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The purpose of this study was to determine factors associated with self‐perceived body image in female patients with head and neck cancer (HNC), and factors associated with healthcare professional's rating of disfigurement, as well as the correlation between patient and observer ratings. This cross‐sectional study recruited 105 women with HNC at a large medical centre. Measures of facial disfigurement and body image, as well as demographic and clinical characteristics, were collected. Multivariate multiple linear regression modelling was used to identify factors associated with healthcare professional's rating of disfigurement and patient self‐perceived body image. Disfigurement ratings by healthcare professionals were positively associated with patient self‐perceived body image. Medical treatment, cancer stage, radiation dose and cancer site were significantly associated with disfigurement. Medical treatment was an important predictor of perceived body image. These findings indicate a moderate prevalence of disfigurement among women with HNCs. Patients with more disfigurement were more likely to have dissatisfaction with their body image. Nursing professionals need to carefully assess the appearance of women with HNC. Camouflage interventions can be used to help appropriately cope with the disfigurement, and to achieve improved satisfaction with their body image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focused on the effects of microstructures on the low-temperature impact toughness of directly water-quenched offshore steel. Martensite dominated the microstructure directly below the quenched surface. In contrast, mainly lower bainite, martensite, and low amount of ferrite were observed in the central region of the quenched specimen. The ductile to brittle transition temperature of tempered martensite was significantly lower than that of a bainite-dominated microstructure. It is found that low-angle boundaries within the bainite packets greatly impair the low-temperature impact toughness of the steel. The absence of high-angle boundaries in the lower bainite packets significantly deteriorates the low-temperature impact energy of offshore steel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three commercial bio-aid samples have shown good troubleshooting capabilities earlier during several biological wastewaters processing, but their microbial contents were still unclear. This study was aimed to assess eubacteria contents for the three bio-aids based on sequence comparisons of 16S ribosomal deoxyribonucleic acid (rDNA). Majority of target 16S rDNA sequences of bacteria within or cultured from bio-aids were obtained via pyrosequencing-based approach, and few sequences were from isolation- or cloning-sequencing approaches. Results showed that a total of 8114, 2327, and 5402 sequences were retrieved from pyrosequencing-based methods for the three bio-aids, respectively, which were affiliated with 100, 80, and 59 bacterial species based on sequence comparison using Ribosome Data Project (RDP) Classifier and Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST). Target sequences matched Bacillus sp., Enterococcus sp., and Clostridium sp. of Firmicutes phylum were the most abundant for the bio-aids, while some sequences identical to bacteria of phyla Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, Cyanobacteria, and Proteobacteria were also found. Additionally, most of sequences from the isolation- or cloning-sequencing-based methods were not retrieved by the pyrosequencing-based methods. Culture media appeared to potentially select several bacteria species within phyla Firmicutes and/or Proteobacteria, but sequences from the culture-based methods did fulfill some absences for the uncultured method. Based on principal coordinate analysis, bacteria community structures of the three bio-aids were different. This study provided insights into bacteria contents for the three bio-aids as fundamental information in attempts for future selection or formulation of suitable bio-aids for solving various troubles during wastewater biological processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on a study which examined ferromagnetisim in a ferromagnetic superconductor arising from the competition between the Meissner current shielding effect and the fluctuations of the localized magnetic moments. Background on the compound erbium rhodium[sub4] boron[sub4]; Surface impedance of nonmagnetic superconductors; Values for the inverse of the characteristic length or solid curve.

Presents information on a study which examined the application of the muon spin relaxation technique in erbium rhodium[sub4] boron[sub4]. Experimental procedures and results; Effect of boron moments on the muon spins; Discussion.