Search

Crack propagation behavior in the short crack regime has been shown to be quite complex than the steady-state behavior of long cracks. This complex behavior results from the fact that there are many controlling damage parameters to govern crack growth behaviors in smaller length scales. Artificial neural network (ANN) methods have recently received great attention to study material deformation and fatigue damage due to their potential capabilities to model complex mechanical responses. In this paper, two different ANN methods have been developed to predict fatigue crack growth rates in the short crack regime. The developed ANN methods known as extreme learning machine (ELM) and radial basis function network (RBFN) have been assessed under various loading conditions. Experimental data sets of 2024-T3, 7075-T6, and 2090-TBE41 aluminum alloys and Ti-6Al-4 V titanium alloy are used to train and verify the prediction accuracy of ELM and RBFN methods. The data sets are categorized based on a wide range of R-ratios and stress levels. Both ANN methods show good prediction capability. However, computed results show that the RBFN is more accurate in interpolation and predicting nonlinear behavior of the short crack growth behavior. On the other hand, ELM offers relatively a superior potential in extrapolation prediction.

Background: One of the chronic disabling illness affecting approximately 10% of women in midst of their reproductive period is Endometriosis. The treatment goal of endometriosis is to activate decidualization within the hormonally dependent ectopic endometrium and is regularly given to alleviate pain symptoms and reduce its recurrence among women. Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of dienogest in reducing pain and its influence on (QOL) quality of life among women affected with endometriosis. Materials and Methods: A prospective observational cohort study was conducted at Karpaga Vinayaga Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre including fifty patients with endometriosis treated with dienogest two mg per day for three months.We assessed the pelvic pain symptoms by visual analogue scale and (QOL)quality of life was determined by physical and mental index before and after 3 months of use of dienogest. Study Design: To perform statistical analysis, we used paired t test. Results: Women were on average 33.18 + 4.43 years. The mean +SD of VAS of 7.72 (0.73) in women with endometriosis was progressively decreased to 4.34(0.66) after 3 months of treatment with dienogest. The physical index score values increased significantly from 31.94 to 42.77 (p increased from 35.07 to 45.86 (p acne, hot flushes and weight gain. Conclusion: The results suggest that among women with endometriosis, dienogest has a relatively favorable safety profile and is well accepted in bettering the quality of life (QOL). Keywords: Endometriosis, (QOL) Quality of life, Dienogest, Pelvic pain.

Traffic congestion problem persists more at junctions and causes inconvenience to public. Owing to this, people may not reach their destinations in time. Although there are alerts in mobile phones regarding arrival times of flight services and other journey related information due to sudden traffic jams at junctions these advanced technology innovations are being becoming fragile. Since long, many researchers have been putting their efforts to find remedies for reducing traffic congestion. Objectives: The key focus is on balancing forwarding time and waiting time at junctions based on the number of vehicles arrived at that junction. Methods: The proposed system uses Internet of Things (IoT) based monitoring to control signaling system. IR sensors are used to count number of vehicles passing over the lane by triggering clock for object detection. The signaling time can be changed dynamically based on the vehicle count, so that more time is allocated to the lanes which have more traffic and the remaining time is adjusted among other lanes. This reduces congestion at dense traffic lanes. Findings: There will be time variant setting of signal lights based on the density of the traffic. The dense traffic lanes will be allotted more time and will be cleared first. Expanding on this point, the time adjustment is done based on the vehicle count not on periodical fixation of intervals. Novelty: The ecosystem developed provides an ultimate solution to vehicle users for comfortable movement on the roads without being delayed. Keywords: Traffic density; IR Sensor; VANET; ITS; IoT; clock

As indicated by an investigation and insights of WHO (World Health Organization), every year more than 50% of people lose their lives due to street traffic wounds of which most of them are due to bike riders as a result of head wounds. When an accident occurs, there is a delay in rescuing the person and so the proposed research work aims to work on this topic by building an automated system to alert the family member as soon as the occurrence of the accident. In this perspective, the proposed model integrates Arduino UNO R3 micro controller, a GPS GY6MV2 beneficiary and GSM module SIM 800L. Further, GPS GY6MV2 is sued to get the scope and longitude of the accident region. The GSM module SIM 800L is utilized to send SMS and enlighten the individual regarding the type of accident and provides accident location using Google Maps. ADXL335 MEMS Accelerometer sensor catches the X and Y co-ordinates of the vehicle. Furthermore, 16x2 LCD is used to show messages, scope and longitude of the accident place.

In March 2020, the government had announced for the Movement Control Order due to the outbreak of Covid-19 in Malaysia. COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. People that infected with COVID-19 will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. As the covid-19 had affected over millions of people across the world, the media have been working overtime in make sure the communities are updated with the news regarding Movement Control Order information to the public. The study aims to identify the effectiveness of media in creating awareness towards the understanding of Movement Control Order (MCO) during Covid-19. The study involves 440 respondents from different backgrounds across Malaysia. The data are collected through Statistical Package of Social Science (SPSS) Version 23. Findings from the SPSS indicated that television has significantly impact on promoting Movement Control Order awareness.

Raw cotton in the spinning mills is cleaned using petrol. Petrol is one of the essential fuels. This project is designed for the spinning industries to measure the level of the liquid content in the tanks. The usage of IR sensors and magnetic sensors evade the problem of oxidizing the level probes. Thermistor is a resistive device, which is used as a temperature sensor. The content of liquid/fuel in the tank is monitored by microcontroller. This level is displayed and updated using the IoT module interfaced with the microcontroller.

In the fast-growing business world, networking has a vital role to play. The organizations are spread all over the world. The connectivity between these organizations has become somewhat typical with old traditional ways. To overcome them a new technology called multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) is being used. It has become very popular industry solutions. MPLS at present has more advantages than any other technologies like ATM, FR, Ethernet and SONET. VPN additionally takes part in security. Therefore, this MPLS network with VPN gives a good network connection. In this project, MPLS-based VPN is implemented in a collaborative environment. Three regional offices of an organization are connected with the central Web site through MPLS-based ISP’s network. The connectivity among the sites is established and further resolutions are made on the basis of MPLS labels instead of IP addresses. Moreover, it is also observable in that MPLS does not need any other tunneling protocol unlike traditional VPN’s. It builds tunnels based on labels.

Knee orthosis is commonly used in supporting the knee movement and protecting the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries from worsening. In clinical practices, there are many types of ready-made orthoses that available in the market. However, different types of orthoses may provide different performances for patient’s knee joint. Therefore, this paper attempt to investigate the performance of knee orthoses for ACL-injured knee. Two groups took part in the study; (Group 1) six ACL-injured, (Group 2) four healthy participants, where two types of knee orthoses were adopted; (Brace 1) hinge brace, (Brace 2) sleeve brace with bilateral hinges. The knee joint motions were calculated using kinematics data while comfortability was conducted through surveys. From the findings, Brace 1 produced normal range of motion (ROM) for internal rotation at 5.47° while Brace 2 fall outside of the normal range at 2.165°. Meanwhile, the external rotation for Brace 1 (-13.25°) was lower than Brace 2 (-33.25°). Furthermore, the comfortability analysis suggested that Brace 1 (60%) was more effective than Brace 2 (40%). To conclude, Brace 1 portrayed optimal performance than Brace 2 during dynamic balance activities with reduction in ROM to prevent excessive knee rotation.

Fatigue crack growth-based damage modeling approaches have received great interest due to its critical importance in the industry. However, a substantial deficiency of an explicit fatigue damage model to quantify the accurate fatigue crack growth behavior remains due to the complex fatigue crack growth behavior in different length scales. This complexity arises from the fact that fatigue crack growth (FCG) in different length scales depends on many damage controlling parameters. Machine learning-based fatigue damage modeling approaches have received noticeable attention for fatigue crack growth analysis due to their abilities to account for numerous damage parameters simultaneously. In the presented paper, a radial basis function artificial neural network (RBF-ANN) model has been developed to predict the FCG behavior, including the short and long crack regimes. The presented RBF-ANN model has been trained and verified by experimental data sets of Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy, 2024-T3 and 7075-T6 aluminium alloys. The predictions showed that the RBF-ANN model has a good interpolation capability to predict the nonlinearity of both short and long crack growth behavior. However, the model shows poor extrapolation capability for accurate short crack growth predictions for cases that there are limited data sets in hand. The model effectiveness greatly depends on sufficient available input data.

Background: Menopause is a biological event characterized by the complexity of factors. On an average one-third of the women’s life consists of the post-menopause years, and health care programs for women do not address concerns beyond reproductive ages. The aim of this study was to describe the magnitude of menopause-related symptoms, the pattern of health care seeking, and associated factors. To assess the prevalence of gynecological disease in post-menopausal women.Methods: This cross-sectional study was done in Karpaga Vinayaga Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Center - obstetrics and gynecology OPD. Over a period, months in the year 2019. Stages of reproductive aging workshop (STRAW) revised criteria and nomenclature are used for the ascertainment of menopause and inclusion of the women in the study. It provided a comprehensive basis for staging since there were more complexities on ascertainment of menopause explained. The STRAW criteria are considered as the gold standard for assessing menopausal stages.Results: A total of 600 participants were included in the study. The proportion of women who had at least one menopause-related symptom was 95.95 (95% CI 93.73-97.54) and 58.3% of women had severe symptoms. Severities of symptoms in psychological, physical, vasomotor, and sexual domains were 56.7%, 70.5%, 49.3%, and 10.2% respectively. Premature menopause (p

Background: A relationship between the thyroid gland and the gonads is suggested by far more frequent occurrence of thyroid disorders in women than in men by clinical appearance of goiter during pregnancy, puberty, and menopause. Aim of this study was to determine the association between menstrual irregularities and thyroid dysfunction. To analyse the pattern of menstrual dysfunction among women with a thyroid disorder.Methods: This cross-sectional study was done in Karpaga Vinayaga Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Center - obstetrics and gynecology OPD. Over 6 months in the year 2019. 100 women who presented with abnormal uterine bleeding with the below exclusion criteria. Detailed history taking with an emphasis on age, parity, infertility, and menstrual disorders. Evaluation by pelvic examination along with the general physical examination of those with menstrual complaints. Routine investigations like Hb, BT, CT, TLC, DLC, platelet count, and ABO-Rh in all. Then all patients were subjected to estimation of serum T3, T4, TSH with early morning samples.Results: Menorrhagia presents in 39.4% of patients in the normal cohort and 63.6% in the thyroid dysfunction cohort. Hypomenorrhea presents in 4% normal cohort and 9.1% thyroid dysfunction cohort. Hypothyroidism presents in 7.27%, subclinical hypothyroidism in 1.81%, and hyperthyroidism in 0.92% of patients. Amenorrhoea presents in 16.2% of patients of the normal cohort and 9.1% of patients of thyroid dysfunction cohort. No statistical significance between amenorrhoea and thyroid dysfunction.32.3% in the normal cohort and 36.4% in thyroid dysfunction cohort had a bulky uterus. No statistical association exists between thyroid dysfunction and uterine size. In a histopathological examination of the endometrium, 49.5% in the normal cohort and 54.5% thyroid dysfunction cohort reported as proliferative endometrium. Amenorrhoea; the significant association between abnormal uterine bleeding and thyroid disorder (10%).Conclusions: The significant association between abnormal uterine bleeding and thyroid disorder (10%). It brings into focus the increased incidence of hypothyroidism among women with menorrhagia.

AMIT KUMAR SINGH, RAKESH SINGH, RAJESH KUMAR, SHIKSHA CHAURASIA, SHEEL YADAV, SUNDEEP KUMAR, and DHARMMAPRAKASH P. WANKHEDEABSTRACTSalinity tolerance in plants is a complex trait. Besides being controlled by many genes, it is also influenced by environmental conditions. Large and complex genome in wheat also poses many difficulties in gene discovery/ genetic mapping of salinity tolerance associated traits. On the other hand, recent advances in genomics and availability of high-throughput genome-wide analysis tools can greatly assist in deciphering molecular basis of salt tolerance in wheat. Nowadays, “omics” approaches such as transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics ionomics, and phenomics are increasingly being applied to get a finer level understanding of mechanisms underlying salt tolerance in the salt-tolerant accessions of different crops including wheat. Association mapping, which exploits diverse set of germplasm lines have allowed fine high-resolution mapping to identify loci controlling abiotic stress tolerance associated traits in cereals. Further, advanced breeding approaches such as marker-assisted selection and transgenic are being exploited for fast tracking the development of crop varieties. The, genomic selection is another promising approach for breeding salt-tolerant varieties. In this chapter, we have discussed and reviewed these approaches in grater details, with the focus on their potential in either underpinning molecular basis of salt tolerance or developing salt-tolerant wheat varieties.

Isolated HBV core antibody (anti-HBc) is defined as the presence of anti-HBc with a negative HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) and HBV surface antibody (anti-HBs

Quality control plays a vital role in automotive industry to ensure the standard of the end product are accepted by customer and stay competitive in this industry. Company must remain updated to enhance and improve method in defining their product quality and maintain the continuous quality improvement. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of implementation quality control method used in automotive industry in reducing defects. Methodology used for this paper is extensive review of existing paper and literature. This paper provides an overview of quality control method, advantages and disadvantages of the method. The literature in this subject is fairly limited. There are very limited discussions of quality control method in the automotive industry. Therefore, great effort to carry out the study was done on the manufacturing environment particularly in the automotive part.

The aim of this study is to evaluate effective dose received by participants from Lung Cancer Screening program in Institut Kanser Negara (IKN), Putrajaya. This retrospective study was performed between April 2016 - December 2016 where all scanning acquisition protocols and dose information from forty (40) participants were recorded and investigated. The screening process involves two types of imaging technique, the Dual Energy Subtraction (DES) Chest Xray and Low-Dose Computed Tomography (LDCT) imaging technique. Participant’s effective dose (ED) from DES and MSCT were analysed by using PCXMC (Version 2.0, Finland) and CT-EXPO (Version 2.3, Germany) software, respectively. It was observed that the mean ( ± SD) value for DES (at 60 kV), DES (at 120 kV) and MSCT examinations were 0.006 ± 0.005 mSv, 0.018 ± 0.005 mSv and 1.558 ± 0.129 mSv, respectively. In a whole, the total cumulative ED values for participants were ranged from 1.376 mSv to 1.986 mSv. It was summarized that both optimized techniques were useful for screening needs and the ED value from this study were lower when compared to other established reference.

Treatment of pilonidal sinus disease is controversial. Many claim policy of marsupialisation and healing by secondary intention. This is demanding in terms of nursing care and time lost from work.To examine outcome of excision and primary closure of chronic pilonidal disease on recurrence rate and patient's daily activities.One hundred and fourteen consecutive elective patients who had excision and primary closure of pilonidal sinus disease were reviewed. The demographic data and the post-operative outcome were studied.The recurrence of pilonidal sinus was noted in 9% of patients, wound breakdown occasioning delayed healing in 9%, patients able to drive by day 16 on average. The mean time to return to work was 20.5 days; duration of analgesia, 2.4 days; and duration of antibiotic treatment, 4.7 days.Excision and primary closure of chronic pilonidal sinus has low recurrence rate with early return to activities. Primary closure appears to be a cost-effective option for uncomplicated pilonidal sinus disease.

Summary An experimental study on ruminal acidosis induced by feeding molasses to 8 cross-bred calves was undertaken to study its effect on the various physiological parameters. During peracute acidosis (molasses at 30 gm./kg. body weight) the plasma and blood volume decreased significantly (P < 0.01) while the haematocrit increased. There was tachycardia and an increase in the T-wave potentials. Ventricular fibrillation occurred just before death. The PR, QT and ST intervals decreased, whereas the QRS and T-wave durations were slightly increased. During subacute acidosis (molasses at 10 gm./kg. body weight) the plasma and blood volumes, expressed on an induced ruminal acidosis body weight basis, increased after 48 and 72 hours and the haematocrit decreased significantly. The EEG recording changed from its normal slow build-up pattern to a train of spindles after 24 hours in peracute and 72 hours in subacute acidosis. The postmortem examination of the peracute cases revealed severe cerebral haemorrhage, gastro-enteritis, pneumonia, general venous congestion and enlargement of the liver. Zusammenfassung Physiologische Veranderungen nach experimenteller Lactat-Acidose im Pansen von Kreuzungskalbern Bei 8 Kreuzungskalbern wurde durch Futterung von Melasse eine experimentelle Pansenacidose ausgelost. Wahrend der perakuten Acidose (30 g Melassekg KGW) nahmen Plasma- und Blutvolumen signifikant ab (P < 0,01), wahrend der Hamatokrit anstieg. Die Tiere zeigten Tachykardie und eine Zunahme des T-Wellen-Potentials. Unmittelbar vor dem Exitus kam es zu Kammerflimmern. Die PR-, QT- und ST-Intervalle verkurzten sich, wahrend QRS- und T-Dauer sich geringgradig verlangerten. Im Verlaufe der subakuten Acidose (10 g Melasse/kg KGW) nahmen Plasma- und Blutvolumen, bezogen auf das KGW bei der Pansenacidose, nach 48 und 72 Stunden zu und der Hamatokrit sank signifikant ab. Das EEG zeigte zunehmend spindelformige Wellen, bei der perakuten Acidose nach 24 Stunden und bei der subakuten Acidose nach 72 Stunden. Die Sektion der an perakuter Acidose gestorbenen Kalber ergab folgende Befunde: schwere cerebrale Haemorrhagien, Gastro-Enteritis, Pneumonie, allgemeine venose Stauung und Lebervergroserung. Resume Lesions physiologiques chez des veaux croises apres une acidose experimentale au lactate dans la panse Une acidose experimentale de la panse a ete declenchee chez 8 veaux de croisement apres une alimentation a la melasse. Le volume sanguin et du plasma ont diminue de facon significative (P < 0,01) durant une acidose peraigue (30 g melasse/kg de poids), alors que l'hematocrite a augmente. Les animaux presenterent un tachycardie et une augmentation du potentiel des courbes T. Une fibrillation ventriculaire est intervenue immediatement avant la mort. Les intervalles PR, QT et ST ont ete raccourcis alors que les durees QRS et T se sont legerement allongees. Durant l'acidose subaigue (10 g melasse/kg de poids), le volume sanguin et du plasma ont augmente apres 48 et 72 heures par rapport au poids du corps durant l'acidose de la panse et l'hematocrite a diminue de facon significative. L'EEG a presente une augmentation des courbes en forme de fuseaux lors de l'acidose peraigue apres 24 h et lors de l'acidose subaigue apres 72 heures. L'autopsie de veaux peris a la suite d'une acidose peraigue a donne les resultats suivants: graves hemorragies cerebrales, gastro-enterite, pneumonie, stase veineuse generalisee et foie grossi. Resumen Cambios fisiologicos tras la acidosis experimental de lactato en la panza de terneros cruzados En 8 terneros cruzados se desencadeno mediante la alimentacion a base de melaza una acidosis ruminal experimental. Durante la acidosis peraguda (30 g de melaza/kg PC) disminuian significantemente los volumenes del plasma sanguineo y de la sangre (P < 0.01), mientras que aumento el hematocrito. Los animales tenian taquicardia y se hallaba aumentado el potencial de sus ondas T. Inmediatamente antes de morir se produjo fibrilacion ventricular. Los intervalos PR, QT y ST se abreviaron, mientras que aumentaron ligeramente las duraciones de QRS y de la onda T. En el curso de la acidosis subaguda (10 g de melaza/kg PC) aumentaban los volumenes de plasma y sangre, referidos al PC en la acidosis ruminal, tras 48 y 72 horas y el hematocrito disminuyo significantemente. El EEG mostraba de forma creciente ondas fusiformes, en la acidosis peraguda tras 24 horas y en la acidosis subaguda tras 72 horas. En la necropsia de los terneros muertos a causa de la acidosis peraguda se apreciaron los hallazgos siguientes: hemorragias cerebrales graves, gastroenteritis, pneumonia, estasis venoso general y hepatomegalia.

A low cost, light weight and easy to fabricate are the most important factor for future antennas. Microstrip patch antennas offer these advantages and suitable for communication and sensor application. This paper presents a design of simple microstrip patch antenna working on operating frequency of 2.4 GHz. The designed process has been carried out using MATLAB and HFSS software by entering 2.3 for the dielectric constant of PU-EFB. The results showed that high return loss, low bandwidth and good antenna radiation efficiency of which are -21.98 dB, 0.28 dB and 97.33%, respectively.

The major prevailing challenges confronted by Software Projects in cost estimations are due to inconsistent, incomplete, unclear and uncertain project data available in the primary stages of the project. Numerous models have been proposed for constructing a relationship between software size and effort for estimating the cost of project at an early stage. The main task is to find the effort estimates first, that can later on be factored with the salaries of employees to find cost estimates. The literature shows various algorithmic cost estimation models. These techniques do have their own pros and cons. The need for accurate cost estimation for software projects is still a challenge. Most recently, attention has turned towards Machine learning techniques to predict software development cost. It is proved that a few of the problems associated with previous models are addressed by soft computing techniques. The soft computing techniques were more apt when vague and inaccurate information is to be used‥ This paper presents an analytical structure of a Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy logic controller with three inputs and one output for software development effort estimation. NASA 93 dataset is considered for validating the model. The analytical study with three inputs has been presented. The Fuzzy Controller developed with triangular membership functions has been proved to give better results for effort estimation. Simulation has been carried out using MATLAB and the results were obtained for various criteria for assessment. The results produced by Fuzzy Model with triangular membership functions with three inputs were very near to actual effort.

A novel dual-band inverted H-shaped slot circular patch antenna is presented in this paper. A rectangular slots are initially introduced onto a circular patch antenna resulted to dual band antenna but with poor s-parameter at 5.2 GHz band. Subsequently, the antenna reflection coefficient at 5.2 GHz is improved by introducing an inverted H-shaped slot at the center of the circular patch. The antenna reflection coefficient at 2.4 GHz is improved by optimizing the circular patch diameter with value of 36 mm. Wide bandwidth and omnidirectional radiation pattern characteristics is realized by implementing partial ground plane. The proposed design exhibited return loss of −23 dB in simulation, −34 dB in measurement while −15 dB in simulation, −24 dB in measurement at 2.4 and 5.2 GHz, respectively. Hence, the proposed dual band antenna design operating at 2.4 and 5.2 GHz band frequencies can be used for wireless LAN (WLAN) applications.

Fractal antennas consisting of self similarity structure and they mainly used for the purpose of multiband characteristics. In this paper a compact novel folded-slot Koch fractal antenna is designed to operate at multiband for the communication system applications. Ansys HFSS tool is used to design and simulate the current model and FR4 substrate is used to prototype the designed antenna model. In the functional verification, simple folded slot antenna is resonating at dual band and the subsequent iterations are producing triple band characteristics. The fabricated Koch fractal antenna is producing good radiation characteristics with average gain of more than 4 dB at the corresponding resonant frequencies. Measured and simulated results are in good agreement with each other corresponding to return loss, VSWR and impedance.

An optical tweezer setup is made based on a custom-designed inverted microscope, which can work both in finite and infinite tube length microscopy modes. It is shown that the spherical aberration due to the mismatch in the refractive indices of the specimen (water) and the immersion oil as well as the wavelength can be partially compensated by introducing another source for the spherical aberration provided it has the opposite sign. Changing the tube length is shown to be a good candidate for this effect: an improvement of up to a factor of four has been observed in the lateral efficiency of the trap. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

SMAC technologies are going to help in providing exchange of ideas and develop collaboration between government and citizens. SMAC, which is combined and integrated use of Social Media, Mobile, Analysis and Cloud computing, is very useful for providing E-Governance agility. This is the IT solution for increasing the agility of services provided by e-governance. It also increases efficiency of egovernment bodies, lowering costs for public services and increases effect of IT investments. Even though having low budget for providing better service to the citizens and also implementing the welfare schemes effectively the Government of A.P had taken forward step to implement advanced technology in the government services. State Government of Andhra Pradesh introduced the Public Distribution System in the year 1974. Main purpose is to control over the prices of the essential commodities and also distribute them to poorest of the poor. Huge amount was spent on the subsidies by the Government.Because of dummy cards, duplicate cards, weighing differences the real benefit is not reached to the beneficiaries. The purpose of introducing the SMAC Technology in Public Distribution System (PDS) is increasing the effectiveness of PDS .There is no study about the impact of SMAC Technology in PDS specifically in Nellore city. In this paper an attempt is made to know the impact of SMAC Technology in PDS. Therefore the purpose of this study reveals the impact of SMAC technology in PDS system.

UNLABELLED The priming principle consists of administering a subparalyzing dose of nondepolarizing neuromuscular blocking drug 3-6 min before giving a second dose for tracheal intubation. This study was performed to observe the effects of priming doses of vecuronium and rocuronium on pulmonary function tests and muscular weaknesses in young (25-35 yr of age) and elderly (65-73 yr of age) patients. Ten young and 10 elderly patients were each placed in vecuronium and rocuronium groups. Oxygen saturation and train-of-four (TOF) ratio were determined, and pulmonary function tests were performed. Then 20% of the 95% effective dose (ED95) of the muscle relaxants was given intravenously. All tests were performed again 4 min after vecuronium and 3 min after rocuronium. Other signs of muscular weaknesses were also recorded. Elderly patients showed more signs of muscle weakness in both groups. The TOF ratio was 0.77 and 0.79 in the elderly rocuronium and vecuronium groups, respectively, and 0.89 and 0.90 in the young rocuronium and vecuronium groups, respectively. Dynamic spirometry revealed decreases in forced expiratory volume in 1 s and forced vital capacity in both groups, and no significant changes in peak expiratory flow rate. The expiratory reserve volume was reduced more in the elderly groups. Oxygen saturation decreased in both groups. We conclude that oxygen saturation, pulmonary function, and muscle strength decrease more in the elderly than in their younger counterparts from priming doses of vecuronium or rocuronium. IMPLICATIONS The priming principle consists of giving a subparalyzing dose of muscle relaxant 3-6 min before giving a second dose for tracheal intubation. We found that priming doses of vecuronium and rocuronium produced greater decreases in oxygen saturation and pulmonary function in the elderly (aged 65-73 yr) than their younger (aged 25-35 yr) counterparts. Priming may not be a safe approach in elderly patients.

We report the case of a 28-year-old, HIV-positive woman presenting with painful vesicular and ulcerating lesions in the ano-genital region caused by varicella zoster virus that appeared similar to herpes simplex infection. The case highlights that herpes zoster needs to be considered in the differential diagnosis of genital lesions, particularly in HIV-positive individuals, and the importance of virological diagnosis by PCR to direct appropriate management.

A Heterogeneous network (HetNet) of LTE is expected to have macros, picos with biased association, and, femtos in closed access mode. An user equipment (UE) which associates to a pico eNodeB due to biasing experiences severe interference from macro eNodeB. Similarly, a UE associated to the macro eNodeB in the proximity of closed access femto can go into outage due to heavy interference from the femto, thus creating coverage holes in the network. Such UEs experiencing severe interference are referred to as victim UEs and the nodes that cause the interference are referred to as aggressors. Inter-cell interference coordination (ICIC) techniques are considered in LTE-A to overcome these problems. One of the solutions considered is by blanking some subframes at the aggressor for protecting victim UEs from interference caused by these nodes. In this paper, a scheme based on almost blank subframes (ABS) defined in LTE-A to handle the interference in a HetNet scenario is proposed. This is done by blanking certain subframes of a node, which has potential to create severe interference to the UEs associated to other nodes. The proposed scheme determines the number and location of subframes that are to be blanked at each aggressor node. It is observed that, the victim UE performance can be significantly improved with careful selection of ABS pattern at macro and femto eNodeBs within the cell.

The term Industrialised Building System (IBS) is widely recognised by construction players in Malaysia since its first implementation since 1960s for IBS pilot projects of Pekeliling Flats and Rifle Range Flats. The aim for the implementation is to promote better system in delivering construction end-products which offers efficiency and effectiveness. At the same time, Bumiputera construction players are the majority of parties in construction industry especially in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to identify the perception and awareness of IBS implementation among Bumiputera players. It is found that, Bumiputera construction players have sound knowledge on the IBS and optimistic towards further implementation for future projects. Nonetheless, issues on payment methods and coordination of IBS project delivery are found to be the negative perceptions which are considered as hindrance for Bumiputera construction players’ involvement in IBS project.

Summary Evaluations of genetic diversity in domestic livestock populations are necessary to implement region-specific conservation measures. We determined the genetic diversity and evolutionary relationships among eight geographically and phenotypically diverse cattle breeds indigenous to west-central India by genotyping these animals for 22 microsatellite loci. A total of 326 alleles were detected, and the expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.614 (Kenkatha) to 0.701 (Dangi). The mean number of alleles among the cattle breeds ranged from 7.182 (Khillar) to 9.409 (Gaolao). There were abundant genetic variations displayed within breeds, and the genetic differentiation was also high between the Indian cattle breeds, which displayed 15.9% of the total genetic differentiation among the different breeds. The genetic differentiation (pairwise FST) among the eight Indian breeds varied from 0.0126 for the Kankrej–Malvi pair to 0.2667 for Khillar–Kenkatha pair. The phylogeny, principal components analysis, and structure analysis further supported close grouping of Kankrej, Malvi, Nimari and Gir; Gaolao and Kenkatha, whereas Dangi and Khillar remained at distance from other breeds.

A low-power content-addressable memory (CAM) using a differential match line (DMLSA) sense amplifier is proposed in this work. The proposed self-disabled sensing technique can choke the charge current fed into the ML right after the matching comparison is generated. Instead of using typical NOR/NAND-type CAM cells with the single-ended ML, the proposed novel NAND CAM cell with the differential ML design can boost the speed of comparison without sacrificing power consumption. In addition, the 9-T CAM cell provides the complete write, read, and comparison functions to refresh the data and verify its correctness before searching. The CAM with the proposed technique is implemented on silicon to justify the performance by using a standard 90-nm complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor process.

Cholelithiasis typically presents with right upper quadrant pain, as can pain from other right upper quadrant organs. Pain of cholelithiasis is often referred to tip of scapula. Professor Paddy Collins drew attention to fact that patients with gallstone pain would attempt to demonstrate this by placing their hand behind the back and thumb pointing upwards. This became known amongst his students as Collins’ sign. To evaluate accuracy of Collins’ sign as indicator of cholelithiasis. Case–control study performed on 202 patients with symptomatic cholelithiasis and 200 control patients (with oesophagitis, gastritis or duodenal ulcer). Questionnaire examined pain pattern in both groups. The results analysed using t test and χ2 test. Collins’ sign was positive in 51.5% of gallstone patients and 7.5% of control group (P

Aims Adolescents with chronic health problems are poorly provided for in the UK.1 National standards have been developed for the transition of paediatric patients to adult services.2 We reviewed practice in paediatric cardiology both locally and across the region and for other specialties in this institution. Methods A retrospective study of patients attending cardiac clinics was conducted. Electronic letters were reviewed for children over 13.5 years. An email questionnaire was sent to the specialty clinical leads. Regional paediatric cardiology was surveyed in the safe and sustainable review. We were interested in the age when transition commenced, whether or not joint clinics with adult specialists and liaison nurses were conducted, number of transition clinics per year, age of transfer and age of the oldest patient in clinic. Results In Cardiology, over 5 years (1 April 2004–20 August 2010), 136 patients were transitioned, with 81 eligible for transition over the next 2 years. Mean age at transition was 16.3 (12.0–19.9) years. Following the development of a dedicated grown-up service in Papworth in 2009, 44 (76%) patients have been transferred there, with 23 (52%) attending the joint multi-professional transition clinic. Across the region, no other joint cardiac clinics exist and the process is ad hoc in 7 out of 17 responding units. In this institution, responses were received from seven specialties (Oncology, Haematology, Neurology, Cardiology, Hepatology, Rheumatology, Urology). Five have agreed transition policies and conduct joint transition clinics with adult specialists, 4/5 have input from specialist nurses. The format of transition varies, Haematology, Oncology, Rheumatology and Urology have ad hoc clinics. Hepatology has 1 clinic. Cardiology is increasing from two to four clinics. Neurology has four clinics per year. The number of transition clinics attended by patients varies from one to more than four (Neurology). Transition age ranges between 13–16 years. The oldest patient seen was 18 years. Conclusions This study demonstrates that local transition arrangements are well established across a number of specialties in line with national recommendations. The process is tailored to the needs of each specialty, a universal agreed policy of transition for patients in the institution is recommended to guide practice.

An epidermoid cyst is a benign cyst of pilosebaceous origin. It is most commonly located on scalp, back and trunk1-3. Breast is a rare site for the occurence of this pathology. Very few cases have been reported in the literature 6,7. The mammographic and ultrasonographic pictures of this lesion can mimic carcinoma breast and thus identifying the lesion by fine needle aspiration cytology can help to reach the diagnosis with minimum effort and time.

Juvenile hypertrophy of the breast (JHB) is an uncommon, benign disorder and typically starts at the adolescence in females. It is characterized by rapid enlargement of breasts, either unilateral or bilateral. The definitive diagnosis is made by histopathologic examination. Treatment recommendations include surgery and hormonal therapy, although hormonal manipulation is still controversial in pediatric patients. Here we report an adult female 35-year-old with right sided JHB who did not undergo surgery or medical treatment.

Azathioprine (AZ) has been used in the treatment of refractory inflammatory bowel disease. The mechanism by which AZ decrease colonic inflammation is not known. It is alluded that AZ may be effective in the maintenance of remission. We examined whether AZ in non-immunosuppressive doses reduces extravasation and neutrophil trafficking in a rat model of colonic inflammation. Rats were treated with I.P. injection of AZ (1 mg/kg) for 6 weeks. At the end of 2 and 6 weeks rats were injected I.V. immune complex and on the following day the proximal colon was perfused with 2.5% formaldehyde (local irritant 3 ml/hour for 5 mins). Extravasation was measured by Evans' blue technique and neutrophil concentration in the tissue was determined by measuring myeloperoxidase (MPO). AZ did not inhibit extravasation and MPO after 2 weeks of therapy. However, after 6 weeks, AZ reduced extravasation to 20 +/- 2 micrograms/gm compared to untreated animals (51 +/- 6 micrograms/gm tissue) and MPO levels to 0.3 +/- 13 compared to untreated rats (0.8 +/- 0.32 mU/gm). There was a good correlation between extravasation and MPO levels. These results suggest that long-term treatment with AZ may prevent extravasation and cause reduction in neutrophil trafficking. Such an effect may be beneficial for maintaining remission in IBD.

Introduction Background: Loss of the gallbladder reservoir function at cholecystectomy may critically alter the dynamics of bile storage and release. Consequent iatrogenic duodeno-gastro-esophageal reflux (DGER) may be associated with oesophago-gastric adenocarcinoma. Aims To examine the histological and molecular effects of cholecystectomy-induced DGER on gastric and oesophageal mucosae. Methods Patients and Methods: In a retrospective study we compared 26 gallstone-free controls with 25 patients pre-cholecystectomy and 29 patients post-cholecystectomy for one or more years. In a prospective study we compared 26 controls with 25 patients before and within 1 year of cholecystectomy. All underwent oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy (EGD) with biopsies from the antrum, esophagogastric junction (EGJ) and 5 cm above the EGJ. A histochemical bile reflux index (BRI) was calculated and immunohistochemistry was performed for p53 and Ki67. Results Results: In the retrospective study antral BRI positivity was 11% in controls vs 69% in cholecystectomy patients (p=0.001); at the EGJ BRI positivity was 19% in controls vs 41% in cholecystectomy patients (p=0.032). p53 was expressed at the antrum in 4% of controls vs 52% cholecystectomy patients(p=0.001) and in 19% vs 66% at the EGJ (p=0.001). Ki67 was expressed at the antrum in 23% vs 59% (p=0.001) and at the EGJ in 19% vs 62% (p=0.001). Prospectively, BRI positivity increased from 11% to 36% (p=0.04) at the antrum within 1 year of cholecystectomy. Ki67 expression increased from 19% to 48% (p=0.044) at EGJ in patients within 1 year of cholecystectomy while p53 remained unchanged. Conclusion Changes attributable to DGER occur early in the gastric and LES mucosae of patients following cholecystectomy. Ki67 and p53 over-expression suggests that these changes may be precursors of malignant transformation. Such concerning changes suggest that options other than cholecystectomy be considered for patients with gallstones in a functioning gallbladder. Competing interests None declared.

Background The outbreak of lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) in men who have sex with men (MSM) in the UK is ongoing, with over 500 cases diagnosed in 2010 alone. Control efforts have been limited by a lack of understanding of the epidemiology, particularly transmission. The majority of cases are rectal with small numbers of urogenital or pharyngeal infections. No significant reservoir of asymptomatic or undiagnosed infection has been identified. The possibility of rectal to rectal transmission is suggested by studies showing an association of LGV with fisting, use of sex toys and enemas. We aim to identify risk factors to better understand transmission. Methods A case control study of LGV in six UK clinics from 2009 to the end of 2010. Confirmed cases of LGV in MSM were compared with symptomatic and asymptomatic controls. Clinical and behavioural data were collected using a web-based computer-assisted self-interview and linked to web-based clinical report forms (CRF). We used a two-stage process to construct multivariable logistic regression models in order to control for confounding and interaction between risk factors. Results We have recruited 99 cases, 86 symptomatic and 88 asymptomatic controls. There were 94 rectal cases (including one who also had pharyngeal LGV), two urethral and one genital ulcer (two CRFs outstanding). In univariate analysis, LGV was significantly associated with many factors; the strongest associations were with HIV infection, specific anal sex practices (including unprotected receptive and insertive intercourse, rimming, use of toys, fisting, douching), meeting partners through the internet or in a backroom, and use of stimulant drugs. In final multivariable logistic regression models HIV-positivity, fisting, younger age at first clinic attendance and recent use of methamphetamine remained significant predictors of LGV when compared to asymptomatic controls. Compared to symptomatic controls, unprotected insertive anal intercourse was the only significant risk factor in the final model. Conclusions Men reporting both insertive and receptive anal sex practices are at highest risk of LGV. Rectal to rectal transmission may be occurring with the organism being transferred via toys, fingers and penises; transient colonisation of the urethra may explain the low incidence of urethral LGV. Improved hygiene measures may have an important role in reducing transmission.

Fractal dendritic silver microstructures are observed on the surface of the Ag+-doped glasses as a result of a photothermal interaction with a focused multiline cw high-power (Pmax=8 W) Ag+ laser beam. It is found that evolution of the structures depends on the exposure time and also on the concentration of the silver ions in the sample. The fractal dimension of the generated dendritic microstructures increases with the exposure time. Instability of the contact line of the molten silver flow toward the periphery of the interaction area is discussed as a result of the temperature gradient, due to the Gaussian intensity distribution across the laser beam.