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The objective of this paper is to propose a method for quantitatively estimating the breakdown voltage of double short vacuum gaps in series under the lightning impulse voltage. The study found a quantitative relationship between the breakdown voltage and the maximum electric field strength at the cathode. This relationship is validated by previous experimental works when the total gap distance is less than 20 mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The partial substitution of the ureter using a pediculated double short segments of the ileum is a technique used to re-establish ureteral transit and preserve the renal unit, following the resection of extensive ureteral lesions. Standard surgical procedure for an ileoureteroplasty consists of isolating an ileal duct of equal or greater length than the ureteral defect and interposing it in the urinary tract in an isoperistaltic direction. Monti described a surgical technique that allows for the creation of catheterizable stomas in continent urinary diversions, using the Mitrofanoff principle. These passageways were created from one or several 2.5 cm long ileal sections by means of their detubulization and transverse retubulization.

Microwave ablation (MWA) by using coaxial antennas is a promising alternative for breast cancer treatment. A double short distance slot coaxial antenna as a newly optimized applicator for minimally invasive treatment of breast cancer is proposed. To validate and to analyze the feasibility of using this method in clinical treatment, a computational model, phantom, and breast swine in vivo experimentation were carried out, by using four microwave powers (50 W, 30 W, 20 W, and 10 W). The finite element method (FEM) was used to develop the computational model. Phantom experimentation was carried out in breast phantom. The in vivo experimentation was carried out in a 90 kg swine sow. Tissue damage was estimated by comparing control and treated micrographs of the porcine mammary gland samples. The coaxial slot antenna was inserted in swine breast glands by using image-guided ultrasound. In all cases, modeling, in vivo and phantom experimentation, and ablation temperatures (above 60°C) were reached. The in vivo experiments suggest that this new MWA applicator could be successfully used to eliminate precise and small areas of tissue (around 20-30 mm 2 ). By modulating the power and time applied, it may be possible to increase/decrease the ablation area.

Introduction: Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is an effective therapy for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF), but it has limitations. The two most significant recent advances have centred on the integration of real-time quantitative assessment of catheter contact force into focal radio frequency (RF) ablation catheters and the development of dedicated ablation tools capable of achieving PVI with a single ablation lesion (Arctic Front cryoballoon, Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN, USA). Although each of these holds promise for improving the clinical success of catheter ablation of AF, there has not been a rigorous comparison of these advanced ablation technologies. Moreover, the optimal duration of cryoablation (freezing time) has not been determined., Methods and Analysis: Patients undergoing an initial PVI procedure for paroxysmal AF will be recruited. Patients will be randomised 1:1:1 between contact-force irrigated RF ablation, short duration cryoballoon ablation (2 min applications) and standard duration cryoballoon ablation (4 min applications). The primary outcome is time to first documented AF recurrence on implantable loop recorder. With a sample size of 111 per group and a two-sided 0.025 significance level (to account for the two main comparisons), the study will have 80% power (using a log-rank test) to detect a difference of 20% between contact force RF catheter ablation and either of the two cryoballoon ablation groups. Factoring in a 4% loss to follow-up, 116 patients per group should be randomised and followed for a year (total study population of 348)., Ethics and Dissemination: The study was approved by the University of British Columbia Office of Research (Services) Ethics Clinical Research Ethics Board. Results of the study will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal., Trial Registration Number: NCT01913522; Pre-results., Competing Interests: Competing interests: JGA reports grants and personal fees from Medtronic, grants from Baylis and personal fees from Biosense. AV reports grants and personal fees from Medtronic and Biosense. MWD reports grants from Biosense-Webster. AT has nothing to disclose. PL-S reports personal fees from Medtronic, personal fees from Johnson & Johnson and Biosense Webster. J-FR reports personal fees from Biosense Webster, Bayer, Servier, BMS-Pfizer and Boehringer. MD reports grants and personal fees from Medtronic. JS reports grants from Biosense Webster, personal fees from Biosense Webster, grants from St Jude Medical, personal fees from St Jude Medical and personal fees from Medtronic. LM reports personal fees from Medtronic and grants and personal fees from Biosense-Webster., (© Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.)

The open reduction of mandibular condyle neck fractures is difficult due to the limited surgical field and complex facial nerve structures. The most effective fixation method for narrow fractured segments is debated as standard double four-hole plate fixation is often not feasible. This research compared bone stability and force resistance between single-long-plate and double-short-plate fixations using clinical outcomes, a Sawbones mandible model, and finite element analysis. In patients with condyle neck fractures, nine were fixed with single-long-plate and twelve with double-short-plate fixations, with no significant differences in malocclusion and facial palsy rates. In compression tests with a Sawbones model, displacements in the posterior part were similar in both fixation groups. In contrast, the anterior part had significantly higher displacements in the single-long-plate group. Finite element analysis showed higher displacements in both anterior and posterior parts in the single-plate group compared to the double-short-plate group. Maximum stresses were at the second screw hole in single-long-plate fixation and the turning point of the upper plate at the condyle neck in double-short-plate fixation. Double-short-plate fixations demonstrated better stability and force resistance than single-long-plate fixations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Robotic C‐arm cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT) scanners provide fast in‐room imaging in radiotherapy. Their mobility extends beyond performing a gantry rotation, but they might encounter obstructions to their motion which limit the gantry angle range. The axial field‐of‐view (FOV) of a reconstructed CBCT image depends on the acquisition geometry. When imaging a large anatomical location, such as the thorax, abdomen, or pelvis, a centered cone beam might be insufficient to acquire untruncated projection images. Some CBCT scanners can laterally displace their detector and collimate the beam to increase the FOV, but the gantry must then perform a 360∘$360^{\circ}$ rotation to provide complete data for reconstruction. Purpose: To extend the FOV of a CBCT image with a single short scan (gantry angle range of 180∘+$180^{\circ}+$ fan angle) using two complementary short scans. Methods: We defined an acquisition protocol using two short scans during which the source follows the same trajectory and where the detector has equal and opposite tilt and/or offset between the two scans, which we refer to as complementary scans. We created virtual acquisitions using a Monte Carlo simulator on a digital anthropomorphic phantom and on a computed tomography (CT) scan of a patient abdomen. For our proposed method, each simulation produced two complementary sets of projections, which were weighted for redundancies and used to reconstruct one CBCT image. We compared the resulting images to the ground truth phantoms and simulations of conventional scans. Results: Reconstruction artifacts were slightly more prominent in the complementary scans w.r.t. a complete scan with untruncated projections but matched those in a single short scan without truncation. When analyzing reconstructed scans from simulated projections with scatter and corrected with prior CT information, we found a global agreement between complementary and conventional scan approaches. Conclusions: When dealing with a limited range of motion of the gantry of a CBCT scanner, two complementary short scans are a technically valid alternative to a full 360∘$^{\circ}$ scan with equal FOV. This approach enables FOV extension without collisions or hardware upgrades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In article the way of determination of distances to places of double short circuits on the earth on one power line by measurement of emergency components of phase current and phase tension is offered. Results of theoretical calculations coincided with results of modeling in the program MatLab Simulink environment.

Introduction Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is an effective therapy for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF), but it has limitations. The two most significant recent advances have centred on the integration of real-time quantitative assessment of catheter contact force into focal radio frequency (RF) ablation catheters and the development of dedicated ablation tools capable of achieving PVI with a single ablation lesion (Arctic Front cryoballoon, Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN, USA). Although each of these holds promise for improving the clinical success of catheter ablation of AF, there has not been a rigorous comparison of these advanced ablation technologies. Moreover, the optimal duration of cryoablation (freezing time) has not been determined. Methods and analysis Patients undergoing an initial PVI procedure for paroxysmal AF will be recruited. Patients will be randomised 1:1:1 between contactforce irrigated RF ablation, short duration cryoballoon ablation (2 min applications) and standard duration cryoballoon ablation (4 min applications). The primary outcome is time to first documented AF recurrence on implantable loop recorder. With a sample size of 111 per group and a two-sided 0.025 significance level (to account for the two main comparisons), the study will have 80% power (using a log-rank test) to detect a difference of 20% between contact force RF catheter ablation and either of the two cryoballoon ablation groups. Factoring in a 4% loss to follow-up, 116 patients per group should be randomised and followed for a year (total study population of 348). Ethics and dissemination The study was approved by the University of British Columbia Office of Research (Services) Ethics Clinical Research Ethics Board. Results of the study will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a compact configured 5G dual-band MIMO loop antenna system for laptop computers. The antenna system consists of two identical 95 × 2 mm2 four-antenna units that are arranged on the top edge of the display ground plane and are 10 mm away from the left and right sides. The four-antenna unit, each being a two-dimensional loop antenna of the same structure and size, are constructed on the on a 0.4 mm-thick FR4 substrate. The loop antenna with only 23 × 2 mm2 size is composed of a T-shaped feed-in section and a double short-circuit loop. In addition, the four loop antennas are arranged in the same direction and side by side with only 1 mm space to form a high-isolation four-antenna unit. The two sets of four-antenna units can cover 5G dual-band operation at 3300–3600 MHz and 4800–5000 MHz. The measured isolation between eight antennas is all better than 15 dB, the measured antenna efficiency is between 35% and 62%, and the measured envelop correlation coefficient ECC calculated from the electric-field radiation pattern is all less than 0.2. This compactly configured eight-antenna system is only 2 mm high in profile, making it ideal for use in 5G laptops with a high screen-to-body ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A switchable bandstop filter (BSF) bank in 3-D heterogeneous integration is presented in this article for multiband applications. Compared with conventional filter banks, the proposed design features wide bandwidth, sharp skirts, compact size, and high integration. In the proposed BSF, double short-ended coupling lines are introduced to expand the operation bandwidth with sharp rejection. Moreover, to significantly reduce the size of the proposed BSFs, an in-house silicon micromachining process is developed to heterogeneously integrate two stacked BSFs with switches by through-silicon vias (TSVs). To experimentally validate the proposed configuration, a two-channel switchable BSF bank is designed, fabricated, and measured. The measured results show a tuning range of 7.95–12.3 GHz (43%), a maximum bandwidth of 30%, and a sharp stopband rejection of 50 dB. These results agree well with simulation. Moreover, the fabricated prototype is only 15 $\times 8\times $ 1 mm3, whereas a typical industrial counterpart is around $86\times 74\times18$ mm3, i.e., the size is significantly reduced to 1‱. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a wideband switchable sharp-rejection BSF chip fully integrated in the TSV process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study the fracture position and engineering significance of the main roof plate structure under the condition of goaf on both sides (coal pillars), the double plasticized foundation boundary mechanical model of the main roof plate structure considering the elastic-plastic deformation of coal and the width and support capacity weakening of coal pillar on both sides is constructed. Based on the finite difference algorithm and the principal moment breaking criterion, the shape characteristics, location attributes and overall position characteristics of the main roof fault line above the asymmetric coal pillars area and the long side solid coal area are systematically calculated, and the new conclusions and important engineering significance of the new model are clarified by comparing with the traditional models from seven levels and four pairs of areas in transverse and longitudinal directions. The conclusions are as follows: ① The asymmetric coal pillars parameters on both sides have little influence on the main roof principal bending moment and fracture position above the long side solid coal area, but significantly affect the principal bending moment, position and fracture shape of the main roof above the coal pillar areas respectively. There are three types of evolution patterns of the main roof fracture line above the coal pillar areas on both sides (strong/wide coal pillar area + weak/narrow coal pillar area). With the increase of main roof thickness and elastic modulus, while coal pillars width, coal pillar bearing capacity and working face span decrease, its evolution law is as follows: asymmetric “continuous single arc + continuous single arc”→ “continuous single arc + open discontinuous double short arc”→ asymmetric “open discontinuous double short arc + open discontinuous double short arc”. ② The fracture line of the main roof above the long side solid coal area mainly has three types of location attributes. With the increase of main roof thickness and elastic modulus, while the plastic zone width and plasticization degree of solid coal and working face span decrease, its evolution law is as follows: the fracture line is above the plastic coal area (C-S type) → elastoplastic coal boundary area (C-TS type) → elastic coal area (C-T type). ③ With the increase of coal pillars width, coal pillar bearing capacity and working face span decrease, and considering the location attribute of the fracture line, the fracture mode and evolution law of the whole area of the main roof are as follows: the mode of C-S ()→the mode of C-TS ()→the mode of C-T ()→ mode of C-T ()→the mode of C-T (). Aiming at the three kinds of mechanical models for studying the fracture of the main roof plate structure with goaf (coal pillar) on both sides, the important differences of the three kinds of models are compared from seven levels, and its important engineering role is expounded from four transverse areas (front and rear of the mining area, coal pillar areas on both sides) and four longitudinal areas (asymmetric left coal pillar underlying and underlying mining space output/input coal pillar/body).

Retaining pile structure is commonly utilized in excavation maintenance design. In recent years, the long-short combined retaining piles have received more and more attention. According to the actual deep excavation engineering, the working mechanism of the long-short, long-double-short, and long-triple-short combined retaining piles was tested in the field. Based on the field test parameters, the finite element model of the test area was established and the simulation results were verified, and the effects of short pile length and pile spacing on bending moment, horizontal displacement of piles, surface settlement, and excavation bottom heave were further investigated. The results show that the bending moment of the long pile is larger than the short pile. The bending moment of the long pile and short pile increases gradually with the increase in the number of short piles. When the combination changes from combination 1 to 3, the peak moment of the long pile and short pile increases by 15.8% and 15.2%, respectively. The maximum displacement is near the pile top, combination 3 has the largest horizontal displacement, and the peak displacement of the long pile and the short pile is 17.21 mm and 17.87 mm, respectively, but almost no effect exists on the horizontal displacement below the excavation bottom. In addition, reducing short pile length and increasing pile spacing will increase bending moment and horizontal displacement of the long and short piles to a certain extent, and this phenomenon is mainly concentrated above the excavation bottom, the influence of short pile length and pile spacing on surface settlement and excavation bottom heave can be ignored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We develop a complex technology of fabrication of oil-and-gas pipes with elevated corrosion resistance, including the procedure of controlled forge-rolling of pipe blanks of 06X1-Y steel with regulated contents of chemical elements and the procedure of heat treatment, namely, hardening with double short-term high tempering at temperatures maximally close to the temperature of the α → γ phase transformation of steel. It is shown that pipes made of this steel have a fine-grained ferrite-pearlitic structure with high (up to 23%) contents of special α –α and α –γ low-energy boundaries and elevated corrosion resistance observed in the course of testing of the specimens in chloride and model chloride-acetate solutions. Moreover, these pipes are less susceptible to hydrogenation under the conditions of cathode polarization in 1 N H2SO4 + 1.5 g/liter CS(NH2)2 and exhibit higher resistances both to sulfide stress corrosion cracking (SSCC) and to hydrogen-induced cracking than the pipes made of 20 steel. It is shown that the procedure of heat treatment performed according to the developed technology increases the SSCC resistance (σgr ≥ 0.85 σ0.2) and improves the mechanical properties of the pipes up to the strength grade X56 according to the standard of the American Petroleum Institute API 5L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological trickling filtration (BTF) has the advantages of simple operation, low energy consumption, and low sludge production, and its application in the treatment of domestic wastewater in rural areas has been widely discussed. In this study, ceramic granule (R1), zeolite (R2), and sponge (R3), three typical nitrogen and phosphorus removal fillers, were selected to investigate the differences in the removal performance of COD, nitrogen, and phosphorus in BTF, analyze the characteristics of the fillers and biofilm, and determine the performance of simultaneous nitrogen and phosphorus removal. The results show that among the three fillers, zeolite has the larger specific surface area and roughness and has the best treatment effect on the adhesion performance of sewage and biofilm. The richness and diversity of the microbial community are higher, and the system is more stable, with a COD removal rate of 77.10 ± 8.67% and an NH4+-N removal rate of 75.20 ± 6.64%. The TP removal rate was 22.04 ± 10.27%. The surface of ceramic particles showed a regular cluster structure with a loose distribution. The removal rate of COD was 78.49 ± 6.92%, the concentration of NH4+-N in the effluent was 27.95 ± 8.23 mg/L, and the removal rate of TP was 38.83 ± 12.14%. As a polymer composite material, the sponge has large internal pores and a smooth surface, which is not conducive to biofilm adhesion. Therefore, the removal rate of nitrogen and phosphorus in sewage is poor; the removal rate of COD is 75.94 ± 6.98%, NH4+-N is 27.89 ± 21.06%, and the removal rate of TP is 14.07 ± 11.76%. Compared with the metabolic function of genes, zeolites have a more stable enzyme digestion ability than the other two fillers, and the genes related to the nitrification process (amo, hao, nxr, etc.) and functional genes encoding key enzymes related to the TCA cycle are relatively abundant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In our approach, a hybrid machine learning model is proposed which uses Enhanced Vector Space Model (EVSM) along with Hybrid Support Vector Machine (HSVM) classifier. Initially the social media-based information is retrieved using Enhanced Vector Space Model (EVSM). EVSMs are employed in order to characterize the text content by mapping them into high-dimensional vector spaces, capturing the relationships between words and their contextual meanings. Rigorous feature selection methods are employed to designate texts for review, and a multiclass semantic classification algorithm, specifically the HSVM classifier, is utilized for categorization. Decision tree algorithm is used along with SVM to refine the selection process. To enhance sentiment analysis accuracy, sentiment dictionaries are not only presented but also extended through the expansion of Stanford's GloVE tool. To enhance precision, the proposed work introduces weight-enhancing methods for processing renowned text weights. Sentiments are classified into positive, negative, and neutral categories. Notably, the achieved results demonstrate improved accuracy, attributed to the incorporation of an emotional sentiment enhancement factor for determining weights and leveraging sentiment dictionaries for word availability. The accuracy is obtained to be 92.78% with 91.33% positive sentiment rate and 97.32% negative sentiment rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-range proton transfer in several conjugated proton cranes, originating from 7-hydroxy quinoline as a proton transfer platform, has been investigated theoretically by means of DFT and TD-DFT methodology. Major emphasis was given to their applicability to provide clean switching upon irradiation. The border conditions require the existence of a single enol tautomer in the ground state, which under excitation through a series of consecutive exited and ground state intramolecular proton transfer steps is transferred to the keto tautomer. It was shown that the most suitable candidates are based on using iso-quinoline, pyrimidine and 4-nitropyridine as proton crane units. Their suitability is a function of aromaticity changes, the basicity of the nitrogen atom from the proton crane unit and the structural effects originating from their conjugation with 7-hydroxy quinoline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper puts forward a selection principle and an optimization configuration method for short-circuit current-limiting measures to address the increasingly severe short-circuit current-exceeding problem brought about by the high-speed development of large power grids. Firstly, we introduce the function principle and the advantages and disadvantages of various short-circuit current-limiting measures in the power system and give the selection conditions of generalized short-circuit current-limiting measures. Then, we adopt the hierarchical analysis method (AHP) and entropy weighting method (EWM) to evaluate the weights of the indicators of the short-circuit current level, the line-loading level, the active loss, and the economic cost; perform the selection of multiple short-circuit current-limiting schemes after the combination of the assigned weights; and describe the generalized process of engineering used to solve the problem of short-circuit currents exceeding limits. We then provide a generalized process with which to solve the short-circuit current-exceeding problem in engineering. Finally, we take the actual large-scale power grid as an example, propose multiple short-circuit current-limiting schemes for a 220 kV power grid, and carry out the selection of optimal schemes to verify the validity and reliability of the study. The results show that this process plays an important role in controlling the short-circuit current of the power system, maintaining the safe and stable operation of the power system and improving the power system's grid structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper reformulates and improves a previously proposed determinant-based second-order multi-reference perturbative formalism. Through a rather simple modification of the energy denominators, this formalism takes into account the interactions between the model space determinants, which are repeated in outer space. The method has been shown to be size-consistent when the model space is a complete active space, which is a severe limit. It is shown here that the completeness of the model space is not necessary to keep this property, provided that the zero-order function satisfies some conditions. For instance, size consistency may be obtained from truncated complete active spaces. It may even be satisfied from Singles and Doubles Configuration Interactions, provided that a coupled electron pair approximation is used in the definition of the model space wave function. The physical content of the method is illustrated by a series of model problems, showing its robustness. A major benefit of the fact that the perturbers are single determinants is the possibility to revise with full flexibility the model-space component of the wave function, i.e., to treat the feedback effect of the dynamic correlation on the valence component of the wave function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel conjugated polymer PProDOT(MeEO)2 based on dioxythiophene with symmetric double ethoxymethyl pendant groups was successfully synthesized through electrochemical polymerization. The polymer film exhibits reversible electrochromism switching between broadly absorbing bluish black neutral state (− 0.1 V) and transmissive sky blue oxidized state (0.7 V). The symmetric double short-chain ethoxymethyl substitution pattern was utilized to realize the broadly absorbing bluish black neutral state of the polymer film. The electrochemical, spectroelectrochemical, and electrochromic switching properties of the polymer film were studied in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel conjugated polymer PProDOTCBDEM based on propylenedioxythiophene (ProDOT) with diethyl malonate (DEM) pendant group and a cyclobutane spacer between ProDOT and DEM was successfully synthesized through electrochemical polymerization. The polymer film exhibits reversible electrochromism switching between navy neutral state (− 0.1 V) and transmissive oxidized state (0.7 V). The symmetric double short chain ester substitution pattern was utilized to realize the navy color of the polymer film. The electrochemistry, spectroelectrochemistry and electrochromic switching properties of the polymer film were studied in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Near infrared (NIR) light has been shown to provide beneficial treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and other neurological problems. This concept has spawned a plethora of commercial entities and practitioners utilizing panels of light emitting diodes (LEDs) and promising to treat patients with TBI and other disorders, who are desperate for some treatment for their untreatable conditions. Unfortunately, an LED intended to deliver photonic energy to the human brain does not necessarily do what an LED pointed at a mouse brain does. There is a problem of scale. Extensive prior research has shown that infrared light from a 0.5-watt LED will not penetrate the scalp and skull of a human. Both the properties of NIR light and the manner in which it interacts with tissue are examined. Based on these principles, the shortcomings of current approaches to treating neurological disorders with NIR light are explored. Claims of clinical benefit from low-level LEDbased devices are explored and the proof of concept challenged. To date, that proof is thin with marginal benefits which are largely transient. Extensive research has shown fluence at the level of the target tissue which falls within the range of 0.9J/cm2 to 15J/cm2 is most effective in activating the biological processes at the cellular level which underlie direct photobiomodulation. If low-level infrared light from LED devices is not penetrating the scalp and skull, then these devices certainly are not delivering that level of fluence to the neurons of the subjacent brain. Alternative mechanisms, such as remote photobiomodulation, which may underlie the small and transient benefits for TBI symptoms reported for low-power LED-based NIR studies are presented. Actionable recommendations for the field are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Industrial Water Treatment is the property of CNOOC Tianjin Chemical Research & Design Institute and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Przegląd Elektrotechniczny is the property of Przeglad Elektrotechniczny and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Accurate specimen marking is crucial during breast cancer surgery to avoid misorientation, which can lead to inadequate re-excision and tumor recurrence. We studied the marking methods at various breast cancer centers to create a tool that would prevent specimen misorientation. An online questionnaire was used to survey marking procedures at major breast cancer centers in Hungary, and a tool was developed using a troubleshooting method. Twelve out of twenty units responded (60%). Nine use an institutionally standardized marking system. Less than half of the surgical teams found specimen mammograms to be unambiguous. In more than 70% of departments, pathologists were uncertain about breast specimen orientation. Ambiguous marking methods caused orientation errors in half of the cases, while unclear marking directions caused the rest. Most pathologists (85%) and surgeons (75%) believed that coronal plane specimen mammography would help solve the problem. A plastic specimen plate has been developed to anchor breast tissue to a coronal breast scheme as seen in mammography images, providing clear localization information throughout the surgical process. There is a lack of standardization in breast specimen orientation and marking in Hungary. An optimized orientation toolkit is being developed to ensure consistent interpretation of specimen mammograms by surgeons and pathologists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this chapter, we introduce our recent work on the development of new antisense strategies in RNA synthetic technology and RNA drug discovery. In the first part of the chapter, we briefly introduce selected chemical modifications of antisense oligomers and recent developments in antisense RNA. In the second part, we describe our research on RNA, including synthetic approaches to stereodefined backbone-modified oligoribonucleotides with chiral linkages, and the development of a method for the synthesis of RNA based on the use of 2-cyanoethoxymethyl (CEM) as the 2′-hydroxyl protecting group. The CEM method has been applied to the synthesis of single and double short hairpin RNA, pre-microRNA, and designed mRNA molecules up to 170 nucleotides in length, which were physicochemically identified and shown to be biologically active. We hope that the work presented here will contribute to the pushing forward of the frontiers of knowledge and understanding in RNA biology and RNA drug discovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It now seems clear that Euripides' motive in progressively admitting more resolution in his iambic trimeters was to widen his vocabulary, but no such development is detectable in his near contemporary, Sophocles. The object of the following paper is to initiate examination into ways in which Sophocles avoided resolution and initial substitution and what effect such avoidance had on his vocabulary. For that purpose, I examine in particular verbs compounded with disyllabic prepositions and the devices by which Sophocles still contrived to use them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 4 × 64 pixel 3-D CMOS imager based on time-offlight (TOF) has been developed and successfully tested. The measurement range is up to 8 m with resolution of 1 cm. The scene depth is determined by measurement of the travel time of reflected laser pulses by employing a fast on-chip synchronous shutter (maximum shutter speed 30 ns). The Multiple Double Short Time Integration (MDSI) algorithm enables suppression of the background illumination and correction for reflectance variations in the scene objects. The pixel size is 130 × 300 µm². The sensor chip has been realized in a 0.5-µm n-well standard CMOS process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capital asset pricing model (CAPM) is one of the widely used asset pricing models in modern securities theory. This mathematical model can help investors understand the relationship between expected returns and investment risk. To help energy commodity investors (especially Deutsche Bank) make the best decisions in investment management, this paper uses the CAPM and some statistical tools (variance, covariance and mean) to study risks on the expected return of investing in four common Deutsche Bank (DB) crude oil assets (DB crude oil double short, SZO-DB crude oil short order, OLO-DB crude oil short position, DBO-Invesco DB Petroleum Fund). The result reveals that DTO-DB Crude oil Double Short has the highest beta risk and highest expected return. And the higher the risk, the higher the expected return, and vice versa, that is, the risk is directly proportional to the expected return. In addition, the results also show that 73% of the investor’s wealth can be spent on a risky asset in DTO-DB Crude oil Double Short, 67% in SZO-DB Crude oil Short, 16% in OLO-DB Crude oil Short. Since the expected returns of DBO-Invesco DB Crude oil fund has a negative risk with negative expected returns, the investment in DBO-Invesco DB Crude oil will result in having a loss from the investment.

Background: Early recurrence of atrial tachyarrhythmia (ERAT) is common after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) and has been associated with an increased risk of late atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence.Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence and outcomes of patients experiencing ERAT after PVI using advanced-generation ablation technologies.Methods: This is a prespecified substudy of the CIRCA-DOSE (Cryoballoon vs Irrigated Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation: Double-Short vs Standard Exposure Duration) trial, a prospective, randomized, multicenter study comparing PVI with contact force-guided radiofrequency ablation to secondary-generation cryoballoon ablation for paroxysmal AF. All study patients received an implantable cardiac monitor to allow continuous rhythm monitoring. ERAT was defined as any recurrent atrial tachyarrhythmia within the first 90 days after AF ablation.Results: ERAT occurred in 61% of the 346 patients at a median of 12 days (range 1-90 days) after ablation. ERAF was a significant predictor of late recurrence (60.1% with ER vs 25.9% without ER; P <.001) and symptomatic atrial tachyarrhythmia (31.6% with ERAF vs 6.7% without ERAF; P <.001). Receiver operating curve analyses revealed a strong correlation between ERAT timing and burden and late recurrence. Multivariate analysis identified ER timing (hazard ratio [HR] 2.90; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.41-5.95; P = .004) and burden (HR 1.05 per 1% ER burden; 95% CI 1.04-1.07; P <.001) as strong independent predictors of late recurrence. Incidence rate, timing, burden, and prognostic significance of ER did not differ between the study groups.Conclusion: ERAT remains common after PVI despite use of advanced-generation ablation technologies. Early AF recurrence beyond 3 weeks after ablation is associated with increased risk of late recurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]