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Enchondroma of the Hand: Result of Surgery Curettage and Grafting and Possible Factors Affecting the Outcome 手部內生性軟骨瘤 - 外科刮除術的結果和可能影響結果的因素
No full textAbstractA retrospective review for enchondroma in the hand which had undergone operative treatment is presented. Twenty patients were treated operatively over a 10-year period. A total of 70% of the patients presented with pathological fracture. Enchondromas were most commonly located in the little finger (65%) and proximal phalange (60%). Enchondromas presented with pathological fractures and were treated definitively after the fracture had healed, except for one patient with open reduction, internal fixation of fracture, and bone grafting. All 20 patients underwent curettage of the enchondroma. In the same operative occasion, 16 patients received bone grafting, three patients received bone substitutes, and one had received bone cement. Fourteen (70%) of the patients suffered no major postoperative complications. Postoperative stiffness was encountered in seven patients. A secondary operation for relief of postoperative stiffness was performed in three patients. Factors were assessed for their risk of resulting in postoperative stiffness and occurrence of secondary operation. Factors included sex, age, pathological fracture, location of lesion, and preoperative stiffness. Only preoperative stiffness was a statistically significant risk factor contributing to postoperative stiffness and occurrence of a secondary operation
Mechanical characterization of the structural components of Pre-Columbian earthen monuments: Analysis of bricks and mortar from Huaca de la Luna in Perú
No full textAbstractThe paper deals with the mechanical characterization of the materials that composes the structural system of the archaeological earthen complex of ‘Huaca de la Luna’ in Perú (100–900A.D.). The mechanical characterization was carried out through uniaxial compression, three-point bending and splitting tests. The results indicate differences in bricks and mortar samples in strength capacity and elastic stiffness in compression, as well as differences in rupture modulus and diametric compression strength. The study contributes to understand the linear and nonlinear behavior of archaeological earthen materials and structures and provides reference values for the structural assessment of similar buildings and monuments
Nonlinear manifold learning for early warnings in financial markets
No full textAbstractA financial market is a complex, dynamic system with an underlying governing manifold. This study introduces an early warning method for financial markets based on manifold learning. First, we restructure the phase space of a financial system using financial time series data. Then, we propose an information metric-based manifold learning (IMML) algorithm to extract the intrinsic manifold of a dynamic financial system. Early warning ranges for critical transitions of financial markets can be detected from the underlying manifold. We deduce the intrinsic geometric properties of the manifold to detect impending crises. Experimental results show that our IMML algorithm accurately describes the attractor manifold of the financial dynamic system, and contributes to inform investors about the state of financial markets
Benzofurano-isatins: Search for antimicrobial agents
No full textAbstractIn an attempt to find a new class of antimicrobial agents, a series of novel N′-(5 or 7 substituted-2-oxoindolin-3-ylidene)benzofuran-2-carbohydrazides 3(a–p) were synthesized by reacting benzofuran-2-carbohydrazide 1 with 5 and 7 substituted-isatins 2(a–p). The synthesized compounds were confirmed by melting point, IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and mass spectroscopy. All the synthesized compounds were screened for antimicrobial activity among the tested series, 3o exhibited excellent antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas vulgaris while 3p against Bacillus subtilis, E. coli and P. vulgaris (31.25μg/mL) when compared with standards. Similarly 3o and 3p showed significant antifungal activity (31.25μg/mL) when compared to fluconazole against Aspergillus niger
Acute Brown-Séquard Syndrome Caused by Cervical Prolapsed Intervertebral Disc: First Reported Local Case and Literature Review 頸椎椎間盤突出引起的急性脊髓半切綜合症:首先本地個案報導和文獻綜述
No full textAbstractCervical prolapsed intervertebral disc is a common pathology that may have a wide range of presentations, from incidental finding on imaging to neck pain to different neurological symptoms. Brown-Séquard syndrome is a rare presentation of cervical disc prolapse but it usually carries a good prognosis for recovery. We present an uncommon case of C3/4 cervical prolapsed intervertebral disc causing acute Brown-Séquard syndrome, the first-ever reported in the local literature
A toolkit of designs for mixing Discrete Event Simulation and System Dynamics
No full textAbstractIn recent years there has been significant interest in multimethodology and the mixing of OR/MS methods, including Discrete Event Simulation (DES) with System Dynamics (SD). Several examples of mixing DES and SD are described in the literature but there is no overarching framework which characterises the spectrum of options available to modellers. This paper draws on a sample of published case studies, in conjunction with the theoretical literature on mixing methods, to propose a toolkit of designs for mixing DES and SD which can be implemented as a set of questions which a modeller should ask in order to guide the choice of design and inform the associated project methodology. The impetus for this work was the perceived need to transfer insight from reported practice in order to formalise how the two methods can be and have been mixed
Synthesis, characterisation and dynamic behavior of photoactive bipyridyl ruthenium(II)-nicotinamide complexes
No full textAbstractThe synthesis, characterization and dynamic behavior of three complexes, cis-[Ru(bpy)2(NA)Cl][PF6] (1), cis-[Ru(bpy)2(NA)I][PF6] (2) and cis-[Ru(bpy)2(NA)2][PF6]2 (3), where bpy is 2,2′-bipyridine, NA is nicotinamide are reported. These were designed as potential photoactivated antibacterial agents. Their dynamic behavior in solution was explored using NMR to probe the presence of atropisomers. The data show that the NA ligand in the bis-NA complex 3 rotates freely at 298K on the NMR timescale; however, NA rotation in the mono-Cl and mono-I complexes 1 and 2 is hindered at the same temperature. DFT calculations suggested that this hindered rotation is due to hydrogen bonding between the NA protons closest to the nitrogen of the pyridine ring and the halide ligand. Interestingly Cl hinders rotation more than I, which corresponds to hydrogen bonding ability. Such dynamic behavior may influence the recognition of polypyridyl ruthenium drugs by biological targets
The trade-offs between milk production and soil organic carbon storage in dairy systems under different management and environmental factors
No full textAbstractA possible agricultural climate change mitigation option is to increase the amount of soil organic carbon (SOC). Conversely, some factors might lead to inadvertent losses of SOC. Here, we explore the effect of various management options and environmental changes on SOC storage and milk production of dairy pastures in New Zealand. We used CenW 4.1, a process-based ecophysiological model, to run a range of scenarios to assess the effects of changes in management options, plant properties and environmental factors on SOC and milk production. We tested the model by using 2years of observations of the exchanges of water and CO2 measured with an eddy covariance system on a dairy farm in New Zealand's Waikato region. We obtained excellent agreement between the model and observations, especially for evapotranspiration and net photosynthesis.For the scenario analysis, we found that SOC could be increased through supplying supplemental feed, increasing fertiliser application, or increasing water availability through irrigation on very dry sites, but SOC decreased again for larger increases in water availability. Soil warming strongly reduced SOC. For other changes in key properties, such as changes in soil water-holding capacity and plant root:shoot ratios, SOC changes were often negatively correlated with changes in milk production.The work showed that changes in SOC were determined by the complex interplay between (1) changes in net primary production; (2) the carbon fraction taken off-site through grazing; (3) carbon allocation within the system between labile and stabilised SOC; and (4) changes in SOC decomposition rates. There is a particularly important trade-off between carbon either being removed by grazing or remaining on site and available for SOC formation. Changes in SOC cannot be fully understood unless all four factors are considered together in an overall assessment
Synthesis and antitumor testing of certain new fused triazolopyrimidine and triazoloquinazoline derivatives
No full textAbstractNew series of 1,2,4-triazolopyrimidine and 1,2,4-triazoloquinazoline derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their antitumor activity. Compounds 6, 11, 26, 29, 41, 44, 48, 49 and 58 were tested as antitumor agents by the use of DNA-binding assay on TLC-plates, colorimetric assay for the degree of DNA-binding (Methyl green-DNA displacement assay), evaluation of antineoplastic activity against Ehrlich Ascites Carcinoma in mice, and finally modulation of apoptosis. 5-Flurouracil, vitamin C and ethidium bromide were used as positive controls in these techniques. Compound 26 proved to be the most active member of these series as antitumor agent with IC50 value of 47±1. Several characteristic features were observed to be essential for activity such as the morpholine group and the phenylazo group, in addition the electron-withdrawing groups favor the activity than the electron-donating ones
Redescription and phylogenetic position of Myxobolus aeglefini and Myxobolus platessae n. comb. (Myxosporea), parasites in the cartilage of some North Atlantic marine fishes, with notes on the phylogeny and classification of the Platysporina
No full textAbstractMyxobolus ‘aeglefini’ Auerbach, 1906 was originally described from cranial cartilage of North sea haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus), but has subsequently been recorded from cartilaginous tissues of a range of other gadoid hosts, from pleuronectids and from lumpsucker (Cyclopterus lumpus) in the North Atlantic and from a zoarcid fish in the Japan Sea (Pacific).We obtained partial small-subunit rDNA sequences of Myxobolus ‘aeglefini’ from gadoids and pleuronectids from Norway and Iceland. The sequences from gadoids and pleuronectids represented two different genotypes, showing 98.2% identity. Morphometric studies on the spores from selected gadids and pleuronectids revealed slight but statistically significant differences in spore dimensions associated with the genotypes, the spores from pleuronectids were thicker and with larger polar capsules. We identify the morpho- and genotype from gadoids with Myxobolus ‘aeglefini’ sensu Auerbach, and the one from pleuronectids with Sphaerospora platessae Woodcock, 1904 as Myxobolus platessae n. comb. The latter species was originally described from Irish Sea plaice (Pleuronectes platessa). Myxobolus albi Picon et al., 2009 described from the common goby Pomatoschistus microps in Scotland is a synonym of M. ‘aeglefini’. The Pacific Myxobolus ‘aeglefini’ represents a separate species, showing only 97.4–97.6% identity to the Atlantic species. In phylogenetic analyses based on SSU rDNA sequences, these and some related marine chondrotropic Myxobolus spp. form a distinct well supported group. This clusters with freshwater and marine myxobolids and Triangula and Cardimyxobolus species, in a basal clade in the phylogeny of the Platysporina. Members of family Myxobilatidae, Ortholinea spp. (currently Ortholineidae) and sequences of some other urinary system infecting myxosporeans form a well supported clade among members of the suborder Platysporina. Based on phylogenetic analyses, we propose the following changes to the classification of Myxosporea: i) Ortholineidae is dismantled and Ortholinea spp. transferred to Myxobilatidae, and ii) Myxobilatidae is transferred from suborder Variisporina to Platysporina