Search

Background Increased muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) is associated with poor prognosis in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). The improving effect of interventional therapy of mitral regurgitation (MR) and aortic stenosis on MSNA in patients with CHF has been previously shown. Purpose MSNA in patients with functional tricuspid regurgitation (FTR) has not been evaluated yet, and the effect of transcatheter tricuspid valve repair (TTTVR) on MSNA is unknown. Methods We prospectively included 28 patients with ≥ severe FTR who underwent TTVR. All patients were followed up at the earliest 12 months after the procedure. Microneurography was performed to determine MSNA, as described previously. Tungsten needles (200 μm) were used to record multiunit postganglionic sympathetic activity from the nervus peroneus longus close to the caput fibuli. There are two MSNA-defining parameters – burst frequency (burst/min) and burst incidence (burst/beats). In 9 patients, it was possible to perform microneurography at follow-up. Results 28 patients (80.7±5.2 years, 53.6% female) with symptomatic (100% NYHA≥ II) high-grade FTR (severe TR: 78.6%, massive TR: 14.3%, torrential TR 7.1%) were prospectively included. At baseline, we documented preserved left ventricular function with a LVEF of 57.7±10.9%, however impaired right ventricular function (TAPSE: 15.8±5.2 mm) with biatrial dilation (left atrial volume: 95.4±40.7 ml, right atrial area: 31.8±10.8 cm2. Baseline NT pro-BNP was 2659.3±2214.3pg/dl. There was no relevant MR at baseline (MR ≤ moderate). According to baseline microneurography, we found a significantly increased MSNA (incidence: 146.16±65.85 bursts/beats, frequency: 182.21±140.6 bursts/min). Furthermore, MSNA was significantly and negatively correlated with renal function at baseline (MSNA incidence r=−0.67, p=0.0001; MSNA frequency r=−0.40, p=0.034). On the other hand, the serum level of NT pro-BNP showed a positive and significant correlation with MSNA incidence (r=0.64, p=0.0004), however no relevant association with MSNA frequency (r=0.23, p=0.24). The procedural success was 96.4%. One procedure was interrupted due to irreducible TR. At FU, we found sustained TR reduction (81.4% TR Conclusion We documented increased sympathetic nerve activity in patients with FTR. Renal function inversely correlates with all MSNA-defining parameters, and MSNA incidence shows a positive correlation with levels of NT-pro BNP. TTVR decreases MSNA, which might be regarded as an additional neurological pathway of postinterventional clinical improvements apart from intracardiac volume and pressure changes. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

Traditional knowledge of plants is inter-generationally transferred. It is important to keep proper records in order to avoid the loss of the ethnobotanical heritage. This study is an ethnobotanical survey conducted in Surmene district in the Black Sea Region of Trabzon-Turkey. The study was conducted between 2018 and 2019. Plants were collected from different altitudes in the district. The required information was collected through ethnobotanical interviews with local people. Use value of species was determined and informant consensus factor was calculated for medicinal plants included in the study. In this study, eighty-two taxa belonging to 42 families were identified. Sixty-six of them are natural, while 16 of them are cultivated plants. One of the species is endemic, Anthemis melanoloma subsp. trapezuntica Grierson. Of the collected plants, 54 taxa are used for medical purposes, 31 is used for food, 17 is used for animal fodder, 16 is used as fuel, 3 is used as honey plant, 2 is used as organic fertilizers, and 16 is used for different purposes. Most of the plants used in the district belong to the families Asteraceae (11 species), Rosaceae (9 species), Lamiaceae (6 species), Poaceae (4 species), and Ericaceae (4 species). Of all the medicinal plants, Citrus sinensis, Actinidia deliciosa, Mentha × piperita, and Thymus nummularius seem are well-known to the locals, as indicated by their high UV. In conclusion, this study collected information regarding the traditional uses of plants in Surmene district and also helped to preserve the valuable information. Ethnobotanical studies are increasing the possibilities of identifying new molecules; thus, this study may serve as a basis for future pharmacological and phytochemical studies which could lead to the discovery and development of new pharmaceuticals.

OBJECTIVES: The present study aims to investigate whether elementary lesions detected at the time of the diagnosis, their distribution characteristics, and CT scoring can be predictive of a cytokine storm. BACKGROUND: CT might have a prognostic predictive value beyond its diagnostic value. METHODS: Sixty-eight patients, 32 with cytokine storm and 36 without cytokine storm, were included in the study. Four different scoring methods were created according to elementary lesions, distribution and involvement rate. CT scores and demographic findings of the cases were compared in the cytokine storm and non-cytokine storm groups. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 57.72 (SD: 13.5) and 40 (58.8 %) of them were male. The cytokine storm was significantly more common among male patients and patients of older age (p=0.04). The AUC values of CT score 1, CT score 2, CT score 3, and CT score 4 were as follows; 0.772 (95% CI; 0.651-0.892), 0.766 (95% CI; 0.647-0.885), 0.758 (95% CI; 0.639-8.78), and 0.760 (95% CI; 0.640-0.881), respectively. All CT scores had better predictive values in males. CONCLUSIONS: CT scoring at the time of admission can be used to predict cases that may develop cytokine storm later (Tab. 4, Fig. 2, Ref. 15).

Background: Mitchell-Banks technique (MBT), in which inguinal canal is not opened, usually used in inguinal hernia repair in children under 2 years of age. The majority of pediatric surgeons tend to open the inguinal canal while performing inguinal hernia surgery in children over 2 years of age, called as modified Ferguson herniotomy (FH). Aims: This study aimed to compare early and late complications of the MBT and FH in over 2 years of age patients who underwent inguinal hernia surgery. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of all children between 2 and 16 years old who underwent inguinal herniotomy procedure using the MBT and FH between January 2013 and December 2019. Patients were evaluated in terms of demographic data, early and late complications. Results: This study included 834 children. Of these, 379 (44.8%) were operated on by an FH with opening the inguinal canal (Group 1), and 455 (55.2%) by MBT superficially to the external ring (Group 2). There were 68 (17.9%) females and 311 (82.1%) males in group 1, while there were 151 (33.2%) females and 304 (66.8%) males in group 2. Early complications were wound infection (1.1% in the group 1 vs. 1.3% in the group 2, P = 1.00) and scrotal hematoma (1.3% vs. 1.8%, P = 0.89). Late complications included recurrence (1.6% in the group 1 vs. 1.8% in the group 2, P = 0.12), undescended testis (2.1% vs. 0.7%, P = 0.71), testicular atrophy (1.5% vs. 0.4%, P = 0.79), and hydrocele (1.9% vs. 1.8%, P = 0.87). There was no statistically significant difference in terms of early and late complications ratio between two groups. Conclusion: This study showed that inguinal hernia repair performed without opening the inguinal canal in children older than 2 years do not lead to an increase in complications. In this respect, MBT can be used as a simple and safe procedure in older children.

EuroSCORE and STS-Score are used to assess surgical risk in patients with valvular heart diseases. The MIDA- Score has been recently published as a representative predictor for short- and long-term prognosis in patients with degenerative mitral regurgitation (DMR). The adequate assessment of long-term prognosis in patients with functional MR is scarce. We aim to adapt this classical score system for patients with FMR. We retrospectively included 105 patients with FMR who underwent transcatheter mitral regurgitation therapy (TMVR) between January 2014 and August 2016 in our center. Due to the different underlying pathomechanisms of FMR, annular dilatation and impaired left ventricle function, and more elderly patient population we adapted some cut-off values to FMR patients (Age > 65 to Age > 75; LV-EF ≤ 60% to LV-EF ≤ 45%; sPAP≥50mmHg to sPAP≥45mmHg). Moreover, according to Cox proportional hazard analysis of our patient collective we re-calculated the weights of the risk factors: Age 2 points, Symptoms 1 point, atrial fibrillation 2 points, left atrial diameter 1 point, right ventricle systolic pressure 2 points, left ventricle end-systolic diameter 2 points, left ventricle ejection fraction 2 points. We defined three risk groups according to total points from the risk factors; Grade 1 (0-4 points): low risk, Grade 2 (5-9 points): moderate risk, Grade 3 (10-12 points): high risk. We retrospectively included 105 patients (76.7 ± 8.8 years, 50,6% female) with symptomatic (functional NYHA class > II ) moderate-to-severe FMR (PISA: 0.7 ± 0.4cm, VC width: 0.8 ± 0.3cm, EROA: 0.22cm2, RegVol: 38.1 ± 19.2ml) at surgical high risk (EuroSCORE II: 5.4 ± 3.8%, STS-Score: 4.7 ± 2.8%). We found all-cause mortality 7% at one-year follow-up. 34.1% of our collective were hospitalized. The classical MIDA Score was not significantly correlated with mortality and rehospitalization in patients with FMR at follow-up (p = 0.5); however, the modified MIDA score was found to be a strong predictor for mortality and rehospitalization in patients with FMR (AUC: 0.89). According to multivariate analysis, the modified MIDA score was found to be superior compared to the other conventional score systems (The modified MIDA-Score HR: 4.1, p = 0.021; EuroSCORE II; HR: 1.2, p = 0.004, STS-Score; HR: 1.7, p = 0.005). We performed Cox proportional hazard analysis to assess the weighting factor of the predictors. As a result of this, we found age (HR: 2,95, p = 0.03) as the most reliable parameter to predict the combined outcome. The 12,5% of grade 1, 27% grade 2, 57% grade 3 patients showed combined endpoint. According to regression analysis, the modified score >9 points found to be a strong predictor for high mortality and rehospitalization (OR: 3.35, p = 0.011). We found the modified MIDA Score sufficient and extensive to assess outcomes in patients with FMR. The modified MIDA Score offers a sufficient promising tool to predict individual prognosis in patients with FMR.

To evaluate the mechanical properties of a glass hybrid (GH) restorative system (EQUIA Forte/GC) and compare it with a microhybrid composite (G-aenial Posterior/GC) by compressive strength (CS) and fracture resistance (FR) tests.Cylindrical specimens were subjected to a CS test (n = 12). There were about 48 mandibular molars were used for a FR test and divided into four groups: Group 1 (positive control), sound teeth; Group 2 (negative control), extended size Class 2 cavities prepared on the mesial surfaces of teeth; Group 3, extended size Class 2 cavities restored with a composite; and Group 4, extended size Class 2 cavities restored with GH. Specimens were subjected to loading until a fracture occurred. Data were analyzed statistically (α = 0.05).The fracture modes were examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The CS values of the composite and GH were 278.20 ± 17.34 MPa and 164.62 ± 25.72 MPa, respectively (P0.05). No differences were observed between the FR of restored groups (P0.05).The GH exhibited sufficient mechanical properties as a restorative material, and could be preferred for extensive caries lesions on posterior teeth.

Proof systems for the Relativized Propositional Calculus are defined and compared.

The radiation attenuation parameters such as radiation mass attenuation coeffcients (MAC), half value layer (HVL), mean free path (mfp) of boron carbide (B4C) have been calculated at radiological x-ray energies using MCNPX (version 2.6.0) general purpose Monte Carlo code. The results obtained from MCNPX have been compared with standard XCOM data. Moreover, the obtained mass attenuation coeffcient results have been compared with ordinary concrete. Furthermore, standard deviation rates between MCNPX and XCOM were also calculated by statistical methods and a good agreement was obtained. The results showed that, present investigation can be useful for evaluation of shielding features of B4C. It can be concluded that modeled standard geometry for present investigation can be used for shielding assessment of B4C at radiological energy range.

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is extensively used in the pediatric population. Environments and the nature of diseases have an impact on the type of CAM therapies used in children.This study aims to determine the prevalence and determinants of CAM use among Nigerian children living in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).A quantitative, descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted among 50 parents living in the TRNC. The parents were selected by the snowball sampling technique. Data were collected using a self-administered, NAFKAM International-CAM-Questionnaire (I-CAM-Q). The data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Chi-square test was used to analyze the associations of CAM use with values of P0.05 considered statistically significant.The mean ages of the parents and children were 30 ± 5.56 years and 3 ± 2.17 years, respectively. It was discovered that 34 (68%) out of 50 children had used CAM in the previous 12 months. The most commonly used CAM products were vitamins/minerals (82.4%) and herbs/herbal products (55.9%). While praying for health (61.8%) and relaxation techniques (50.0%) were the most used CAM practices. A majority of the parents perceived that CAM use was beneficial (85.3%). Approximately 10% of the children were prescribed CAM recommendation/treatment by physicians. The most used sources of information were relatives (36%) and friends (14.7%). Parents (58%) indicated that they did not disclose their use of CAMs for their children to a physician/nurse.CAM is used prevalently in this population and the use of CAM is primarily focused on improving well-being. CAM usage for children increases with parental use. Further qualitative research is needed to understand the parental belief in the use of CAMs for children.

Various solenoids must be developed for different machines of the FAIR-Project. A solenoid design environment (SDE) has been developed to reduce expenditure of design time and work. The design environment is based on an Opera-2d input text file. Most significant physical and technical parameters of a solenoid are considered. Due to the axial symmetry, a two-dimensional solenoid model describes well the main characteristics of a real magnet. The first use of the SDE was the design of a solenoid for an emittance transfer experiment at GSI. The 36 cm long magnet creates a flux density of 1 Tesla at the center. The coil of the solenoid is separated in two halves to allow placing a movable stripping foil on the beam axis. Nevertheless, the magnet design avoids a local flux minimum in the center, since it might act as a trap of electrons. Creating a SDE and a solenoid with this tool takes a little more manpower than designing one solenoid without environment system. But in the future the SDE will help to decrease development time significantly.

Purpose: In recent years, there has been much focus on compassion in nursing care, and concern has been raised in a number of reports and media stories regarding decreased compassion. The aim of this study was to explore similarities and differences in the understanding and demonstration of compassion in nursing practice across 15 countries. Design: A total of 1,323 nurses from 15 countries responded to questions in relation to compassion, via an international online survey. Results: The data revealed the impact of sociopolitical influences on perceptions of compassion, and the conscious and intentional nature of compassion. Discussion and Conclusion: The study demonstrated shared understandings of the importance of compassion as well as some common perceptions of the attributes of compassionate care. The differences reported were not as significant as had been expected. Implications for Practice: Further research is needed to explore the country and culture differences in the enactment of compassion. © 2015, © The Author(s) 2015.

Journal of physics / Conference Series 875, 012008 (2017). doi:10.1088/1742-6596/875/2/012008, Published by IOP Publ., Bristol

Sludges from wastewater treatment plants are considered hazardous waste unless they are adequately stabilized to decrease total and dissolved organic carbon (TOC and DOC) concentrations below the standards for disposal of wastes into landfills. There are several methods to define stabilized sludge such as specific volatile suspended solids (VSS) load or leveling off of the VSS concentration. However, evaluation of sludge stabilization may not be as straightforward as these methods suggest. In this study, aerobic and anaerobic stabilization were applied to industrial sludges from two different industries (i.e., leather and textile) to decrease organic content of the sludges below hazardous waste levels. Aerobic sludge treatment provided better organics removals compared to anaerobic sludge treatment for leather industry with a VSS removal of 38% and a TOC removal of 65%. For textile industry, both aerobic and anaerobic treatment resulted in similar decreases in VSS (∼ 50%) and TOC (∼ 60%) concentrations. A...

We used an enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay to detect central nervous system (CNS)-specific glial fibrillary acidic protein to show the presence of CNS material on the medial surface of each half (left and right) of washed carcasses after splitting with a band-type saw. The high level contamination (≥0.4) was detected at the highest ratio on the brisket + plate area surface of carcasses (33.3%). The moderate level contamination (>0.2) was detected at the highest ratio on the brisket + plate and loin areas surface of carcasses (11.1%). The low-level contamination (≥0.1) was detected at the highest ratio on the flank and hip areas surface of carcasses (100.0%). The similar level contamination risk was found on both the right and left half of 72 beef carcasses. Although no contamination was detected on the band-type saw, the low-level contamination (≥0.1) was detected on the floor where the splitting of the carcasses was performed. Even though the low-level contamination (≥0.1) was detected on all areas of the carcasses, even after washing, the moderate and high level contamination were detected only on the chuck + rib, brisket + plate and loin areas. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS The process of splitting of beef carcasses in the abattoirs involves some critical stages when tissues included in the so-called specified risk material (SRM), particularly spinal cord, are released. This can obviously lead to potential dissemination of central nervous system material over the carcass and surrounding area, resulting in possible contamination with the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) infective agent. By this study, the first time in Turkey, contamination of BSE-SRM in beef carcasses during splitting in private abattoirs was investigated by enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay. The test was preferred because this is sensitive, very fast and cost-saving on carcass and on surfaces (saw, floor), and detect the antigen called glial fibrillary acidic protein. This study, as a first report in Turkey, showed the contamination level of beef carcasses, instruments and tools and slaughterhouse environment with BSE-SRM.

Radon is an odorless, tasteless, colorless noble radioactive gas which is produced within the radioactive decay chain of Uranium. The Radon forms in rocks, diffuses into soil and then escapes into atmosphere. When human exposure to high concentration of radon gas from inside, risk of developing lung cancer is increased. There are many methods to determine 222Rn concentration in the air. In this study, radon concentration of confined air spaces were measured by using LR-115 solid state nuclear track detectors. 509 LR-115 nuclear trace detectors were placed to 25 schools in Fatih District and they effective dose values were calculated. The results of measurements showed that the radon concentration varies between 40-395 Bq/m3. This results compared with Turkey’s limits (400 Bq/m3) are low, conversely higher compared with WHO’s limits (100 Bq/m3).

Background: Compassion is considered the cornerstone of nursing practice. However, the recent failures in delivering high-quality compassionate nursing care in the UK's National Health Service have brought the topic of compassion to the attention of the public, service providers, policy makers and academics. Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the nurses’ views and experiences of a number of compassion-related issues in nursing and describe similarities and differences at an international level as well as from the different nursing roles of the participating nurses. Methods: An exploratory, cross-sectional descriptive study, using the International Online Compassion Questionnaire. A total of 1323 nurses from 15 countries completed the questionnaire. Results: The majority of participants (59.5%) defined compassion as “Deep awareness of the suffering of others and wish to alleviate it” but definitions of compassion varied by country. Of participants, 69.6% thought compassion was very important in nursing and more than half (59.6%) of them argued that compassion could be taught. However, only 26.8% reported that the correct amount and level of teaching is provided. The majority of the participants (82.6%) stated that their patients prefer knowledgeable nurses with good interpersonal skills. Only 4.3% noted that they are receiving compassion from their managers. A significant relationship was found between nurses’ experiences of compassion and their views about teaching of compassion. Conclusion: Our study is unique in identifying the views and experiences of nurses from 15 different countries worldwide. The findings reveal that compassion is neither addressed adequately in nursing education nor supported in the practice environment by managers. Limitations: Self-report bias was inherent to our survey study design. Furthermore, the individual cultural differences and similarities in the findings are difficult to extrapolate owing to the fact that our analysis was at country level, as well as at the level of the participating nurses. Implications for nursing policy: Understanding the influence of culture on nurses’ views about compassion is critical in the current multicultural healthcare environment and merits further research. This will potentially drive changes in nursing education (ensuring that compassion is taught to nurses) and in the way healthcare leaders and managers foster a compassionate culture within their organizations (e.g. by leading by example and compassionate to their staff). © 2016 International Council of Nurses

Stabilization levels of activated sludge samples generated from different full scale municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants were investigated. Anaerobic and aerobic stabilization tests were further applied in order to decrease the organic contents of sludges based on Volatile Suspended Solids (VSS) and Total Organic Carbon (TOC) analyses. The decrease in VSS and TOC in municipal wastewater sludge during aerobic stabilization was 40 and 75%, respectively. The loss of heterotrophic biomass activity assessed with respirometric evaluation and the aid of modeling for aerobic stabilization of municipal sludge was also approximately 75%. Aerobic stabilization had generally a more pronounced positive effect on the toxicities of sludges compared to anaerobic stabilization, with the municipal sludges showing no toxicity after aerobic stabilization.

Highly charged radioactive ions can be stored for extended periods of time in storage rings which allows for precision measurements of their decay modes. The straightforward motivation for performing such studies is that fully ionised nuclei or few-electron ions can be viewed as clean quantum-mechanical systems, in which the interactions of the many electrons can be either excluded or treated precisely. Thus, the influence of the electron shell on the decay probability can be investigated. Another important motivation is stellar nucleosynthesis, which proceeds at high temperatures and the involved atoms are therefore highly ionised. Presented here is a compact review of the relevant experiments conducted at heavy-ion storage rings. Furthermore, we outline the perspectives for future experiments at new-generation storage-ring facilities.

Mucosal balance impairment, bacterial over-proliferation, cytokines, inflammatory mediators are known as responsible for inflammatory bowel disease. Besides known anorexigenic, neuroprotective, and anti-apoptotic effects, the major effect of nesfatin-1 on colitis is unknown. Our aim was to investigate the possible anti-inflammatory effects of nesfatin-1 in acetic acid induced colitis model and potential underlying mechanisms. Male Spraque-Dawley rats were anesthetized by intraperitoneal ketamine (100 mg/kg) and chlorpromazine (0.75 mg/kg). For nesfatin-1 and antagonist applications some of the rats were intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) cannulated. In colitis group, intrarectally (i.r.) 4% acetic acid solution (1 ml) and 10 minutes later i.c.v. nesfatin-1 (0.05 μg/5 μl) or vehicle (5 μl) were administered. Treatments continued for 3 days. In control group, physiological saline solution was used intrarectally. To identify the underlying effective mechanism of nesfatin-1, rats were divided into 3 subgroups, 5 minutes following colitis induction; i.c.v. atosiban (oxytocin receptor antagonist), SHU9119 (melanocortin receptor antagonist) or GHSR-1a antagonist (ghrelin receptor antagonist) were administered, 5 minutes later nesfatin-1 was administered for 3 days. On the fourth day, rats were decapitated, and colon tissues were sampled. Macroscopic and microscopic damage scores of distal colon, and colonic tissue malondialdehyde, glutathione, myeloperoxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, luminol and lucigenin chemiluminescence measurements were analysed. The increased myeloperoxidase activity, malondialdehyde levels, luminol and lucigenin chemiluminescence measurements, macroscopic and microscopic damage scores with colitis induction (P0.05 - 0.001) were decreased with nesfatin-1 treatment (P0.05 - 0.001). Nesfatin-1 may show this effect by inhibiting neutrophil infiltration through tissues and by decreasing formation of free oxygen radicals. Atosiban and GHSR-1a administration alleviated the protective effect of nesfatin-1 from microscopic and oxidant damage parameters and lipid peroxidation (P0.05 - 0.001). The results of the study suggest that nesfatin-1 had a protective effect from colitis induction, and the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of nesfatin-1 on colitis might occur via oxytocin and ghrelin receptors.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of three apex locators (EndoMaster, Raypex, DentaPort ZX) and visual assessment in primary molar teeth in vitro.Twenty-four extracted human primary molar teeth with and without root resorption were used in this study. After endodontic access preparation, root canal length was visually measured by means of a K file; then the teeth were embedded into alginate and the roots were measured again by mans of the three apex locators. The results were collected in SPSS 15.0 and statistical evaluations were completed by one-way ANOVA and Kruksal-Wallis test.The measurements closest to the visually determined length were obtained with EndoMaster. No statistically significant differences were found between visual and apex locators lengths (p0.05).Within the limitations of this study, the use of apex locators would be useful in the endodontic treatment of primary teeth.

Measuring the local mechanical activity of the heart has lagged behind the measurement of electrical activity due to a lack of measurement tools. Myocardial wall motion abnormalities have been studied for years in the context of regional ischemia. Implanted beads and screws have been used to measure the mechanical activity of the heart in a few isolated regions. Over the past decade, precise and accurate methods for measuring local three-dimensional (3-D) myocardial motion with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have been developed using presaturation tagging patterns, velocity encoded phase maps, and displacement encoded phase maps. Concurrently, the quality of cardiac MRI images improved greatly with the use of customized receiver coils and the speed of acquisition has increased dramatically with the advent of undersampling techniques and new generations of MR machines with faster switching gradient coils. The use of these cardiac MRI techniques to produce an image of the local deformation of the heart in the form of a myocardial strain image is described. Using these images, the "mechanical activation" of the heart are defined, that is, the time of onset of contraction. A map of the mechanical activation over the heart is a direct analogy to an electrical activation map of the heart.

Flexural and transverse vibrations from static and dynamic components of tensioning forces in belt driven systems can cause changes in the noise radiation from the universal motors of clothes washers. This study describes a successful effort to analyze the effect of tensioning forces on noise emission of the drive system. The data show that principal parameters of tensile forces can cause parametric excitation of transverse and flexural vibrations resulting in a considerable change in the noise emissions of universal motors. Using the correlations for validation and recovery of distorted vibration and acoustic data, optimum tensioning forces, hence quieter operation of the universal motor, can be achieved.

Management of preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) is a very challenging issue for the obstetricians. We report two cases of PPROM occurring in early gestation remote from term (both26 weeks) with exiguous amniotic fluid (amniotic fluid index ofor =2 cm) that were managed successfully by conservative treatment and resulted in a latency period of almost two months. This treatment option might be feasible in carefully selected patients following meticulous evaluation and warrants further research.

Apolipoprotein E (apo E) is a 299-amino acid plasma protein involved in cholesterol transport and is found in chylomicrons, very low density lipopro-tein, intermediate-density lipoprotein, and high-density lipoprotein (1,1).

A tray selected for the dental patient must adapt to the curvature of the teeth and allow the impression material to be in appropriate thickness everywhere. Generally, the impression trays are selected by the practitioner via testing them in the mouth. The present study was conducted to develop an automated technique for the selection of an appropriate tray for the patient. This technique was used for the alignment of six brands of perforated metal trays with 170 lower arch cast models collected from patients having Angle Class I type occlusion with minor malocclusions. The cast models and trays were scanned into a computer and critical points of casts and skeleton of the tray bases were collected. After alignment of casts and trays using a distance based alignment routine, the trays which most adopted the curvature of the casts were evaluated using the residual distance of alignment The alignment was repeated for selected subsets of the points and minimum point set that is necessary for identification of the correct tray was identified. This method can be used in a routine setting eliminating trial and error or to design better trays to fit the needs of a given population.

MRI tagging created new opportunities for motion analysis within the body. With tagged cardiac MRI, detailed motion analysis has been previously shown; e.g. measurements of local strain of the heart could be obtained easily for normal and pathological hearts. In this study, we calculate the activation times using the local time-strain relationship and compute the propagation velocity of the activation for both chambers of the heart. Here, in this initial analysis, we obtained propagation velocities for four canine hearts paced either at the atrium or right ventricle. The first case provides a condition similar to the normal physiological activation. We show here for the first time an activation propagation speed over the right ventricle in vivo. The overall method provides a unique noninvasive method to examine the underlying electrical activation of the heart, but further studies are needed to establish its true clinical value.

A k-dimensional (k-d) tree based alignment and its comparison with the standard distance map based alignment is presented. We first describe a brief outline of both distance based iterative alignment algorithms. The new k-d based technique uses a modified approximate nearest neighbor (ANN) library, which is designed for both exact and approximate nearest neighbor searching in multidimensional space. We performed self-alignment tests of the k-d tree based alignment and compared two different alignment methods using a large 3D dataset of a rodent brain. The results indicate that the k-d based image alignment is highly effective, accurate, reliable, and provides compatible errors with the distance map based alignment method. On the other hand, as a big advantage, k-d tree alignment requires significantly less virtual or physical memory; a critical issue for large datasets.

One of the greatest challenges for future CMOS generations is to limit the series resistance of source/drain junctions and their contacts to a small fraction of the channel ‘on’ resistance. This challenge is paused by structural changes in transistor design as well as fundamental limitations of silicon as a semiconductor. It is anticipated that junctions that rely solely on ion‐implantation combined with an advanced annealing technique will not meet our expectations beyond the 45 nm node. Fundamentally different processes and new materials are needed to meet the future requirements. Starting with the 90 nm technology node, we have already begun to see examples of departures from the conventional junction formation methods. A good example is Intel’s 90 nm technology process featuring recessed Si1−xGexsource/drain junctions incorporated to address the series resistance concerns and to introduce uniaxial strain into the channel for enhanced mobility. It is predicted that within a few years the conventional p...

Our proposed technique tries to perform rapid classification to diagnose the abnormalities in human myocardium and identify the left ventricle (LV) in the analyzed tagged MR images as pathological or normal. In this work, images are first analyzed using harmonic phase (HARP) analysis and synthetic tags are computed over the myocardium. The data is normalized for shift, scale and rotation invariance, and to perform a comparison between different myocardium having various tag lines and time frames. Cubic curves are fitted to the normalized tags and curvature parameters are compared at various regions of the myocardium. In this initial study, the curve parameters are examined with probability density function for multivariate normal distribution between normal and diseased hearts, such as left ventricles with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and infarcted regions. Finally, the confusion matrix is evaluated to examine the correctness of the segmentation algorithm.

The goal of this study is to design a geometry of an electron dump with Simple Geo code which is a freeware product and provides the ability of designing complex geometric systems easily. Also, Simple Geo can output the designed geometry in many different formats. Desired design of the electron dump is to stop the 40 – 42 MeV electron beams. To reach this aim, requested geometric design with the possible material was done with Simple Geo and a FLUKA output format file created to run the simulations in FLUKA code.

The drain pump is one of the significant noise sources of washing machine and dishwasher appliances. The pump can generate vibrations, particularly when operated under load. This vibrational energy is converted into radiated sound energy through the large surface of the chassis, kickplate and sidewalls of the cabinet. Structure-borne noise of the pumps is dominant around 100 Hz. The pulsating suction noise of the drain pumps is one of the reasons for airborne noise in the appliances. Suction noise is caused by sucking air when most of the water has been drained. The rest of the sources of the airborne noises are the fan blade and (partially) the impeller blades.

The authors' objective is to develop a flexible, noninvasive 3-D wound surface reconstruction system which can be used to evaluate physical characteristics, such as perimeter, area, depth and volume of wounds. The authors describe here their system which relies on a new temporal structured light (SL) coding method using a LCD projection system. In SL, the scene is illuminated with a pattern of light and is observed from another vantage point. Analysis of this image gives the 3-D surface points after establishing correspondence and triangulation. The authors report on initial performance tests of this system on phantoms and compared the results to physical measurements and saline infusion method. A sample pig skin wound reconstruction is also given.

Therapeutic ultrasound has been widely used to treat various diseases including chronic wounds. However, the mechanisms of the ultrasound effects in wound healing and the best regimen of treatment is still unclear. In this study, the authors used skin electrical impedance measurement during ultrasound treatment and detected a fall in local skin impedance under ultrasound while simultaneous temperature measurement did not show any rise. This result supports the non-thermal effects of the ultrasound and indicates that ultrasound may cause changes in permeability, intracellular electrolytes etc.

The absence of B cells and a severe decrease in CD8+28+ cells were observed in two female children with CD4+ T cell lymphocytopenia. Idiopathic (primary) CD4+ lymphocytopenia is a rare entity and its pathogenesis and genetics are not yet known. The literature was reviewed, in particular for severe alterations in B and CD8+28+ cells and for the role of NF-kappa B and p56 (lck) in the immunopathogenesis. Whether the underlying mechanism in idiopathic CD4+ lymphocytopenia is found or not, these patients who present with severe symptoms of a combined immunodeficiency must be treated with intravenous immunoglobin regularly until they have a compatible donor for bone marrow transplantation.

The flux distributions in the air gap of the series fractional horsepower motors are composed of series space harmonics travelling at different speeds. The magnetic force at each point of the air gap varies with the square of the flux density. Forces of magnetic attraction act simultaneously upon diametrically opposite points of the stator and tend to distort the machine and cause noise. Noise, caused by the positively and negatively travelling waves of the force, can excite the motor mechanics around the resonances and cause the largest displacement of the stator assembly and loudest noise of the motor. The rotor eccentricity can also effect the flux distribution in the air gap and cause an additional noise.