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This study examines the fresh and hardened properties of normal- and high-strength concrete (NSC and HSC) reinforced with basalt macro-fibers (BMF) at a volume fraction (νf) of 0.5–1.5%. Workability tests were conducted on the fresh concrete to evaluate the slump, compacting factor, and vebe time. Mechanical tests were performed on the hardened concrete to examine the compressive strength, tensile properties, and flexural performance. Different durability characteristic tests were carried out to evaluate the water/chloride penetrability, bulk resistivity, and abrasion resistance of the hardened concrete. The addition of BMF reduced the concrete workability of both NSC and HSC at almost the same rate. A maximum slump reduction of 78%, on average, was recorded at νf of 1.5%. The compressive strength of the NSC slightly increased by 1–5% due to the addition BMF, whereas that of the HSC with BMF was, on average, 6% lower than that of their plain counterparts. The NSC with BMF exhibited significant improvements of 10–52% in the splitting tensile strength, 18–56% in the flexural strength, and 17–27% in the abrasion resistance. The enhancement caused by the addition of BMF was less pronounced for the HSC, where maximum respective improvements of 22, 25, and 4% were recorded. The NSC and HSC with BMF exhibited a similar reduction in the water absorption (max. of 12%), chloride penetrability (max. of 19%), and a comparable improvement in the bulk resistivity (max. of 21%), relative to those of their plain counterparts. The flexural test results along with an inverse analysis were employed to develop new tensile softening laws of concrete with different BMF volume fractions.

Background: Lipid poor apolipoprotein E (ApoE) aggregates are central to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), promoting cerebral amyloid‐β plaques formation, and altering endosomal recycling of apoE complexed proteins. Activating the ATP binding cassette A1 (ABCA1) to lipidate ApoE reduces its aggregation, promotes ApoE recycling and presents an attractive mechanism to rescue AD pathology. Method: ABCA1 was immunoprecipitated using anti‐GFP beads (Chromotek) from ApoE3/ApoE4 treated Hela‐ABCA1GFP cell lysates. A unbiased proteomics (LC‐MS) screen was employed to indentify ABCA1 binding proteins from the immunoprecipitated samples. E3/E4 AD (n=9, cogdx=4) and E3/E3 AD (n=11, cogdx=4) patient inferior frontal cortex from the Religious Order Study and the Memory and Aging Project (ROSMAP) were lysed and analyzed by Western blot for targets from proteomics screen. Result: ApoE4 was associated with lower astrocytic ABCA1 activity. We identified caveolin‐1 (Cav‐1), an integral membrane protein in plasma membrane lipid rafts, as one of the ABCA1‐binding proteins that regulate ABCA1 cell surface level. Using multiple models, we observed elevated Cav‐1 in primary astrocytes and brains of ApoE4‐ targeted replacement (TR) mice. Knockdown Cav‐1 through siRNA treatment restored ABCA1 surface expression level, underscoring the importance of Cav‐1 in ABCA1 trafficking. In AD patient samples from ROSMAP, Cav‐1 protein expression in E3/E4 AD inferior frontal cortex (n=9) demonstrated non‐significant increase from 1.2 to 2.6 (normalized to β‐actin) compared to E3/E3 AD (n=11). Ongoing efforts are planned to expand the human study sample size. Conclusion: ApoE4 is associated with elevated Cav‐1 level and knockdown of Cav‐1 can restore ABCA1 surface expression. Our work provides a deeper understanding of the critical mechanisms that define the pathogenicity of ApoE4 and can ultimately identify key pathways that regulate endosomal dysregulation in ApoE4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon foams have gained significant attention due to their tuneable properties that enable a wide range of applications including catalysis, energy storage and wastewater treatment. Novel synthesis pathways enable novel applications via yielding complex, hierarchical material structure. In this work, activated carbon foams (ACFs) were produced from waste polyurethane elastomer templates using different synthesis pathways, including a novel one-step method. Uniquely, the produced foams exhibited complex structure and contained carbon microspheres. The ACFs were synthesized by impregnating the elastomers in an acidified sucrose solution followed by direct activation using CO2 at 1000 ℃. Different pyrolysis and activation conditions were investigated. The ACFs were characterized by a high specific surface area (SBET) of 2172 m2/g and an enhanced pore volume of 1.08 cm3/g. Computer tomography and morphological studies revealed an inhomogeneous porous structure and the presence of numerous carbon spheres of varying sizes embedded in the porous network of the three-dimensional carbon foam. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy indicated that the obtained carbon foam was amorphous and of turbostratic structure. Moreover, the activation process enhanced the surface of the carbon foam, making it more hydrophilic via altering pore size distribution and introducing oxygen functional groups. In equilibrium, the adsorption of methylene blue on ACF followed the Langmuir isotherm model with a maximum adsorption capacity of 592 mg/g. Based on these results, the produced ACFs have potential applications as adsorbents, catalyst support and electrode material in energy storage systems.

The novel photoactive membranes have grabbed the attention in the field of environmental protection by employing wastewater treatments and the removal of microorganisms or organic pollutants from wastewater. Here we present a promising self-supported photoactive hybrid membrane for future antimicrobial and water treatment applications. In this study, the efficiency of bacterial cellulose (BC) - zinc oxide (ZnO) - multi walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) hybrid membranes in the adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) under UV radiation and the removal of Escherichia coli (E. coli) was investigated. It was found that the photocatalytic efficiency is strongly dependent on both the preparation method and the amount of ZnO-MWCNT additives loaded into the hybrid membranes. The characterization of BC-ZnO-MWCNT membranes was done using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), and X-ray micro computed tomography (μCT) to study the morphological and porosity aspect of the prepared-membranes. The promising results of this study could provide a new pathway in the field of photocatalysed-based water treatment technology by the application of hybrid membranes.

Geopolymer concrete is typically characterized by a brittle behavior and limited crack resistance. This study evaluates the performance of ambient-cured slag-fly ash blended geopolymer concrete reinforced with glass fibers. Two types of glass fibers were used exclusively or as a hybrid combination. The workability of glass fiber-reinforced geopolymer concrete was assessed using the slump, compaction factor, and vebe time. The compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, and modulus of elasticity were used to characterize the mechanical properties, while water absorption, sorptivity, abrasion resistance, and ultrasonic pulse velocity were employed in evaluating the durability. Experimental results showed that the slump and compaction factor decreased by up to 75% and 18%, respectively, with glass fiber addition but less significantly in mixes reinforced with hybrid fiber combinations. Meanwhile, the vebe time increased by up to 43%. Hybrid glass fibers led to superior mechanical and durability properties compared to plain mixes and those reinforced with a single type of glass fiber, even at higher volume fractions. The compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, and modulus of elasticity increased by up to 77%, 60%, and 85%, respectively. While the water absorption decreased by up to 42%, the sorptivity, abrasion resistance, and ultrasonic pulse velocity increased by up to 67%, 38%, and 280%, respectively. Analytical regression models were established to predict the mechanical and durability characteristics of glass fiber-reinforced slag-fly ash blended geopolymer concrete and were compared to those of design codes.

The ability to predict the resistance of reinforced concrete (RC) structures to progressive collapse as a result of an interior column removal has become a need in structural design. In general, three resistance mechanisms characterize the structure resistance to progressive collapse, flexural action, compressive arch action, and tension catenary action. The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of floor system configurations on the progressive collapse-resistance of RC frame sub-assemblages and the amount of energy dissipated in each resistance mechanism. This investigation employs a fiber element-based modeling technique to present findings into the effects of beam size and reinforcement details on the progressive collapse-resistance and energy dissipation of RC beam-column sub-assemblages with four equal spans. Three different span lengths of 5, 6, and 7 m were considered. A total of 38 floor system designs for gravity loads were performed in accordance with the ACI 318-14 design code. The modeling technique employed in this study was validated and utilized by the authors in previously published works. The study shows that beam size and the presence of slab are critical as they significantly affect the energy dissipation and progressive collapse-resistance and failure pattern of the sub-assemblage frames. Moreover, the presence of a slab was found to increase the energy dissipation by around 28%.

In this article, the co-movement between GCC and US stock market returns was investigated using the wavelet coherence method. The Dynamic Conditional Correlation GARCH (DCC-GARCH) modelling is then applied on time-varying components in order to provide a point of comparison with the results extracted from wavelet analysis. The investigation was conducted on the weekly stock index prices of two USA stock markets, namely Dow Jones and S&P 500 and six GCC stock markets, namely the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain. The data were retrieved from Thomson Reuters’s data stream and the sample duration was from 7 January 2007 to 24 June 2018. As a result, a definite co-movement between several GCC stock markets and those of the US stock markets for a long term was found. Moreover, the results also displayed signs of the significant disparity between the co-movements of the stock markets throughout the scales of time during economic decline. This phenomenon was possibly expected during the economic decline, where a significant divergence occurred as opposed to co-movement. The implications of the findings for global investors were considerable due to the indication from long-term co-movement that these investors would not be capable of gaining simultaneous profit from time and portfolio being diversified. In fact, the results showed the major difference in the opportunities for international portfolio diversification throughout these markets in terms of scale and time.

Empirical evidence suggests that short sales have pertinent information about firm fundamentals. If so, then information from short selling in liquid equity markets can be informative for infrequently traded corporate bonds. The adverse information conveyed by short interest should mean higher cost of debt. Using a large sample of corporate bonds, we examine whether lagged equity short interest affects credit spreads. Highly shorted firms do experience wider credit spreads in the subsequent months. Moreover, the increase in short interest leads to higher credit spreads. Short interest thus seems to contain adverse information about firm fundamentals that can prove useful to bond investors.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate prediction of postoperative ureteral obstruction needing ureteral stent insertion by evaluating the resistive index (RI) values and the grade of hydronephrosis. Material and Methods: A total of 66 adult patients undergoing stentless endoscopic ureteral stone treatment (URS) between January 2018 and January 2019 were included in this prospective study. Preoperative patient and stone characteristics were noted. All patients were evaluated with renal Doppler ultrasonography study to assess degree of hydronephrosis and RI values. A renal Doppler ultrasonography was repeated at postoperative 1st, 3rd and 7th days. Changes in both RI and hydronephrosis levels before and after the procedures were noted. On the postoperative 7th day, patients were divided into two groups including obstructive and non-obstructive cases according to RI values assessed where a RI value of 0.7 was accepted as the cut-off for obstruction. The preoperative and perioperative characteristics of both groups were evaluated in a comparative manner. Results: The mean patient age was 43.6 ± 1.72 years. Significant improvements were noted in RI and grade of hydronephrosis after the operation. The grade of hydronephrosis and RI values were found to improve more significantly on postoperative 3rd day when compared to the postoperative 7th day (p < 0.01 and p < 0.01). A significant correlation was detected between the grade of hydronephrosis (>grade 2) and obstructive RI values (> 0.7) in each postoperative visits (p: 0.001). RI values (> 0.7) at postoperative seventh days were correlated with larger mean stone size, increased ureteral wall thickness, increased diameter of the ureter proximal to the stone, and longer duration of the operation. Preoperative high-grade hydronephrosis indicated obstructive RI values at postoperative seventh day (p = 0.001) Conclusion: Changes in RI values on Doppler sonography and the grade of hydronephrosis may be a guiding parameter in assessing postoperative ureteral obstruction.

Three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) models were developed in this study to simulate the nonlinear structural behavior of double-sided concrete corbels internally-reinforced with glass-fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars. The accuracy of the numerical models was demonstrated by comparing their results with published experimental data of twelve specimens tested previously by the authors. Two sets of models were first developed. In one set, a perfect bond assumption was adopted between the GFRP bars and the concrete. In the other set, a bond stress-slip law was adopted at the GFRP-concrete interface. Numerical results were in good agreement with those recorded experimentally, except for the specimens with a high concrete strength and high GFRP reinforcement ratio, which failed prematurely in a diagonal splitting mode of failure. In an effort to capture such a mode of failure numerically, additional four models were developed without considering the tension-softening curve in the concrete material constitutive law. Results of the models with the bond-slip law were insignificantly lower than those with perfect bond assumption at GFRP-concrete interface. Eliminating the tension-softening curve from the concrete material constitutive law used in modeling specimens with a high concrete strength and high GFRP reinforcement ratio yielded numerical results closer to those obtained from the tests.

Demyelination and axon degeneration are major events in all neurodegenerative diseases, including multiple sclerosis. Intoxication of oligodendrocytes with lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) is often used as a selective model of focal and reversible demyelination thought to have no incidence for neurons. To characterize the cascade of cellular events involved in LPC-induced demyelination, we have combined intravital coherent antistoke Raman scattering microscopy with intravital two-photon fluorescence microscopy in multicolor transgenic reporter mice. Moreover, taking advantage of a unique technique of spinal glass window implantation, we here provide the first longitudinal description of cell dynamics in the same volume of interest over weeks after insults. We have detected several patterns of axon–myelin interactions and classified them in early and advanced events. Unexpectedly, we have found that oligodendrocyte damages are followed by axon degeneration within 2 days after LPC incubation, and this degeneration is amplified after the recruitment of the peripheral proinflammatory cells at day 4. Beyond day 7, the recovery of axon number and myelin takes 3 more weeks postlesion and involves a new wave of anti-inflammatory innate immune cells at day 14. Therefore, recurrent imaging over several weeks suggests an important role of peripheral immune cells in regulating both the axonal and oligodendroglial fates and thereby the remyelination status. Better understanding the recruitment of peripheral immune cells during demyelinating events should help to improve diagnosis and therapy.

Self-supported and flexible bacterial cellulose (BC) based hybrid membranes were synthesized and decorated with zinc oxide/multi-walled carbon nanotube (ZnO–MWCNT) composite additives in order to modify and tune their surface and bulk properties. Two types of ZnO–MWCNT additives with different morphologies were used in a wide concentration range from 0 to 90% for BC-based hybrids produced by filtration. The interaction between BC and ZnO–MWCNT and the effect of concentration and morphology of additives on the properties like zeta potential, hydrophilicity, electrical conductivity, etc. would be an important factor in various applications. Furthermore, the as-prepared hybrid membranes were characterized with the use of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and surface area measurement (BET). Applying the presented synthesis routes, the surface properties of BC-based membranes can be tailored easily. Results reveal that the as-prepared BC–ZnO–MWCNT hybrid membranes can be ideal candidates for different kinds of applications, such as water filtration or catalysts.

Myelin destruction is followed by resident glia activation and mobilization of endogenous progenitors (OPC) which participate in myelin repair. Here we show that in response to demyelination, mature oligodendrocytes (OLG) bordering the lesion express Ndst1, a key enzyme for heparan sulfates (HS) synthesis. Ndst1+ OLG form a belt that demarcates lesioned from intact white matter. Mice with selective inactivation of Ndst1 in the OLG lineage display increased lesion size, sustained microglia and OPC reactivity. HS production around the lesion allows Sonic hedgehog (Shh) binding and favors the local enrichment of this morphogen involved in myelin regeneration. In MS patients, Ndst1 is also found overexpressed in oligodendroglia and the number of Ndst1-expressing oligodendroglia is inversely correlated with lesion size and positively correlated with remyelination potential. Our study suggests that mature OLG surrounding demyelinated lesions are not passive witnesses but contribute to protection and regeneration by producing HS.

A bilinear tensile softening law that can describe the post-cracking behavior of concrete made with recycled concrete aggregates (RCAs) and steel fibers was developed based on an inverse analysis of characterization test data. Numerical simulation models were developed for large-scale concrete deep beams. The tensile softening laws along with characterization test results were used as input data in the analysis. The numerical deep beam models were validated through a comparative analysis with published experimental results. A parametric study was conducted to investigate the effect of varying the shear span-to-depth (a/h) ratio, steel fiber volume fraction (vf), and the presence of a web opening on the shear response. Results of the parametric study indicated that the shear strength gain caused by the addition of steel fibers at vf of 1 and 2% was higher in the deep beam models with a lower a/h of 0.8, relative to that of their counterparts with a/h of 1.6. The effect of a/h on the shear strength gain of the solid deep beam models diminished at the higher vf of 3%. The solid deep beam models with a/h of 0.8 exhibited a shear strength gain of 78 to 108% due to the addition of steel fibers, whereas their counterparts with the web opening experienced a reduced shear strength gain of 45 to 70%.

Aim: To assess the efficacy and safety of two different techniques (Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL) vs Retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS)) in the management of stones in patients with horseshoe kidneys (HSK). Patients and methods: Departmental files of 88 cases with radiopaque kidney stones in horseshoe kidneys undergoing two different approaches (PNL vs RIRS) were evaluated with respect to the success and complication rates of in a retrospective manner. In addition to the factors related with the procedures (success and complication rates, additional procedures), patient and stone characteristics were all well evaluated. Findings obtained in both groups were evaluated in a comparative manner with respect to the statistical significance. Results: Stone free rates were comparable in both groups after 1-week period (81.6% PNL vs 80% RIRS). As well as 3 months evaluation (84.2% PNL and 82.0% RIRS). The percentage of the cases with residual fragments (> 4 mm) were similar in both groups and while all PNL procedures were completed in one session, mean number of RIRS sessions was higher (1.22 ± 0.05). Mean duration of the procedure was slightly higher in RIRS group and based on Clavien scoring system, despite a higher risk of Hb drop noted in patients treated with PNL, all complication rates were found to be similar in both groups. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that of the available minimally invasive treatment alternatives, both PNL and RIRS could be safe and effective alternatives for renal stone removal in patients with HSK.

Keratocystic odontogenic tumor (KCOT) is a rare, bening intraosseous tumor of odontogenic origin with a potential of aggressive and infiltrative behavior. It shows specific histopathological features, and has a high recurrence rate. In this report, we present a case of 17 year old female patient with large-sized KCOT associated with impacted third molar in the mandibular ramus region and its decompression treatment. Decompression was applied by a customized removable appliance to prevent the closing of the cyst cavity. On the 3rd and 6th months of the control radiography, it was seen that the calcification foci began to be seen and erupting the impacted teeth as a result of shrinkage of the lesion volume. After 18 months, there was a normal contrast image on the tomography and the intraoral healing was uneventfully.Keywords: Customized removable aparey, decompression treatment, keratocystic odontogenic tumor.

Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı, Güneydoğu Anadolu Bölgesinde yaşayan bireylerde dental anomalilerin görülme sıklığının ve cinsiyetler arasındaki dental anomali görülme yatkınlıkların değerlendirilmesidir.Gereç ve Yöntemler: Çalışma Adıyaman Üniversitesi Dişhekimliği Fakültesi’ne ve Adıyaman Ağız ve Diş Sağlığı Merkezi’ne çeşitli nedenlerle müracat etmiş 4256 hastaya ait panoramik radyografi görüntüleri üzerinde retrospektif olarak tasarlandı. Hastalara ait panoramik radyografi görüntüleri dental anomalilerin tespit edilmesi amacıyla 2 araştırmacı tarafından değerlendirildi. Çalışmada hastaların panoramik radyografi görüntüleri üzerinde tespit edilen, alt keser diş eksikliği, sürnümerer diş, ektopi, gömülü kalma, mikrodonti, taurodontism ve dilaserasyon olmak üzere 7 tip dental anomali cinsiyetler arası dağılımına göre istatistiksel olarak analiz edilmiştir.Bulgular: En sık görülen anomali %4,2 oranıyla gömülü kalma olarak tespit edildi. Taurodontizm % 0,02 lik oranla en az görülen anomali olarak tespit edildi. Gömülü diş görülme sıklığı erkek bireylerde, kadınlara kıyasla istatistiksel olarak anlamlı derecede daha fazla bulunmuştur. Ektopik diş görülme oranı, erkeklerde kadınlara nazaran istatistiksel olarak anlamı derecede fazla bulunmuştur. Kadınlarda alt keser diş eksikliği görülme oranı, erkeklere göre istatistiksel olarak anlamlı derecede fazla bulunmuştur.Sonuçlar: Güneydoğu Anadolu Bölgesinde yaşayan bireylerde gömülü kalma, en sık rastlanılan anomali olarak karşımıza çıkmaktadır. Alt keser diş eksikliği kadınlarda daha fazla görülürken, gömülü diş ve ektopiye erkeklerde daha sık rastlanılmıştır. Bunun yanında, sürnümerer diş, dilaserasyon, taurodontizm ve mikrodonti gibi anomalilerin görülme sıklığı bakımından cinsiyetler arasında farklılık tespit edilmemiştir. Taurodontizm en az rastlanılan anomali olarak tespit edilmiştir.Anahtar Kelimeler: Dental anomali, gömülü diş, ektopi, sürnümerer, alt keser

Objective: To evaluate the level of knowledge of autonomic dysreflexia among physicians practicing in different disciplines namely anesthesia and reanimation, emergency, neurology, neurosurgery, urology, and physical medicine and rehabilitation departments. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted using a questionnaire consisting of seven questions, which was completed in a prospective manner by 95 physicians (residents and consultants) in our tertiary care hospital. Results: None of the questions asked in the questionnaire could be replied by 38 (40%) of 95 physicians in the hospital. Only one physician did reply all the questions completely. The mean value of the mark given was 2.00±2.04 for consultants and 1.10±1.37 for residents (p=0.039). Our data showed that while only 27% of the physicians have received training on autonomic dysreflexia; 18% of physicians had a previous experience with patients having autonomic dysreflexia. Conclusion: Taking the potential serious complications of autonomic dysreflexia into account, necessary information on this emergency status should be given to physicians. We believe that to reach a more precise conclusion about awareness of physicians on autonomic dysreflexia, multicenter studies with larger number of participants are certainly necessary.

Work has an important contribution to employee welfare. Investing in improving the overall welfare of employees at work can have more benefits for employers. Employee well-being at work involves issues such as: providing adequate resources, good communication, a reasonable degree of employee control over your own jobs, a balanced workload, job security and change management, positive work relationships, favourable working conditions. Employees who benefit from a positive work environment are responding to an increased organizational commitment. The paper provides an organizational holistic approach to stress management. It advocates increasing the quality of jobs where both employees and employers assume a shared responsibility for managing stress at work. It must be acknowledged that, by optimizing the health status of the workforce, we can ensure the good health of the organization.

Managers have to face the complexity of the technological and informational environment, social change, increasing entrepreneurial activity, accelerating technological developments and a more educated and skilled workforce. Leadership is a critical element in the success of an organization. Dynamic and efficient leadership involves creating a vision and action plan to ensure that organizations are client-centered, as well as creating a favourable environment for employees to optimize productivity and innovation. Although the elements that can influence leadership are multiple, and with regard to the transformational leadership style is an interpretable measure of how it takes place, we consider it appropriate to analyse and measure the factors that contribute to its formation. The opportunity of undertaking this research derives from the need to identify the antecedents that contribute to the formation of the transformational leadership style.

Summary: Demyelination is frequently observed in a variety of CNS insults and neurodegenerative diseases. In rodents, adult neural stem cells can generate oligodendrocytes and participate to myelin repair. However, these cells mainly produce migratory neuroblasts that differentiate in the olfactory bulb. Here, we show that, in the demyelination context, a small subset of these neuroblasts can spontaneously convert into myelinating oligodendrocytes. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the contribution of neuroblasts to myelin repair can be improved by in vivo forced expression of two transcription factors: OLIG2 and SOX10. These factors promote directed fate conversion of endogenous subventricular zone neuroblasts into mature functional oligodendrocytes, leading to enhanced remyelination in a cuprizone-induced mouse model of demyelination. These findings highlight the unexpected plasticity of committed neuroblasts and provide proof of concept that they could be targeted for the treatment of demyelinated lesions in the adult brain. : Durbec and colleagues highlight the fate plasticity of neuroblasts in mouse brain after demyelination. They show that a subset of neuroblasts produced in SVZ spontaneously convert into oligodendrocytes after demyelination. They furthermore demonstrate that myelin regeneration can be enhanced by forcing this spontaneous conversion through in-vivo-directed cell reprogramming by forced expression of Olig2 and Sox10 in endogenous neuroblasts. Keywords: adult brain, myelin, neural stem cell, neuroblast, oligodendrocyte, reprogramming, cuprizone, remyelination, OLIG2, SOX10

INTRODUCTION[|]The aim of this study was to document the use of general anesthesia for patients who underwent percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL) during a 3-year period and to examine the current discussion related to anesthesia techniques in the context of the literature.[¤]METHODS[|]Patients scheduled for PNL between 2015 and 2017 were assessed retrospectively. Patient demographic data, the characteristics of the renal stones, the duration of the operation, blood transfusion requirements, and complications of the PNL procedure and general anesthesia were evaluated.[¤]RESULTS[|]A total of 521 patients were included in this study. The mean age was 48.32+-0.61 years. The mean stone size was 22.48+-0.47 mm. The mean duration of the operation was 106.30+-1.56 minutes, and 79.07% of patients were stone-free after the procedure. The mean fluoroscopy time was 23.30+-1.45 seconds and the mean irrigation fluid volume was measured as 8.70+-0.23 L. The decrease in the hemoglobin and hematocrit levels after the procedure was statistically significant (p

The pertinence of the fiber element approach to enable thorough numerical investigation on the potential for progressive collapse of reinforced concrete (RC) frame structures owing to interior column exclusion is examined using twenty-nine RC sub-assemblages with five different test setups and three different test scales. A qualitative examination of the results reveals a good agreement between the test results and the outcomes of the fiber-element-based numerical model using the finite element package SeismoStruct. Moreover, minor discrepancies between the test and numerical data demonstrate the capability of the fiber-element-based model to accurately simulate the behavior of RC elements with various boundary conditions and scales under the context of progressive collapse. Given the costly nature of experimental research, test errors, and the lengthy testing process, the proposed numerical model based on the fiber element approach can be considered a viable option for analyzing structures under progressive collapse due to the interior column exclusion scenario. Engineers and researchers can use the conclusions and comments highlighted in the study as a guide to create accurate models for the analysis of RC structures subjected to progressive collapse.

The use of precast inverted T-beams has been frequently used to minimize construction activities and installation time. However, shipping and placement of large invert T-beams can become challenging tasks due to their weight. Decreasing the web height of the beam can be effective in reducing the beam weight. This paper considers inverted T-beams with two overhangs, negative moment regions, and one span, a positive moment region. The examined parameters were the web height and skew angle of the inverted T-beams. To avoid high costs of testing beams and to save time, the application of numerical modeling is, hence, inevitable. A calibrated 3D nonlinear numerical model, using ATENA software, was further used to numerically investigate the effects of reducing the weight, by decreasing the web height and varying the skew angle of inverted T-beams on their structural performance. The outcomes of this study indicated that reducing the web height of the beam was an effective tool to reduce the weight without jeopardizing the strength of the beams. Increasing the skew angle of the inverted T-beam also decreased their ductility.

Results of an experimental investigation aimed at studying the effect of steel fibers on the shear behavior of concrete deep beams made with a 100% recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) are presented in this paper. The study comprised testing of seven concrete deep beam specimens with a shear span-to-depth ratio (a/h) of 1.6. Two beams were made of natural aggregates (NAs) without steel fibers, two beams were made of a 100% RCA without steel fibers, and three beams were made of RCA-based concrete with steel fibers at volume fractions (vf) of 1, 2, and 3%. Two of the beams without steel fibers included a minimum shear reinforcement. Test results showed that the beam with a 100% RCA without steel fibers exhibited a lower post-cracking stiffness, reduced shear cracking load, and lower shear capacity than those of the NA-based control beam. The detrimental effect of the RCA on the shear response was less pronounced in the presence of the minimum shear reinforcement. The addition of steel fibers significantly improved the shear response of the RCA-based beams. The post-cracking stiffness of the RCA-based concrete beams with steel fibers coincided with that of a similar beam without fibers containing the minimum shear reinforcement. The use of steel fibers in RCA beams at vf of 1 and 2% restored 80 and 90% of the shear capacity, respectively, of a similar beam with the minimum shear reinforcement. The response of the RCA specimen with vf of 3% outperformed that of the NA-based control beam with the minimum shear reinforcement, indicating that steel fibers can be used in RCA deep beams as a substitution to the minimum shear reinforcement. The shear capacities obtained from the tests were compared with predictions of published analytical models.

This paper describes a fast algorithm for constructing directly the equation automaton from the well-known Thompson automaton associated with a regular expression. Allauzen and Mohri have presented a unified construction of small automata and gave a construction of the equation automaton with time and space complexity in O(mlogm+m2), where m denotes the number of Thompson automaton transitions. It is based on two classical automata operations, namely epsilon-removal and Hopcroft’s algorithm for deterministic Finite Automata (DFA) minimization. Using the notion of c-continuation, Ziadi et al. presented a fast computation of the equation automaton in O(m2) time complexity. In this paper, we design an output-sensitive algorithm combining advantages of the previous algorithms and show that its computational complexity can be reduced to O(m×|Q≡e|), where |Q≡e| denotes the number of states of the equation automaton, by an epsilon-removal and Bubenzer minimization algorithm of an Acyclic Deterministic Finite Automata (ADFA).

The well-known gear tooth defects such as root cracks and flank spalls have been widely investigated in previous studies to model their effects on the time varying mesh stiffness (TVMS) and consequently the dynamic response of motor-gearbox systems. Nevertheless, the effect of assembly errors such as the center distance and the eccentricity has been less considered in past works. Determining the signature of these errors on the system response can help for their early detection and diagnostic to avoid overloading and failure of gears. An original geometric-based method combined with the potential energy method is proposed in this paper to accurately model the effect of these assembly errors on the TVMS of mating spur gear pairs. This is achieved by updating the line of action equation (LOA) at each meshing step using the actual coordinates of gear centers and employing a contact detection algorithm (CDA) to determine the actual contact points coordinates. An electrical model of a three-phase induction machine was then coupled with a dynamic model of a one-stage spur gear system to simulate the effect of assembly errors on the electromechanical response of the motor-gearbox system. The simulation results showed that the center distance error induces a reduction in the TVMS magnitude and the contact ratio, whereas the eccentricity error causes a double modulation of the TVMS magnitude and frequency. In addition, the results showed that assembly errors can be detected and diagnosed by analyzing the system vibration and the motor phase-current.

Spontaneous renal or other organ ruptures secondary to anticoagulants have rarely been reported. The clinical features of renal rupture include acute flank/abdominal pain, haematuria, hypotension and shock. It can occur due to increased intraabdominal pressure during coughing. Rupture is most commonly caused by renal tumors such as angiomyolipomas. In the literature, other known causes are long-term haemodialysis, arteriosclerosis or arteritis. Wunderlich’s syndrome is an extremely dangerous complication that may cause death if not treated intensively. If the haemorrhage is self-limiting and the patient is responsive to fluid replacement, the patient can be managed conservatively. Selective angiographic embolization and emergency nephrectomy (partial or total) are the treatment options. In the literature, we found only one case that was presented as spontaneous non-traumatic renal rupture associated with coughing. In our case, total nephrectomy had to be performed, but it was not adequate.

Purpose: To evaluate the true necessity of open end ureteral catheter insertion in patients with moderate to severe pelvicalyceal system dilation treated with percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL) under sonographic guidance. Patients and methods: 50 cases treated with PNL under sonographic guidance in prone position for solitary obstructing renal stones were evaluated. Patients were randomly divided into two groups; Group 1: Patients in whom a open end ureteral catheter was inserted prior to the procedure; Group 2: Patients receiving no catheter before PNL. In addition to the duration of the procedure as a whole and also all relevant stages as well, radiation exposure time, hospitalization period, mean nephrostomy tube duration, mean drop in Hb levels and all intra and postoperative complications have been evaluated. Results: Mean size of the stones was 308.5 ± 133.2 mm2. Mean total duration of the PNL procedure in cases with open end ureteral catheter was significantly longer than the other cases (p < 0.001). Evaluation of the outcomes of the PNL procedures revealed no statistically significant difference between two groups regarding the stone-free rates (86% vs 84%). Additionally, there was no significant difference with respect to the duration of nephrostomy tube, hospitalization period and secondary procedures needed, complication rates as well as the post-operative Hb drop levels in both groups (p = 0.6830). Conclusions: Our results indicate that the placement of an open end ureteral catheter prior to a PNL procedure performed under sonographic access may not be indicated in selected cases presenting with solitary obstructing renal pelvic and/or calyceal stones.

Purpose: To determine the predictive value of certain radiological parameters for an objective asssessment of the presence of ure-teral stone impaction.Materials and Methods: Seventy-nine patients with a single proximal ureteral stones were retrieved from the departmental data-base. Both clinical and particularly radiological data of all cases were well evaluated on this aspect. In addition to the time period between the first colic attack and definitive management; diameter of proximal ureter and renal pelvis, longitudinal and transverse stone size, Hounsfied unit (HU) of the stone and lastly ureteral wall thickness at the impacted stone site were all carefully evaluated and noted.Results: Patients had a single proximal ureteral stone. While mean age of the cases was ranged 20 to 78 years; mean stone size was 15.62±4.26 mm. Evaluation of our data demonstrated that although there was a statistically significant correlation between ureteral wall thickness and patients age, transverse diameter of the stone, ureteral diameter just proximal to the stone, renal pelvic diameter and the duration of renal colic attacks; no correlation could be demonstrated between patients sex and the HU of the stone.Conclusions: Prediction of the presence and degree of proximal ureteral stone impaction is a challenging issue and our data indicated a highly significant correlation between ureteral wall thickness and the some certain radiological as well as clinical pa-rameters evaluated which will give an objective information about the presence of impaction which may in turn be helpful in the follow-up and also management plans of such calculi.

Servikal spinal yaralanmalar pediatrik grupta sık görülmektedir ve anatomik, fizyolojik değişiklikler nedeniyle genellikle kranioservikal bölge etkilenmektedir. Araç içi trafik kazalarında hızlı hiperekstansiyon/hiperfleksiyon travması ligamentöz hasarların ve retroklival epidural hematomun bilinen nedenlerindendir. Amacımız 3 yaş 8 aylık çocuk hastada araç içi trafik kazasında hiperekstansiyon/hiperfleksiyon ve rotasyon travmasına bağlı oluşan, bir arada nadiren görülen apikal ligaman hasarı, retroklival hematom ve şüpheli beyin sapı laserasyonu bulgularını sunmaktır. Hastanın servikal bölgesi Philadelphia boyunluğu ile immobilize edildi. Glaskow Koma Skalası 8 olan hasta 6 aydır pediatrik yoğun bakım ünitesinde tedavi görmektedir.

Objective: The effects of surgical technique on respiratory mechanics, arterial oxygenation and hemodynamics in radical prostatectomy operation were investigated. Methods: The study was planned on ASA II-III, 40-65 years old, fourty patients scheduled for radical prostatectomy under general anesthesia. They were divided into two groups: perineal and suprapubic (Group P, n = 20; Group S, n = 20). Heart rate, mean arterial blood pressure, arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2), partial pressure of end-tidal carbon dioxide (PEtCO2), Peak inspiratory pressure (PIP), plato pressure (Pplato), partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood (PaO2), partial pressure of carbon dioxide in arterial blood (PaCO2) values were evaluated at 10 minutes after induction. After the position applied for surgery in the 30.60 and 90th minutes, the Alveolar-arterial oxygen pressure gradient (P(A-a) O2), the ratio of physiologic dead space over tidal volume (VD/VT), arterial to end tidal CO2 gradient (P(a-et) CO2), static compliance (CS), dynamic compliance (CD) were assessed. Results: In the assessment of groups, there were not statistical differences about mean blood pressure, heart rate, SpO2, PetCO2, PaO2, plateau pressure, and P (A-a) values (p > 0.05). Peak inspiratory pressure was higher in Group P. Peak inspiratory pressure and plateau pressure increased with CO2 insufflation in Group P. PaCO2 and P(a-et) CO2 were higher statistically significantly in Group 0. There was no difference in terms of the PetCO2 values. VD/VT ratios were statistically significantly lower in the Group P. Conclusions: Suprapubic surgery was shown to improve oxygenation and respiratory mechanics without causing any hemodynamic side effect in radical prostatectomy operation.

In this study, the relationship of corporate social responsibility (CSR) spending and Market Stock Price was analyzed. The study sample comprised of 102 services firms listed on the Amman Stock Exchange (ASE) for the years 2010 to 2017. In particular, CSR spending reflects the actual CSR activities monetary contributions that are mandated to be disclosed in the firm’s income statement. This study adopted the Generalized Method of Moment (GMM) to analyze the CSR spending—Market Stock Price relationship. The control variables included firm size, leverage and ownership. Based on the findings, no significant relationship exists between CSR spending and market stock price (MSP) in any direction. Added to this, control variables had no effect on MSP. However, the findings showed a significant positive effect of firm size on CSR spending and a negative effect of leverage on CSR spending, with no significant effect of ownership on the same. This study has several implications for the enhancement of the information and understanding of the firms’ Market Stock Price as it shed light on the CSR spending—Market Stock Price relationship. Moreover, the study findings contribute to literature concerning CSR practices in the context of developing nations.

Problem statement: Malaysian public hospitals apply an electronic medical record (EMR) system. However, health-care professionals are facing several difficulties in trusting the EMR system in Malaysia. Studies that have addressed EMR acceptance, particularly its application in the context of privacy and security concerns on the basis of a multi-criteria perspective in Malaysian hospitals, are still lacking. Objective: This research proposed a new model testing the individual, security, and privacy factors affecting EMR acceptance and the role of trust as a mediator. The suggested model was developed on the basis of multiple perspectives targeting the health-care professionals in Malaysia. Methodology: A conceptual model was developed on the basis of unified theory of acceptance and use of technology UTAUT2 to explore the relationship between individual, privacy, and security factors and the acceptance of the EMR system and the role of trust as a mediating construct. A total of 375 usable questionnaires were collected from the study population. Structural equation modeling was employed to analyze data and test the fit of the model. Findings: Two constructs, namely, security and individual, have positive influences on EMR acceptance and use. The privacy construct shows a negative effect on EMR acceptance and use. Trust mediates the effects of security, privacy, and individual factors partially, which, in turn, influences the behavioral intention to use and adopt EMR.

While mobile marketing is widely practised in developed countries, this is not always the case for developing countries, such as Jordan, where the acceptance level for mobile marketing remains low. This study aims to uncover the predictors for the behaviour of Jordanian customers with regard to the acceptance of mobile marketing. For this purpose, a questionnaire based on quantitative research was conceived. This investigation involved the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT2), which was extended to include two additional variables: ‘trust’ and ‘risk’. For the empirical testing of the model, data was collected from 321 respondents, and the hypotheses were tested through variance-based structural equation modelling. SmartPLS 3.0 was used to analyse the data. The findings from this study suggest that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, hedonic motivation, social influence, price value, facilitating conditions, habit and risk significantly influence the behavioural intention of customers regarding the adoption of mobile marketing. On the other hand, the trust factor was found to be an insignificant predictor in this area.

The modernization of industrial sectors involves the use of complex industrial systems and therefore requires condition based maintenance. This one aims at increasing the operational availability and reducing the life-cycle while increasing the reliability and life expectancy of industrial systems. This maintenance also called predictive maintenance is a part of an emerging philosophy called PHM ‘Prognostics and Health Management’. In this paper, the PHM will be emphasized on the existing diagnostic methods used for fault isolation and identification. This depicts an important part of the PHM as it exploits the data given by the signal-processing step and its output is treated by the prognostic part. The diagnostic is mainly classified in three categories that will be highlighted in this paper.

Conventional methods of teaching structural engineering topics focus on face-to-face delivery of course materials. This study shows that using video-based e-learning in delivering an undergraduate Structural Steel Design course satisfactorily achieved most of the course learning outcomes. Video-based e-learning with animations and simulations gives students a profound understanding of the course intricate design materials. To gauge the effectiveness of video-based e-learning of the course, an online evaluation was conducted by sixty-eight undergraduate students at the United Arab Emirates University using Blackboard. The evaluation consisted of an online survey that was accessible by students who took the structural steel design course in the academic year 2019 using instructional videos provided to them as Quick Response (QR)-codes. The structural steel design course has six learning outcomes (CLOs), and the performance of students in the six CLOs was compared with that of students who took the same course in the academic year 2018 using the traditional face-to-face lecturing method. The survey data was statistically analyzed, and the results revealed that students’ performance improved, and most of the CLOs were attained. Video-based e-learning with animations resulted in better learning outcomes compared to face-to-face lecturing. Accessing the course instruction videos anytime and anywhere is one of the remarkable benefits to the students studying through the e-learning approach.