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Weight percentiles are generally reported without any indication of error. This variation can lead a fetus being mistakenly classified erroneously as having intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) or macrosomia. The goal of this study was to compare estimated weight percentiles with the actual observed weight percentile for each gestational age in a large cohort of fetuses being scanned in our institution.After IRB approval the radiology information system data base was retrospectively searched for all obstetrical US reports obtained during the late second and third trimesters from July 1, 2014, until July 1, 2020. Demographic information, fetal weight, and weight percentile information were obtained from these reports. Quantile-quantile plots were created for all gestational ages and all ethnicities.Our study included 6259 ultrasounds in 4060 patients. Mean maternal age of the total group was 31.68 years (ranging 15-53 years). When all subjects were considered, the median values in our QQ plots approximated the line of identity. However, there was considerable variation for a given estimate, implying that estimated fetal weight percentiles are only very rough predictors of the actual percentile.Estimated fetal weight percentiles are only very rough predictors of the actual percentile. We therefore suggest that estimates of the weight percentile should be reported along with an estimate of the expected variation. Recognition of variations in weight percentile should be considered in the greater clinical context, and could potentially prevent misdiagnosis of growth restriction and macrosomia as well as the subsequent overutilization of resources, unnecessary interventions, and maternal stress.

The purpose of this review is to understand the role of imaging in the diagnosis and management of non-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). SAH is a life-threatening emergency and a relatively common entity, the most common etiology being ruptured aneurysms. Multiple conundrums exist in literature at various steps of its imaging workup: diagnosis, management, and follow-up. We target our review to highlight the most effective practice and suggest efficient workup plans based on literature search, and describe in detail the clinical diagnostic and prognostic scales, role of CT scan, lumbar puncture, and MR, including angiography in the diagnosis and workup of SAH and its complications, and try to simplify the conundrums. Practical knowledge of imaging workup of SAH can help guide correct management of these patients, so as to reduce morbidity and mortality without resource overutilization.

At our level 1 trauma center, we overread cross-sectional scans on all transferred patients, initially reported by community radiologists (CR). We designed a unique peer feedback learning model to address discrepancies encountered with outside overreads with the goal of practice improvement on the part of the CRs. Although there is ample literature on internal peer review and peer learning programs, no publications address errors committed by peers outside institutional boundaries. In this paper we describe our model and report a survey analyzing the perception of the program by the CRs.Outside CT and MR exams and reports of patients transferred to our level 1 trauma center were imported into PACS and prospectively overread by specialist trauma radiologists. Our report contained a summary of the outside findings as well as our findings. In the case of a significant discrepancy, a paper copy of our final report was sent by US mail to the originating CR. When the program had been active for 18 months, an invitation to participate in a survey was sent to all radiologists who had been sent reports.Eight thousand three hundred forty patients were transferred, of which 4331 (52%) had 9175 exams with outside reports (8666 CT scans and 509 MRI). One hundred seventy six final report letters containing significant discrepancies were sent to 139 individual radiologists. These 139 radiologists also later received our survey letter. Thirty-eight (27%) responses were received. Thirty-two respondents (84%) recalled receiving the report and reviewed the exam in question. Twenty-eight of them (85%) agreed with the overread and 30 (88%) believed that our feedback program should be continued.We have designed a novel peer feedback learning model to address discrepancies in outside overreads which is administratively simple and well received by the CRs getting feedback. Those CR who responded to the survey rated the experience favorably and wanted the practice continued, although the overall response rate did not allow statistical analysis. Also, institutions trying to design similar or new peer learning models can benefit from our experience.

To determine the rate and nature of significant discordances between community and subspecialist emergency radiologists' interpretations of cross-sectional exams performed on patients transferred to our trauma center.Outside hospital CT and MRI exams performed on transfer trauma patients are routinely overread by subspecialist emergency radiologists, specifying either concordance or discordance with the interpretation by the community radiologist. We evaluated the discordant reports for clinical significance, defined as an additional finding or difference in interpretation which was likely to affect patient management. The total rate of significant discordances, rate by modality, rate by body region, and rate per patient transferred were calculated. The most common errors were identified, and the distribution of errors among individual community radiologists was examined.9175 exams were reviewed. Significant discordances were encountered in 4.1% of exams: 3.9% for CT and 6.7% for MRI; 5.1% for head and neck exams, 3.3% for spine, 3.8% for torso, and 2.9% for extremities. The discordance rate per patient transferred was 7.7%. The most common discordances involved missing injuries to the cranio-cervical junction, missing or misinterpreting vascular injuries in the neck, and incompletely characterizing facial fractures. Discordances were evenly spread among 220 community radiologists.There is frequent discordance between community and emergency radiologists' interpretations of CT and MRI exams, leading to a change in transferred patient management. Thus, trauma center radiologists provide added value overreading these patients' exams. It is difficult to predict which patients or exams will contain discordances, justifying routine overreading of all such exams.

Gastrointestinal (GI) bleed accounts for approximately 20% of emergency visits; 2% of hospital admissions and its incidence has been increasing. In patients where the GI bleed does not stop spontaneously, intervention is required to identify the source of bleeding and stop the hemorrhage. Although identifying the source of bleeding can be challenging due to the vast number of underlying etiologies, radiology plays a vital role in patients where endoscopy and/or medical management fail. Radiology offers both non-invasive and invasive options for the diagnosis as well as management of GI bleeds. Scintigraphy and computed tomography angiography (CTA) are the most important non-invasive imaging tests that can identify presence of and help locate the site of bleeding and are used when the patient is hemodynamically stable. If the patient is hemodynamically unstable, conventional angiography (CA) allows diagnosis of the presence, site of bleeding as well as the means of treating the bleed by embolization. Our review article focuses on the various etiologies of GI bleed, the role of imaging in diagnosis as well as treatment of these patients based on the underlying etiologies, the merits and disadvantages of each of these modalities with emphasis on triaging patients for the most appropriate imaging test to guide the most suitable management.

The purpose of this review is to understand the role of imaging in the diagnosis and management of non-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). SAH is a life-threatening emergency and a relatively common entity, the most common etiology being ruptured aneurysms. Multiple conundrums exist in literature at various steps of its imaging workup: diagnosis, management, and follow-up. We target our review to highlight the most effective practice and suggest efficient workup plans based on literature search, and describe in detail the clinical diagnostic and prognostic scales, role of CT scan, lumbar puncture, and MR, including angiography in the diagnosis and workup of SAH and its complications, and try to simplify the conundrums. Practical knowledge of imaging workup of SAH can help guide correct management of these patients, so as to reduce morbidity and mortality without resource overutilization.

Occasionally, a patient requiring computed tomography (CT) with poor venous access or in an unstable condition may have a sheath as their only form of IV access. Many institutions prohibit contrast power injection through the side ports, for concern for rupture. We hypothesize that under conditions encountered in CT scanning, the side arm of the sheath introducer is safe for power injection of contrast material. In this in vitro study, we injected contrast at different flow rates varying from 2 to 8 ml/s, through the side port of the sheath. Time-pressure graphs were obtained for each injection from the injector display. The assembly was observed for any signs of leakage or material failure. There was not a single event of leak, rupture, or displacement. Maximum pressures were within the range of conventional contrast administrations. This study suggests that iodinated contrast can safely be injected through the side port of a venous sheath.

Various studies have shown variations in size and shape of different anthropometric measurements of external auditory canal. We conducted an anthropometric study of the three-dimensional anatomy of the osseous external auditory canal (OEAC) using high-resolution computed tomography the temporal bone to identify the variations in subset of Indian population from North India. A retrospective review of high-resolution computed tomography images of the temporal bones of 125 patients (250 external auditory canals) of different ages (mean 28.43 years) acquired from September 2014 to February of 2015 was performed. Using a method, as proposed by Mahboubio et al. (Otol Neurotol 33:715–720, 2012), six defined dimensions of the OEAC in the parasagittal planes were recorded at the level of annulus, midcanal and the outermost point of osseous external auditory canal at bony-cartilaginous junction. The length and shape of the OEAC were also studied and the frequency rate of each was recorded. The most prevalent shape of the OEAC was found to be conical (64%) and the mean osseous external auditory canal length was 9.61 mm. The length of the OEAC was significantly different between ages above and below 12 years while the 6 defined cross sectional dimensions were statistically significant between ages above and below 8 years. The history of chronic suppurative otitis media had a significant bearing on the inferior mid-anteroposterior dimension at the level of bony-cartilaginous junction. There was statistically significant difference in supero-inferior diameter in the posterior half at the level of mid-canal and outer bony-cartilaginous junction between males and females. The comprehensive set of standardized measurements collected in this study provides three-dimensional information on osseous external auditory canal geometry. These measurements and the methodology will contribute to the development of element models of the osseous canal for computational modeling purposes and also provide important measurements for design of in-the-canal hearing aids, specialized earplugs and for defining average sizes for canalplasty procedures, in pre- and postoperative surgical planning and assessment of canal atresia and stenosis in Indian population. No such previous study has been done in North Indian population.

For REBa 2 Cu 3 O x (REBCO, where RE = rare earth) coated conductor applications, the prominence of the background magnetic field H in the orientation of ab-plane urges an immediate and proper understanding of the ab-plane pinning and in turn, the critical current density J c tuning. In this work, we present our ab-plane pinning study of metal organic chemical vapor deposited (MOCVD) REBCO coated conductors based on our previous observation of a strong linear correlation between J c at 77 K and J c at lower temperatures T and higher magnetic fields H. In this work, we found that, below ~40 K, besides the weak uncorrelated pinning, the intrinsic pinning due to the layered crystal structure of REBCO with charge reservoir CuO planes also plays an essential role for J c (T, H||ab). Such intrinsic pinning is independent of H, and increases with decreasing T. Combined with the microstructure and J c (T, H, θ) analysis, we found that, at T above ~40 K, strong correlated pinning centers, such as stacking faults and RE 2 O 3 precipitates, govern J c (T, H||ab). Our work provides an understanding of ab-plane pinning in Zr-added REBCO coated conductors and guidance for further J c (T, H) enhancement.

Tuberculosis is a devastating disease and has shown resurgence in recent years with the advent of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Central nervous system involvement is the most devastating form of the disease, comprising 10% of all tuberculosis cases. The causative organism, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, incites a granulomatous inflammatory response in the brain, the effects of which can be appreciated on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which can thus be used for diagnosis of the same. Neurotuberculosis can present in various patterns, which can be identified on MRI. The meningeal forms include leptomeningitis and pachymeningitis. Parenchymal forms of neurotuberculosis include tuberculoma in its various stages, tubercular cerebritis and abscess, tubercular rhombencephalitis, and tubercular encephalopathy. Each pattern has characteristic MRI appearances and differential diagnoses on imaging. Complications of neurotuberculosis, usually of tubercular meningitis, include hydrocephalus, vasculitis, and infarcts as well as cranial nerve palsies. Various MRI sequences besides the conventional ones can provide additional insight into the disease, help in quantifying the disease load, and help in differentiation of neurotuberculosis from conditions with similar imaging appearances and presentations. These can enable accurate and timely diagnosis by the radiologist and early institution of treatment in order to reduce the likelihood of permanent neurological sequelae.

Urachus or the median umbilical ligament is a fibrous strand connecting umbilicus to bladder, representing embryologic remnant of cloaca and allantois. Urachal anomalies are infrequent in adult population. Moreover they have a different course in adults than pediatric age group in which they are more common, frequently involute and have a benign course. These remnants are prone to infection and development of malignancy. A proper diagnostic workup by clinical and imaging tools is required. We present a case report of a urachal sinus complicated with abscess in an adult with brief review of the literature.

BaZrO3 (BZO) nanocolumns have long been shown to be very effective for raising the pinning force F-p of REBa2Cu3Ox (REBCO, where RE = rare earth) films at high temperatures and recently at low temperatures too. We have successfully incorporated a high density of BZO nanorods into metal organic chemical vapor deposited (MOCVD) REBCO coated conductors via Zr addition. We found that, compared to the 7.5% Zr-added coated conductor, dense BZO nanorod arrays in the 15% Zr-added conductor are effective over the whole temperature range from 77 K down to 4.2 K. We attribute the substantially enhanced J(c) at 30 K to the weak uncorrelated pinning as well as the strong correlated pinning. Meanwhile, by tripling the REBCO layer thickness to similar to 2.8 mu m, the engineering critical current density J(e) at 30 K exceeds J(e) of optimized Nb-Ti wires at 4.2 K.

Summary Background Spinal arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) can lead to development of congestive myelopathy (Foix-Alajouanine syndrome). Spinal AVMs are rare and so is this syndrome. Diagnosis is often missed due to its rarity and confusing definitions of the Foix-Alajouanine syndrome. Case Report We report a case of a 47-year-old male patient suffering from this rare syndrome with an AVM arising from the artery of Adamkiewicz, which is another rarity. Our patient was treated by embolization of the lesion with 20% glue, after which he showed mild improvement of symptoms. We also present a brief review of literature on spinal AVMs and elucidate the evolution of the term Foix-Alajouanine syndrome. Conclusions Use of the term “Foix-Alajouanine syndrome” should be restricted to patients with progressive subacute to chronic neurological symptoms due to congestive myelopathy caused by intradural spinal AVMs. CT angiography should supplement DSA as preliminary Imaging modality. Patients may be treated with surgery or endovascular procedures.

Borehole geometry and casing centralization are major contributing reasons for contamination of cement slurry by drilling mud and spacers during its placement in the annulus of an oil or gas well. This paper investigates the effect of fluid contamination on the mechanical properties of the annular cementby evaluatingcement sheath strength with the help of electromagneticacoustic transducers (EMAT). Correlation is presented by analyzing their influence on the shear horizontal (SH) guided acoustic waves in an experimental lab setup and then in the field. Contamination of aqueous and non-aqueous fluids during the cementing process affects the strength and the elastic properties of the set cement. In certain situations contamination may prevent the cement slurry from setting or reaching the ultimate mechanical strengththat is needed to ensure an acceptable hydraulic seal. As a part of the work covered in this paper, different levels of cement contamination are created in the lab model using standard ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) slurry. Continuous monitoring records property changes in the contaminated cement and the impact upon compressional and shear transit times. The shear slowness measurement is then combined with analytical and numerical modelling for a thorough analysis. The shear measurements from the experimental test cell are used to characterize the response of the new sensor that produces shear horizontal (SH) waves on the casing. The SH waves respond only to annular material with shear rigidity and solids characteristics. Consequently, a decrease in the acoustic impedance of contaminated cement will not prevent the SH measurements from identifying solid material in the wellbore annuli. The laboratory model was initially used to demonstrate the impact of the cement's elastic properties and the corresponding effect on shear wave attenuation. The SH response was successively validated in a customer well. After processing the SH attenuation and correlating it to the modelled acoustic response, a comparison between field measurements and lab-generated data was performed. The comparison provided quantification of the actual in-situ contaminated cement condition. The cement shear properties offer an additional piece of information for drilling and cement engineers to evaluate cement sheath and validate well isolation objectives.This evaluation and validation become even more important when coupled with cement placement software as an integrated technique to identify deficiencies, improve modeling mathematics, and better understand a more complete picture of cement placement and wellbore isolation. Cement integrity engineers have the task to interpret all the information at hand to properly assess cement isolation objectives. The shear wave attenuation concept discussed in this paper, combined with design, testing and job execution data, represents a unique source of information that enables increased confidence of decisions related to wellbore isolation. This novel and comprehensive approach will be helpful for evaluating and improving current cementing practices.

Carbon nanofiber (CNF) reinforced elastomer composites with light weight, sustainability of large deformation, chemical stability, corrosion and fatigue resistance, and vibration and noise reduction capability can have positive impact on a wide range of applications. However, this type of composite is still a under studied research area due to the difficulties in material handling and processing. To improve processing control and reproducibility for large scale engineering applications, cost effective carbon nanofibers (CNFs) in form of interconnected porous network structure were used as nanofillers. Processing, microstructure and mechanical properties of carbon nanofibers reinforced polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) have been studied. Mechanical measurements on the composites show that the CNF-PDMS interfacial bonding can be until failure, interfacial debonding happens in the CNF-PDMS composites and the resulted permanent deformation stabilizes with increasing load-unload cycles with significant energy dissipation.

Effect of polyethylene glycol addition to ordinary Portland cement on its properties like heat of hydration, setting time, compressive and tensile strength has been studied by adding 0.1 to 5.0 percent additive by weight of cement. Corrosion resistance of the resulting product has been tested against sea water and 0.1 and 1.0 N HCI and H2SO4 respectively. Water absorption/open porosity have also been determined and the microstructures examined. It was observed that strength, hardness, toughness and corrosion resistance increase up to 3.0% addition of polyethylene glycol in ordinary Portland cement. The polymeric phase was interspersed in cement causing decrease in water absorption/porosity and also its interaction with hydrating cement caused additional bond formation leading to increase in strength.

We report a case of a 38-year-old woman with pheochromocytoma admitted to our department for an acute myocardial infarction. The diagnosis of pheochromocytoma was evoked in view of the major pressure variations that appeared secondarily. Pheochromocytoma is mainly medullosurrenal tumour with clinical polymorphism; it can lead to severe cardiovascular disorders. Nevertheless, cardiac involvement is rarely in the foreground. Our clinical case illustrates the importance to evoke the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma in front of atypical manifestations of acute coronary syndrome so as to reduce mortality.

Two shear wall specimens loaded for experimental testing at the University of California, Berkeley, were modeled using the ADINA Nonlinear Finite Element Concrete Material Model with plane stress isoparametric finite elements. Force vs displacement results show good correlation with the experimental data. The models were loaded with monotonically increasing static loads. The analyses give an estimate of the displacement ductility available in shear walls. Using this technique, finite element modeling can be used for future structural applications to design for greater displacement ductility.

This article summarizes the Diabetes UK evidence-based guidelines for the prevention of Type 2 diabetes and nutritional management of diabetes. It describes the development of the recommendations and highlights the key changes from previous guidelines. The nutrition guidelines include a series of recommendations for the prevention of Type 2 diabetes, nutritional management of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, weight management, management of microvascular and macrovascular disease, hypoglycaemia management, and additional considerations such as nutrition support, end-of-life care, disorders of the pancreas, care of the older person with diabetes, nutrition provided by external agencies and fasting. The evidence-based recommendations were graded using the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network methodology and, in a small number of topic areas, where strong evidence was lacking, the recommendations were reached by consensus. The Diabetes UK 2011 guidelines place an emphasis on carbohydrate management and a more flexible approach to weight loss, unlike previous guidelines which were expressed in terms of recommendations for individual nutrient intakes. Additionally, the guidelines for alcohol have been aligned to national recommendations. The full evidence-based nutrition guidelines for the prevention and management of diabetes are available from: http://www.diabetes.org.uk/nutrition-guidelines.

We report a case of a 38-year-old woman with pheochromocytoma admitted to our department for an acute myocardial infarction. The diagnosis of pheochromocytoma was evoked in view of the major pressure variations that appeared secondarily. Pheochromocytoma is mainly medullosurrenal tumour with clinical polymorphism; it can lead to severe cardiovascular disorders. Nevertheless, cardiac involvement is rarely in the foreground. Our clinical case illustrates the importance to evoke the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma in front of atypical manifestations of acute coronary syndrome so as to reduce mortality.

The effect of high temperature superconductor (HTS) film composition on the adhesion strength of rare- earth barium copper oxide coated conductors (CCs) has been studied. It has been found that the mechanical integrity of the superconductor layer is very susceptible to the defects especially those along the ab plane, probably due to the weak interfaces between the defects and the matrix. Gd and Y in the standard composition were substituted with Sm and the number of in-plane defects was drastically reduced. Consequently, a four-fold increase in adhesion or peeling strength in Sm-based CCs was achieved compared to the standard GdYBCO samples.

We have conducted a critical current density Jc(T, H) study over a wide temperature T from 77 down to 20 K and a magnetic field H up to 9 T on more than 50 ~ 0.9 μm-thick REBa2Cu3O7−δ (RE = rare earth) thin films containing different concentrations of BaZrO3 (BZO). We found that, independent of the composition, there is a linear correlation between Jc(77 K, 3 T||c) and Jc(T, H||c) at T down to 20 K and H up to 9 T. Moreover, Jc(77 K, 3 T||c) is also linearly correlated to Jc(T, H||ab) below 40 K. We ascribed this linear correlation to the dominant pinning source of BZO nanorods, which act as a strong correlated pinning at T above ~30 K and provide weak uncorrelated point pins at lower temperatures. Our result emphasizes that Jc(77 K, 3 T||c) is a key metric for metal-organic chemical vapor deposited REBa2Cu3O7−δ coated conductors.

Critical current (Ic) values of 1384 A/12 mm, corresponding to a critical current density of 12.47 MA cm−2 and a pinning force of 374 GN m−3, have been achieved at 30 K, 3 T in the orientation of field parallel to the c axis (B ∥ c) in (Gd, Y)BaCuO tapes with 15 mol% Zr addition made by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). These tapes show pinning force levels as high as 453 GN m−3 at 30 K. An analysis of the properties of 24–28 (Gd, Y)BaCuO tapes with 15 mol% Zr addition showed a lack of correlation between their critical currents at 30 K, 3 T (B ∥ c) and Ic values both at 77 K, zero field and at 77 K, 1 T (B ∥ c). However, a strong correlation was found between the critical currents at 30 K, 3 T and at 77 K, 3 T (B ∥ c). It has also been discovered that the minimum critical current (Ic, min) value at 77 K, 3 T has no influence on the Ic, min value at 30 K, 3 T, and it in turn depends on the ratio of the Ic values in the orientations of field parallel and perpendicular to the c axis at 77 K, 3 T.

The dependence of the critical current density (Jc) on the orientation of applied magnetic fields was studied in Zr-doped ( Gd, Y)Ba2Cu3Ox tapes fabricated by metal organic chemical vapor deposition. The in-field performance of Jc of (Gd, Y)Ba2Cu3Ox tapes with Zr-doping levels of 7.5-30 at.% was investigated up to 5 T over a temperature range of 40-77 K. The highest critical currents (Ic) at H ||c and the highest values of minimum Ic in angular dependence measurements were achieved in the tapes with 20% Zr doping over a broad range of temperature and magnetic field conditions measured. The electromagnetic properties have been related to the changes in BaZrO3 content and microstructure.

Structural analysis of (Gd, Y)Ba2Cu3Ox tapes with Zr addition made by metal organic chemical vapor deposition has been conducted with transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Zr content in the films was varied from 0 to 25% in the precursor. In all Zr-doped films, self-assembled nanocolumnar structures of BaZrO3 (BZO) were observed along the c-axis. The amount of BaZrO3 was found to increase steadily with Zr content. Additionally, planar BZO plates were found on the (001) plane of (Gd, Y)Ba2 Cu3Ox film. The size and thickness of BZO plates were seen to increase with Zr doping level. Rare-earth copper oxide phases were observed to begin to emerge in the 20 % Zr-doped film. Cross-sectional study of the interface between (Gd, Y)Ba2Cu3Ox and LaMnO3 cap layer revealed a thin discrete BZO layer on the LaMnO3 in the 20 % Zr doped film.

Flux pinning in REBCO (rare-earth Ba-Cu-O) by self-assembly of BZO (barium zirconate) nanorods has emerged as one of the most prominent techniques for improving the in-field performance of 2G-HTS wire in terms of Ic and angular Ic anisotropy. In our previous study on metalorganic chemical vapor deposition REBCO wire, an optimum performance was found for 7.5% Zr at 1 T, 77 K, while further increase in Zr content resulted in Ic and Tc degradation. However, recent results indicate that the pinning performance at high Zr content actually surpasses that of the 7.5% Zr wire at intermediate and low temperatures. In-depth understanding of the effect of high Zr levels on REBCO provides a strong potential for further substantial increase in pinning performance at high Zr content if the unwanted effects can be minimized by process modification. In this study, we analyze the effect of high Zr doping levels on REBCO properties with emphasis on microstructure analysis. Structural properties as a function of BZO dopant level have been analyzed using X-ray reciprocal space maps and transmission electron microscopy, while the performance has been characterized using angular in-field Ic characterization up to 9T at temperatures of 20-77 K.

As an alternative to the introduction of flux pinning centers in RE-Ba-Cu-O (REBCO, RE = rare earth) films by the self-assembly process, we have explored prefabrication of metal nanorods on biaxially-textured templates on flexible substrates followed by REBCO film deposition. This approach provides an opportunity to control nanorod features such as size, shape, density, and orientation, which are difficult to achieve using self-assembly of nanoscale defects during in-situ growth. Successful growth of various metal nanorods such as Ni and Co on biaxially-textured substrates has been accomplished using high-energy ion bombardment of polycarbonate films for template formation followed by metal electrodeposition and polycarbonate removal. Ni nanorods of length up to 2 μm, diameter as small as 10-20 nm, variable orientation and density as high as 5 × 1010/cm2have been grown successfully on biaxially textured templates on flexible metal substrates. In order to provide a suitable interface between the metal nanorods and the subsequently deposited REBCO film, a strontium titanate (SrTiO3) film was deposited to the nanorods by solution spin coating, which was also (200) textured on the substrate surface.

Critical current performances of state-of-the-art Zr-added (Gd, Y)BaCuO tapes have been investigated over a temperature range of 20–77 K, in magnetic fields up to 9 T and over a wide angular range of magnetic field orientations. The peak in critical current that is commonly observed in the field orientation perpendicular to the tape in BaZrO3 (BZO) containing superconducting tapes is found to vanish at 30 K in magnetic fields at 1–9 T. While the critical current of 15% Zr-added tapes was about 40% lower than that of 7.5% Zr-added tapes at 77 K, the pinning force values of the former were found to be 18–23% higher than those of the latter in the temperature range of 20–40 K and in magnetic fields of 3–5 T. The results from this study emphasize the importance of optimization of coated conductor fabrication processes for optimum performance not just in low magnetic fields at 77 K but also at the operating conditions of low temperatures and high magnetic fields that are of interest, especially for rotating superconducting machinery applications.

Key words: leucocytosis; neutrophilia; myocardial infarction; congestive heart failure.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/mjsbh.v9i2.5021 Medical Journal of Shree Birendra Hospital Vol.9(2) 2010: 17-24

The effect of furfuryl alcohol addition to ordinary cement on its properties, such as heat of hydration, setting time, compressive strength, and tensile strength was studied by adding 0.5–3.0% by weight of cement. Hardness was tested using the Vickers indentation method. Fracture toughness of cementitious bond and bending strength were determined using the three-point bending system. Corrosion resistance of resulting products was tested against 0.1 and 1.0 N HCI and H2SO4 and seawater, respectively. Water absorption/open porosity and microstructure were also determined. It was observed that strength, hardness, toughness, and corrosion resistance increase up to 3.0% addition of furfuryl alcohol in ordinary Portland cement. Polymeric phase was interspersed in cement, causing a decrease in water absorption/open porosity, and its interaction with hydrating cement caused additional bond formation, leading to the increase in strength.