Muito Bom). A subárea Epidemiologia apresentou mediana da pontuação anual dos docentes significativamente maior. PPGs cuja composição inclui 60% ou mais de docentes da subárea Epidemiologia e menos de 10% da subárea Ciências Sociais e Humanas em Saúde apresentaram probabilidade si...

Establishment of the acute myeloid leukemia cells SKM-1 and MOLM-13 for resistance by azacytidine (AzaC) resulted in SKM-1/AzaC and MOLM-13/AzaC cell variants with reduced sensitivity to AzaC. Despite the fact that AzaC is not substrate of P-glycoprotein (P-gp), the adaptation procedure resulted in an induction in P-gp expression/efflux activity that confers crossresistance to P-gp substrates in both resistant cell variants. While the resistance to P-gp substrates in SKM-1/AzaC and MOLM-13/AzaC cells could be reversed by the P-gp inhibitors, resistance to AzaC was insensitive to these inhibitors in both resistant cell variants. In addition, NF-κB and the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 were downregulated and the proapoptotic proteins Bax and p53 were upregulate...

The coassembly kinetics of graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets and diblock copolymers at the water/toluene interface is probed by tracking the dynamic interfacial tension using pendant drop tensiometry. The diblock copolymer significantly enhances the surfactancy of the GO nanosheets at the interface. It is found that diblock copolymers rapidly adsorb to the water/toluene interface and enhance the adsorption affinity of GO nanosheets to the interface. The continuous adsorption of GO at the interface leads to a random loose packing state, at which the adsorbed GO and diblock copolymers start to form an elastic film. After this transition, GO continues to adsorb to the interface, however, at a much slower speed, yielding a more solidlike elastic film in the long ti...

Spinel soft ferrites are magnetic materials which form an important classification of metal oxides containing ferric ions. These materials are represented with empirical formulae M2+Fe23+O4 (where M = Mg2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Zn2+, Fe2+, Mn2+ etc.). Nanoscale particles of these soft ferrites are important for several applications such as in the design of power antenna, low noise electronic devices, high frequency, biocompatible biomedical tools, for use in eco-friendly wastewater treatment and catalysis. Ni-Zn ferrites are unique due to their properties such as high electrical resistivity, saturation magnetization and magnetic permeability. In addition, Ni-Zn ferrite nanoparticles provide a large surface to volume ratio as compared to their bulk counterparts and th...

The aim of this study was to investigate the behavior of rat periodontal ligament (PDL) cells cultured on fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2)-immobilized titanium surfaces treated by oxygen (O2) plasma. We used cell disks (15 mm in diameter), and 35-mm culture dishes sputter-coated with titanium. These were treated with oxygen plasma and dipped in FGF-2 solution. Immobilized FGF-2 was visualized with a confocal laser-scanning microscope, and its weight was calculated to be ˜22.6 ng/cm2 using a quartz crystal microbalance-dissipation apparatus. The PDL cells were obtained from rat incisors. Cells from fourth subculture were seeded onto the FGF-2-immobilized titanium surface. Proliferation ratio, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and expressions of type I c...

The UK End of Life Care Strategy (EoLCS) requires specialist palliative care services to contribute to end-of-life care for all. This systematic review aims to critically appraise literature published in the UK to identify how specialist palliative care professionals can collaborate with other health professionals within four of the key National Service Framework areas: heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, neurological conditions, and dementia. Relevant literature was identified by electronic searches of various databases and websites and via secondary sources. A limited amount of quality research was found. Thematic analysis was applied and the over-riding themes were barriers to collaboration, organizational issues, and patients' and carer...

One of the most frequently identified psychosocial correlates with adherence to physical activity (PA) and exercise is the individual's perception of personal capability or self-efficacy (SE: Bandura, 1986, 1997). It is well known that SE perceptions are influenced by, or influence, the PA and exercise participation. To date, a wide variety of SE scales have been developed and applied in studies of PA and exercise. In this review, we consider the extant literature dealing with the influential roles of SE in relation to PA and exercise for healthy people. We first provide a brief overview of SE roles in Social Cognitive Theory developed by Bandura. Second, three types of SE scales (task, barrier, and general) are surveyed in PA and exercise participation, whi...

Improvements in analytical methods for the determination and quantification of methylcytosine in DNA are vital since it has the potential to be used as a biomarker to detect different diseases in the first stage such as in the case of carcinomas and sterility. In this work we utilized screen printed graphite electrodes (SPGE) for studying the electrochemical response of all free DNA bases, methylcytosine and short oligonucleotides by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV). CV and SWV responses of free DNA bases and methylcytosine have been investigated by using SPGE platforms and the feasibility of detecting and quantifying cytosine and methylcytosine as free DNA moieties has been evaluated as a function of pH, concentration and the presen...

Dyslexia is a disorder characterized by difficulty in reading such as poor speech and sound recognition. They have less capability to relate letters and form words and exhibit poor reading comprehension. Eye-tracking methodologies play a major role in analyzing human cognitive processing. Dyslexia is not a visual impairment disorder but it's a difficulty in phonological processing and word decoding. These difficulties are reflected in their eye movement patterns during reading. The disruptive eye movement helps us to use eye-tracking methodologies for identifying dyslexics. In this paper, a small set of eye movement features have been proposed that contribute more to distinguish between dyslexics and non-dyslexics by machine learning models. Features related...

This paper presents a mathematical model to predict the abrasive wear of piston ring and cylinder sleeve in internal combustion engines due to dust particles. A parametric study is conducted on different group factors such as the abrasive action of the medium, engine design parameters, and engine physio-mechanical properties of the materials. The model reveals that it accurately predicts the effect of numerous factors on the wear process for the piston ring and cylinder sleeve. The model capabilities are demonstrated by the impact of air filtration efficiency on the engine component wear rate. It is found that dust particle size and concentration have significant effects on piston ring and cylinder sleeve wear rates. The numerical results show that the wear ...

Discordance between radiographic and pain severity in osteoarthritis (OA) has led researchers to investigate other pain mechanisms, including neuropathic pain. Accurate identification of any neuropathic pain in hip or knee OA is important for appropriate management, but neuropathic pain prevalence is unknown. We aimed to obtain an overall prevalence estimate by systematically reviewing and meta-analysing the prevalence of neuropathic pain in people with hip or knee OA.Observational studies which measured neuropathic pain in people aged 18 years and older with hip or knee OA were considered for inclusion. Electronic databases were searched up to February 2016. Two reviewers independently identified eligible studies and assessed methodological quality. Prevale...

The aim of this systematic review was to answer the focused question, "What are the prevalence and the epidemiological characteristics of trigeminal neuralgia in the general population?"This systematic review included observational population-based studies reporting the prevalence of trigeminal neuralgia (TN). The authors developed specific search strategies for LILACS, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. The authors evaluated the methodological quality of the included studies using criteria from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.Among 728 studies, the authors selected only 3 for inclusion. Two studies were classified as having low risk of bias and 1 as having moderate risk. The sample size ranged from 1,838 to 13,...

Falls and the fall-related psychological concerns associated with these events pose a serious public health problem among aging adults. The measurement of fall-related psychological concerns can serve as important endpoints for fall prevention programs, yet there is some confusion regarding the best method of defining and measuring fall-related psychological constructs. Consequently, greater attention should be devoted to investigating fall-related psychological constructs and their measurement. Therefore, the purpose of this paper was to review the published research literature on the measurement of fall-related psychological constructs among independent-living older adults.Electronic searches of PubMed, EBSCO, Academic Search Premier, PsycINFO, CINAHL and ...

Most patients with Alzheimer's disease present with amnestic problems; however, a substantial proportion, over-represented in young-onset cases, have atypical phenotypes including predominant visual, language, executive, behavioural, or motor dysfunction. In the past, these individuals often received a late diagnosis; however, availability of CSF and PET biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease pathologies and incorporation of atypical forms of Alzheimer's disease into new diagnostic criteria increasingly allows them to be more confidently diagnosed early in their illness. This early diagnosis in turn allows patients to be offered tailored information, appropriate care and support, and individualised treatment plans. These advances will provide improved access to c...

Despite the unprecedented permeation of Building Information Modelling (BIM) and collaboration platforms, architects and structural engineers, for the most part, act as separate entities. That is, linking architectural models with those of structural engineers remains labour-intensive and cumbersome; structural engineers can generate few alternatives for any given architectural model. This paper is an attempt to address these problems. It provides an automated procedure, computational details and the configuration of toolsets in the form of a proof of concept (PoC) prototype that: binds architectural models with structural ones for tall buildings; automatically generates and updates alternatives for structural models, based on the input extracted from the ar...

Thermoelectric research has witnessed groundbreaking progress over the past 15–20 years. The thermoelectric figure of merit, ZT, a measure of the competition between electronic transport (i.e. power factor) and thermal transport (i.e. total thermal conductivity), has long surpassed once a longtime barrier of ∼1 and thermoelectric scientists are targeting ZT > 2 as the new goal. A majority of this recent improvement in ZT has been achieved through the reduction of lattice part of thermal conductivity (κl) using nanostructuring techniques. The rapid progress in this direction focused the efforts on the development of experimental methods and understanding phonon transport to decrease lattice thermal conductivity. This fact left the development of ideas to...

Intra-abdominal free air is found frequently in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD). Some studies have investigated an association between intra-abdominal free air and peritonitis in PD patients. However, most used chest X-rays, which are of limited sensitivity, and the association was not made clear. We conducted a retrospective study of the association between peritonitis and intra-abdominal free air using computed tomography.The presence and volume of free air, and its relationship with other variables, were assessed on review of routine examinations in 108 patients. Correlations between the presence of free air and age, duration of PD, continuous ambulatory versus automated PD, presence or absence of a person who assisted in bag changes, exit-si...

In May 2013 the African Union proposed the creation of an institutional framework for a new continental rapid-response force called the African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crises. While the creation of the rapid-response force has offered hope as an antidote to the recent continental inaction in the face of insurgencies in places like Mali in 2013, it has undergone critical scrutiny because it seemingly duplicates—and thus arguably draws resources away from—a similar mechanism, the African Standby Force, which has been in development by the African Union and regional communities since 2003. A contemporary debate is thus emerging: Certain observers favor the African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crises’ new, ad-hoc, slim, and voluntary appro...

Exercise training is commonly prescribed for individuals diagnosed with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); however, consensus regarding the volume and intensity of exercise for optimal benefits is lacking. Thus, we determined whether high intensity interval exercise training (HIIT) produced greater reductions in intrahepatic lipid (IHL) content and NAFLD risk factors compared with energy-matched moderate intensity continuous exercise training (MICT) in obese adults with liver steatosis.Eighteen obese adults were randomized to either 4weeks of HIIT (4min 80% VO2peak/3min, 50% VO2peak) or MICT (55% VO2peak, ~60min), matched for energy expenditure (~400kcal/session) and compared to five non-exercising age-matched control subjects. IHL was measured by 1H-...