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Utilization of hydrogen as an alternative fuel is promising because it is environmentally friendly. Hydrogen system design requires accurate hydrogen densities. The density of hydrogen is determined based on experimental data. For gases that have a low density such as hydrogen, the effective measurement method is required. An apparatus has been designed to measure PVT properties of hydrogen at pressures up to 1 MPa and temperatures up to 500ºC. The apparatus uses a combination of isochoric and expansion methods. The method doesn’t need a measurement of pressures and temperatures along the isochoric line as required usually in the isochoric conventional method. Moreover, it doesn't need direct measurements of gas mass and gas volume. The volume was determined by measuring nitrogen at a pressure of 0.5 MPa and at temperatures up to 500ºC and by using Span’s equation of state. Measurements of hydrogen have been performed at a pressure up to 0.7 MPa and temperatures up to 498.217ºC. Densities of hydrogen obtained from the present measurement are compared with that obtained from calculation of Leachman's equation of state. Maximum deviation is 1.42% at a temperature of 498.217ºC and at a pressure of 0.2947 MPa and minimum deviation is 0.11% at temperature and pressure of 399.461ºC and 0.6981 MPa respectively.

A three-dimensional finite element model was established for the milling of thin-walled parts. The physical model of the milling of the part was established using the AdvantEdge FEM software as the platform. The aluminum alloy impeller was designated as the object to be processed and the boundary conditions which met the actual machining were set. Through the solution, the physical quantities such as the three-way cutting force, the tool temperature, and the tool stress were obtained, and the calculation of the elastic deformation of the thin-walled blade of the free-form surface at the contact points between the tool and the workpiece was realized. The elastic deformation law of the thin-walled blade was then predicted. The results show that the maximum deviation between the predicted value and the actual measured machining value of the elastic deformation was 26.055 μm; the minimum deviation was 2.011 μm, with the average deviation being 10.154 μm. This shows that the prediction is in close agreement with the actual result.

The oscillating-slide inversion of the slider-crank mechanism, commonly symbolized RPRR, is widely used to convert the displacement of an input linear motor (either electric, hydraulic or pneumatic), into the swing motion of a rocker. This paper discusses the optimum kinematic synthesis of the centric RPRR mechanisms for prescribed limit positions, while simultaneously satisfying either (i) minimum deviation from 90° of its transmission angle, (ii) maximum mechanical advantage, or (iii) linear correlation between the input- and output-link motions. To assist practicing engineers, step-by-step design procedures, together with performance charts and parametric design charts are also provided in the paper. Highlights Optimum kinematic solutions of the RPRR oscillating slide actuators are discussed. Design objectives are transmission angle, mechanical advantage and uniform motion. Short rocker and long rocker solutions are shown to exist for each of these problems. Bivariate parametric design charts and performance charts are provided. Simple step-by-step design procedures are also described.

In this paper, by introducing the statistics of training data into support vector regression (SVR), we propose a minimum deviation distribution regression (MDR). Rather than just minimizing the structural risk, MDR also minimizes both the regression deviation mean and the regression deviation variance, which is able to deal with the different distribution of boundary data and noises. The formulation of minimizing the first and second order statistics in MDR leads to a strongly convex quadratic programming problem (QPP). An efficient dual coordinate descend algorithm is adopted for small sample problem, and an average stochastic gradient algorithm for large scale one. Both theoretical analysis and experimental results illustrate the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed method.

Aim of Work: The aim of this study is to determine which type of intermittent exotropia that may be corrected by glasses and which type that is best corrected by surgery and to evaluate the condition of binocular functions both before and after wearing glasses and before and after surgery.Patients and Methods: Fifty patients (3 to 25 years) with intermittent exotropia were evaluated using a new scale to assess the level of control for both distance and near fixation. Near stereoacuity was evaluated with Tetmus Fly test. Diag-nosis of IXT was based on history taking from patients or their parents and clinical examination.Results: The 50 patients with intermittent exotropia had mean age of 9.56-}6.48 with range between (3-25) years. Twenty six patients (52%) were below 10 years and 24 patients (48%) were above 10 years, 34 patients (68%) were males and 16 patients (32%) were females. The mean spherical was –2.88±7.3 1 . The BCVA ranged from 0.40 to 1.0 log MAR (mean 0.69±0.16). Pretreatment distance deviation of exotropia ranged from15 to 80A (mean 3 8.40±16. 14). Twenty four patients (48%) underwent surgery, glasses were prescribed for 8 patients (16%) and over-correcting minus lenses were prescribed for 18 patients (36%).Conclusions: Over correcting minus lenses should be prescribed for IXT patients with the following criteria: high AC/A ratio, moderate to good control of exotropia, a tempo-rizing measure for young patients waiting for surgery and sometimes for patients with undercorrection after surgery. Glasses should be prescribed for IXT patients with the fol-lowing criteria; refractive error either astigmatism or myopia, moderate to good control of exotropia, and small angle of deviation. IXT patients with the following criteria should be corrected by surgery: Gradual loss of fusional control as evidenced by increasing frequency of the manifest phase of the strabismus, an increase in size of the basic deviation, development of suppression and decrease of stereoacuity.

This paper proposes a novel approach for improving the consistency of uncertain 2-tuple linguistic preference relations (U2TLPRs). In particular, we introduce a new definition of consistency for U2TLPRs and show that the degree of consistency of a given U2TLPR can be measured explicitly by minimizing its deviation from a consistent U2TLPR. Based on this finding, we provide an iterative algorithm for repeatedly adjusting the consistency of a U2TLPR to a desired level while taking into account the initial preferences of decision makers. In addition, by analyzing the structural properties of the algorithm, we further present an improved version of the procedure for directly obtaining an acceptable U2TLPR without any iteration. Numerical results indicate that the proposed method is not only simple and efficient in calculation but also effective in preserving the original preference information provided by decision makers.

Scattering, absorption, diffraction, polarization, reflection and dispersion (SAD-PRD) losses in semiconductor waveguide at wavelength 1550 nm is dissected in present research. Two types of semiconductor waveguides such as silicon-Air and GaAs-Air deal with the current work to increase the efficiency of photonic integrated circuit. The appraisal of aforementioned losses is divulged using disparate notion, for example; reflection loss is scrutinized by employing transfer matrix method (TMM) whereas Maxwell’s equation is deployed to disclose absorption loss. Further dispersion, diffraction, polarization and scattering losses are examined with the help of mathematical formulation. Eventually, the outcomes of the above investigation affirmed that the overall transmitted efficiency of Si-Air and GaAs-Air waveguide is more than 90% and 89% respectively pertaining to angle of deviation (−12° to 12°) from Bragg’s angle.

A beryllium-free nonlinear optical (NLO) crystal K3Ba3Li2Al4B6O20F (KBLABF) with sizes up to 18 × 13 × 8 mm3 was successfully grown by the top-seeded solution growth method using LiOH-H3BO3–BaF2 flux. The key limiting factors on the crystal morphologies and sizes were carefully analyzed. Meanwhile, by using the minimum deviation technique, the refractive index dispersion was measured and fitted well by the Sellmeier equations. The results suggest that KBLABF is a negative uniaxial crystal with moderate birefringence of 0.06050–0.06834 at a wavelength range from 363 to 852.1 nm. Furthermore, the type-I phase matching range for fundamental (second harmonic) light is down to 486 (243 nm) in theory, which indicates that KBLABF crystal could achieve 532 and 266 nm light generation by direct second-harmonic generation. As compared with the famous NLO crystals β-BaB2O4 and CsLiB6O10, KBLABF crystal exhibits a smaller walk-off angle and larger acceptance angle at the wavelength of 532 nm while having a comparable...

To evaluate the early postoperative changes of the angle of deviation after surgery for intermittent exotropia. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 114 patients who had been surgically treated for intermittent exotropia and followed-up on postoperatively for 1 month or more. Patients were observed at postoperative 6 h, 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month. The main outcome measure was the change of the angle of deviation during the early postoperative period (from 6 h to 1 day postoperatively). The mean preoperative angle of exodeviation was 26.3 ± 7.6 PD at distance and 25.4 ± 10.3 PD at near. The angle of deviation was −3.3 (esodeviation) ± 7.0 PD at distance and −0.7 ± 7.1 PD at near at postoperative 6 h, and −3.7 ± 6.9 PD and −0.8 ± 6.8 PD at postoperative 1 day. Neither of these sets represented a significant change from 6 h to 1 day postoperatively (p = 0.300 at distance, p = 0.945 at near). However, in 25 patients (21.9%) the angle of deviation changed 5 PD or more from 6 h to 1 day. Among them, ten showed exodrift and 15 esodrift. At postoperative 1 month, the deviations became significantly more exotropic compared with postoperative 1 day (p

BACKGROUND: Dissociated vertical deviation (DVD) is commonly measured using a prism and alternate cover test (PACT), but some providers use a prism under cover test (PUCT). The aim of this study was to compare a standardized PUCT measurement with a PACT measurement, for assessing the magnitude of DVD. METHODS: 36 patients with a clinical diagnosis of DVD underwent measurement of the angle of deviation with the PACT, fixing with the habitually fixing eye, and with PUCT, fixing both right and left eyes. The PUCT was standardized, using a 10-second cover for each prism magnitude, until the deviation was neutralized. The magnitude of hyperdeviation by PACT and PUCT was compared for the non-fixing eye, using paired non-parametric tests. The frequency of discrepancies more than 4 prism diopters (PD) between PACT and PUCT was calculated. RESULTS: The magnitude of hyperdeviation was greater when measured with PUCT (range 8PD hypodeviation to 20PD hyperdeviation) vs. PACT (18PD hypodeviation to 25PD hyperdeviation) with a median difference of 4.5PD (range −5PD to 21PD); P4PD hyperdeviation (or >4PD less hypodeviation) by PUCT than by PACT. CONCLUSIONS: A standardized 10-second prism under cover test yields greater values than a prism and alternate cover test in the majority of patients with DVD, providing better quantification of the severity of DVD, which may be important for management decisions.

This study was conducted to evaluate the accuracy of implants placed using two different guided implant surgery materials: thermoplastic versus three-dimensionally (3D) printed. A cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scan previously obtained and selected for single-tooth implant replacement was converted into a Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) file. All models were planned and exported for printing using BlueSkyBio Plan Software with the DICOM files. A total of 20 3D-printed mandibular quadrant jaws replicating the CBCT were printed by Right Choice Milling, as was the control model to accept the control implant. Previously, 10 thermoplastic and 10 3D-printed surgical guides had been made by the same lab technician at Right Choice Milling. One Nobel Biocare implant with a trilobe connection was placed per guide and replica jaw model pair. Implants were placed using the thermoplastic and 3D-printed surgical guides, representing the two test groups, following the Nobel Biocare guided surgical protocol. A total of 21 CBCT scans were then taken, one for the control implant and one for each test implant. The CBCT volume was converted to a DICOM file and transferred to Invivo5 software version 5.4 (Anatomage). The DICOM file of each test implant was superimposed over the DICOM file of the control. The deviation of the head of the implant, the deviation of the apex of the implant, and the angle of deviation were evaluated from measurements on the superimposition of the control and test implants. Mann-Whitney U test was used to test the null hypotheses at α = .05 and a confidence interval of 95%. Descriptive statistics were used for the average ± standard deviation. The implants placed with the thermoplastic surgical guides showed an average of 3.40 degrees of angular deviation compared to 2.36 degrees for implants placed with the 3D-printed surgical guides (P = .143). The implants placed with the thermoplastic surgical guides showed an average of 1.33 mm of deviation at the head of the implant compared to 0.51 mm for implants placed with the 3D-printed surgical guides (P < 0.001). The implants placed with the thermoplastic surgical guides showed an average of 1.6 mm of deviation at the apex of the implant compared to 0.76 mm for implants placed with the 3D-printed surgical guides (P < .001). There was no significant difference in the angular deviations of implants placed with thermoplastic surgical guides compared to those placed with the 3D-printed surgical guide. However, the locations of the implant head and implant apex were significantly more accurate for the implants placed with the 3D-printed surgical guides compared to those placed with the thermoplastic surgical guides.

To investigate the surgical outcome according to the angle of deviation at postoperative day 1 in patients with recurrent exotropia DESIGN: Retrospective case series METHODS: Surgical outcome in patients with recurrent exotropia for at least 1 year was analyzed retrospectively. Patients were divided into 3 subgroups according to the angle of deviation at postoperative day 1: overcorrection group (≥2 prism diopter [PD] of esodeviation), orthotropic group (orthotropia or5 PD of exodeviation), and undercorrection group (≥5 PD of exodeviation). Success was defined as ≤5 PD of esodeviation or ≤10 PD of exodeviation at the final visit.One hundred and six patients were included in this study. Age at surgery was 11.8 ± 6.9 years, and preoperative angle of deviation was 22.9 ± 6.3 PD at distant. Patients were followed-up for 24.4 ± 12.8 months. There were 20 (18.9%), 82 (77.4%), and 4 (3.8%) patients in overcorrection, orthotropic, and undercorrection groups at postoperative day 1 (p = 0.001). The surgical success rate at the final visit in the overcorrection group (95%) was higher than that in orthotropic and undercorrection groups (76.8% and 25%, respectively, p = 0.004). In univariate regression analysis, overcorrection at postoperative day 1 was the only reliable factor for long-term success (odds ratio [OR] = 24.101, p = 0.01).Overcorrection at postoperative day 1 is a good surgical predictor of successful outcome in surgery for recurrent exotropia.

Backgroud To evaluate the manifestations of increased esodeviation under cycloplegia with 0.5% tropicamide and 0.5% phenylephrine in children with hyperopia and esotropia. Methods We reviewed the medical record of 34 children with hyperopia and esotropia who underwent a prism alternate cover test before and after instillation of mixed eye drops containing 0.5% tropicamide and 0.5% phenylephrine between November 2014 and October 2015. Increased angle of deviation was defined as 10 prism diopters (PD) or greater deviation after cycloplegia. The factors related to increased angle of deviation were evaluated using univariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results The median age was 5.0 years (interquartile range, 3.75 to 5.0) and 12 patients (35.3%) were male. The median manifested refractive (MR) was +2.13 diopters (D) (+0.92 to +4.47) and cycloplegic refractive (CR) was +3.50 D (+1.72 to +5.66). The median difference between MR and CR was +0.88 D (+0.50 to +1.28). Thirteen patients (38.2%) showed increased esodeviation under cycloplegia and all had accommodative esotropia. A larger difference between MR and CR was the only significant factor affecting increased esodeviation in both univariable (OR = 4.72, P = 0.029) and multivariable (OR = 5.22, P = 0.047) analyses. Conclusion Children with hyperopia and esotropia often showed an increased angle of deviation after instillation of 0.5% tropicamide and 0.5% phenylephrine. This phenomenon reminded the clinicians that cycloplegics can have a different effect on esodeviation and suggested that increased angle of esodeviation may help to reveal the latent deviation in some patients with hyperopia and esotropia.

Standing computed tomographic (CT) examination of the equine guttural pouch frequently reveals deviation of the midline septum. The significance of deviation is currently unknown. The aims of this retrospective, single-centre study were to determine the prevalence of deviation of the midline septum of the guttural pouch and determine whether there was an association between the presence and degree of deviation of the septum, and guttural pouch disease. Case records were reviewed, identifying 95 horses that had undergone a standing, sedated, head CT and guttural pouch endoscopy. The presence, laterality, subjective degree and angle of deviation of the midline septum on CT was recorded. A total of 69 (72.6%) horses were identified with deviation of the midline septum, with the mean angle of deviation 13.4o and a maximum deviation of 52.6o. No significant association between the presence of deviation of the midline septum (P = .722) or severity of deviation (P = .428) and an endoscopic abnormality within the guttural pouch was found. The laterality of deviation and guttural pouch abnormalities were also not associated (P = .000). Deviation of the midline septum of the guttural pouch is a common finding on CT examination, and does not have clinical significance in this study.

Purpose:To compare surgical outcomes according to the distance between the preplaced suture and the muscle insertion in lateral rectus (LR) recession for exotropia.Methods:We retrospectively reviewed 64 patients who had undergone unilateral LR recession by one right-handed surgeon and divided the patients into 2 groups: right LR recession (R group, 26 patients) and left LR recession (L group, 38 patients). In the R group, the preplaced suture was behind the hook, far from the insertion; in the L group, the suture was in front of the hook, near the insertion. The main outcome measures were postoperative alignment and surgical success rate and the secondary outcome measure was effect/dose ratio. Surgical success was defined as an alignment between 10 prism diopters (PD) of exodeviation and 5 PD of esodeviation both at distance and at near. The effect/dose ratio was defined as the corrected angle of deviation at postoperative 6 months divided by the amount of LR recession.Results:The mean angle of deviation at distance showed a significant difference between the groups at postoperative 3 months (p = 0.022), but not at final follow-up (p = 0.163). There was no difference between the groups in the mean angle of deviation at near postoperatively. Surgical success was achieved in 73.1% of the R group and 71.1% of the L group at final follow-up, which was not significant (p = 0.860).Conclusions:The distance between the preplaced suture and the muscle insertion in LR recession did not affect the surgical success rate or the postoperative alignment at final follow-up.

Objective To determine the accuracy and safety of pin placement for lateral vertebral stabilization to the reference dorsal stabilization. Study design A randomized noninferiority trial. Sample population Twenty Greyhound cadaveric lumbar spines (L1-L6). Methods One hundred and fifty-nine lumbar vertebral pins placed in 80 vertebrae were assessed; these pins were distributed approximately equally between the dorsal and lateral approaches, and between 2 surgeons. Pin angle accuracy, bone purchase distance, and distances from pin to the spinal canal and the aorta were measured for each pin. Results The lateral approach was superior for pin angle accuracy and bone purchase. The mean angle of deviation was 15.3° with the dorsal approach and 7.0° with the lateral approach. The mean bone purchase was 16.7 mm with the dorsal approach and 22.2 mm with the lateral approach. Pins were placed at a mean of 2.3 mm from the spinal canal with the dorsal approach and 1.7 mm with the lateral approach. Pins were placed at a mean of 3.8 mm from the aorta with the dorsal approach and 8.0 mm with the lateral approach. The percentage of pins breaching the spinal canal was 14% with the dorsal approach and 19% with the lateral approach. Fourteen percent of pins placed via the dorsal approach breached the aorta, whereas no pins placed via the lateral approach breached the aorta. Conclusion Relative to the dorsal approach, the lateral approach improves angle accuracy, bone purchase, and distance between pins, and the aorta and is noninferior with regards to the distance between pins and the spinal canal.

We present a simple method of simultaneous measuring of the refractive index and dispersion for transparent materials over a wide wavelength region from 430 nm to 660 nm. It is mainly composed of the broadband illuminating source of stable incident light intensity and spectrometer with CCD detector. In order to verify a reliable and appropriate performance of measurements of the present method, sapphire and K9 glass were used as the samples to test the method. The measuring results show that present method is in agreement with the minimum deviation method. It validates the feasibility of present technique.

Background: Influencing factors of conventional horizontal surgery for surgical outcome has not been assessed in Nepal. Aims and Objective: To assess the pre-operative factors that influences the surgical outcome of horizontal strabismus surgery. Materials and Methods: The medical records of 68 patients who underwent their first horizontal strabismus surgery at Lumbini Eye Institute from 1st January to 30th December 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. The collected clinical data included diagnosis, age group, visual acuity, binocular function, extraocular motility and pre and postoperative deviation. The success of surgery was defined by eye deviation less than 10 prism diopters (PD) at 6 weeks after operation. The influencing factors for surgical success (diagnosis, age group, visual acuity, binocular function, and angle deviations) were analyzed using chi square test and Mann-Whitney - U test, where ever appropriate.Results: Out of 113 patients who underwent strabismus surgery during the year, 68 patients were enrolled in the study. Majority of the patients (27, 39.7%) were >9 years of age and 52.9% were female. Thirty seven patients (54.4%) were esotropic whereas, 31 were exotropic. Preoperatively, angle of deviation ranged from 20 to 90 PD with binocular vision present in 57.4% cases. Overall, success was seen in 26 patients (38.2%). Pre-operative angle of deviation and binocular vision had statistical significance with surgical success (p = 0.012 and 0.026 respectively).Conclusion: Larger angle of deviation and poor binocular vision at presentation has higher failure rate for horizontal strabismus surgery.Asian Journal of Medical Sciences Vol.8(5) 2017 54-57

Purpose To outline the short- and long-term motor outcomes of unilateral medial rectus muscle recession and lateral rectus muscle resection for the correction of moderate angle infantile esotropia. Methods A retrospective study of 109 consecutive patients with moderate angle infantile esotropia treated with graded unilateral recession-resection surgery. Criteria for successful motor outcome included alignment ±10Δ from orthophoria. Outcome evaluation was a comparison of successful alignment versus an overcorrection or undercorrection at eight weeks postoperatively as well as on the final follow-up examination. Results The mean preoperative deviation was 35.5 prism diopters (Δ) and mean follow-up time was 4.9 years. At the eight-week postoperative examination, 99 patients (89.9%) were successfully aligned, as opposed to 75 of 95 patients (78.9%) at the final postoperative visit (P=0.041). There was no statistically significant difference between the rate of early versus late undercorrections (7.3% versus 12.5%, P=0.267) or overcorrections (2.7% versus 8.3%, P=0.125). Ten patients had an esotropic drift over time and 10 patients had an exotropic drift. Recurrent esotropia was associated with high hyperopia and presumed infantile esotropia diagnostic entity. The Kaplan-Meier estimate of survivorship of a successful motor outcome was 75.5% at five years and 71% at 15 years postoperatively. The mean response to surgery was 2.9Δ per mm of muscle recessed and resected and was positively related to the preoperative angle of deviation (R=0.615). Conclusions The unilateral recession-resection procedure for the correction of infantile esotropia is shown to be associated with a favorable survival of motor outcomes and a relatively balanced rate of undercorrections versus overcorrections tending to be maintained through the follow-up period.

In the present study, several most commonly used planetary boundary layer (PBL) parameterization schemes in the WRF model are utilized together with the observational data at Shouxian (from August to December, 2008). The present work is a part of Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) facility supported by the U.S. Department of Energy installed at Shouxian in China. In this study, we compared the simulation effect of meteorological elements and the structure of PBL over typical farmlands underlying surface from different parameterization schemes between clear and overcast days. The observational results revealed that for the simulation of cloud status, non-local schemes such as ACM2 and YSU are superior to the local schemes. Further, the ACM2 scheme is better in simulating temperature and vapor at a height of 2 m from the surface, and the MYJ scheme has an advantage over other schemes when simulating the wind direction or its speed. Also, for the simulation of potential temperature and vapor profile, non-local schemes (ACM2 and YSU) are superior to the local schemes both during clear and overcast days. It is depicted that the ACM2 scheme has better advantages when simulating under weak stable conditions and humidity inversion structure during night time. Moreover, for the simulation of wind speed profile, the MYJ and MYNN2.5 schemes are the best respectively during the clear and overcast days, under unstable day time condition. However, when considering weak stable condition, ACM2 scheme has a minimum deviation on clear days and YSU scheme is the best choice on overcast days. From the overall results, ACM2 scheme is superior both on clear and overcast days, when simulation is based on typical farmland underlying surface.

It is found experimentally that in the Ni3Mn and Pd3Fe alloys with superstructure L12, ordered through a two-phase region A1 + L12, an increase in the degree of long range atomic order is accompanied by a reduction in the special and twin boundaries’ angle of deviation from the special boundaries in the CSL model, and by a change in the special boundaries’ spectrum and its average energy. The dependence of the proportion of Σ3 twin boundaries within the spectrum of special boundaries and the average energy of special boundaries on the degree of long range atomic order is determined by the dependence of these parameters on the mean square displacement and probability of antiphase grain boundaries being superimposed on the boundary planes, and on the presence of second phases on special boundaries.

Background In patients with moderate- to large-angle exotropic deviations, surgical correction remains the definitive treatment. The purpose of this study was to identify preoperative factors that correlate with surgical success and to produce a binomial model that predicts success based on preoperative factors. Methods We performed a retrospective review of patients with intermittent exotropia who underwent uniocular recession-resection surgery. Success was defined as ocular deviation ≤10 Δ exotropia and ≤5 Δ esotropia at distance at last follow-up (at least 3 months' postoperatively). Preoperative factors such as age at surgery, sex, visual acuity, spherical equivalent, prism fusion range, stereopsis, and ocular deviation were analyzed for correlation with success using binomial logistic regression. Results A total of 82 patients were identified (average age, 33 years; range, 3.7-81.6 years). Average prismatic deviation was 35 Δ at near and 34 Δ at distance. Average stereopsis was 167″. The average success rate was 58.5%. Univariate binomial regression revealed that patients with smaller angle of deviation at near (OR = 0.96, P = 0.013) or distance (OR = 0.96, P = 0.005), larger myopic refractive errors in terms of mean spherical equivalent (OR = 0.71, P = 0.022) and spherical equivalent in the more myopic eye (OR = 0.75, P = 0.029) contributed to success. A multivariate regression model was able to predict success with an accuracy of 72% (sensitivity, 81%; specificity, 58%; negative predictive value, 67%; positive predictive value, 74%). Conclusions A smaller preoperative angle of deviation and larger myopic refractive error correlated with success in uniocular intermittent exotropia surgery in our cohort. Larger deviations and more hyperopia correlated with lower success rates.

Purpose: To determine the incidence and related risk factors of reoperation among patients with infantile exotropia who were operated on at Imam Hossein Medical Center, Tehran, Iran, from 2001 to 2015. Methods: In this study, 82 children (55 girls and 27 boys) with infantile exotropia were divided into two groups 3 months after their first operation: children with horizontal deviation of 10 prism diopters (PD) or less (n = 64; success group) and those with horizontal deviation greater than 10 PD (n = 18; failure group). Patients with deviation of 20 PD or greater were indicated for reoperation. Factors including age at the first operation, preoperative angle of deviation, inferior oblique muscle overaction, dissociated vertical deviation, and A- or V-pattern in relation to reoperation were studied. Sensory status of children older than 5 years was also evaluated using Worth 4-dot and Titmus tests. Results: Reoperation was indicated in 18.3% (n = 15) of patients after 11.5 ± 19 months of follow-up. Preoperative angle of deviation ( P < .001) and surgical approach ( P = .017) were statistically different between the failure and success groups. The majority of patients (71%) achieved fusion and gross stereopsis (< 3,000 seconds of arc) after surgery. Conclusions: According to the results, 18.3% of patients with infantile exotropia, especially those with more preoperative exotropia, needed reoperation to achieve good alignment. Although the recession-resection method had better motor results, the authors could not recommend it as a first operation for all patients with infantile exotropia because it was only performed on patients with amblyopia. Gross stereopsis and binocular fusion were seen in the majority of patients. [ J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus . 2017;54(1):22–30.]

Hydantoin epoxy resin, with a hydantoin group, is a kind of low viscosity nitrigen-containing epoxy resin. We prepared methyl hexahydrophalic anhydride (MeHHPY)/ hydantin epoxy resin, in which MeHHPA was used as cure agent. Non-isothermal differential scanning calorimetry was examined to follow the curing process. The variation of viscosity was measured the isothermal curing process by rotating viscometer respectively (70-90°C). A viscosity model, which parameters were determined by Arrhenius equation, was established on the basis of experimental data at three different temperatures. As the result showed, there is a minimum deviation comparing the dual Arrhenius viscosity model data and experimental data in the temperature range of this research. The potential of artificial neural network techniques (ANN) was employed to analyze and predict the chemorheological behavior of MeHHPA/hydatoin epoxy resin. A three layer feed forward ANN model having two input neurons, one output neuron and fourteen hidden neurons was developed to predict the chemorheologica behaviour of MeHHPA/hydatoin epoxy resin. The learning of ANN was accomplished by a backpropagation algorithm. The results display that prediction model has very good accuracy in the process of the whole experiment. Through the established ANN model, the variation characteristic of viscosity can be exactly predicted. Studying on chemorheology by ANN model can help to formulate and optimize technical process.

Purpose The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes and efficacy of three surgical procedures for correction of adult divergence insufficiency esotropia: lateral rectus resection (LRR), medial rectus recession (MRR), and Wright lateral rectus miniplication (LRMP). Patients and methods A retrospective study was conducted on 22 patients with adult divergence insufficiency esotropia who were operated between 2012 and 2016; eight of them underwent LRR, six underwent MRR, and eight underwent LRMP. Their age ranged from 45 to 68 years. Esotropia was at least 10Δ greater at distance than at near. All patients did not have significant esotropia at near [0–6 prism diopter (PD)] with fusion at near; all of them complained of diplopia for far with no underlying neurological diseases. The mean follow-up period was 24 (12–40) months. Achieving single vision at far and postoperative deviation of up to 5 PD was considered a successful result. Results Age at presentation was 45–68 years, with mean age of 56.8±7.7 years. All the cases underwent bilateral surgeries. In group LRR, the preoperative angle of deviation at far was 20.5±5.8 prism diopter(PD) and for near was 2.9±2.4 PD. In group MRR, the preoperative angle of deviation at far was 21.7±6.1 PD and for near was 3.5±2.8 PD. In group LRMP, the preoperative angle of deviation at far was 21.4±8.5 PD and for near was 3.1±2.7 PD. Postoperative, no cases of diplopia were reported along the follow-up period in groups MRR and LRMP, whereas one case of the eight cases of group LRR showed diplopia. The postoperative angles for far in LRR, MRR, and LRMP groups were 2.38±2.1, 2.5±2.3, and 2.25±1.8 PD, respectively. Conclusion The three procedures had excellent outcomes in eliminating diplopia and postoperative alignment, but LRMP has the advantage to be vessel sparing, less invasive, reversible, and being able to be done with topical anesthesia.

A new method (FTIR continuous dn / dT method, n is refractive index and T temperature) for measuring the continuous thermo-optic coefficients of thin transparent films in the mid-infrared (MIR) spectral region is introduced. The technique is based on Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) transmission spectra measured at different temperatures. It is shown that this method can successfully determine the thermo-optic coefficient of chalcogenide glass thin films (of batch compositions Ge20Sb10Se70 at. % (atomic %) and Ge16As24Se15.5Te44.5 at. %) over the wavelength range from 2 to 25 µm. The measurement precision error is less than ± 11.5 ppm / °C over the wavelength range from 6 to 20 µm. The precision is much better than that provided by the prism minimum deviation method or an improved Swanepoel method.

Nasal septal deviation has been studied in relation to nasal pathology and mass effect in dogs. However, the correlation between deviation and pathology in dogs remains unclear, especially as it pertains to nasal passage variations between breeds. The purpose of this retrospective, cross-sectional study was to compare the prevalence of nasal septal deviation in dogs with rhinitis, neoplasia and those without nasal pathology based on the facial index, skull index and cranial index. Computed tomographic (CT) studies of the nasal cavities of dogs performed over a five-year period were retrospectively reviewed. This study had 233 dogs meeting the inclusion criteria with 135 dogs with no nasal pathology, 63 dogs with nasal neoplasia, and 35 dogs with rhinitis. The prevalence of nasal septal deviation, the angle, maximum distance and longitudinal extent of deviation were recorded, as well as measurements to calculate the facial index, cranial index and skull index. The results showed no difference in the prevalence of nasal septal deviation between dogs with nasal pathology and those without. The mean longitudinal extent of deviation and maximum distance of deviation was statistically greater for those with neoplasia compared to those with rhinitis and without nasal pathology. The longitudinal extent of deviation was inversely proportional to the cranial index, facial index and skull index. The angle of deviation was directly proportional to the facial index and skull index. In conclusion, nasal septal deviation is an anatomic variant in different breeds of dogs with no predilection based on nasal pathology. Nasal septal deviation should be interpreted cautiously in the assessment of canine nasal disease. Introduction Canine nasal pathology has become well documented due to the increased availability of computed tomography (CT). CT has been shown to be superior to radiographs for diagnosis of nasal disease, with >90% accuracy for chronic nasal disease in one study.1 This modality is especially accurate for determining the amount of soft tissue and the degree of bone lysis.1,2 Nasal neoplasia makes up about 1% of all canine neoplasms, with carcinomas accounting for 2/3 of intranasal cancer in dogs.3,4 Carcinomas and sarcomas tend to be aggressive lesions in the nasal passages, leading to lysis of the surrounding bones, the nasal septum, the turbinates and causing a mass effect.1,5-8 In rhinitis, aspergillosis is a common occurrence, with one study suggesting this should be the first differential in a dog with localized turbinate destruction.2 Nasal septal deviation has been associated with these nasal diseases in dogs and cats.1-2,9 However, recent studies suggest that nasal deviation can be seen in normal dogs10 as it has been already established in cats.11 The cephalic index has been used extensively to categorize breeds of dogs, especially with the increased phenotypic selection for brachycephalic dog breeds.12-14 These dogs, with their shorter nasal passages, are less likely to have nasal pathology.7 Dolichocephalic dogs have been shown to be predisposed to nasal pathology compared to the mesocephalic and brachycephalic groups,6-8 However, no master list of breeds based on cephalic group exists to the authors’ knowledge. These cephalic groups have been created based on different indices, including the facial index, cranial index, and skull index with a basic equation of (width x 100)/length.15,16 To the knowledge of the authors, there is no study that differentiates nasal septal deviation degree between dog breeds based on the facial, cephalic or skull indices. There is also no study comparing the degree of deviation in dogs with nasal pathology versus those without evidence of nasal pathology. The purpose of this study was to compare the prevalence of nasal septal deviation in dogs with rhinitis, neoplasia and those without nasal pathology and between dogs of different skull shapes and draw conclusion on the relevance of nasal septal deviation. Our hypotheses were that firstly nasal septal deviation is a common finding in dogs independent of the absence or presence of nasal disease, secondly that dogs with nasal neoplasia will have a greater degree of deviation associated with a nasal space occupying lesion and thirdly that nasal septal deviation is prevalent to a greater degree and more frequently in dogs with increasing skull indices.

In young children with small angle exotropia, making decisions for the individual patient whether to perform surgery or not, and choosing the optimal time for surgical intervention are quite difficult. We aimed to compare the long-term outcomes of small angle intermittent exotropia of 20 prism diopters (PD) or less after observation versus strabismus surgery. A retrospective study was performed on 164 patients aged 3 to 13 who underwent surgical intervention or observation with or without conservative management for intermittent exotropia of 14 to 20 PD. The minimum follow-up period was 2 years. The average follow-up period was 3.9 ± 2.2 years in the observation group and 4.5 ± 2.3 years in the surgery group. At the final examination, the mean angle of deviation at distance was 11.1 ± 8.9 PD in the observation group and 9.0 ± 7.5 PD in the surgery group, which was not significantly different (P = 0.121). Changes in sensory outcome and fusional control were not significantly different between both groups (P = 0.748 and P = 0.968). Subgroup analysis including patients with poor fusional control also showed similar results. By multivariate analysis, the type of surgery, unilateral recess-resect procedure, was the only predictive factor of good motor outcome in the surgery group. In conclusion, long-term surgical outcomes in small angle exotropia did not appear to be more satisfying than observation in terms of motor and sensory outcomes.

Purpose: To investigate recovery from suppression when the target motor alignment is achieved following surgery for intermittent exotropia. Methods: The medical records of 237 patients who underwent surgery for exotropia were retrospectively reviewed. The age at surgery, sex, preoperative angle of deviation, suppression status, and near stereopsis were investigated. Suppression status was classified as no, alternate, or constant suppression. Target motor alignment was defined as 10 prism diopters (PD) or less of exodeviation or 2 PD of esodeviation at the final visit. Results: The mean age at surgery was 8.2 ± 3.2 years and 115 (48.5%) patients were male. The preoperative angle of deviation was 26.3 ± 5.9 PD and the follow-up postoperative period was 21.6 ± 7.6 months. The preoperative suppression status included 23 (9.7%), 55 (23.2%), and 159 (67.1%) patients who showed no, alternate, or constant suppression, respectively. Two hundred fifteen (90.7%) patients obtained the target motor alignment by the final visit. Of the 144 patients who demonstrated constant suppression preoperatively but achieved the target motor alignment postoperatively, 12 (8.3%) patients demonstrated residual suppression. All 12 of these patients had a preoperative angle of exotropia of greater than 20 PD. Conclusions: Most patients undergoing surgery for intermittent exotropia obtained both successful motor alignment and fusion postoperatively. However, successful motor alignment did not guarantee recovery of suppression when the preoperative angle of exotropia was greater than 20 PD. The preoperative factors and functional implications underlying this finding are unclear and merit further study. [ J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus . 2020;57(1):21–26.]

Background A dentition with adequate function and esthetics is essential for the well-being and quality of life. A full implant-retained fixed prosthetics is an ideal solution for fully edentulous arch, however requires complex planning, surgical, and prosthetic procedure. With the help of digital workflow, it becomes a predictable and fast solution for the dentists and the patients. This retrospective study analyzed the most advanced surgical approach in full-arch rehabilitation with dental implants and immediate loading using digital workflow. Methods Patient records of fully edentulous jaws treated in four clinical centers in Warsaw, Poland, were evaluated. Computer-assisted planning and surgical template fabrication were done using the planning software coDiagnostiX™, based on a pre-op cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and scanned data of a plaster model. A post-op CBCT was acquired after the placement of four to six implants by the guided system. The influence of different surgical variables on the discrepancy between planning and execution was analyzed, together with the biomechanical indices. Results A total of nine patient records were selected of 12 edentulous jaws treated with 62 implants. The overall mean three-dimensional (3D) offset at the implant base was 1.60 mm, at the tip 1.86 mm. The mean angle of deviation was 4.89°, the mean implant stability quotient (ISQ) 70.42, and the insertion torque 35.58 Ncm. The 3D offsets were influenced by the gender of the patient, treated jaw, the diameter, and length of the implant. The angle of deviation was affected only by the treated jaw. Insertion torque was influenced by the treated jaw, the age of the patient, the length of the implant, tooth type, and the side of the jaw. Discussion Bone quality of the patient and implant preparation procedure influenced the discrepancy between the planning and the execution of the digitally guided implant placement. Dense bone—mandible, posterior area, young age, and man—and multiple preparations of the implant bed—wider and longer implant—could be suggested as risk factors. Conclusion Digital workflow successfully enabled the immediate full-arch rehabilitation with a predictable outcome by different surgeons in multiple centers.

With the large scale penetration of photovoltaic sources into power systems, it is of critical importance to investigate the influence of PV generation on the small signal stability of power systems. This paper provides a comparative study on the dynamic performance of the power system when PV coordinates with various conventional generating sources such as non-reheat thermal unit, reheat thermal unit and gas generation unit. Power system nonlinearities such as governor dead band, generation rate constraints and delay in secondary control action have been included in the linearized model of the system to make them as realistic as possible. To obtain frequency and tie-line flow with minimum deviation and lower settling time integral gain of controller areas tuned using particle swarm optimisation technique. Finally, eigenvalue analysis is carried out to analyse the effect of the critical model of the system at different PV penetration levels.

Background To measure the amounts of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1, TIMP-2 and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-4 in medial rectus muscle (MR) tissue obtained from intermittent exotropia (IXT) patients and to investigate the correlation between each protein amount and the clinical features of IXT including angles of deviation, age at surgery, duration of IXT and postoperative recurrence. Methods The protein amounts were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in MR collected during surgery for 78 IXT patients. Results The mean amount of MMP-2 per mm of resected MR was 0.86 ng, of MMP-9, 2.72 ng, of TIMP-1, 1.99 ng, of TIMP-2, 0.92 ng and of BMP-4, 0.82 pg. MMP-2 showed a positive correlation with angle of deviation at distance and at near, age at surgery and duration of IXT (p = 0.000, p = 0.000, p = 0.000, p = 0.022, respectively, Spearman's rank correlation analysis). MMP-9 showed a positive correlation with angle of deviation at distance and at near (p = 0.001, p = 0.024) and BMP-4 showed a positive correlation with angle of deviation at distance (p = 0.012). TIMP-1 showed a negative correlation with angle of deviation at distance and at near (p = 0.003, p = 0.000). Conclusion In IXT patients, MMPs and BMP-4 tended to increase and TIMPs to decrease with increasing angle of deviation, greater age at surgery and longer duration of IXT.

The information about superior rectus (SR) recession in cases with SR contracture coexisting with superior oblique palsy (SOP) is very limited in previous literature. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of SR recession, as a combined procedure with inferior oblique (IO) disinsertion, in long-standing SOP with secondary SR contracture.The medical records of the 145 patients operated for SOP were retrospectively reviewed and 15 patients who underwent SR recession met the inclusion criteria. The mean follow-up was 50.4 months.The preoperative angle of deviation was within the range of 16-35 prism dioptres (PD) with a mean of 23.0 ± 5.03 PD. In all of the cases, SR recession was performed in combination with IO disinsertion. Adult patients (12) underwent adjustable SR recession. Postoperative overcorrection developed in 3 cases (20%), and in 12 patients, the postoperative vertical deviation was within the range of 0-5 PD with a mean of 1.41 ± 1.88 PD. The overcorrected three patients underwent botulinum toxin A (BTXA) injection into the ipsilateral inferior rectus muscle. The deviation is well controlled by BTXA injection in two patients, whereas the other one was considered as masked bilateral SOP and underwent IO disinsertion in the other eye.Our results suggested that SR recession in combination with IO disinsertion is an effective procedure to control large vertical deviations in SOP with SR contracture in the majority of cases. However, the risk of overcorrection should be considered despite adjustable SR weakening and BTXA injection seems efficient to rescue overcorrections in long term.

The aim of this randomized controlled study was to analyze the long-term results of patients undergoing rhinoplasty because of severe septal deviation and to evaluate the stability of results. The study was performed with a randomized design. Patients were randomly divided into four groups: group 1, spreader flaps were used in combination with spreader grafts; group 2, spreader flaps were used alone; group 3, spreader grafts were used alone; and group 4, neither spreader flaps nor grafts flaps were used. Patients answered the Italian version of the FACE-Q rhinoplasty module. Anthropometric measurements were performed by AutoCAD for MAC. We determined the angle of deviation, and we compared the pre- and postoperative angles and compared patient satisfaction in the four groups using the Chi-squared test for unpaired data. Two plastic surgeons reviewed all the postoperative photographs of the study patients and rated the photographs on a scale of 1 to 5. A total of 264 patients who underwent primary rhinoplasty between January 2010 and September 2016 satisfied the inclusion criteria and were finally enrolled in this study. Anthropometric measurements revealed statistically significant differences (P

Automated abnormal crowd activity detection with faster execution time has been a major research issue in recent years. In this work, a novel method for detecting crowd abnormal activities is proposed which is based on processing of optical flow as motion parameter for machine learning. The proposed model makes use of magnitude vector which represents motion magnitude of a block in eight directions divided by a 45 degree pace angle. Further, motion characteristics are processed using Motion Descriptor Map (MDP), which takes two main parameters namely aggregate magnitude of motion flow in a block and Euclidean distance between blocks. Here, the angle of deviation between any two blocks determines which among the eight values in the magnitude vector to be considered for further processing. The algorithm is tested with two standard datasets namely UMN and UCSD Datasets. Apart from these the system is also tested with a custom dataset. On an average, an overall accuracy of 98.08% was obtained during experimentation.

The target of this study is to determine the minimum angle of deviation of a prism which is one of the optical experiments. Thus, the aim is to state the refractive index of a prism. In this context, the Tracker program, which might also be utilized in terms of distance education purposes, was preferred. The videos of the experiments were recorded with the help of a smartphone. The study showed that the refractive indexes of the prisms which were made of glass and acrylic with different apex angles could be determined with a high level of accuracy as a result of the analysis of videos which were recorded with two different methods. It is believed that the study provides insights for both the conduction of laboratory courses via distance education and for performing experiments for students who do not have access to proper laboratory equipment.

The object of the study is the angle of deviation of the crane from the perpendicular to the rails in a horizontal plane. The aim of the work is the mathematical description of the crane’s bridge beam misalignment, creation of the model in Matlab Simulink. Based on the resulting model, there was implemented a control system that compensates for emerging misalignment by speeding up or slowing down crane drives.

The light through the prismatic absorbing medium are studied, the angle of refraction and the angle of deviation have been obtained. Numerical analysis shows that, when the imaginary part of the absorbing medium exists, the incident angle is not equal to the refraction angle at the minimum deviation angle, which is inconsistent with the condition of the minimum deviation angle of the transparent medium. The refraction angle of the absorbing prism is compared with that of the transparent prism, with the increase of the incidence angle, the former is less than, then greater than, and finally less than the latter, the deviation angle also has a similar law. Therefore, the effect of the absorption of the medium on the refractive index measurement by the minimum deviation angle method must be considered. When the incidence angle is large, the difference of deviation angle between the absorption prism and the transparent prism is close to zero. When the prism vertex angle is small, the difference of deviation angle between the absorption prism and the transparent prism is close to zero too.

Purpose: To investigate the clinical effects of head-mounted display on the refractive error and oculomotor system in normal adolescents. Methods: Sixty volunteers (age: 13 to 18 years) watched a three-dimensional movie and virtual reality application of head-mounted display for 30 minutes. The refractive error (diopters [D]), angle of deviation (prism diopters [PD]) at distance (6 m) and near (33 cm), near point of accommodation, and stereoacuity were measured before, immediately after, and 10 minutes after watching the head-mounted display. The refractive error was presented as spherical equivalent (SE). Refractive error was measured repeatedly after every 10 minutes when a myopic shift greater than 0.15 D was observed after watching the head-mounted display. Results: The mean age of the participants was 14.7 ± 1.3 years and the mean SE before watching head-mounted display was −3.1 ± 2.6 D. One participant in the virtual reality application group was excluded due to motion sickness and nausea. After 30 minutes of watching the head-mounted display, the SE, near point of accommodation, and stereoacuity in both eyes did not change significantly (all P > .05). Immediately after watching the head-mounted display, esophoric shift was observed (0.6 ± 1.5 to 0.2 ± 1.5 PD), although it was not significant ( P = .06). Transient myopic shifts of 17.2% to 30% were observed immediately after watching the head-mounted display in both groups, but recovered fully within 40 minutes after watching the head-mounted display. Conclusions: There were no significant clinical effects of watching head-mounted display for 30 minutes on the normal adolescent eye. Transient changes in refractive error and binocular alignment were noted, but were not significant. [ J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus . 2016;53(4):238–245.]

A new method to suppress conductor galloping with a roller damper as a component of a vibration isolation system is proposed. The dynamic behavior of the system is mathematically modeled taking into account the turn of the system together with damper due to the vertical deviation of the insulator set. The frequency response equation of the system is derived using a linear problem statement. A combined numerical/graphical method to tune the roller damper in frequency and amplitude is proposed. The roller damper provides a good damping effect by reducing the angle of deviation of the insulator chain by 80%

To evaluate medium-term outcomes of overminus lens treatment in patients with intermittent exotropia [X(T)]. A retrospective analysis was performed of the outcomes of 19 children with X(T) who were prescribed overminus lens (−2.00 to −4.00 D) for a median period of 18 months (6–33). The success was evaluated using two assessment methods: 1. Newcastle Control System (NCS), and 2. Jampolsky’s assessment. The mean age of the patients was 6.8 ± 3.3 years (range 3–14 years). After the therapy, the median NCS score significantly improved from 5 to 1 (p

The present work focused the detailed investigation on the development of Nylon6–Al–Al2O3-based alternative fused deposition modeling process (FDM) feedstock filament (in lieu of commercial acrylonitrile butadiene styrene filament) by optimizing the process parameters of single-screw extruder (such as composition, mean barrel temperature, and die temperature) in terms of responses (tensile strength and diameter deviation) using response surface methodology. Initially, the suitability of alternative material as an alternative FDM filament has been verified by rheological investigations and the tensile testing (according to ASTM-638 standard). The tensile strength of feedstock filament was significantly affected by the variation of major input parameters during the processing of alternative material on single-screw extruder. A second-order regression equation for each process response (obtained by ANOVA) validates the modeling goodness of fit and selects proper forms of influentially significant process variables (main, two-way interaction, and pure quadratic terms) within 95 % of confidence interval (p value ≤0.05). A multi-objective and multi-response optimization techniques based on the use of desirability function concept have been applied for the response regression equations to simultaneously find a set of optimal input parameters, yielding the maximum tensile strength along with the minimum deviation in feedstock filament diameter. The predicted optimal results were also validated experimentally with an error

The aim of this study was to establish an indirect, easy-to-use, predictable and safe means of obtaining the true degree of displacement of fractures of the neck of the fifth metacarpal bone, through oblique radiographic views.An anatomical specimen from the fifth human metacarpal was dissected and subjected to ostectomy in the neck region. A 1-mm Kirschner wire was fixed to the base of the fifth metacarpal bone, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bone and parallel to the ground. Another six Kirschner wires of the same diameter were bent over and attached to the ostectomized bone to simulate fracture displacement. Axial rotation of the metacarpus was used to create oblique radiographic views. Radiographic images were generated with different angles and at several degrees of rotation of the bone.We deduced a mathematical formula that showed the true displacement of fractures of the neck of the fifth metacarpal bone by means of oblique radiographs.Oblique radiographs at 30̊ of supination provided the best view of the bone and least variation from the real value of the displacement of fractures of the fifth metacarpal bone. The mathematical formula deduced was concordant with the experimental model used.Estabelecer uma forma indireta, fácil, previsível e segura na obtenção do valor real do desvio da fratura do colo do quinto metacarpo a partir de radiografias oblíquas.Uma peça anatômica de quinto metacarpo humano foi dissecada e submetida à ostectomia na região do colo. Um fio de Kirschner de 1 mm foi fixado perpendicular ao eixo longitudinal do osso e paralelo ao solo. Outros seis fios de Kirschner do mesmo diâmetro foram dobrados e presos ao osso ostectomizado para simular o desvio das fraturas. Rotação axial do metacarpo foi usada para criar as radiografias nas incidências oblíquas. Imagens radiográficas foram obtidas com diferentes ângulos e em vários graus de rotação do osso.Deduzimos uma equação matemática que demonstra o real desvio da fratura do colo do quinto metacarpo por meio de radiografias oblíquas.A radiografia oblíqua com 30̊ de supinação apresenta melhor visualização do osso e menor variação do valor real do desvio da fratura do colo do quinto metacarpo. A fórmula matemática deduzida foi concordante com o modelo experimental usado.

The simplified method to determine a vertical impact force of wheel with flat and rail interaction is presented in this article. The presented simplified method can be used to identify maximum contact force and its distribution in the contact length between the damaged wheel and the rail. The vertical impact force depends on geometrical parameters of the rail and wheel with flat, speed of vehicle and the angle of deviation of rail. This article demonstrates the influence of wheel with flat geometrical parameters, speed of vehicle to maximum contact force and its distribution in the contact zone. The obtained values of the simplified method for determination of a vertical contact force are compared with the results obtained from field measurements.

Purpose: The spot characteristics for proton pencil beam scanning (PBS) were measured and analyzed over a 16 month period, which included one major site configuration update and six cyclotron interventions. The results provide a reference to establish the quality assurance (QA) frequency and tolerance for proton pencil beam scanning. Methods: A simple treatment plan was generated to produce an asymmetric 9-spot pattern distributed throughout a field of 16 × 18 cm for each of 18 proton energies (100.0–226.0 MeV). The delivered fluence distribution in air was measured using a phosphor screen based CCDcamera at three planes perpendicular to the beam line axis (x-ray imaging isocenter and up/down stream 15.0 cm). The measured fluence distributions for each energy were analyzed using in-house programs which calculated the spot sizes and positional deviations of the Gaussian shaped spots. Results: Compared to the spot characteristic data installed into the treatment planning system, the 16-month averaged deviations of the measured spot sizes at the isocenter plane were 2.30% and 1.38% in the IEC gantry x and y directions, respectively. The maximum deviation was 12.87% while the minimum deviation was 0.003%, both at the upstream plane. After the collinearity of the proton and x-ray imaging system isocenters was optimized, the positional deviations of the spots were all within 1.5 mm for all three planes. During the site configuration update, spot positions were found to deviate by 6 mm until the tuning parameters file was properly restored. Conclusions: For this beam delivery system, it is recommended to perform a spot size and position check at least monthly and any time after a database update or cyclotron intervention occurs. A spot size deviation tolerance of