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Selected AbstractsDETECTION OF OLIVE OIL ADULTERATION WITH RAPESEED AND SUNFLOWER OILS USING MOS ELECTRONIC NOSE AND SMPE-MSJOURNAL OF FOOD QUALITY, Issue 1 2010SYLWIA MILDNER-SZKUDLARZ ABSTRACT The study analyzed the effectiveness of two types of electronic nose systems to detect adulteration of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) with rapeseed and sunflower oils. Tested methods included volatile analysis with the electronic nose based on MOS sensors (HS-E nose) and by direct coupling of SPME to MS (SPME-MS). Volatile compounds were analyzed also by SPME-GC/MS. Samples of EVOO were mixed with different proportions, ranging from 5 to 50% (v/v), of seed oils and fingerprints of volatile profiles of all samples were generated. In order to obtain as much chemical information as possible and to find a volatile marker to detect adulterations of EVOO with seed oils, principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares (PLS) analyses were applied to the data. The application of PCA and PLS analyses to the data from two electronic noses and SMPE-GC/MS were sufficient to differentiate the adulterated samples from pure EVOO. Excellent results were obtained in the prediction of the percentage of adulteration by PLS analysis. SPME-GC-MS analysis with subsequent PCA yielded good results; however, it was time-consuming. The two electronic noses, with subsequent PCA treatment of data, offering the advantages of rapidity and reliability, enabled detection of olive oil adulteration with different contents of seed oils. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Virgin olive oil is highly appreciated by consumers due to its nutritional benefits. Thus, its adulteration with low-grade olive oils or cheaper vegetable oils could potentially be very profitable for sellers or raw material suppliers and may yield large economic profits. In this way, authentication of virgin olive oils has become an interesting subject from both commercial and health perspectives. It has been proved that the two proposed types of electronic nose systems facilitate reliable detection of rapeseed and sunflower oils in extra virgin olive oil. Both MOS and MS electronic noses are faster than the conventional SMPE-GC/MS analysis. These well-correlated methodologies, offering the advantages of rapidity and reliability, opened up a new way of detecting adulteration of virgin olive oils. [source] Development of the Baylor Gyro Permanently Implantable Centrifugal Blood Pump as a Biventricular Assist DeviceARTIFICIAL ORGANS, Issue 9 2001Kenji Nonaka Abstract: The Baylor Gyro permanently implantable centrifugal blood pump (Gyro PI pump) has been under development since 1995 at Baylor College of Medicine. Excellent results were achieved as a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) with survival up to 284 days. Based on these results, we are now focusing on the development of a biventricular assist device (BVAD) system, which requires 2 pumps to be implanted simultaneously in the preperitoneal space. Our hypothesis was that the Gyro PI pump would be an appropriate device for an implantable BVAD system. The Gyro PI 700 pump is fabricated from titanium alloy and has a 25 ml priming volume, pump weight of 204 g, height of 45 mm, and pump diameter of 65 mm. This pump can provide 5 L/min against 100 mm Hg at 2,000 rpm. In this study, 6 half-Dexter healthy calves have been used as the experimental model. The right pump was applied between the infundibular of the right ventricle and the main pulmonary artery. The left pump was applied between the apex of the left ventricle and the thoracic descending aorta. As for anticoagulation, heparin was administered at the first postoperative week and then converted to warfarin sodium from the second week after surgery. Both pump flow rates were controlled maintaining a pulmonary arterial flow of less than 160 ml/kg/min for the sake of avoidance of pulmonary congestion. Blood sampling was done to assess visceral organ function, and the data regarding pump performance were collected. After encountering the endpoint, which the study could not keep for any reasons, necropsy and histopathological examinations were performed. The first 2 cases were terminated within 1 week. Deterioration of the pump flow due to suction phenomenon was recognized in both cases. To avoid the suction phenomenon, a flexible conduit attached on the inlet conduit was designed and implanted. After using the flexible inflow conduit, the required power and the rotational speed were reduced. Furthermore, the suction phenomenon was not observed except for 1 case. There was no deterioration regarding visceral organ function, and pulmonary function was maintained within normal range except for 1 case. Even though the experimental animal survived up to 45 days with the flexible inflow conduit, an increase in power consumption due to thrombus formation behind the impeller became a problem. Lower rotational speed, which was probably produced by the effectiveness of the flexible inflow conduit, was speculated to be one of the reasons. And the minimum range of rotational speed was 1,950 rpm in these 6 BVAD cases and the previous 3 cases of LVAD. In conclusion, 6 cases of BVAD implantation were performed as in vivo animal studies and were observed up to 45 days. The flexible inflow conduit was applied in 4 of 6 cases, and it was effective in avoiding a suction phenomenon. The proper rotational speed of the Gyro PI 700 pump was detected from the viewpoint of antithrombogenicity, which is more than 1,950 rpm. [source] Current management of bile duct injury,BRITISH JOURNAL OF SURGERY (NOW INCLUDES EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SURGERY), Issue 4 2008K. D. Lillemoe Excellent results are achievable [source] Enantioselective 6,,,Electrocyclizations: Pushing the Limits in Organocatalytic Pericyclic ReactionsCHEMCATCHEM, Issue 4 2010Catalysis sans frontières: Enantioselective catalysis has been achieved for 6,, electrocyclizations. Two recent reports have shown that this particular pericyclic reaction can be carried out in a catalytic and highly enantioselective way, provided that careful design of the structure of the substrate is made. Excellent results have been obtained under organocatalytic conditions, with catalysts operating by different mechanisms. [source] A 60-GHz CMOS receiver front-end with integrated 180° out-of-phase Wilkinson power dividerMICROWAVE AND OPTICAL TECHNOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 12 2010Jen-How Lee Abstract A 60-GHz receiver front-end with an integrated 180° out-of-phase Wilkinson power divider using standard 0.13 ,m CMOS technology is reported. The receiver front-end comprises a wideband low-noise amplifier (LNA) with 12.4-dB gain, a current-reused bleeding mixer, a baseband amplifier, and a 180° out-of-phase Wilkinson power divider. The receiver front-end consumed 50.2 mW and achieved input return loss at RF port better than ,10 dB for frequencies from 52.3 to 62.3 GHz. At IF of 20 MHz, the receiver front-end achieved maximum conversion gain of 18.7 dB at RF of 56 GHz. The corresponding 3-dB bandwidth (,3 dB) of RF is 9.8 GHz (50.8,60.6 GHz). The measured minimum noise figure (NF) was 9 dB at 58 GHz, an excellent result for a 60-GHz-band CMOS receiver front-end. In addition, the measured input 1-dB compression point (P1 dB) and input third-order inter-modulation point (IIP3) are ,20.8 dBm and ,12 dBm, respectively, at 60 GHz. These results demonstrate the adopted receiver front-end architecture is very promising for high-performance 60-GHz-band RFIC applications. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52:2688,2694, 2010; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.25559 [source] Design and implementation of a high-performance V-band CMOS bandpass filterMICROWAVE AND OPTICAL TECHNOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 2 2010Jin-Fa Chang Abstract In this article, we demonstrate a low-insertion-loss V-band (50,75 GHz) bandpass filter with two finite transmission zeros by standard 0.13 ,m CMOS technology. The proposed filter architecture has the following feature: the low-frequency transmission-zero and the high-frequency transmission-zero can be tuned by the series-feedback capacitor Cs and the parallel-feedback capacitor Cp, respectively. Besides, low-insertion-loss is achieved by adopting thick microstrip-line (MSL) with optimized ground-plane pattern as the needed inductors to minimize the metal and substrate loss. This filter achieved insertion-loss (1/S21) lower than 3 dB over the frequency range of 52.2,76.7 GHz, input return loss (S11) better than ,10 dB over the frequency range of 50.2,80.6 GHz, and output return loss (S22) better than ,10 dB over the frequency range of 50.2,77.3 GHz. The minimum insertion-loss was 2.18 dB at 63.5 GHz, an excellent result for a V-band CMOS bandpass filter. The chip area was only 0.466 × 0.307 mm2, i.e., 0.143 mm2, excluding the test pads. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52: 309,316, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.24935 [source] Aplasia cutis congenita of the scalp: How much therapy is necessary in large defects?ACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 6 2005B Bernbeck Abstract Aim: To show that local antibiotic management and a regular inspection of aplasia cutis congenita of the skull can give an excellent result. Method: This case reports a girl born with aplasia cutis congenita of the skull presenting with a large aplasia of the epidermis, dermis, subcutaneous tissue and galea, including a bone defect without any additional risk factor, e.g. early eschar formation, cerebrospinal fluid leakage or uncommon dural blood vessels. Results: A primarily conservative treatment with local wet and antibiotic dressings together with a systemic antibiotic treatment for the first 2 wk led to an excellent result and thus prevented untimely operative and peri-operative procedures. Conclusions: Here we have shown that conservative treatment might be an option, even if the wound diameter is greater than 1 cm2, to prevent infants from any untimely operative procedure with an elevated operative risk if any additional risk factors are excluded. [source] A Refined Surgical Treatment Modality for Bromhidrosis: Double W Incision Approach with Tumescent TechniqueDERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 8 2009HANG LI PHD BACKGROUND Axillary bromhidrosis has a strong negative effect on one's social life. A high success rate and few complications are criteria for an ideal treatment method. OBJECTIVE To evaluate a new surgical treatment modality for bromhidrosis: Double W incision with full-exposure excision under tumescent anesthesia. MATERIALS & METHODS Twenty patients with bromhidrosis were treated. Patients were placed in a supine position with their treated arms abducted to 110°. After injection of 60 mL of tumescent solution into each axilla, two small W incisions were made at the superior and inferior axillary poles of the hair-bearing area. The whole hair-bearing skin was undermined at the level of the superficial fat to obtain adequate skin eversion. The flaps were everted to offer full exposure of the apocrine glands, and meticulous excision of each gland was performed. Finally, the incisions were re-approximated, and bulky compressive dressings were applied to the area for 72 hours. RESULTS Of the 40 axillae (20 patients), 32 (80.0%) showed excellent results, and eight (20.0%) had good results. Malodor was significantly decreased. There were no serious complications. CONCLUSION This technique can produce excellent results with a lower complication rate than most other surgical modalities and can be performed without costly equipment. [source] A Multicenter, 47-Month Study of Safety and Efficacy of Calcium Hydroxylapatite for Soft Tissue Augmentation of Nasolabial Folds and Other Areas of the FaceDERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 2007NEIL S. SADICK MD OBJECTIVES Each soft tissue filler product has its own unique profile in terms of adverse events. In this large-scale study, we investigated the safety profile of Radiesse, an injectable calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA) implant, in treatment of nasolabial folds and other areas of the face. We also investigated the efficacy in a subset of the larger patient group. METHODS After obtaining informed consent from the subjects, researchers injected CaHA at two treatment centers into 113 patients (100 women and 13 men, ranging in age from 26 to 78 years) for a variety of facial aesthetic applications over a period of 47 months. Seventy-five patients had a single injection session; 38 had multiple sessions. Most patients (102) received 1.0 mL of CaHA per session; 12 received 2.0 mL per session. Typically, CaHA was administered with a 27-gauge 0.5- or 1 1/4-in. needle. RESULTS Safety. Of 113 patients, only 7 reported minor adverse events that were short-term and resolved within 1 month: transient ecchymosis (3), nongranulatomous submucosal nodules of the lip (2), and inflammation and edema (2). Efficacy. Efficacy ratings were performed for a subset of patients (n=41). On a scale of 1 to 5 (1=unsatisfactory; 5=excellent), the mean patient evaluation score for look and feel of the implant was 4.6; the mean physician scores for the look and feel of the implant were 4.5 and 4.6, respectively. During the 6-month follow-up visit, patients' mean ratings of the look and feel of the implant were 4.8 and 4.9, respectively. The physician's mean ratings for the look and feel of the implant were 4.5 and 4.9, respectively. CONCLUSIONS In our study, CaHA performed well, with a favorable safety profile, high patient satisfaction (90% of patients reported very good or excellent results), and good durability. We are especially pleased with the low incidence of adverse events coupled with the favorable responses from the patients themselves due to longevity of correction. [source] Mohs Micrographic Surgery for Lentigo Maligna and Lentigo Maligna Melanoma using Mel-5 Immunostaining: University of Minnesota ExperienceDERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 5 2006SACHIN S. BHARDWAJ MD BACKGROUND Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) continues to become a more common and accepted treatment for lentigo maligna (LM) and lentigo maligna melanoma (LMM). The primary difficulty encountered lies in the accurate identification of atypical single melanocytes to determine tumor-free margins. Numerous methods have been used to better visualize single melanocytes, with varying results. We present our experience using Mel-5 immunostaining in MMS of LM and LMM. METHODS Two hundred patients with primary or recurrent LM or LMM were treated using MMS from 1999 to 2003 at the University of Minnesota. The initial clinical margins were determined by Wood's light examination, and an initial debulk specimen was taken and sent for formalin fixation and later reviewed by a dermatopathologist. The first Mohs layer was then taken, and staining with hemotoxylin and eosin as well as Mel-5 immunostaining was performed. All patients were followed up to evaluate for recurrence, with a mean follow-up time of 38.4 months. RESULTS Of the 200 patients treated, only one recurrence was noted. This patient had been treated with excision followed by radiation before MMS. Use of Mel-5 immunostaining added approximately 40 minutes to each stage. Use of the Autostainer Immunostaining System (DAKO, Carpenterina, CA, USA) shortened the added time to 20 minutes. CONCLUSIONS MMS with Mel-5 immunostaining yielded excellent results in the treatment of LM and LMM, with only one recurrence noted in 200 patients. When an automated immunostainer was used, minimal time was added to each Mohs stage. [source] Intricacies of the Single-Scar Technique for Donor Harvesting in Hair Transplantation SurgeryDERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 6 2004Dominic A. Brandy MD Background. Although single-scar techniques have been published and are used by approximately half of all surgeons, this approach is not as common as one might suspect. Objective. The objective is to demonstrate several surgical gems that make the single-scar donor technique a viable method that can be performed by the vast majority of hair restoration surgeons. Methods. The author presents various techniques such as postauricular skin elevation, subcutaneous undermining of the nape scalp, debulking of underlying scar tissue, temporary staple closure, and permanent double-layered closure using magnification (preferably 2.5 × or greater). All of these contribute to a loose closure with an aesthetically pleasing single donor scar after multiple surgeries. Results. Utilizing the various techniques described in this article, the author has been able to achieve a cosmetically attractive single scar after multiple surgeries in the vast majority of patients. Conclusion. An aesthetically pleasing single, thin donor scar is preferable to multiple scars or a thick single scar at the donor area after multiple hair restoration surgical procedures. The author presents several methods that help hair restoration surgeons conquer some of the obstacles that have deterred them from performing a single-scar technique with consistently excellent results. [source] The Art of Mixing Follicular Units and Follicular Groupings in Hair Restoration SurgeryDERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 6 2004Dominic A. Brandy MD Background. Follicular grafting yields good results, but takes an excessively long time to perform the procedure. Iatrogenic damage can also occur to the follicular units during the dissection phase when two follicular units are very close together. Objective. The objective was to minimize the length of time to perform the procedure and to limit iatrogenic damage to the follicular units during the dissection phase. Methods. A donor strip is divided under a stereoscopic microscope into one-, two-, three-, and four-haired follicular units and three- and four-haired follicular groupings. Three- and four-haired follicular groupings are formed when 2 two-haired follicular units or a three-haired follicular unit and one-haired follicular unit are very close together. These hair grafts are then inserted into incisions that are 1.0 to 2.5 mm in length and are arranged in accordance to the particular hairstyle desired by the patient. Results. The technique used in this article accomplishes consistently excellent results while creating an environment that prevents damage to follicular units that are extremely close together. This technique requires less time and damages fewer follicular units. Conclusions. When performing hair restoration surgery, it is many times counterproductive to use follicular units exclusively. [source] Resurfacing of Different Types of Facial Acne Scar With Short-Pulsed, Variable-Pulsed, and Dual-Mode Er:YAG LaserDERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 4 2004Sang-Hyuk Woo MD Background. Laser skin resurfacing has become a popular therapeutic modality for the correction of acne scars, but it is not always effective in all types of acne scars. Objective. To evaluate the clinical effects of resurfacing with the short-pulsed Er:YAG laser, the variable-pulsed Er:YAG laser, and the dual-mode Er:YAG laser for each type of facial acne scars. Methods. One hundred fifty-eight patients with facial acne scars were included in this study. Eighty three patients (18 deep boxcar scars, 8 ice-pick scars, 11 rolling scars, and 46 shallow boxcars) were treated with the 350-,s short-pulsed Er:YAG laser at the setting of 12.5 to 15%/cm2. Thirty-five patients (8 deep boxcar scars, 4 ice-pick scars, 12 rolling scars, and 11 shallow boxcars) were treated with the variable-pulsed Er:YAG laser at the setting of 7.0 to 7.5%/cm2 and 7-ms pulse duration. Forty patients (8 deep boxcar scars, 4 ice-pick scars, 17 rolling scars, and 11 shallow boxcars) were treated with the dual-mode Er:YAG laser with 350-, ablation mode at 17.5%/cm2 and 8-ms coagulation mode at 3.15%/cm2. Facial photographs were obtained at baseline and at 2- to 4-week intervals postoperatively. Acne scars were classified into four types, and clinical improvements of facial acne scars were evaluated. Results. Resurfacing with the short-pulsed Er:YAG laser shows good to excellent results for ice-pick and shallow boxcar scars, fair to good for deep boxcar scars, and poor to fair for rolling scars. Resurfacing with the variable-pulsed laser shows good to excellent results for ice-pick and shallow boxcar scars, fair to good for deep boxcar scars, and good for rolling scars. Resurfacing with the dual-mode laser shows good to excellent results for ice-pick, shallow, and rolling scars and produced good results on deep boxcar scars. Conclusion. Shallow boxcar and ice-pick scars can be treated successfully using any types of Er:YAG laser. In cases of rolling and deep boxcar scars, however, Er:YAG laser with a long-pulse duration for a thermal effect is needed for successful treatment. [source] Depigmentation Therapy with Q-Switched Ruby Laser After Tanning in Vitiligo UniversalisDERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 11 2001Young-Jo Kim MD Background. In vitiligo universalis, repigmentation therapy is seldom effective. Besides, bleaching cream which is often used in depigmentation therapy may lead to several serious complications. Objective. Q-switched (QS) ruby laser can destroy melanosomes in melanocytes and keratinocytes by selective photothermolysis. Methods. We have attempted to destroy melanocytes by using the QS ruby laser after tanning in a patient with extensive vitiligo. Results. The patient had excellent results with no evidence of repigmentation after 1 year. Conclusion. Depigmentation therapy with QS ruby laser after tanning is an effective and safe way of removing remnants of normal pigmentation in patients with vitiligo universalis. [source] The Use of Microdermabrasion for Acne: A Pilot StudyDERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 4 2001Jenifer R. Lloyd DO Background. Microdermabrasion is a superficial peeling modality that has become quite popular with our patients and the media. Objective. To evaluate the use of microdermabrasion in patients with acne. Methods. Twenty-five patients with grade II,III acne were enrolled into this pilot study. All patients were under dermatologic care and were maintained on their acne medications throughout the study. Patients received eight microdermabrasion treatments at weekly intervals. The results were documented with before and after photographs and evaluated for clinical improvement. Results. Twenty-four patients completed the study with 38% (9/24) having excellent results, 34% (8/24) with good results, 17% (4/24) with fair results, and 12% (3/24) with poor results. Ninety-six percent (23/24) of patients were pleased with their peel results and would recommend this procedure to others. Conclusion. The use of microdermabrasion in this pilot study appeared to produce a positive effect on the improvement of acne. [source] Surgical therapies for vitiligo and other leukodermas, part 1: minigrafting and suction epidermal graftingDERMATOLOGIC THERAPY, Issue 1 2001Rafael Falabella ABSTRACT: Vitiligo and other disorders of hypopigmentation are common cutaneous dermatoses that can give rise to considerable aesthetic concerns. In some patients these leukodermas are treated successfully with medical therapies such as topical corticosteroids and PUVA therapy. However, not all patients and not all lesions respond and as a result, surgical therapies are often required to restore normal pigmentation. The two most common and simple procedures, minigrafting (implantation of 1.0,1.2 mm grafts) and suction epidermal grafting (transfer of only epidermis harvested via negative pressures), are described in detail. Repigmentation with these two techniques, if carried out properly, yields good to excellent results with minor or no side effects. The most important factors for success are stability of the depigmenting process, an appropriate technique, and careful patient selection. Surgical interventions for stable vitiligo and other types of stable leukoderma are usually not first-line options, but when medical treatments fail, they represent the best available therapies. [source] ENDOSCOPIC SUBMUCOSAL DISSECTION IN THE UPPER GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT: PRESENT AND FUTURE VIEW OF EUROPEDIGESTIVE ENDOSCOPY, Issue 2009Horst Neuhaus In Western countries endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) has been widely accepted for treatment of early Barrett`s neoplasia and flat or depressed colorectal adenomas. In contrast endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is infrequently performed for several reasons. It seems to be difficult to overcome the learning curve of this difficult technique because of the low case volume of early gastric cancer. On the other hand ESD of esophageal or colorectal lesions is even more challenging and is considered to be inappropriate for learning. In addition the indication for esophageal or colorectal ESD is controversial in view of excellent results of the well established EMR technique which is less time-consuming and safer than ESD. A recent survey of leading Western endoscopy centers indicated the limited experience with ESD with a low number of cases for all potential indications. Only a few training courses have been established and the number of ongoing clinical studies is limited. Only 12 out of 340 published articles on "endoscopic mucosal dissection" were reported from Western countries. A better acceptance of ESD requires improvement of the technique to allow an easier, faster and safer approach. There is a strong demand for structured training courses and limitations of human cases to selected centers which participate in prospective trials. A close collaboration between Western and Asian centers is recommended for improvement of the ESD technique and its clinical application. [source] Non-linear behavior of mass concrete in three-dimensional problems using a smeared crack approachEARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS, Issue 3 2005H. Mirzabozorg Abstract A smeared crack approach has been proposed to model the static and dynamic behavior of mass concrete in three-dimensional space. The proposed model simulates the tensile fracture on the mass concrete and contains pre-softening behavior, softening initiation, fracture energy conservation and strain rate effects under dynamic loads. The validity of the proposed model has been checked using the available experimental results under static and dynamic loads. The direct and indirect displacement control algorithms have been employed under incremental increasing static loads. It was found that the proposed model gives excellent results and crack profiles when compared with the available data under static loads. The Koyna Dam in India has been used to verify the dynamic behavior of the proposed model. It was found that the resulting crack profiles were in good agreement with the available experimental results. Finally, the Morrow Point Dam was analyzed, including the dam,reservoir interaction effects, to consider its non-linear seismic behavior. It was found that the resulting crack profiles were in good agreement with the contour of maximum principal stresses and no numerical instability occurred during the analysis. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Posterior Quadrantic Epilepsy Surgery: Technical Variants, Surgical Anatomy, and Case SeriesEPILEPSIA, Issue 8 2007Roy Thomas Daniel Summary:,Objective: Patients with intractable epilepsy due to extensive lesions involving the posterior quadrant (temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes) form a small subset of epilepsy surgery. This study was done with a view to analyze our experience with this group of patients and to define the changes in the surgical technique over the last 15 years. We also describe the microsurgical technique of the different surgical variants used, along with their functional neuroanatomy. Methods: In this series there were 13 patients with a median age of 17 years. All patients had extensive presurgical evaluation that provided concordant evidence localizing the lesion and seizure focus to the posterior quadrant. The objective of the surgery was to eliminate the effect of the epileptogenic tissue and preserve motor and sensory functions. Results: During the course of this study period of 15 years, the surgical procedure performed evolved toward incorporating more techniques of disconnection and minimizing resection. Three technical variants were thus utilized in this series, namely, (i) anatomical posterior quadrantectomy (APQ), (ii) functional posterior quadrantectomy (FPQ), and (iii) periinsular posterior quadrantectomy (PIPQ). After a median follow-up period of 6 years, 12/13 patients had Engel's Class I seizure outcome. Conclusion: The results of surgery for posterior quadrantic epilepsy have yielded excellent seizure outcomes in 92% of the patients in the series with no mortality or major morbidity. The incorporation of disconnective techniques in multilobar surgery has maintained the excellent results obtained earlier with resective surgery. [source] Palladium-Catalyzed Suzuki,Miyaura Cross-Coupling Using Phosphinous Acids and Dialkyl(chloro)phosphane LigandsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 8 2006Christian Wolf Abstract The use of eleven palladium complexes having monomeric and ,-chloro-bridged dimeric structures and either bulky dialkyl- and diarylphosphinous acid ligands (POPd, POPd-Br, POPd1, POPd2, POPd6, POPd7, Ph1-Phoxide) or dialkyl(chloro)phosphane ligands (PXPd, PXPd2, PXPd6, PXPd7) for Suzuki,Miyaura coupling reactions has been evaluated. Screening and optimization of catalyst loading, solvent, temperature, and base showed that excellent results can be obtained with electron-deficient and electron-rich aryl iodides, bromides, and chlorides in the presence of 2.5 mol-% of palladium,phosphinous acid POPd, (tBu2POH)2PdCl2, in 1,4-dioxane using cesium carbonate as base. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2006) [source] Green's function interpolations for prestack imagingGEOPHYSICAL PROSPECTING, Issue 1 2000Manuela Mendes A new interpolation method is presented to estimate the Green's function values, taking into account the migration/inversion accuracy requirements and the trade-off between resolution and computing costs. The fundamental tool used for this technique is the Dix hyperbolic equation (DHE). The procedure, when applied to evaluate the Green's function for a real source position, uses the DHE to derive the root-mean-square velocity, vRMS, from the precomputed traveltimes for the nearest virtual sources, and by linear interpolation generates vRMS for the real source. Then, by applying the DHE again, the required traveltimes and geometrical spreading can be estimated. The inversion of synthetic data demonstrates that the new interpolation yields excellent results which give a better qualitative and quantitative resolution of the imaging sections, compared with those carried out by conventional linear interpolation. Furthermore, the application to synthetic and real data demonstrates the ability of the technique to interpolate Green's functions from widely spaced virtual sources. Thus the proposed interpolation, besides improving the imaging results, also reduces the overall CPU time and the hard disk space required, hence decreasing the computational effort of the imaging algorithms. [source] Measuring thaw depth beneath peat-lined arctic streams using ground-penetrating radarHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 14 2005John H. Bradford Abstract In arctic streams, depth of thaw beneath the stream channel is likely a significant parameter controlling hyporheic zone hydrology and biogeochemical cycling. As part of an interdisciplinary study of this system, we conducted a field investigation to test the effectiveness of imaging substream permafrost using ground-penetrating radar (GPR). We investigated three sites characterized by low-energy water flow, organic material lining the streambeds, and water depths ranging from 0·2 to 2 m. We acquired data using a 200 MHz pulsed radar system with the antennas mounted in the bottom of a small rubber boat that was pulled across the stream while triggering the radar at a constant rate. We achieved excellent results at all three sites, with a clear continuous image of the permafrost boundary both peripheral to and beneath the stream. Our results demonstrate that GPR can be an effective tool for measuring substream thaw depth. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Unified formulation of radiation conditions for the wave equationINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING, Issue 2 2002Steen Krenk Abstract A family of radiation boundary conditions for the wave equation is derived by truncating a rational function approximation of the corresponding plane wave representation, and it is demonstrated how these boundary conditions can be formulated in terms of fictitious surface densities, governed by second-order wave equations on the radiating surface. Several well-established radiation boundary conditions appear as special cases, corresponding to different choices of the coefficients in the rational approximation. The relation between these choices is established, and an explicit formulation in terms of selected directions with ideal transmission is presented. A mechanical interpretation of the fictitious surface densities enables identification of suitable conditions at corners and boundaries of the radiating surface. Numerical examples illustrate excellent results with one or two fictitious layers with suitable corner and boundary conditions. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Bedside screening for executive dysfunction in patients with subcortical ischemic vascular diseaseINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 9 2009Nils Margraf Objective We investigated several executive bedside tests for their effectiveness in the routine clinical diagnostics of dysexecutive syndrome in subcortical ischemic vascular disease (SIVD). Methods Five executive tests, CLOX, the Tower of London (ToL), a cognitive estimation test (CET), a verbal fluency test, and the Five-Point Test, were examined in 17 patients with marked cerebral microangiopathy in cranial MRI and clinical symptoms of SIVD. The test accuracy for discriminating the patients from 17 healthy comparison subjects closely matched for age, gender and level of education was determined. Results Aside from the CET we found a significant lower performance of the patients with SIVD in four of the five used executive tests. In receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses the accuracy of CLOX 1 showed excellent results for distinguishing between patients and comparison subjects (area under the curve (AUC) 0.901), while the ToL (AUC up to 0.845) and the productivity in the phonemic verbal fluency test (AUC 0.829) achieved a good accuracy. Differently the accuracy of the figural fluency was only poor to fair (AUC 0.706). However, the Youden Indices of the significant executive variables showed a wide range from 0.25 to 0.82. Conclusions Based on our data we consider CLOX, the ToL and the verbal fluency test promising executive bedside test concepts for diagnosing the dysexecutive syndrome in SIVD in clinical routine. Particularly for CLOX and the ToL a further psychometric evaluation is required. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Iterative ultrasonic signal and image deconvolution for estimation of the complex medium responseINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF IMAGING SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 6 2005Zhiping Mu Abstract The ill-conditioned inverse problem of estimating ultrasonic medium responses by deconvolution of RF signals is investigated. The primary difference between the proposed method and others is that the medium response function is assumed to be complex-valued rather than restricted to being real-valued. Derived from the complex medium model, complex Wiener filtering is presented, and a Hilbert transform related limitation to inverse filtering type methods is discussed. We introduce a nonparametric iterative algorithm, the least squares method with point count regularization (LSPC). The algorithm is successfully applied to simulated and experimental data and demonstrates the capability of recovering both the real and imaginary parts of the medium response. The simulation results indicate that the LSPC method can outperform Wiener filters and improve the resolution of the ultrasound system by factors as high as 3.7. Experimental results using a single element transducer and a conventional medical ultrasound system with a linear array transducer show that despite the errors in pulse estimation and the noise in the RF signals, excellent results can be obtained, demonstrating the stability and robustness of the algorithm. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 15, 266,277, 2005 [source] Full-vectorial to scalar FD-SOR formulations for optical waveguide modelling: a comparative studyINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NUMERICAL MODELLING: ELECTRONIC NETWORKS, DEVICES AND FIELDS, Issue 6 2006D.H. Spadoti Abstract This paper presents a comparative study among three different formulations to analyse optical waveguides. All treatments, namely, full-vectorial, semi-vectorial, and scalar are based on the successive over relaxation-SOR technique. A complete expansion of these three formulations together with a convergence study of the respective iterative relaxation parameters are also provided. Several waveguiding structures are investigated in this work, including D-shaped fibres, rib waveguides, and photonic crystal fibres, addressing the accuracy of the several FD-SOR formulations implemented. It is demonstrated that the semi-vectorial approach produces excellent results when compared to those obtained with the full-vectorial treatment. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] New and innovative therapies for Behcet's diseaseINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RHEUMATIC DISEASES, Issue 2 2004Fereydoun DAVATCHI Abstract Background:, Behcet's disease (BD) is a vasculitis progressing by attacks and remissions. Not all patients will respond even to the classical treatments. New treatments are emerging with the hope to overcome this failure. Biologic agents:, Interferon-, (IFN-,), anti-tumour necrosis factor-, (TNF-,), and tolerization have been used in BD. IFN-, is mainly used for ocular manifestations of BD. The result seems impressive, 92% of cases had good or excellent results. It was less impressive for mucocutaneous and joint manifestations. The dosage is 6,9 million IU/day for 4 weeks, then 4.5 million daily for 4 weeks, and then 3 million/day. The maintenance dose is 3 millions, three times/week, to continue for 8 weeks after complete remission. Etanercept (anti-TNF-,) was effective in mucocutaneous lesions of BD at the dosage of 25 mg twice weekly for 3 months (double-blind control study). Attacks relapsed after discontinuation. Etanercept was ineffective in ocular lesions (open study). Infliximab (anti-TNF-,) was very effective in many studies of ocular lesions. It dramatically suppressed the inflammatory attack. The dosage is one injection of 5 mg/kg (intravenous infusion) at weeks 0, 2, 6, and then every 8 weeks. Tolerization with oral administration of HSP peptide 336,351 seems to protect from uveitis relapse. Pentoxifylline is not particularly effective unless for oral aphthae (50% response rate). Pimecrolimus ointment may be of help in resistant genital aphthosis, reducing the healing time. [source] New Indenylidene-Schiff Base-Ruthenium Complexes for Cross-Metathesis and Ring-Closing MetathesisADVANCED SYNTHESIS & CATALYSIS (PREVIOUSLY: JOURNAL FUER PRAKTISCHE CHEMIE), Issue 16 2009Abstract We here report on the stability and catalytic activity of new indenylidene-Schiff base-ruthenium complexes 3a,f through representative cross-metathesis (CM) and ring-closing metathesis (RCM) reactions. Excellent activity of the new complexes was found for the two selected RCM reactions; prominent conversion was obtained compared to the commercial Hoveyda,Grubbs catalyst 2. Moreover, excellent results were obtained for a standard CM reaction. Higher conversions were achieved with one of the indenylidene catalysts compared with Hoveyda,Grubbs catalyst. Unexpectedly, an isomerization reaction was observed during the CM reaction of allylbenzene. To the best of our knowledge, isomerization reactions in this model CM reaction in closed systems have never been described using first generation catalysts, including the Hoveyda,Grubbs catalyst. The first model CM reactions as well as the RCM reactions have been monitored using 1H,NMR. The course of the CM reaction of 3-phenylprop-1-ene (8) and cis -1,4-diacetoxybut-2-ene (9) was monitored by GC. The isomerization reaction was studied by means of GC-mass spectrometry and in situ IR spectroscopy. All catalysts were structurally characterized by means of 1H, 13C, and 31P,NMR spectroscopy. [source] Insights into the Role of New Palladium Pincer Complexes as Robust and Recyclable Precatalysts for Suzuki,Miyaura Couplings in Neat WaterADVANCED SYNTHESIS & CATALYSIS (PREVIOUSLY: JOURNAL FUER PRAKTISCHE CHEMIE), Issue 13 2009Blanca Inés Abstract Suzuki,Miyaura biaryl and diarylmethane syntheses via the coupling of arylboronic acids with aryl and arylmethyl bromides are performed in water by means of two new CNC-type palladium pincer complexes. Good to excellent results (including high TON values and extended recycling procedures) are obtained in most cases for a range of electronically dissimilar halides and boronic acids. On the basis of a series of kinetics studies, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), mercury drop tests, and quantitative poisoning experiments, the real role of the latter palladacycles, closely linked to the formation and active participation of palladium nanoparticles, is discussed. [source] An approach to the management of necrotising fasciitis in neonatesINTERNATIONAL WOUND JOURNAL, Issue 2 2005Soraya Zuloaga-Salcedo MD Abstract Necrotising fasciitis is a severe, life-threatening soft tissue infection. It produces an extensive cellulitis with severe involvement of subcutaneous tissue, fascia, muscle or both, resulting in necrosis of the tissue. All age groups, including neonates, can be affected. Patients with necrotising fasciitis present with more severe constitutional symptoms and have a poor outcome, unless aggressive antibiotic therapy and surgical debridement are instituted promptly. The debridement of necrotic tissue is imperative to control the infection, but results in deep wounds that require further treatment. In this study, the neonate was treated with alginate dressings and negative pressure therapy after resolution of cellulitis, with excellent results and no untoward events. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||