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Microstructures of nanoporous Pd are essentially important for its physical and chemical properties. In this work, we show that the microstructures of nanoporous Pd can be tuned by adjusting compositions of the precursor alloys, and dealloying and heat treatment parameters. Both the ligament and pore sizes decrease with increasing the electrochemical potential upon dealloying and the concentration of noble component in the precursor alloys. Heat treatment causes coarsening of the nanoporous structure. Above a critical temperature, the nanoporous structures are subjected to significant coarsening. Below the critical temperature, surface diffusion is believed to dominate the coarsening process. Above the critical temperature, the nanoporous structure coarsens remarkably at a rather high rate, which is ascribed to a multiple-mechanism controlled process.

In this paper, there are tow part of module for predicting the Annealing heat treatments of Zr tube. The artificial neural network (ANN) were used for relationship between mechanical property and annealing parameters. The genetic algorithm (GA) were used for Annealing heat treatments of Zr tube. The best ANN network architecture is 2-8-3, and the optimum values of momentum factor is 0.8 while the Crossover is also 0.8 by ANN-GA, which can be efficiently track the effect of annealing Heat treatment on properties for Zr-4 alloy. Keywords: Zr alloy, Heat Treatment, mechanical propert

The effects of heat treatment time and temperature on the crystallization of the feldspathic glass-ceramics produced from frit powders were investigated. Two-step heat treatment processes (nucleation and crystal growth) were applied to produce glass-ceramics. In both stages, the samples were heated at different soaking temperatures and times. Tetragonal leucite crystal nucleation and growth processes were followed by XRD, SEM and dilatometer techniques. Depending on first step heat treatment temperature and soaking time the crystallization gradually increases with increasing time and temperature. The second step heat treatment soaking times showed significant change in the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the glass ceramic samples. Biaxial flexural strength (σ) of the samples slightly increases with increasing the 2nd step soak time and all results are above the required standard value of 100 MPa for the monolithic ceramic for single-unit anterior on dental restorations.

A wood-based polymer composite was manufactured and characterized using in situ polymerization of styrene into juvenile and mature pine wood. Treatment parameters and properties were evaluated by u...

Owing to intricate geological and engineering factors, the hydraulic fractures in shale oil reservoirs sometimes are in heterogeneous and random lengths, which brings a difficulty in fracture estimation. To improve this situation, a simple and quick well-testing method is presented for fracturing evaluation and parameter estimation of multiple fractured horizontal wells with non-uniform fractures. The semianalytical method and Laplace transformation are used for model solution. With the proposed model, we estimate the properties of non-uniform fractures in shale oil wells from the Ordos Basin based on the buildup testing data. Results from the case studies show that there is a good relationship between fracturing treatment parameters and generated fracture properties, including fracture length and storativity ratio (or fracture volume ratio). The fracture parameter values increase with the increase in fracturing liquid volume, especially the inner region permeability and storativity ratio. When the fracturing liquid volume per stage increases by 200-300 m3 , the fracture impacts are weaker on generated parameters, which indicates that there would be an optimized fracturing liquid volume in the field case. Cited as : Meng, M., Chen, Z., Liao, X., Wang, J., Shi, L. A well-testing method for parameter evaluation ofmultiple fractured horizontal wells with non-uniform fractures in shale oil reservoirs. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2020, 4(2): 187-198, doi: 10.26804/ager.2020.02.07

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different treatment parameters on the day of GnRH antagonist initiation on oocyte maturation rate. We performed a retrospective cohort study of women aged ≤ 38 who underwent their first IVF-ICSI treatment using a flexible GnRH antagonist protocol in a single university-affiliated medical center during 2005-2015. Treatment parameters of three groups of oocyte maturation rates (60%, 60-90%,90%) were compared. Multivariate analysis was conducted to detect an association between treatment parameters on the day of GnRH antagonist initiation and oocyte maturation rate. The cohort included 458 patients, of whom 180 (39%) had a high oocyte maturation rate (≥90%), 211 (46%) had an oocyte maturation rate between 60-90% and 67 (15%) had a low maturation rate (≤60%). Women with a high maturation rate had longer duration of treatment (10.3 ± 2.9 days vs. 9.6 ± 2.5 vs. 9.5 ± 3.2, P = 0.019), lower levels of estradiol (1985 ± 1357 vs. 2406 ± 1666 vs. 2325 ± 1811, P = 0.027) and lower estradiol/maximal follicular diameter ratio on the day of GnRH antagonist initiation (137 ± 89 vs. 165 ± 103 vs. 163 ± 125, P = 0.019) as compared to women with medium and low maturation rates, respectively. Using linear regression multivariate analysis, lower estradiol and lower estradiol/maximal follicular diameter ratio on GnRH antagonist initiation day were associated with higher oocyte maturation rate. Further prospective studies to determine the best timing for GnRH antagonist initiation are needed.

A heat treatment system for superconducting coil had been built at the Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ASIPP) for the central solenoid model coil (CSMC) for the China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR). The CSMC is composed of Nb3Sn and NbTi hybrid superconducting coils. As Nb3Sn is a brittle material, the technology of “wind and react” has been used to manufacture Nb3Sn coil. During the heat treatment process, various measuring instruments have been used to monitor the heat treatment parameters (e.g., temperature, pressure, impurity gas content). The heat treatment of the inner coil and the outer coil of CSMC has been completed. The evolution temperature and temperature uniformity meet the technical requirements of CSMC heat treatment. The performance of the witness sample meets the recommended value. The measurement results of the coil deformation meet the requirements of the Nb3Sn coil design. Here, the manufacture, measurements, and test results are presented, providing a solid basis for the heat treatment of large size superconducting coils.

The review is dedicated to the analysis of the effectiveness of the treatment of erythroplasia of Queyrat (EQ) using photodynamic therapy (PDT). Particular attention is paid to the relationship between EQ and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. The data of various researchers are presented, confirming the correlation between the development of the EQ and the HPV infection, however, it is noted that due to the small number of studies it is difficult to draw reliable conclusions on the presence and strength of this connection. The mechanisms of PDT involved in the implementation of both the antitumor effect in the treatment of EQ and the antiviral effect against HPV are considered. The data of 12 clinical studies and observations of the results of PDT of the EQ conducted in recent years are analyzed. An analysis of literature data showed that in the treatment of EQ, one of the two photosensitizers is usually used locally: 5-aminolevulinic acid or 5-aminolevulinic acid methyl ester. The treatment parameters in all the analyzed studies were similar: exposure to the ointment for 3–5 hours followed by irradiation with a light dose of 37–105 J/cm 2 . The number of PDT courses in different studies varied from 1 to 19. The effectiveness of treatment varied widely in different studies and clinical observations. Most studies have demonstrated high efficacy of PDT with complete regression in 36–83% (100% in one study) and a relapse-free follow-up period of up to 51 months. However, there were also individual clinical observations of patients in whom the treatment with the method of PDT was ineffective. It is possible that the described results were associated with improperly selected regimes of PDT or a large lesion area. Most authors especially note a very good cosmetic effect and a complete absence of scars after the treatment. Thus, PDT is an effective and promising method for the treatment of EQ that requires, however, a more thorough development of the application regimen and a deeper study of the antitumor and antiviral components of the mechanism of action.

Plasma treatment of mulberry silk fabric was carried out in an indigenously developed plasma reactor in the mixture of helium (He) and commercial fluorocarbon gas at atmospheric pressure. Optical e...

In the present study, the effect of heat treatment parameters on the functional response, corrosion behavior and microstructural evolution of NiTi shape memory alloys were investigated. Various heat treatment regimes were utilized to study the impact of temperature and duration on the actuation behavior of wire samples under bending. Results clarified that austenite transformation temperatures As and Af increased at higher treatment temperatures. Cyclic response in the range of 0 to 15 degrees indicated that the actuation force exhibits an inverse relation with the treatment temperature. Higher treatment durations below 500°C elevated both the hardness and the sustained load. Bending force levels above 1500gf were achieved after a 90 min treatment at 400°C, whereas that over 500°C brought about a noticeable drop in strength. Investigations on the corrosion behavior of NiTi alloy was utilized in the simulated body fluid revealing that the sample heat treated at 400°C for 90 min showed the highest corrosion resistance.

В бродильных производствах, в частности, в пивоварении актуальными являются задачи повышения бродильной активности дрожжей и/или интенсификация накопления их биомассы. Для ее решения в настоящее время предлагаются различные способы, одним из которых может быть предварительная обработка волновыми или полевыми воздействиями. Ранее в наших исследованиях была показана принципиальная возможность интенсификации развития дрожжевых популяций за счет предварительной обработки звуком слышимого диапазона. Данная статья посвящена изучению влияния параметров акустической обработки на такие характеристики процесса культивирования дрожжей, как прирост общего титра клеток, доля нежизнеспособных клеток, убыль веса среды культивирования. Определяли эффективность обработки засевных дрожжей Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Saflager W34/70) звуком слышимого диапазона, варьируя следующие параметры акустического воздействия: частоту звука, продолжительность обработки, амплитуду, расстояние от источника звука до обрабатываемого объекта (навески сухих дрожжей). Обработанными и необработанными звуком дрожжами засевали модельные среды (стерилизованные 5 %-ные растворы сахарозы) и вели культивирование при комнатной температуре без принудительного перемешивания в течение 4 сут. Сразу после засева и ежедневно в процессе культивирования определяли контролируемые показатели. На основании полученных результатов был сделан вывод о том, что предварительная акустическая обработка, проведенная в рациональных условиях, позволяет увеличить прирост общего титра дрожжевых клеток и степень утилизации компонентов питательной среды при сохранении процента нежизнеспособных клеток на уровне контроля. Это создало предпосылки для апробации предлагаемого способа активации пивных дрожжей в условиях, приближенных к производственным.

Dylewski Michał, Dylewska Monika, Kasprzak Alicja, Bednorz Roman, Maliszewski Jakub, Cygoń Krzysztof, Boczula Joanna. Proposition of patient stratification and parameter setting for mechanical traction in patients with LBP. Journal of Education, Health and Sport. 2020;10(2):85-96. eISSN 2391-8306. DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.12775/JEHS.2020.10.02.012 https://apcz.umk.pl/czasopisma/index.php/JEHS/article/view/JEHS.2020.10.02.012 https://zenodo.org/record/3668802 The journal has had 5 points in Ministry of Science and Higher Education parametric evaluation. § 8. 2) and § 12. 1. 2) 22.02.2019. © The Authors 2020; This article is published with open access at Licensee Open Journal Systems of Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Poland Open Access. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License which permits any noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author (s) and source are credited. This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non commercial license Share alike. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) which permits unrestricted, non commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited. The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests regarding the publication of this paper. Received: 15.01.2020. Revised: 25.01.2020. Accepted: 16.02.2020. Proposition of patient stratification and parameter setting for mechanical traction in patients with LBP Propozycje sposobu doboru pacjentów i parametrów trakcji mechanicznej kręgosłupa lędźwiowego Michał Dylewski1,2, Monika Dylewska3, Alicja Kasprzak4, Roman Bednorz4, JakubMaliszewski4, Krzysztof Cygoń4, Joanna Boczula4 1 Klinika Uzdrowiskowa „Pod Tężniami” im. Jana Pawła II w Ciechocinku 2 Leśny Dom Seniora w Piastowie 3 Sanatorium Uzdrowiskowe „Promień” w Ciechocinku 4 P.H.U. Technomex Sp. z o.o. Work prepared as part of the project: „Kompleksowa diagnostyka i rehabilitacja pacjentów z zespołami bólowymi kręgosłupa oraz zagrożonych upadkiem z wykorzystaniem innowacyjnej terapii” współfinansowanego z Europejskiego Funduszu Rozwoju Regionalnego w ramach projektu pn. „Fundusz Badań i Wdrożeń” realizowanego w ramach Osi Priorytetowej 1. Wzmocnienie innowacyjności i konkurencyjności gospodarki regionu, Działania 1.2 Promowanie inwestycji przedsiębiorstw w badania i innowacje, Poddziałania 1.2.1 Wsparcie procesów badawczo-rozwojowych Regionalnego Programu Operacyjnego Województwa Kujawsko-Pomorskiego na lata 2014-2020. Sumary: Mechanical traction of the lumbar spine remains a procedure very willingly used by therapists in many countries of the world, despite at least equivocal scientific evidence. One of the problems reducing its effectiveness is the problem with the selection of patients for therapy as well as selecting the therapeutic goals and treatment parameters for the patient in an individualized and, at the same time, repeatable manner. In this work, the authors presented such a model developed as part of Research and Development works carried out at the Leśny Dom Seniora in Piastów. Streszczenie: Trakcja mechaniczna kręgosłupa lędźwiowego pozostaje zabiegiem bardzo chętnie stosowanym przez terapeutów w wielu krajach świata, pomimo co najmniej niejednoznacznych dowodów naukowych. Jednym z problemów zmniejszających jej skuteczność jest problem zarówno z doborem pacjentów do terapii, jak i celu terapeutycznego i parametrów zabiegowych do pacjenta w sposób zindywidualizowany, a jednocześnie powtarzalny. W niniejszej pracy autorzy przedstawili taki model wypracowany w ramach prac Badawczo-Rozwojowych prowadzonych w Leśnym Domu Seniora w Piastowie. Key Words: Low Back Pain, Mechanical traction, Lumbar Spine

OBJECTIVE International guidelines suggest repeating cognitive testing at intervals throughout a course of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) to monitor its effects on cognitive function. However, it is apparent that few services do this, and an optimal battery of testing has not yet been established. We aimed to evaluate the utility of such routine cognitive testing in a clinic where patients had been routinely tested at intervals throughout a course of ECT. METHODS All patients referred for ECT at a public ECT clinic were offered routine cognitive testing to monitor cognitive function during their course of ECT. Testing was conducted at baseline and after 3, 6, and 9 treatments. Analyses examined whether change in individual measures predicted reduction in autobiographical memory at subsequent measures and whether the results that were given to clinicians informed treatment decisions. RESULTS Changes in cognitive test results were not associated with clinician decisions to change treatment parameters. Only change in digit span forwards after 3 treatments was associated with later reduction in Colombia University Autobiographical Interview - Short Form (CUAMI-SF) of greater than 25%, with a larger improvement in digit span forwards being associated with greater chance of having a 25% reduction in CUAMI-SF. CONCLUSIONS There was no evidence that the screening undertaken in this clinic had been helpful in determining treatment decisions or that changes in cognitive tests predicted in a reliable way who would later experience changes in autobiographical memory. However, follow-up testing was not completed reliably, and longer-term data regarding autobiographical memory were not collected.

In this paper, the results of decolourisation of Reactive Orange 16 (RO 16), Reactive Blue 19 (RB 19) and Direct Red 28 (DR 28) textile dyes in aqueous solution by plasma needle are presented. Treatment time, feed gas flow rate (1, 4 and 8 dm3 min-1) and gas composition (Ar, Ar/O2) were optimized to achieve the best performance of the plasma treatment. An artificial neural network (ANN) was used for the prediction of parameters relevant for the decolourisation outcome. It was found that more than 95 % decolourisation could be achieved for all three dyes after plasma treatment, although the decolourisation of DR 28 was much slower than those of the other two dyes, which could be explained by the complexity of its molecular structure. It was concluded that the oxidation was very dependent on all three mentioned parameters. The ANN predicted the treatment time as the crucial factor for decolourisation performance of RO 16 and DR 28, while the Ar flow rate was the most relevant for RB 19 decolourisation. The obtained results suggest that the plasma needle is a promising tool for the oxidation of organic pollutants and that an ANN could be used for optimization of the treatment parameters to achieve high removal rates. [Projects of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. 172023 and Grant no. III43007]

International audience; Cancer treatment by magneto-mechanical effect of particles (TMMEP) is a growing field of research. The principle of this technique is to apply a mechanical force on cancer cells in order to destroy them thanks to magnetic particles vibrations. For this purpose, magnetic particles are injected in the tumor or exposed to cancer cells and a low-frequency alternating magnetic field is applied. This therapeutic approach is quite new and a wide range of treatment parameters are explored to date, as described in the literature. This review explains the principle of the technique, summarizes the parameters used by the different groups and reports the main in vitro and in vivo results.

The effects of diferent heat and cryogenic (sub-zero) treatment parameters such as temperature and holding time on the microstructure (amount of retained austenite) and hardness of extrusion molds produced from the 21NiCrMo2 and 100Cr6 steels were investigated. The 21NiCrMo2 grade extrusion die was carburized for 22.5 h in an endogas (25% CO, 35% N-2 40% H2) atmosphere at 920 degrees C. At the end of the carburization process, the temperature was kept at 850 degrees C, which is the austenitization temperature, for 2 h, followed by cooling in oil at 80 degrees C and remaining in oil for 45 minutes. The carburizing process was not performed for the extrusion molds made of 100Cr6 steel grade. Only the austenitizing heat treatment at 850 degrees C (holding for 2 h) was carried out in this steel. The steel molds which were produced with 21NiCrMo2 and 100Cr6 steels were cryogenically treated at -120 degrees C for 2 h and subsequently tempered at 150 degrees C for 1.5 h. As a result of the cryogenic treatment, the hardness of 21NiCrMo2 steel increased to 840 Hv and the wear resistance of the extrusion die surface was improved. The amount of residual austenite decreased from 20% to 6% after the cryogenic treatment. Due to the effect of the cryogenic process, the surface hardness of the 100Cr6 steel sample increased to similar to 870 Hv, which implies an increase of 4.5%, due to the transformation of residual austenite to martensite. The mass loss, during the wear tests, of the hardened extrusion dies was reduced from 0.1420 mg to 0.0221 mg. The notch impact strength value measured in this condition was 20 J. The 100Cr6 steel after the cryogenic treatment was used to extrude 12 tons of Al alloy in an industrial press. This amount of material is 30% lower than for hot work tool steel. On the other hand, the 100Cr6 steel is more economical and heat treatment is more practical. The extrusion performance of 21NiCrMo2 steel was 50% lower than the hot work tool steel.

The provision of rTMS treatment requires the individual prescription of a variety of treatment parameters including the intensity of stimulation, its frequency and the characteristics of the stimulation trains provided. The intensity of stimulation should be determined based on an assessment of an individual subjects’ resting motor threshold in the hemisphere to which stimulation will be applied using one of a number of standard methods. Choice of individual stimulation parameters should be influenced by consideration of the literature establishing efficacy as well as individual patient factors such as stimulation tolerability. Most rTMS treatment courses are provided 5 days per week over a period of time extending somewhere between 4 and 6 weeks. There are several possible methods for localisation of the TMS coil, and the method chosen for this purpose may influence clinical efficacy. It is not necessary to withdraw patients from medication prior to commencing rTMS treatment although commencing new medication treatment during rTMS treatment may not be ideal.

Objectives Right unilateral brief pulse (RUL-BP) electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been adopted as a technique for reducing the cognitive side effects of ECT relative to sine wave or bilateral treatments, but it is unknown how often patients are transitioned to alternative electrode placements. This study analyzes time in first lifetime acute course RUL-BP ECT. Methods A single-center retrospective chart review was conducted of adult patients receiving a first lifetime course of ECT from 2000 to 2017 beginning with individualized seizure threshold determination using RUL-BP treatment parameters. Results A total of 1383 patients met study criteria and received a mean number of 9.4 ± 3.1 treatments, of which 7.6 ± 3.3 were using RUL-BP stimuli. Only 37.5% of patients were transitioned from RUL to bilateral treatments. Younger patients and those diagnosed with bipolar disorder were more likely to transition from RUL-BP to bilateral treatments, but the overall number of treatments did not differ based on age or primary diagnosis. Conclusions Among patients who begin treatment with RUL-BP ECT, more than 60% use exclusively those parameters throughout their acute course.

Rare diseases (RDs), with distinctive and complex features, pose a serious public health concern and represent a considerable challenge for the Slovenian healthcare system. One of the potential approaches to tackling this problem and treating patients with RDs in a quality and effective manner is to form an RD ecosystem. This represents a functional environment that integrates all stakeholders, procedures, and relationships required for the coordinated and effective treatment of patients. This paper explores the current situation in the field of RDs, especially in light of the proposed ecosystemic arrangement, and provides an outline for the design of an RD ecosystem in Slovenia. The research applies a case-study design, where focus groups are used to collect evidence from the field, assess the state of affairs, and generate ideas. Structured focus group discussions were conducted with preeminent experts affiliated with the leading institutions in the field of RDs in Slovenia. Analyses and interpretations of the obtained data were carried out by means of conventional content analysis. Setting up an RD ecosystem in Slovenia would lead to significant benefits for patients, as it could promote the coordination of healthcare treatment and facilitate extensive monitoring of the treatment parameters and outcomes. A well-organized RD ecosystem could garner considerable systemic benefits for evidence-informed policymaking, a better utilization of resources, and technological innovation. Delivering quality healthcare in this complex field is largely reliant on the effective integration and collaboration of all entities within the RD ecosystem, the alignment of related systemic factors, and the direction of healthcare services to support the needs and well-being of patients with RDs.

Background To compare the short-term clinical outcomes of ultrasound-guided microwave ablation (MWA) and parathyroidectomy (PTX) for severe secondary hyperparathyroidism(SHPT). Methods In a prospective multi-center study, we compared the outcomes of MWA and PTX for severe SHPT. The outcome measures were case rate of successful treatment, improvement of clinical symptoms, incidence of complications, and differences in treatment parameters and costs between the two groups. Results A total of 167 eligible patients were included in the study, of which 79 underwent MWA and 88 underwent PTX. There was no significant difference in rate of successful treatment between the MWA and PTX groups (χ2=2.299, p = 0.125). However, the MWA group showed significantly lower range of intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) decrease than the PTX group (t=−2.352, p = 0.023). Postoperative clinical symptoms improved in both groups, with no significant difference between the two groups (p > 0.05). Postoperative hypocalcemia was significantly more common in the PTX group (p 0.05). The cost of MWA was significantly less than PTX (p = 0.000). Conclusions Both MWA and PTX are effective and safe for severe secondary hyperparathyroidism. PTX is more thorough and traumatic, while MWA is minimally invasive and postoperative iPTH is more consistent with the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) recommendation.

Becker's nevus (BN) clinically presents as brown patches with hypertrichosis. The risk of pigmentary changes still remains a concern when using lasers to treat Asian patients with BN. We aimed to evaluate the outcomes on reduction of hairs and pigment of BN using the long-pulsed 1064-nm Nd:YAG (LPNY) and/or 755-nm alexandrite (LP-Alex), before treating pigment in earnest. A total of 13 subjects were treated with the LPNY (n = 8), the LP-Alex (n = 4), and both (n = 1). Improvements on hair removal and pigment reduction were assessed using a 5-point global assessment scale. Patient satisfaction was also assessed. Treatment parameters were within those commonly used for the purpose of epilation. The average follow-up period was 19.5 ± 12.3 weeks, and the mean total number of sessions was 2.0. Eleven subjects reported >50% improvement in hair removal (11/13, 86.7%), and pigment reduction of >50% improvement was observed in 9 subjects (9/13, 69.2%). Patient satisfaction showed >50% lesion clearance in 84.6%. Hair removal settings of LPNY and LP-Alex were effective in both hypertrichosis and pigment reduction in the initial strategy of treatment of BN in skin of color.

Globally, around 15%-40% of patients suffering from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) use Cannabis for pain reduction, increased appetite, and reduced need for other medications. Although many patients report having benefited by using Cannabis in IBD, there is still a lack of consensus regarding the use of Cannabis in IBD. The aim is to identify, explore and map literature on the potential protective role of Cannabis against IBD through this scoping review. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed during the search to answer the focal question: (1) Does Cannabis play a protective role against IBD as assessed by clinical remission; (2) If yes, what is the mechanism of action for this protective role. There were only three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and three observational studies that satisfied the selection criteria of this scoping review. Although promising results including the improvement in general well-being/ Harvey-Bradshaw Index, health perception enhancement [4.1±1.43 to 7±1.42 (p = 0.0002)], weight gain, Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) score

Background Subthreshold microsecond pulsing laser is an increasingly common treatment approach for central serous chorioretinopathy. However, there is no literature available on the safety of microsecond laser using different fluence settings in this disease. While many publications can be obtained from conventional microsecond pulsing lasers, few parameter sets are published with the navigated microsecond pulsing laser. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the safety of different parameter sets in subthreshold microsecond pulsing laser treatments. Methods In this retrospective chart review, consecutive patients with central serous chorioretinopathy (> 3 months duration of symptoms) treated with navigated subthreshold microsecond pulsing laser and a follow up of at least five months after microsecond laser application were included. For each patient, the treatment parameters, plan layout, and adverse events related to laser were evaluated. Secondary outcomes included best-corrected visual acuity and anatomical improvements (central retinal thickness). Results One hundred and one eyes were included in the observation and followed for a mean of 10 months (range 5–36). Although a larger range of parameter sets and fluence settings have been used, no patient demonstrated adverse events from navigated microsecond pulsing laser. While 88% of the cases demonstrated stability, 13 cases lost five or more letters due to the persistence of the subretinal fluid. In mean, a best-corrected visual acuity improvement of 0.07logMar (± 0.2) was seen (p = 0.02). In 51% of the patients, a statistically significant improvement of the central retinal thickness was noted at the last follow-up with a mean thickness reduction of 70 µm (± 143) (p Conclusion In conclusion, none of the used parameter sets lead to tissue damage (when using a cautious titration) and, in summary, lead to an improvement in subretinal fluid and improvement in visual acuity. However, further prospective studies are needed to correctly identify the dependency of the treatment strategy on the outcome criteria.

The paper demonstrates that combined ultra-mechanical treatment, ultrasound and mechanical treatment (friction) simultaneously is an effective way to improve surface quality, which allows to optimize the stability of transmitting informative signal along the waveguides. The best treatment parameters, which provide for the increase of hardness, equal distribution of stress, decrease of the product’s surface roughness, were defined.

In this paper, we study possibilities of eradication of populations at an early stage of a patient’s infection in the framework of the seven-order Stengel model with 11 model parameters and four treatment parameters describing the interactions of wild-type and mutant HIV particles with various immune cells. We compute ultimate upper bounds for all model variables that define a polytope containing the attracting set. The theoretical possibility of eradicating HIV-infected populations has been investigated in the case of a therapy aimed only at eliminating wild-type HIV particles. Eradication conditions are expressed via algebraic inequalities imposed on parameters. Under these conditions, the concentrations of wild-type HIV particles, mutant HIV particles, and infected cells asymptotically tend to zero with increasing time. Our study covers the scope of acceptable therapies with constant concentrations and values of model parameters where eradication of infected particles/cells populations is observed. Sets of parameter values for which Stengel performed his research do not satisfy our local asymptotic stability conditions. Therefore, our exploration develops the Stengel results where he investigated using the optimal control theory and numerical dynamics of his model and came to a negative health prognosis for a patient. The biological interpretation of these results is that after a sufficiently long time, the concentrations of wild-type and mutant HIV particles, as well as infected cells will be maintained at a sufficiently low level, which means that the viral load and the concentration of infected cells will be minimized. Thus, our study theoretically confirms the possibility of efficient treatment beginning at the earliest stage of infection. Our approach is based on a combination of the localization method of compact invariant sets and the LaSalle theorem.

The aim of this investigation is to develop a model to predict some most important mechanical properties of Al-Si-Mg alloy and establish a correlation between different processing parameters and the mechanical properties of the investigated alloy. A most popular computational modelling tool which works based on a statistical approach known as artificial neural network (ANN) model is used in this investigation to predict various mechanical properties of the material. The model is based on multilayer feed-forward neural network. Alloy chemical compositions, modifier used, fabrication techniques and heat treatment parameters are chosen as the input for the network. The outputs of the network are some important mechanical properties namely tensile strength, yield strength, elongation and hardness of the material. A large dataset was created by collecting the input-output pairs from existing literature for efficient prediction of the model. Finally, the effect of all the processing parameters on the mechanical properties are predicted using the created network and the results are explained based on metallurgical point of view.

Background: Onychomycosis is a chronic fungal nail infection caused predominantly by dermatophytes, and less commonly by nondermatophyte molds and Candida species. Onychomycosis treatment includes oral and topical antifungals, the efficacy of which is evaluated through randomized, double-blind, controlled trials for US Food and Drug Administration approval. The primary efficacy measure is complete cure (complete mycologic and clinical cure). The secondary measures are clinical cure (usually ≤10% involvement of target nail) and mycologic cure (negative microscopy and culture). Some lasers are US Food and Drug Administration approved for the mild temporary increase in clear nail; however, some practitioners attempt to use lasers to treat and cure onychomycosis. Methods: A systematic review of the literature was performed in July of 2020 to evaluate the efficacy rates demonstrated by randomized controlled trials of laser monotherapy for dermatophyte onychomycosis of the great toenail. Results: Randomized controlled trials assessing the efficacy of laser monotherapy for dermatophyte toenail onychomycosis are limited. Many studies measured cure rates by means of nails instead of patients, and performed only microscopy or culture, not both. Only one included study reported mycologic cure rate in patients as negative light microscopy and culture (0%). The combined clinical cure rates in short- and long-pulsed laser studies were 13.0%–16.7% and 25.9%, respectively. There was no study that reported the complete cure rate; however, one did report treatment success (mycologic cure [negative microscopy and culture] and ≤10% clinical involvement) in nails as 16.7%. Conclusions: The effectiveness of lasers as a therapeutic intervention for dermatophyte toenail onychomycosis is limited based on complete, mycologic, and clinical cure rates. However, it may be possible to use different treatment parameters or lasers with a different wavelength to increase the efficacy. Lasers could be a potential management option for older patients and onychomycosis patients with coexisting conditions such as diabetes, liver, and/or kidney diseases for whom systemic antifungal agents are contraindicated or have failed.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the parameters and outcomes of diode laser ablation therapy in retinopathy of prematurity. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included infants who were treated with photocoagulation due to retinopathy of prematurity in Adana Numune Training and Research Hospital. Demographic characteristics of the patients, clinical findings, treatment parameters and outcomes were analyzed. Results: Diode laser photocoagulation was performed in 283 eyes of 142 babies with retinopathy of prematurity. 70 patients (49.3%) were female and 72 patients (50.7%) were male. The mean birth weight was 1316 ± 457 grams and the mean postmenstrual week was 29.4 ± 2.7. The mean postmenstrual week of treatment was 38 ± 3.2. The mean level of laser energy was found to be 167.8 ± 21.6 mW (100-280 mW) and the mean number of laser spots was 1728.1 ± 789.4 (100-5600). Due to the progression of the retinopathy, 24 eyes (8.5%) were received additional laser treatment. Vitreoretinal surgery was performed in a tertiary center after laser treatment in 8 advanced stage eyes (2.8%) who were referred to us from another hospital. In 275 patients (97.2%), diode laser treatment was performed effectively and anatomical success was achieved. Conclusion: Diode laser photocoagulation provides a high anatomical success in the treatment of retinopathy of prematurity. Close and careful follow up and early referral, where necessary is crucial for these patients.

Purpose The purpose of the study was to investigate the impact on dose distribution and radiobiological metrics of common high-dose-rate vaginal brachytherapy treatment parameters and to analyze multiinstitutional data for clinically significant impact on outcomes in early-stage endometrial cancer. Methods and Materials Treatment plans were created for all combinations of prescription parameters and used to quantify the dosimetric impact of each parameter and to estimate the dose delivered using common voxel-integrated radiobiological metrics. A rating system, based on risk grouping from GOG and PORTEC trials, was used to consolidate staging information into a cancer “aggressiveness” measure. Correlations between the rating, toxicity, disease recurrence, and plan parameters were investigated. Results When prescribing to 5 mm depth, the variation caused by the diameter was very large across all dose metrics, ranging from 51% to 175% increase with the most divergence in BEDmax. For surface prescription, changing the cylinder diameter from 4 cm to 2 cm caused the dose metrics of BEDmin, Dmin, and gBEUD (a = −3) to increase by 117%, 67%, and 52%, respectively. Prescription to 5-mm depth caused changes across all dose metrics of 260% compared with surface prescription for a 2-cm cylinder. Deeper prescription point (p = 0.005) and longer treatment length (p = 0.01) were correlated with increased stenosis rates. No correlation between recurrence and any plan parameter was found. Conclusions Dramatic differences in dose distributions arise by small variations of plan parameters, with large impact on rates of vaginal stenosis, but no clear relation with local recurrence. To help radiation oncologists interpret the magnitude of these effects for their patients, we created a tool that allows comparison between dose and fractionation parameters.

In this article, material and process variables of sol–gel method are considered to investigate the texturing growth model of ZnO thin film in order to achieve ordinary, highly, and extremely preferred ZnO thin films. All the samples were fabricated by deposition of newly developed sol on conventional glass substrate via spin coating method and were further heat treated at various patterns. In sol variable, increasing the molar ratio of triethylamine to Zn increases preferred orientation along c-axis without using special heat treatment pattern. Various heat treatment parameters including drying and calcination are studied. The results demonstrate that drying at 300 °C is essential for achieving highly preferred ZnO thin film. In addition, calcination time, temperature, and repetition leads to more preferred sample to some extent. Furthermore, increasing the drying time at 300 °C causes significant increase of c-axis orientation and extremely preferential growth. In general, selection of an appropriate heat treatment pattern together with an accurate sol composition is necessary to achieve extremely preferred ZnO thin film with less energy conservation without using any special substrate. This is noteworthy that all the ZnO thin films are highly transparent in visible region and their band gap was around 3.3 eV.

The paper presents the results of an investigation of the influence parameters of laser radiation on the formation of the deposition layer during laser-TIG direct deposition of aluminum wire. Experimental studies have focused on the determination the dependence shape of layer on the laser power, the distance between axis of laser beam and axis of arc, arc parameters. High-speed video recording of the process was carried out. The metallographic analysis of cross-sections of the samples was performed.

The analysis of the Barkhausen noise signal is a non-destructive micromagnetic method to detect grinding damages, such as grinding burn. This method is increasingly used in industrial production for quality control. However, there is still no scientifically validated knowledge about the influences and interactions of different material parameters resulting from the heat treatment on the Barkhausen noise signal. Therefore, no standardized guideline for interpretation of inspection results exists up to now; each company uses own test procedures. In this study, carburized spur gears made from 18CrNiMo7-6 steel were finished by discontinuous profile grinding and the influences of varying material and heat treatment parameters on the measured Barkhausen noise, such as case hardening depth, surface carbon content and tempering temperature were investigated. Thanks to extensive complementary characterizations, different grinding burn levels were defined and further analyzed to evaluate single effects and interactions on the Barkhausen noise signal. These findings provide a foundation for a more reliable detection of grinding damages for different heat treatment states. Additionally, the application of a Barkhausen multiparameter approach was investigated for a more reliable differentiation between different damage types such as type B (light tempering zone) and type D (strong tempering zone). A variation of the filter settings was furthermore used to get information out of different depths of the subsurface region. During these investigations differences in the signals of the multiparameter analysis were found for different types of damages with varying filter settings. Using this knowledge a clear classification of different damages due to grinding is possible and more reliable compared to current methods.

The coating on the 22MnB5 steel is intended to protect it against oxidation during the forming process. This steel is hot-pressed. A preheating before the pressing and subsequent hardening in the tool affects the properties of the AlSi coating. This study summarizes the results of investigating the effect of heat treatment parameters on the formation of intermetallics in the AlSi coating. The chemical analysis of the coating was performed by the EDX and EBSD method and the mechanical properties were determined by the Hysitron TI 950 TriboIndenter™ system. The result of this study is that, due to a diffusion during the heat treatment, the brittle coating was transformed into a tougher phase.

The impacts of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatments on metabolic functionality and quality of fruit and vegetables are still poorly understood. The effects of pressure intensity (100, 150 and 200 MPa) and holding time (5 and 10 min), and temperatures (20, 30 and 40 °C) during HHP treatment on fresh radish tubers has been studied. Colour, stiffness and turgor of the tubers were evaluated using colorimetry, texture analyses and direct turgor measurements with the cell pressure probe techniques. Comparison of turgor and stiffness losses, and colour changes, of skin and thin-walled parenchymatous inner radish tissue showed the effects of the various HHP treatment parameters on the permeability of biomembranes. HHP treatment resulted in a rapid reduction of cell turgor and, concomitantly of tuber stiffness, but also in a cellular redistribution of anthocyanins as indicated by colour changes. These responses were partially reversible up to 100 MPa applied pressure at 20-40 °C for 5–10 min, yielding a turgor threshold of 0.1 MPa. Beyond these limits, changes were irreversible, most probably due to the denaturation of membrane bound proteins such as ion channels and pumps. Overall, even short-term HHP treatments at room temperature are not suitable for sanitation by inactivating bacteria of perishable produce.

Austempered Ductile Iron (ADI) belongs to the family of cast irons whose mechanical properties are altered using austempering heat treatment process. The objective of this paper is to study the effects of heat treatment parameters on manganese alloyed ADI. Hence, austenitization temperature, austempering temperature and austempering time are taken as the control variables along with the manganese content in the material. The effects of heat treatment are studied by measuring the ultimate tensile strength and the hardness of the material. The regression equations are developed to relate the various parameters under study. The microstructures of the specimen reveal that retained austenite content increases with increase in manganese and results in decrease in hardness of the material. The statistical analyses indicate that the austempering temperature is the major factor affecting the variation in hardness and tensile strength with 74.5 % of contribution within the range of values whereas, variation in manganese content does not have significant effect on hardness within the investigated composition range in the material.

The effect of quenching temperature and tempering time on the microstructure, content of retained austenite and carbon content in retained austenite of a copper and niobium alloyed medium carbon st...

Introduction Guidelines on hemodialysis (HD) dosing are based on urea kinetics, which can be modeled mathematically. Different schedules can be compared by equivalent continuous clearance. Methods A computer program generating HD prescriptions automatically was developed. In 200 actual HD urea kinetic modeling sessions involving 33 patients the urea distribution volume, generation rate, and concentration profile in the external space were computed using ionic dialysance as dialyzer clearance in the double pool ureakinetic model. Dialyzer in vivo mass area coefficient K0 A was calculated from online data with the Michaels' equation. Data from the modeling sessions were used for generating new prescriptions for the same patients. Findings New prescriptions meeting 12 criteria-technical limits and guideline targets-were generated by the model. They showed a wide range of basic treatment parameters (time and frequency, blood and dialysate flow, and ultrafiltration). In five cases, the dialysis time or frequency should have been increased from the actual to achieve the targets, in 72 cases the frequency could have been decreased. Two methods to emphasize RRF were tested. Using a coefficient of 2.0 for renal urea clearance in computing adjusted equivalent continuous clearance (EKR/Va ), as suggested by Casino and Basile, decreased further the required treatment frequency in incremental dialysis. Discussion The model produced plausible individual prescriptions, but some unknown factors caused the determination of the dialyzer in vivo K0 A to be inaccurate. The model must be tested with modern devices on patients before integration into dialysis machines and information systems.

In the present paper convergence dynamics of one tumor-immune-virus model is examined with help of the localization method of compact invariant sets and the LaSalle theorem. This model was elaborated by Eftimie et al. in 2016. It is shown that this model possesses the Lagrange stability property of positive half-trajectories and ultimate upper bounds for compact invariant sets are obtained. Conditions of convergence dynamics are found. It is explored the case when any trajectory is attracted to one of tumor-only equilibrium points or tumor-free equilibrium points. Further, it is studied ultimate dynamics of one modification of Eftimie et al. model in which the immune cells injection is included. This modified system possesses the global tumor cells eradication property if the influx rate of immune cells exceeds some value which is estimated. Main results are expressed in terms simple algebraic inequalities imposed on model and treatment parameters.

Simple Summary Efficacy of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) depends on patient selection, tumor type, delivery technique, and treatment parameters such as temperature, carrier solution, type of drug, dosage, volume, and treatment duration. Preclinical research offers a powerful tool to investigate the impact of these parameters and to assists in designing potentially more effective treatment protocols and clinical trials. This study aims to review the objectives, methods, and clinical relevance of in vivo preclinical HIPEC studies found in the literature. In total, 60 articles were included in this study. The selected articles were screened on the HIPEC parameters. Recommendations are provided and possible pitfalls are discussed on the choice of type of animal and tumor model per stratified parameters and study goal. The guidelines presented in this paper can improve the clinical relevance and impact of future in vivo HIPEC experiments. Abstract Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is a treatment modality for patients with peritoneal metastasis (PM) of various origins which aims for cure in combination with cytoreductive surgery (CRS). Efficacy of CRS-HIPEC depends on patient selection, tumor type, delivery technique, and treatment parameters such as temperature, carrier solution, type of drug, dosage, volume, and treatment duration. Preclinical research offers a powerful tool to investigate the impact of these parameters and to assist in designing potentially more effective treatment protocols and clinical trials. The different methodologies for peritoneal disease and HIPEC are variable. This study aims to review the objectives, methods, and clinical relevance of in vivo preclinical HIPEC studies found in the literature. In this review, recommendations are provided and possible pitfalls are discussed on the choice of type of animal and tumor model per stratified parameters and study goal. The guidelines presented in this paper can improve the clinical relevance and impact of future in vivo HIPEC experiments.

Background: The electrode placement and pulse width for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) are important treatment parameters associated with ECT related retrograde memory side-effects. Modification of these parameters with right unilateral (RUL) ECT may have utility for further reducing these side-effects. Objective: This study explored use of the frontoparietal (FP) placement for reducing retrograde memory side effects with ECT. We hypothesised that superior retrograde memory outcomes would occur with FP compared to temporoparietal (TP) placement and with ultrabrief (UB: 0.3 ms) compared to brief pulse (BP: 1.0 ms) width ECT. Methods: In this randomised cross-over, double-blinded study, participants received a single treatment of BP TP, BP FP, UB TP and UB FP ECT. Neuropsychological testing was conducted prior to and immediately following each treatment. Computational modelling was conducted to explore associations between E-fields in regions-of-interest associated with memory. Results: Nine participants completed the study. The FP placement was not superior to TP for retrograde memory outcomes. For both electrode placements UB pulse width was associated with significantly better visual retrograde memory compared to BP (p

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the physical quality of alang-alang (Imperata cylindrical) fermented using Banana Weevil Mol pH, color, aroma and texture. This research method using experimental methodswith completely randomized desig consists of 6 treatments repeated 3 times. L1 : Banana Weevil Mol 20 ml L2 : Banana Weevil Mol 25 ml L3 : Banana Weevil Mol 30 ml L4 : Banana Weevil Mol 35 ml L5 : Banana Weevil Mol 40 ml L6 : Banana Weevil Mol 45 ml.The results obtained were analyzed using analysis of variance and then the BNJ continued test. Based on the results of this study, it was shown that the physical quality of reeds fermented using banana weevil moles had a very significant effect (P 0.05) on aroma and texture treatment parameters.Based on the research, it can be concluded that evaluating the physical quality of Imperata in the 35 ml L4: Banana Weevil Mole treatment gave the best results in all observation parameters.

Background Congenital clubfoot is one of the common congenital orthopaedic deformities. Pirani and Dimeglio scoring systems are two classification systems for measuring the severity of the clubfoot. However, the relation between the initial amount of each of these scores and the treatment parameters is controversial. Methods Patients with severe and very severe idiopathic clubfoot undergoing Ponseti treatment were entered. Their initial Pirani and Dimeglio scores, the number of castings as a short-term treatment parameter, and the recurrences as a long-term parameter until the age of three were prospectively documented. Results One hundred patients (143 feet) with mean age of 9.51 ± 2.3 days including 68 males and 32 females and the mean initial Pirani score of 5.5 ± 0.5 and the mean initial Dimeglio score of 17.1 ± 1.6 were studied. The incidence of relapse was 8.4 %( n = 12). The mean initial Pirani score (P < 0.001) and the mean initial Dimeglio score (P < 0.003) of the feet with recurrence were significantly more than the non-recurrence feet. The mean number of casts in the recurrence group (7 ± 0.9) was significantly more than the feet without recurrences (6.01 ± 1.04) (P = 0.002). The ROC curve suggested the Pirani score of 5.75 and the Dimeglio score of 17.5 as the cut-off points of these scores for recurrence prediction. Conclusion In our study, Pirani and Dimeglio scores are markedly related with more number of casts and recurrence in patients with severe and very severe clubfoot. Also, we have introduced new cut-off points for both classification systems for prediction of recurrence. To the best of our knowledge, this finding has not been introduced into the English literature.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S) Previous studies have characterized dose gradient patterns for various hypo-fractionated brain radiosurgery (hSRS) treatment platforms. The Gamma Knife Icon (GKI) has consistently exhibited either superior or non-inferior peripheral dose fall-off and normal brain sparing characteristics when compared to other Linac-based hSRS treatment platforms. Given the prevalence of Linac-based treatments, identifying planning techniques to optimize treatment parameters is desirable. In this study, we investigated a novel Linac-based treatment approach that aimed to create the sharpest dose fall-off for hSRS of large brain lesions. MATERIALS/METHODS A cohort of patient cases (n = 10) with single brain lesions (volume 27.6+/-8.1 mL, range 20.-42.1 mL) treated with GKI at our institution were selected as sample test cases for our study. A non-coplanar unconstrained VMAT (NCU-VMAT) treatment planning approach was developed, and its script was implemented on a commercial treatment planning system for clinical Linac treatment equipped with the latest high-definition multi-leaf collimators (MLCs). Treatment plans produced via the NCU-VMAT approach were then compared against further optimized treatment plans from GKI, as well as conventional coplanar and non-coplanar VMAT treatment planning approaches. The comparison was carried out using DVH-derived parameters including target volume coverage, target dose conformity, modified dose fall-off index defined as the volume of 50% prescribed target dose divided by the target volume (PIV50). RESULTS For each case studied, NCU-VMAT achieved practically identical target coverage (0.98 ± 0.01) and Paddick dose conformity index (0.87 ± 0.02) compared to optimized GKI treatments. The mean PIV50 values were 2.99 ± 0.14, 3.77 ± 0.22, and 3.36 ± 0.19 for optimized GKI, conventional coplanar, and non-coplanar VMAT treatment plans, respectively. These results were in excellent agreement with previously published studies. However, the NCU-VMAT technique yielded a mean PIV50 of 2.41 ± 0.07. This represents an improvement of approximately 40% (P < 0.001, paired two-tailed Student t-test) over all existing approaches including GKI. Further analyses revealed that PIV50 of NCU-VMAT approached the theoretical minimum for all the studied cases. CONCLUSION Our results demonstrate that in treatment of large brain tumors, a treatment planning approach using Bremsstrahlung x-ray based Linacs can achieve superior dose fall-off for intracranial hSRS compared to GKI. We dispel the myth that physical characteristics of Cobalt γ-rays are needed to create the sharpest dose fall-off. Given the prevalence of Linac-based treatments compared to GKI, we present a novel optimized planning technique that achieves a new benchmark of sharpest dose fall-off. AUTHOR DISCLOSURE T. Nano: None. O. Morin: None. B.P. Ziemer: None. D. Raleigh: None. L. Boreta: None. J.L. Nakamura: None. S.E. Fogh: Independent Contractor; Accuray. P.K. Sneed: None. S. Hervey-Jumper: None. P.V. Theodosopoulos: None. S.E. Braunstein: Advisory Board; Radiation Oncology Questions, LLC.L. Ma: Patent/License Fees/Copyright; University of California Regents.