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We aimed to evaluate whether there was a relationship between endocan (human endothelial cell-specific molecule-1) levels and disease prognosis in patients who presented to the emergency department with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). A total of 60 patients with COVID-19 who were hospitalized from the emergency department to clinical wards and a control group consisting of healthy adult individuals (n = 28), were included in the study. The majority (93.3%) of the patients were discharged after recovery; 6.7% died. The median endocan value was 243.5 ng/mL in the patient group versus 201.5 ng/mL in the control group ( P = .002). The median endocan level was 240.5 ng/mL in those discharged with recovery and 558 ng/mL in those who died ( P = .001). There was no significant relationship in hospitalization duration, sex, tomography findings, and clinical outcomes. A 202 ng/mL serum endocan level had 86.7% sensitivity and 50% specificity for COVID-19. Serum endocan levels may be a useful biomarker both for the diagnosis of COVID-19 and to predict mortality.

AIM To determine whether there was a relationship between the neutrophil/lymphocyte (NLR), monocyte//lymphocyte (MLR), and the platelet/lymphocyte ratios (PLR) measured in blood samples taken at admission and clinical outcomes (CO) on the 90th day in patients, who were diagnosed as acute ischemic stroke (AIS) in the emergency department (ED) and underwent a mechanical thrombectomy (MT). METHOD Patients aged ≥ 18 years, who were diagnosed as AIS in the ED and underwent MT were included in the study. Patients, who received diagnostic codes of "Cerebrovascular Diseases" (CVD) according to the ICD-10 diagnostic codes were identified. One hundred fifty patients were enrolled in the study. Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score was used to determine neurologic status on the 90th day. The patients were divided into the two groups: good and poor CO (mRS 0-2 and mRS 3-6, respectively). The groups were compared in terms of age, sex, and NIHSS, ASPECT, and mRS scores. RESULTS The rates of successful recanalization and good CO were 81.3 % and 38.7 %, respectively. The mortality rate was 22 %. The recanalization rates in the good and poor CO groups were 100 % and 69.6 %,respectively. Recanalization was achieved in 73.6 % of those with hyperlipidaemia and 88.5 % of those without hyperlipidaemia, which was statistically significant (p = 0.034). We observed a statistically significant relationship between the clinical outcome and NLR, MLR, PLR (p < 0.05). As the result of multivariate analysis, we found only NLR as an independent risk factor for poor CO (p = 0.043). There was also a statistically significant difference between mortality and NLR, PLR (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION We found that NLR, MLR, PLR values were associated with CO after 90 days; high rates were associated with poor CO and low rates were associated with good CO (Tab. 7, Ref. 38). Text in PDF www.elis.sk Keywords: acute ischemic stroke; neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, monocyte/lymphocyte ratio; platelet/ /lymphocyte ratio; thrombectomy.

Amaç: Amacımız, karaciğer metastazı olan kolorektal karsinom hastalarında F18-FDG-PET / BT ile geç faz görüntülemenin rolünü araştırmaktır.Gereç ve Yöntem: Karaciğer metastazı olan kolorektal karsinomlu hastalarda çift fazlı FDG-PET / BT taraması retrospektif olarak incelendi. FDG enjeksiyonundan sonra 92-253 dakika (ortalama 158.53 ± 35.7 dakika) geç faz görüntüleme alındı. 37 hastada altmış sekiz metastatik lezyon saptandı. Ortalama lezyon SUVmax ve lezyon-tümör olmayan karaciğer doku oranı hesaplandı ve rutin FDG-PET görüntüleme sonuçları geç faz görüntüleme sonuçları ile karşılaştırıldı.Bulgular: Metastatik lezyon boyutları 9-230 mm idi (ortalama 3.71 ± 3.7 cm). Rutin ve geç evre görüntüleme için metastaz ve tümörsüz karaciğer SUVmax değerleri SUVmax olarak; 7,19 ± 3,8, 10,3 ± 5,4; Sırasıyla 2.98 ± 0.7, 2.41 ± 0.6. Geç evre görüntülemede metastatik karaciğer lezyonları, SUVmax değerleri artmış (p0.01) ve tümör olmayan karaciğer SUVmax değerleri azalmıştır (p0.01). Rutin görüntülemeye kıyasla geç faz lezyonunda tümörsüz karaciğer dokusuna artmıştı (p = 0.001). Lezyon retansiyon indeksi % 45.74 ± 31.8 ve tümör olmayan karaciğer indeksi% 18.63 ± 10.4 azaldı.Sonuç: Bulgularımıza göre, normal karaciğer FDG alımının zamanla azaldığını ve geç faz görüntülemenin, tümörün normal doku oranını belirginleştirdiği ve metastatik karaciğer lezyonlarının normal karaciğerden daha kolay ayırt edilmesini sağladığını göstermektedir., Aim: Our aim was investigated the role of late phase imaging with F18-FDG-PET/CT in colorectal carcinoma patients with liver metastases. Method: Dual phase FDG-PET/CT scan was retrospectively evaluated in colorectal carcinoma patients with liver metastases. Late phase imaging was acquired 92-253 minutes (mean 158.53±35.7 minutes) after the FDG injection. Sixty-eight metastatic lesions were determined in 37 patients. Mean lesion SUVmax and lesion-to non-tumorous liver tissue ratio were calculated and results of routine FDG-PET imaging were compared with late phase imaging. Results: Metastatic lesion sizes were 9 to230 mm (mean 3.71±3.7 cm). SUVmax values of the metastasis and non-tumorous liver SUVmax for routine and late-phase imaging were as follows; 7.19±3.8, 10.3±5.4; 2.98±0.7, 2.41±0.6 respectively. Metastatic liver lesions, SUVmax values were increased (p 0.01) and non-tumorous liver SUV max values were decreased (p 0.01) in late phase imaging. Compared to routine imaging, in late phase lesion to non-tumorous liver tissue was increased (p 0.001). Lesion retention index was 45.74± 31.8% and the non-tumorous liver index was decreased 18.63 ± 10.4%. Conclusion: The results of this study indicates that normal liver FDG uptake decreases in time and late phase imaging improves the tumor to normal tissue ratio and enable differentiation of metastatic liver lesions from normal liver.

Background: Generalized epileptic convulsions frequently exhibit transient respiratory symptoms and non-infectious leukocytosis. While these peri-ictal effects appear to arise independently from one another, the possibility that they stem from a common ictal pathophysiological response has yet to be explored. We aimed to investigate whether peri-ictal respiratory symptoms and postictal leukocytosis coexist.Methods: We performed a single center retrospective chart review of 446 patients brought to our emergency department between January 1, 2017 and August 23, 2018 for the care of generalized epileptic convulsions with or without status epilepticus. We included 152 patients who were stratified based on the presence (PeCRC+) or absence (PeCRC–) of overt periconvulsive respiratory compromise (PeCRC). In addition, patients were stratified based on the presence or absence of postconvulsive leukocytosis (PoCL), defined as an initial postconvulsive white blood cell (WBC) count ≥ 11,000 cells/mm3. Triage vital signs, and chest x ray (CXR) abnormalities were also examined.Results: Overt PeCRC was observed in 31.6% of patients, 43% of whom required emergent endotracheal intubations. PoCL was observed in 37.5% of patients, and was more likely to occur in PeCRC+ than in PeCRC– patients (79.2 vs. 18.2%; OR = 17.0; 95% CI = 7.2–40.9; p < 0.001). Notably, the magnitude of PoCL was proportional to the severity of PeCRC, as the postconvulsive WBC count demonstrated a negative correlation with triage hemoglobin oxygen saturation (R = −0.22; p < 0.01; CI = −0.48 to −0.07). Moreover, a receiver operating characteristic analysis of the WBC count's performance as predictor of endotracheal intubation reached a significant area under the curve value of 0.81 (95% CI = 0.71–0.90; p < 0.001). Finally, PeCRC+ patients demonstrated frequent CXR abnormalities, and their postconvulsive WBC counts correlated directly with triage heart rate (R = 0.53; p < 0.001).Conclusion: Our data support the existence of an ictal pathophysiological response, which induces proportional degrees of PoCL and PeCRC. We suggest this response is at least partially propelled by systemic catecholamines.

Objectives: To investigate the analgesic effect of a subcostal-posterior transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block combination following laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Methods : This study was conducted at Fatih Sultan Mehmet Educational and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey, between March 2014 and June 2015. A total of 40 patients with a body mass index of 40-60 kg/m 2 scheduled for laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy were randomly allocated into 2 groups. Patients in Group I (n=20) received a bilateral subcostal TAP block, and patients in Group II (n=20) received a bilateral subcostal and posterior TAP block. Pain intensity was assessed at rest and during coughing using the visual analog scale (VAS) prior to and at various time points after TAP block (0 min, 30 min, 2 hours, 4 hours, 6 hours, 12 hours, and 24 hours). Morphine consumption over 24 hours and time to first morphine requirement were recorded. Results : There was no difference in VAS scores between groups. Morphine consumption was 6.78±5.95 mg in Group I, and 7.28±5.95 mg in Group II ( p =0.795). Time to first morphine requirement was 267.22±303.84 min for Group I, and 207.80±209.81 min for Group II ( p =0.154). Conclusions : Subcostal-posterior TAP block provided equivalent analgesia to subcostal TAP block alone following laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Saudi Med J 2017; Vol. 38 (12): 1224-1229 doi: 10.15537/smj.2017.12.21133 How to cite this article: Ari DE, Ar AY, Karip CS, Koksal C, Aydin MT, Gazi M, Akgun F. Ultrasound-guided subcostal-posterior transversus abdominis plane block for pain control following laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Saudi Med J . 2017 Dec;38(12):1224-1229. doi: 10.15537/smj.2017.12.21133.

We have developed the Southern Integrated Prescribed Fire Information System (SIPFIS) to disseminate prescribed fire information, including daily forecasts of potential air quality impacts for southeastern USA. SIPFIS is a Web-based Geographic Information Systems (WebGIS) assisted online analysis tool that provides easy access to air quality and fire-related data products, and it facilitates visual analysis of exposure to smoke from prescribed fires. We have demonstrated that the information that SIPFIS provides can help users to accomplish several fire management activities, especially those related to assessing environmental and health impacts associated with prescribed burning. SIPFIS can easily and conveniently assist tasks such as checking residential community-level smoke exposures for personal use, pre-screening for fire-related exceptional events that could lead to air quality exceedances, supporting analysis for air quality forecasts, and the evaluation of prescribed burning operations, among others. The SIPFIS database is currently expanding to include social vulnerability and human health information, and this will evolve to bring more enhanced interactive functions in the future.

WOS: 000459055600006 PubMed: 30793616 OBJECTIVES: We aimed to compare the plasma levels of biomarkers such as: serum Gal-3, H-FABP, cTnI, and CK-MB in patients, who were admitted to the emergency room with chest pain, and to determine whether these biomarkers have early diagnostic value of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). METHODS: The study was performed in 60 patients aged >= 18 years, who were admitted to emergency room. These patients were divided into 3 groups: patients with STEMI (group I, n = 20), patients with NSTEMI (group II, n = 20), and patients with USAP (group III, n = 20). Serum Gal-3, H-FABP, cTnI, and CK-MB levels were measured at admission, and at the 2nd and 4th hours. RESULTS: There were statistically significant differences between the groups in terms of Gal-3 levels at admission, and the 2nd and 4th hours (p = 0.007, p = 0.002, and p = 0.001, respectively). There were statistically significant differences between the groups in terms of H-FABP levels at admission, and the 2nd and 4th hours (p = 0.001, p = 0.003, and p = 0.003, respectively). There were statistically significant differences between the groups in terms of cTnI levels at admission, and the 2nd and 4th hours (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, and p < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: According to the results of the study, cTnI, H-FABP, and Gal-3 are useful parameters that can be used in the early diagnosis of ACS (Tab. 4, Ref. 36). Text in PDF www.elis.sk.

Aim: We aimed to determine whether Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR), Monocyte-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (MLR), Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR), D-dimer, and troponin values were correlated with the simplified Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (sPESI) in patients diagnosed as having Pulmonary Embolism (PE) in the emergency room. Material and Methods: Forty-three patients diagnosed as having PE in the emergency departmentwere divided into low and high-risk groups according to the sPESI. We investigated whether NLR, MLR, and PLR, d-dimer, troponin-I, and Pulmonary Artery Pressure (PAP) had any effect in determining the severity of PE. Also, patients were divided into groups as those with PAP ≤20 or >20 mm Hg, Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) ≤100 or >100 mm Hg, and those receiving or not receiving thrombolytic treatment, and compared. Results: There was a statistically significant difference between patients with low sPESI (n=10) and those with high sPESI (n=33) in terms of age (p=0.001), pulse (p=0.016), oxygen saturation (p=0.039), troponin-I (p=0.029) and PAP (p=0.032), but there was no difference between the groups in terms of NLR (p=0.796), MLR (p=0.656), PLR (p=0.863), and d-dimer (p=0.343). There was a statistically significant difference between patients who did (n=6) and did not (n=37) receive thrombolytic treatment in terms of troponin-I (p=0.012), but there was no difference between the groups in terms of NLR (p=0.861), MLR (p=0.335), and PLR (p=0.277). Conclusion: NLR, MLR, PLR and d-dimer levels were found not to be effective in determining the severity of PE. Troponin-I was associated with sPESI and was considered as an effective marker in determining the thrombolytic treatment.

Spin-photon interfaces based on solid-state atomic defects have enabled a variety of key applications in quantum information processing. To maximize the light-matter coupling strength, defects are often placed inside nanoscale devices. Efficiently coupling light and microwave radiation into these structures is an experimental challenge, especially in cryogenic or high vacuum environments with limited sample access. In this work, we demonstrate a fiber-based scanning probe that simultaneously couples light into a planar photonic circuit and delivers high power microwaves for driving electron spin transitions. The optical portion achieves 46% one-way coupling efficiency, while the microwave portion supplies an AC magnetic field with strength up to 9 Gauss at 10 Watts of input microwave power. The entire probe can be scanned across a large number of devices inside a 3He cryostat without free-space optical access. We demonstrate this technique with silicon nanophotonic circuits coupled to single Er3+ ions.

BAYDIN, AHMET/0000-0003-4987-0878 WOS: 000444369100009 PubMed: 30160160 INTRODUCTION: In this study, our aim was to evaluate clinical utilities of Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) and Ischemia-modified Albumin (IMA) in diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and compare these two biomarkers with a conventional diagnostic marker, cardiac troponin I (cTnI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty adult patients with ACS diagnosis were involved into this prospective study. Additionally, 20 healthy subjects were determined as control group (Group IV). Patients were divided into 3 groups as follows: Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction (STEMI Group, n = 20, Group I), patients without ST elevation but with elevated cTnI levels (NSTEMI Group, n = 20, Group II), and patients with unstable angina pectoris (USAP Group, n = 20, Group III). Blood measurements were obtained for each marker at admission and in the 4th hour. RESULTS: Troponin level was significantly different between groups I and II at both admission and in the 4th hour. Additionally, PTX 3 level was significantly different at admission and 4th hour between groups II and III. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that cTnI is the most sensitive test in ACS diagnosis at the admission to Emergency Department. Our results also revealed that PTX 3 may be a useful diagnostic tool for ACS at admission, however, IMA alone cannot be used for diagnosis of ACS. Similarly, in the 4th hour, cTnI was found to be the most useful marker in ACS diagnosis, however, PTX 3 and IMA were found to be inadequate for diagnosis of ACS (Tab. 3, Ref. 19). Text in PDF www.elis.sk.

It is critical to evaluate an air quality model prior to regulatory applications to ensure model performance is adequate for regulatory decision making. However, no formal benchmarks currently exist in the United States (US) to judge whether a model's performance is acceptable for given purposes, and practitioners usually rely on criteria established in the past, when the extent of modeling domains and length of simulation periods were relatively limited. This study conducts modeling experiments to investigate the impact of using different modeling configurations on various policy-related modeling outcomes. Two widely used chemical transport models with different meteorological data, biogenic emissions, and aerosol modeling schemes are applied to an annual modeling period, and model performance for ozone and particulate matter (PM) constituents is evaluated for different timescales and geographical regions in the US. Results show that while both models can be considered acceptable based on criteria commonly used by modelers when evaluated on the annual basis, the model performance at finer levels can reveal differences between the two modeling configurations, which may lead to different policy outcomes. Model results for 2005 and 2014 are used to determine monitoring sites projected to violate current US standards for ozone and fine PM, sites significantly affected by emissions from two selected upwind states, and ratios of deposition to ambient concentration of oxides of sulfur and nitrogen, a.k.a. transference ratios, at each monitoring site in the eastern US. The two modeling configurations result in quite different lists of sites and transference ratios even though both show acceptable model performance in the conventional model performance evaluation. This calls for development of model performance evaluation criteria specific to various regulatory purposes.

By using the piezocone penetration test (PCPT or CPTu), one can develop not only a better understanding of the soil stratification, but also an understanding of soil behavior parameters related to soil compressibility, as well as soil strength. This paper describes a case study that utilizes incomplete piezocone dissipation test to estimate status of consolidation of a soil deposit. Incomplete pore pressure dissipation record of PCPT is extrapolated on an inverse time scale (1/ t method) to estimate the “in situ” pore pressure and “residual excess” pore pressure. No case study has been reported in open literature where this methodology has been utilized to estimate the status of consolidation of the soil deposit. In this paper, the 1/ t method was verified using dissipation data from rigorous calibration chamber tests and field test data.

A 48-year-old female with complaints of gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, fatigue, vomiting, nausea, and weight loss was diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumor after removal of a 2 mm lesion from the stomach with endoscopic biopsy. Her magnetic resonance imaging that was performed due to on-going symptoms showed multiple linear hypointense lesions in the liver. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scan was performed for differential diagnosis, which showed high fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake in these lesions. Clinical and laboratory findings revealed the final diagnosis as Fasciola hepatica. The imaging features of this case is presented to aid in differentiating this infectious disease from malignancy and avoid misdiagnosis on FDG-PET/CT.Kırk-sekiz yaşında karın ağrısı, yorgunluk, bulantı, kusma ve kilo kaybı şikayetleri ile başvuran kadın hastada midede nöroendokrin tümör saptandı. Şikayetlerinin devam etmesi üzerine yapılan manyetik rezonans görüntülemede karaciğerde multipl odakta lineer hipointens alanlar saptandı. Ayırıcı tanı amacıyla pozitron emisyon tomografisi/bilgisayarlı tomografi (PET/BT) çekimi için kliniğimize refere edilen hastanın PET/BT görüntülerinde multipl odakta yüksek florodeoksiglukoz tutulumu gözlendi. Hastaya klinik ve laboratuvar tetkikleri ile Fasciola hepatica tanısı kondu. Bu olgu, enfeksiyöz hastalıkların maligniteden ayrımı ve PET/BT’de yanlış değerlendirmenin önlenmesi amacıyla bildirilmektedir.

Microfeatures of granular materials have significant effects on their macrobehaviors. Unfortunately, three-dimensional (3D) quantitative measurements of microfeatures are rare in literature because of the limitations of conventional techniques in obtaining microquantities such as microdisplacements and local strains. This paper presents a new method for quantifying the particle kinematics and local strains for a soft confined compression test using X-ray computed tomography and compares the experimental measurements with the simulated results using the discrete-element method (DEM). The experimental method can identify and recognize 3D individual particles automatically, which is essential for quantifying particle kinematics and local strains. 3D DEM simulations of the soft confined compression test were performed by using spherical particles and irregular particles. The simulated global deformations and particle translations that were based on irregular particles showed better agreement with the experimental measurements than those that were based on spherical particles. The simulated movements of spherical particles were more erratic, and the material composed of spherical particles showed larger vertical contraction and radial dilation.

This paper presents a numerical model for the simulation of the piezocone penetration test that is used to carry out a parametric study of the piezocone penetration test in cohesive soils. The piez...

This paper describes the development of a continuous intrusion miniature cone penetration test system (CIMCPT) or shallow to semi-deep subsurface investigations. A novel feature of this new in situ testing system is the chain driven caterpillar-type continuous push device powered by a hydraulic motor to advance the cone penetrometer, which greatly increases productivity and serviceability. The system is housed in an environmentally controlled van body that is mounted on a one-ton, four-wheel drive, all-terrain vehicle. A new state-of -the-art data acquisition system using interface modules and a global positioning system, for real-time monitoring, acquiring, storing, and displaying data in real time on a computer screen in graphic form was developed and implemented. The miniature cone penetrometer has a projected cone area of 2sq cm and a friction sleeve surface area equal to 40sq cm, It gives finer detailed soil profiles compared to the standard 10sq cm cross-sectional area reference cone penetrometer. In situ calibration of the CIMCPT system with the standard 10sq cm cone penetrometer indicated that the average tip resistance of the CIMCPT was 11 percent higher than that of the standard cone penetrometer. The average CIMCPT sleeve friction was 11 percent lower than that of the standard cone penetrometer. (A)

Monostotic Paget's disease of the patella was detected with Tc-99m MDP and TI-201 scans. Diffuse intense uptake of MDP in the left patella was observed on the blood-pool and late phases of the bone scan. TI-201 imaging was performed to differentiate a malignant process and showed diffuse marked accumulation at the same site. Semiquantitative analysis of the patella region on both Tc-99m MDP and TI-201 scans did not support a diagnosis of cancer. Radiographs showed the features of Paget's disease of the bone. Findings of a pathologic evaluation were compatible with the diagnosis of osteitis deformans. This case represents the unusual skeletal involvement of monostotic Paget's disease of the bone in the patella. TI-201 accumulation in the Paget's lesion was suggested to be caused by increased metabolic activity of the lesion but was not indicative of a malignant process.

The electronic cone penetrometer is an important investigation tool of choice for in situ site characterization. Application of this proven concept of the cone penetration test (CPT) to transportation applications is described. A miniature cone penetrometer with a projected cone area of 2 cm2 has been developed and implemented in a continuous intrusion miniature CPT system (CIMCPT). This device may be used for rapid, accurate, and economical characterization of sites as well as to determine engineering soil parameters needed in the design of pavements, embankments, and earth structures. The miniature CPT (MCPT) gives finer details than the standard 10-cm2 cross-sectional area reference cone penetrometer, which makes it attractive for subgrade characterization, quality control assessment, compaction control of embankments, and assessment of ground improvement effectiveness for transportation infrastructure. In situ calibration of the CIMCPT system was conducted at a highway embankment site in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. MCPT penetration profiles were compared with those obtained with the standard cone penetrometer at the same site. The tip resistance of the MCPT was 10 percent higher than that of the reference CPT. The sleeve friction and friction ratio of the reference CPT were higher than that of the MCPT by 12 and 23 percent, respectively. Calibration was also performed to determine empirical cone factors required for estimating undrained shear strength from MCPT data.

An analytical model to simulate the penetration of the piezocone penetrometer in cohesive soils is presented here. The elasto-plastic coupled field equations of the saturated cohesive soils (given by Voyiadjis and Abu-Farsakh) is used in this analysis. The numerical simulation of the piezocone penetration is implemented into a finite element program. The analytical model is used to analyze the miniature piezocone penetration tests (PCPT) conducted at LSU calibration chambers. Simulation of the piezocone penetration is done for two cases. In the first case, the soil–penetrometer interface friction is neglected, while in the second case, the soil–penetrometer interface friction is taken into consideration. The constraint approach is used to model the soil–piezocone interface friction in which the Mohr–Coulomb frictional model is used to define the sliding potential. Analysis is done for three different soil specimens with different stress histories. The results of the numerical simulations are compared with the experimental measurements of the miniature piezocone penetration tests (PCPT) in cohesive soil specimens conducted in LSU calibration chambers. The resulting excess pore pressure distribution and its dissipation using the numerical model are compared with some available prediction methods. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The electronic cone penetrometer is an important in situ investigation tool of choice for site characterization. Application of this proven concept of the cone penetration test (CPT) to highway design and construction control by miniaturization is described. A miniature cone penetrometer with a projected cone area of 2 cm2has been developed and implemented in a continuous intrusion miniature cone penetration test system (CIMCPT). This device may be used for rapid, accurate, and economical characterization of sites and to determine engineering soil parameters needed in the design of pavements, embankments, and earth structures. The miniature cone penetration test (MCPT) gives finer details than the standard 10-cm2cross-sectional area reference cone penetrometer. This makes the MCPT attractive for subgrade characterization, quality-control assessment, compaction control of embankments, and assessment of ground improvement effectiveness for transportation infrastructure. In situ calibration of the CIMCPT system was conducted at a highway embankment site in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. MCPT penetration profiles were compared with those obtained by using the standard cone penetrometer at the same site. The tip resistance of the MCPT was 10 percent higher than that of the reference CPT. The sleeve friction and friction ratio of the reference CPT were higher than that of the MCPT by 12 and 23 percent, respectively. Calibration was also performed to determine empirical cone factors required for estimating undrained shear strength from MCPT data.

Objectives: Prescribed burning (PB) is an effective and economical land management tool for maintaining fire-adapted ecosystems, reducing wildfire risk, and improving training realism at Department of Defense (DoD) facilities. Pollutants emitted from prescribed fires, however, may be transported downwind, mix with emissions from other sources, form other pollutants, and contribute to poor air quality of urban areas in the region. As a result, compliance with ambient air quality standards in urban areas proximal to DoD prescribed burning activities may require tougher restrictions on DoD's air emissions in the future. Because the alternatives to PB are costly and may have undesired ecological impacts, it is important for DoD to be able to control the emissions from its PB operations and to minimize their air quality impacts. Therefore, it is necessary to better characterize PB emissions and to more accurately predict their air quality impacts. This project aimed to improve the characterization of PB emissions by collecting field data most relevant to the modeling of PB plumes and developing a simulation framework that can accurately predict the impacts of prescribed burns on regional air quality. The objectives were to (1) better characterize the fuel types and loads for the sites to be studied; (2) estimate accurately the emissions from the burns to be simulated; (3) develop an air quality modeling system with sufficient resolution to characterize PB plumes, track their regional transport and chemistry, and discern their impacts from other pollution sources; (4) identify the data needs for model evaluation, collect new data, and evaluate the models; (5) consider the effects of inherent uncertainties in model inputs on model results; (6) and simulate the regional air quality impacts of DoD PB operations in the Southeast and assess alternative burning strategies.

Atlas of sectional radiological anatomy for PET/CT / , Atlas of sectional radiological anatomy for PET/CT / , کتابخانه دیجیتال جندی شاپور اهواز

Nondestructive evaluation (NDE) is an essential part of structural and material systems, providing information for condition assessment and/or feedback for intelligent controls. An NSF NDE initiative as well as workshops and recent awards/projects are described in this paper.

Variable resolution is a highly desirable property in air quality models, especially in regional applications. Resolution can be increased in dense source regions by using finite element refinements. Here, the important principles that must be obeyed at refinement boundaries are discussed. Mass conservation is achieved by making the element basis functions continuous. Constraint relations that assure continuity for various refinement ratios are described. A second issue is to keep the refinement boundaries free of noise. Since coarse and fine elements act like different media, aliasing errors usually lead to noise waves. A non-linear filter is used to remove some of this noise. Tests are conducted with different refinement ratios to see the effect of increased resolution on accuracy. In general, refinements increase accuracy by reducing diffusion errors. The peak concentrations are overpredicted during the transition from the fine to the coarse grid. These overpredictions are smaller when the refinements are gradual.

Over the next several decades, traditional corporate and government pension plans will encounter increasingly severe problems in many countries. Contributing factors include underfunding status, demographic trends, low savings rates, and inefficient investment/saving strategies. This chapter takes up the last point, showing that a systematic forward-looking asset–liability management model can improve performance across many reward and risk measures. The model takes the form of a multi-stage stochastic program. We approximate the stochastic program via a set of state-dependent policy rules. A duration-enhancing overlay rule improves performance during economic contractions. The methodology is evaluated via historical backtests and a highly flexible, forward-looking financial planning tool.

Sebaceous carcinoma (SC) is a malignant adnexal tumor, usually originating from eyelids. Extra-orbital sebaceous carcinoma is a rare carcinoma localized commonly in head and neck region. Although extra-orbital SC has an indolent course, it may have highly invasive properties and may cause distant metastases rapidly. We report a 46 year-old-woman with extra-orbital SC originating from lumbar skin. Just after two months from the excision of primary lesion, patient readmitted with axillary lymphadenopathies. positron emission tomography (PET-CT) was used for evaluation of both extent of disease and treatment response. Partial remission was observed with docetaxel treatment. This case illustrates how extra-ocular SC can behave aggressively despite the traditional belief. PET-CT can help to evaluate the extent of disease and response to therapy.

e18535 Background: 18F-FDG-PET is a functional imaging method and widely used for initial diagnosis, staging and response evaluation in the treatment of malignant lymphomas. We evaluated the FDG-PE...

This paper presents a new method based on probability of soil type to evaluate the ultimate capacity of friction piles utilizing the CPT data. A database of thirty-five square PPC piles that were loaded to failure and their adjacent CPT profiles were used to develop this method. Backcalculation was carried out to calibrate the correlation factors needed to estimate the unit end bearing (qb) and unit skin friction (f) of the pile from CPT data (qc, fs) based on the probability of having each soil type. The ultimate pile capacities (QP) of the investigated piles evaluated by the proposed method, three other CPT methods, and the static method were compared with the measured pile capacities obtained from pile load tests. Statistical analyses were carried out to evaluate the reliability of the proposed CPT method and the results showed that the method can predict the ultimate capacity of the piles with good accuracy.

This paper discusses the development of an up-to-date computerized CPT (Cone Penetration Test) based soil engineering classification system to provide geotechnical engineers with a handy tool for their daily design activities. Five CPT soil engineering classification systems are incorporated in this effort. They include the probabilistic region estimation and fuzzy classification methods, both developed by Zhang and Tumay, the Schmertmann, the Douglas and Olsen, and the Robertson et al. methods. In the probabilistic region estimation method, a conformal transformation is used to determine the soil classification index, U, from CPT cone tip resistance and friction ratio. A statistical correlation is established between U and the compositional soil type given by the Unified Soil Classification System (USCS). The soil classification index, U, provides a soil profile over depth with the probability of belonging to different soil types, which more realistically and continuously reflects the in-situ soil characterization, which includes the spatial variation of soil types. The CPT fuzzy classification on the other hand emphasizes the certainty of soil behavior. The advantage of combining these two classification methods is realized through implementing them into visual basic software with three other CPT soil classification methods for friendly use by geotechnical engineers. Three sites in Louisiana were selected for this study. For each site, CPT tests and the corresponding soil boring results were correlated. The soil classification results obtained using the probabilistic region estimation and fuzzy classification methods are cross-correlated with conventional soil classification from borings logs and three other established CPT soil classification methods.

We present the analgesic management of a 4-year-old child who suffered from severe abdominal and leg pain during his first vaso-occlusive crisis with sickle cell disease, diagnosed as beta/S disease when he was 1 year old. His mother and father were carriers of beta-thalassemia and hemoglobin S, respectively. He had an upper respiratory tract infection in which a vaso-occlusive crisis was precipitated. On admission to hospital, fever, severe abdominal and leg pain were noted. Hemoglobin was 4 g x dl(-1) with accompanying prominent reticulocytosis and acute spleen enlargement. These findings indicated a sequestration crisis as well as vaso-occlusive disease. He was transfused with packed red cells. Paracetamol (40-60 mg x kg(-1) x day(-1)) and ibuprofen (20 mg x kg(-1) x day(-1)) were administered to relieve pain. The child experienced moderate to severe pain (Oucher score 60-80) despite nonopioid analgesics, so a tramadol infusion (0.25 mg x kg(-1) x h(-1)) was started. During the tramadol infusion no morphine was required, the intensity of pain gradually decreased (Oucher score 20) and the child was able to move his legs. At the end of 3 days splenomegaly regressed, no fever and pain were observed and the infusion was stopped. In conclusion, tramadol infusion i.v. (0.25 mg x kg(-1) x h(-1)) combined with nonopioids was effective to relieve moderate to severe pain due to vaso-occlusive crisis and can be recommended before using morphine in a pediatric sickle cell crisis.

Simple Performance Tests (SPT) including Indirect Tensile (IDT) Test and Dynamic Modulus Test have been widely used in the evaluation of the performance of asphalt concrete. The so-called SPT tests typically apply uniform stresses on the boundary and therefore obtain the stress-strain relation with convenience. Nevertheless, asphalt concrete is a heterogeneous material composed of asphalt binder, aggregates and air voids. The three constituents have drastically different stiffness. Even under a uniform boundary stress, the internal stress and strain distributions are not uniform. This paper presents a comparison between the stress distribution based on heterogeneous material properties and that based on homogeneous material properties using X-ray Computed Tomography (XCT) and Finite Element (FE) simulation. The comparison indicates that material heterogeneity is an important factor that must be considered in the characterization of asphalt concrete.

Pentoxifylline (Ptx) is thought to be helpful in preventing radiotoxicity by inhibiting platelet aggregation and tumor necrosis factor. We assessed whether prophylactic use of Ptx could prevent early and late normal lung tissue damage due to radiotherapy in a double-blind, randomized trial.A total of 40 patients with lung or breast cancer were randomized to receive Ptx (400 mg) or a placebo, 3 times daily, during the entire period of radiotherapy. We used the late effects normal tissue-subjective, objective, management, and analytic (LENT-SOMA) scale to evaluate and compare toxicity, including the findings of pulmonary function tests and radiologic and scintigraphic evaluations performed before and at 3 and 6 months of follow-up.According to the LENT score, a statistically significant difference was found between the two groups in favor of Ptx (p = 0.016). The difference in diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide and regional perfusion scan results were found to be statistically significant between the groups at 3 and 6 months (p0.05). The use of Ptx resulted in a noticeable reduction in the higher degrees of lung injury detected radiologically.Our study showed a significant protective effect of Ptx for both early and late lung radiotoxicity. We recommend the prophylactic use of Ptx, finding it to be safe and effective.

WOS: 000189174400006 PubMed: 15006212 We studied the reliability of teledermatology diagnoses made using a Web-based system. Clinical photographs and information relating to 125 patients were placed on a Web server. Three dermatologists made the most likely diagnosis via a Web interface. The reference diagnosis was made in a face-to-face consultation with a fourth dermatologist; where appropriate it was confirmed histologically. The teledermatologists were correct in 57% of cases when viewing the images alone. Their diagnostic accuracy improved to 70% when additional clinical information was available. The rate of agreement between the teledermatologists ranged from 44% to 70% (kappa =0.22-0.32). Seventy-seven per cent of the patients were correctly diagnosed by at least two dermatologists when clinical information was provided. A Web-based system appears to be reliable for teledermatology. A single well trained teledermatologist may give better results than a group of less well trained clinicians.

WOS: 000185583500014, PubMed ID: 14575388, A 53-year-old male patient with a previous diagnosis of situs inversus with mirror-image dextrocardia underwent thallium-201 (Tl-201) stress-redistribution myocardial perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Electrocardiogram (ECG) obtained on right hemithorax revealed constant complete left bundle branch block. Tl-201 stress-redistribution SPECT images revealed abnormal perfusion with reversible ischemia in the anteroseptal, septal and inferoseptal walls. Coronary angiography performed 1 month after SPECT study was normal. This case illustrates that false positive reversible perfusion defects can be seen in patients with mirror-image dextrocardia associated with constant complete left bundle branch block. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of mirror-image dextrocardia and constant complete left bundle branch block with false positive Tl-201 SPECT findings.

In addition to many environmental benefits, fly ash utilization provides end-products with superior engineering and physical qualities as well as economic benefits, considering the utilization potential in construction-related applications such as cement production and concrete products in the form of highway pavement concrete, structural concrete, and roller compacted concrete, bricks, blocks and paving stones; artificial lightweight aggregate, structural fills or embankments, stabilization of waste materials, mineral filler in asphalt paving, flowable/structural fill and grouting mixes. The fly ash, being a cementitious coal combustion by-product, promises high volume utilization in grouting applications by addition of other mineral admixtures when necessary. The fly ash grouts provide required engineering performance in improving ground stability by increasing strength and shearing resistance as well as reducing the permeability of soils treated with enhanced technical, rheological, durability and economic advantages over sand and cement grouts. The fly ash grout is also cost-effective when alternative suspension, emulsion or solution materials are considered. In this study, fly ash grout composite formed of various combinations of high volume fly ash, cement, lime and high range water reducing chemical admixture has been investigated to define short-term engineering performance in terms of physicochemical (chemical compound analysis, unit weight, void ratio, specific gravity, linear shrinkage, hydraulic conductivity) and mechanical properties (unconfined compressive strength and flexural strength), excluding durability as the long term engineering performance. The overall short-term engineering performance indicates high volume fly ash utilization potential in grouting applications.

WOS: 000186468200003, PubMed ID: 14651351, The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and diagnostic accuracy of same day reststress myocardial perfusion SPECT (MP SPECT) protocol by using technetium-99m (Tc-99m) furifosmin in conjunction with dobutamine stress test in subjects in whom coronary artery disease (CAD) had been proven or excluded at coronary angiography (CA). The study group consisted of 25 patients (8 female and 17 male with a mean age of 53.04 +/- 8.56 yrs) unable to perform treadmill exercise or unsuitable for pharmacologic vasodilator stress testing. Ten mCi (370 MBq) of Tc-99m furifosmin was injected intravenously at rest. Sixty min after injection, planar and SPECT images were acquired. One hour later all patients underwent dobutamine stress test. At the peak stress, 20 mCi (740 MBq) of Tc-99m furifosmin was injected. Sixty min after stress dose injection, planar and SPECT images were acquired. Rest-stress planar and SPECT data were evaluated by using visual and quantitative analysis. Heart to adjacent organ (Heart/Lung; H/Lu and Heart/Liver; H/Li) activity ratios were calculated from anterior planar images by using regions of interest (ROI). SPECT data were interpreted by using 20 segment-5 point scoring system from short axis and vertical long axis slices. The results of rest-dobutamine stress Tc-99m furifosmin MP SPECT were compared with CA results. There were statistically significant differences between H/Lu and H/Li ratios at rest and stress conditions. Heart/adjacent organ activity ratios were similar and significant statistical difference could not be found between CA positive and CA normal patients. Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy for Tc-99m furifosmin SPECT study were calculated as 90%, 80% and 84% for left anterior descending (LAD), 87%, 94% and 92% for left circumflex (LCx) and 67%, 86% and 80% for right coronary artery (RCA), respectively. Overall sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were calculated as 83%, 87% and 85%, respectively. According to the results obtained in this study, it may be concluded that same day rest-dobutamine stress Tc-99m furifosmin SPECT protocol is a feasible and accurate technique in the evaluation of CAD, especially in patients unable to perform treadmill exercise or unsuitable for pharmacologic vasodilator stress testing.

The liver is the most common site for metastatic spread in patients with colorectal carcinoma. In addition to conventional radiological investigations, F-18 FDG PET/CT is being used in staging of the colon cancer with a widely increasing manner. FDG, used in imaging, is not a tumor specific radiopharmaceutic, and it may be uptaken in many benign pathologies. This situation may sometimes cause difficulty in differential diagnosis. In this article findings of the liver cyst hydatid mimicking metastasis on FDG PET/CT scan in a case with colon cancer are presented. Hydatid cyst should be considered in differential diagnosis of liver lesions on PET scan, especially in countries where zoonotic infections are relatively common as in ours. In this case report findings that may contribute to the differential diagnosis of hydatid cyst and metastasis on FDG PET/BT scan are discussed.

The authors report a case of undifferentiated mesenchymal tumor in which a Tc-99m MIBI scan demonstrated increased accumulation in the primary site but not in the necrotic areas. Metastatic lung lesions of the tumor were also clearly demonstrated. Thus, they conclude that Tc-99m MIBI can be used to detect and locate a mesenchymal tumor and to assess its viability.

SUMMARY An incremental finite element formulation for elasto-plastic bodies subjected to large strains and large displacements is presented in this paper. The formulation is in Lagrangian co-ordinates (material description) and the plasticity model employed is the extended von Mises. The bearing capacity of a strip footing and the stability of an earth slope illustrate the applicability of this theory.