AIM: To assess the association between serum lipids and diabetic retinopathy (DR). · METHODS: Sixty -one diabetic patients without retinopathy (NDR), 55 diabetic patients with non - proliferative retinopathy (NPD...AIM: To assess the association between serum lipids and diabetic retinopathy (DR). · METHODS: Sixty -one diabetic patients without retinopathy (NDR), 55 diabetic patients with non - proliferative retinopathy (NPDR) and 75 diabetic patients with proliferative retinopathy (PDR) according to ETDRS grading scale were enrolled in this study. Total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and triglyceride values were compared between the groups. ·RESULTS: The groups were well-balanced in terms of age and gender (P =0.071, P =0.265 respectively). The mean HbA1c values were significantly lower in NDR group than the NPDR and PDR groups(P =0.004, P =0.009 respectively). Mean total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL, HDL and VLDL levels were not significantly different between the groups (P =0.693, P =0.774, P =0.644, P = 0.910 and P =0.967 respectively, one way ANOVA). Mean total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL, HDL and VLDL levels were not significantly different between the patients with ME and patients without ME(P =0.622, P =0.113, P =0.955, P =0.735 and P =0.490 respectively, t -test). The mean blood glucose significantly correlated with total cholesterol (r =0.173, P =0.017) and LDL (r =0.190, P = 0.008). The mean HbA1c significantly correlated with total cholesterol (r =0.158, P =0.030) and triglyceride (r =0.148, P =0.042). ·CONCLUSION: Serum lipid levels were not significantly associated with the severity of DR or existence of ME despite the significant correlation between the mean blood glucose, HbA1c and total cholesterol.展开更多
In this study,the effect of Y addition(0,0.5,1 and 2 wt%)on microstructure and corrosion properties of Mg-6Zn-0.5Zr-1 Nd(wt%)alloy was investigated.The alloys were produced by low-pressure die casting method and extru...In this study,the effect of Y addition(0,0.5,1 and 2 wt%)on microstructure and corrosion properties of Mg-6Zn-0.5Zr-1 Nd(wt%)alloy was investigated.The alloys were produced by low-pressure die casting method and extruded at 300℃and 400℃after homogenization treatment at 400℃for 24 h.The results showed that the as-cast microstructure of the alloy with no Y addition consisted ofα-Mg,Mg-Zn binary and Mg-Zn-Nd ternary phases.With increasing Y additions,the average grain size showed a substantial decrease and two kinds of ternary Mg-Zn-Y ternary phases,designated as I-phase(Mg3Zn6Y)and W-phase(Mg3Zn3Y2)were formed.Homogenization treatment resulted in a partial dissolution of second phase particles.Extrusion process gave rise to a remarkable grain refinement due to the DRX mechanism.The extruded alloys with no Y addition exhibited poor corrosion resistance due to the strong micro galvanic coupling effect.Y additions up to 1 wt%improved the corrosion resistance due to the formation of finer grains,fine and uniform distribution of second phase particles and more stable oxide film.展开更多
The distribution of plant species and relationships between species and soil factors in the east central part of Gurbantunggut Desert was studied to provide more insight into the flora and determine differences in veg...The distribution of plant species and relationships between species and soil factors in the east central part of Gurbantunggut Desert was studied to provide more insight into the flora and determine differences in vegetation across various parts of the desert. Two-way Cluster Analysis showed that the vegetation in the area could be divided into three groups, the first group was dominated by the shrub species, Ephedra przewalskii and the grass species, Carex physodes mainly in areas of flat grounds and gentle slopes; the second group was dominated by C. physodes, Artemisia songorica and A. xerophytica mainly on the slope of sand dunes and the third group was dominated by the shrub species, Haloxylon persicum mainly on the top of sand dunes. There was no difference in plant density between Groups 1 and 2 but there was a significant decrease in Group 3. Soil water under vegetation Group 3 was much lower than that in the other two groups at all soil depths. The EC, organic matter, total P and soluble Na, Ca and Mg varied very similarly with soil water. Canonical corre- spondence analysis （CCA） satisfactorily assessed the species-soil relations in the area. The distribution of plant species was strongly correlated with the soil factors of water content, organic matter, EC and nutrients. The variations in species occurrence explained by the three CCA axes were about 70%, indicating that some explanatory site variables may exist outside our studied parameters. Soil texture is suggested to be included in future studies to improve the explanation of CCA.展开更多
This study aims to investigate the influence of Sn addition on microstructure and corrosion properties of AS21 magnesium alloys. The AS21 alloys with 0, 0.5, 1 and 2 wt.% Sn additions were produced by low pressure die...This study aims to investigate the influence of Sn addition on microstructure and corrosion properties of AS21 magnesium alloys. The AS21 alloys with 0, 0.5, 1 and 2 wt.% Sn additions were produced by low pressure die casting method. Microstructure characterizations were performed by optical and scanning electron microscopy. Corrosion properties of the alloys were examined by immersion and electrochemical corrosion tests in 3.5% NaCl solution. The microscopic results showed that AS21 alloy consisted of α-Mg, isolated β-Mg17Al12 and Chinese script type Mg2Si intermetallic phases. With increasing amount of Sn, the distribution of Mg2Si phase became more discrete and denser. After 2 wt.% Sn addition, a Sn-rich network structure formed throughout the microstructure and islands of Chinese script shape were made of shorter rods of Mg2Si phase. The constant immersion corrosion tests revealed that increasing Sn addition led to a continual decrease in the degradation of AS21 alloys, in which the corrosion rate of AS21 alloy was decreased by approximately 65% with 2 wt.% Sn addition. The electrochemical corrosion tests also showed that the corrosion resistance of AS21 alloy was gradually improved with increasing Sn content.展开更多
Synovial sarcoma is a rare soft tissue sarcoma of the head and neck region involving the parapharyngeal space.The diagnosis of synovial sarcoma can be very challenging to the pathologists.We present a rare case of par...Synovial sarcoma is a rare soft tissue sarcoma of the head and neck region involving the parapharyngeal space.The diagnosis of synovial sarcoma can be very challenging to the pathologists.We present a rare case of parapharyngeal synovial sarcoma in a young female patient who had a two-month history of left cervical intumescent mass at level II.The fine needle aspiration cytology of the mass was proved inconclusive.Transcervical excision of the mass was performed and the first case of parapharyngeal sarcoma was identified in our center by fluorescence in situ hybridization(FISH) technique.Repeat imaging revealed residual tumor.The patient successfully underwent a second excision of the residual tumor and received adjuvant radiotherapy.展开更多
Phospholipase A enzymes cleave phospho- and galactolipids to generate free fatty acids and lysolipids that function in animal and plant hormone signaling. Here, we describe three Arabidopsis patatin-related phospholip...Phospholipase A enzymes cleave phospho- and galactolipids to generate free fatty acids and lysolipids that function in animal and plant hormone signaling. Here, we describe three Arabidopsis patatin-related phospholipase A （pPLA） genes AtPLAIVA, AtPLAIVB, and AtPLAIVC and their corresponding proteins. Loss-of-function mutants reveal roles for these pPLAs in roots during normal development and under phosphate deprivation. AtPLAIVA is expressed strongly and exclusively in roots and AtplalVA-null mutants have reduced lateral root development, characteristic of an impaired auxin response. By contrast, AtPLAIVB is expressed weakly in roots, cotyledons, and leaves but is transcriptionally induced by auxin, although AtplalVB mutants develop normally. AtPLAIVC is expressed in the floral gynaecium and is induced by abscisic acid （ABA） or phosphate deficiency in roots. While an AtplalVC-1 loss-of-function mutant displays ABA respon- siveness, it exhibits an impaired response to phosphate deficiency during root development. Recombinant AtPLA proteins hydrolyze preferentially galactolipids and, less efficiently, phospholipids, although these enzymes are not localized in chloroplasts. We find that AtPLAIVA and AtPLAIVB are phosphorylated by calcium-dependent protein kinases in vitro and this enhances their activities on phosphatidylcholine but not on phosphatidylglycerol. Taken together, the data reveal novel functions of pPLAs in root development with individual roles at the interface between phosphate deficiency and auxin signaling.展开更多
The use of urea and urea-based fertilizers has increased considerably over the past 15 years. They cur- rently account for approximately 51% of the world＇s agricultural nitrogen consumption. However, about 20-70% of ...The use of urea and urea-based fertilizers has increased considerably over the past 15 years. They cur- rently account for approximately 51% of the world＇s agricultural nitrogen consumption. However, about 20-70% of the applied urea fertilizer is lost to the environment, causing serious pollution and increasing costs. These losses come from leaching, decomposition, and ammonium volatilization in the soil during handling and storage. Controlled release by coating can be used to increase urea fertilizer efficiency. We studied the use of gypsum, sulfur, and ground magnesium lime as cost-effective coating materials. All these coating materials contain nutrients required by plants. The effects of the coating composition and proportion of sealant on the rate of urea release and the crushing strength of the coated urea were investigated. We found that coated urea with the same proportion of gypsum-ground magnesium lime （GML） exhibited low urea release and high crushing strength. The performance was enhanced when using polyols as a sealant on the surface of the coated urea. A surface morphology analysis indicated a uniform and smooth surface on the coated film. The efficiency of the coated urea improved by 34.2% when using gypsum-GML （ 1：1 ratio） containing 1.1% oolvols.展开更多
The authors take all isomorphism classes of indecomposable representations as new generators, and obtain all skew-commutators between these generators by using the Ringel-Hall algebra method. Then they prove that the ...The authors take all isomorphism classes of indecomposable representations as new generators, and obtain all skew-commutators between these generators by using the Ringel-Hall algebra method. Then they prove that the set of these skew-commutators is a GrSbner-Shirshov basis for quantum group of type D4.展开更多
Microstructure,mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of as-cast and as-extruded Mg-4 wt%Zn-1 wt%La magnesium alloys were investigated.The alloys were produced by low-pressure die casting method and extruded a...Microstructure,mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of as-cast and as-extruded Mg-4 wt%Zn-1 wt%La magnesium alloys were investigated.The alloys were produced by low-pressure die casting method and extruded at 350℃after homogenization at 400℃for 24 h.The results show that the as-cast alloy mainly consists of primaryα-Mg matrix and Mg-Zn-La ternary second phases(also called T-Phase)along grain boundaries and isolated spherical particles inside the grains.After extrusion at350℃,the average grain size decreases by 81%due to dynamic recrystallization mechanism and T-phase particles are distributed along the extrusion direction.The elongation,yield strength and tensile strength of the as-cast Mg-4Zn-1La alloy increase by 179%,90%and 40%,respectively,as a result of the extrusion process.The as-extruded Mg-4Zn-1La alloy shows better corrosion resistance than the as-cast alloy due to increased grain boundaries and decreased content of T-phase.展开更多
Approximately 70%of the applied urea fertilizer may be lost into the environment.This loss is due to leaching,decomposition and ammonium volatilization in soil,water and air.Through coating,the slow release technology...Approximately 70%of the applied urea fertilizer may be lost into the environment.This loss is due to leaching,decomposition and ammonium volatilization in soil,water and air.Through coating,the slow release technology can be used to reduce losses and to increase the fertilizer efficiency.Sulfur has been used as a coating material,but the coating cracks easily because of its friability,sometimes being peeled off from the urea surface.In this study,four types of materials,namely,gypsum,cement,sulfur and zeolite,were mixed and used as coating materials to search for the most effective and cheap coating materials.The primary reasons for selecting these materials were improving fruit quality and preventing plant diseases,providing a plant nutrient,increasing soil fertility and water retention.The materials were also selected based on their availability,processiblity and price.The effects of the coating materials,thickness,drying time,sieving and sealant on the crushing strength and dissolution rate of urea were investigated.Coated urea with the same proportion of gypsum-sulfur exhibited high crushing strength and lower dissolution rate.However,the performance was further enhanced by applying molten paraffin wax on the hot urea surface.SEM images demonstrated that the micro-structure of gypsum-sulfur coated urea after sieving resulted in a smoother coated layer.The efficiency of the coated urea was improved by26%using gypsum-sulfur（20%total coating）,3%paraffin wax and sieving the coating materials before application.展开更多
<div style="text-align:justify;"> Digital image collection as rapidly increased along with the development of computer network. Image retrieval system was developed purposely to provide an efficient to...<div style="text-align:justify;"> Digital image collection as rapidly increased along with the development of computer network. Image retrieval system was developed purposely to provide an efficient tool for a set of images from a collection of images in the database that matches the user’s requirements in similarity evaluations such as image content similarity, edge, and color similarity. Retrieving images based on the content which is color, texture, and shape is called content based image retrieval (CBIR). The content is actually the feature of an image and these features are extracted and used as the basis for a similarity check between images. The algorithms used to calculate the similarity between extracted features. There are two kinds of content based image retrieval which are general image retrieval and application specific image retrieval. For the general image retrieval, the goal of the query is to obtain images with the same object as the query. Such CBIR imitates web search engines for images rather than for text. For application specific, the purpose tries to match a query image to a collection of images of a specific type such as fingerprints image and x-ray. In this paper, the general architecture, various functional components, and techniques of CBIR system are discussed. CBIR techniques discussed in this paper are categorized as CBIR using color, CBIR using texture, and CBIR using shape features. This paper also describe about the comparison study about color features, texture features, shape features, and combined features (hybrid techniques) in terms of several parameters. The parameters are precision, recall and response time. </div>展开更多
In this paper, by using the Ringel-Hall algebra method, we prove that the set of the skew-commutator relations of quantum root vectors forms a minimal GrSbner- Shirshov basis for the quantum groups of Dynkin type. As ...In this paper, by using the Ringel-Hall algebra method, we prove that the set of the skew-commutator relations of quantum root vectors forms a minimal GrSbner- Shirshov basis for the quantum groups of Dynkin type. As an application, we give an explicit basis for the types E7 and Dn.展开更多
Corrosion behavior of friction stir lap welded AA6061-T6 aluminum alloy was investigated by immersion tests in sodium chloride + hydrogen peroxide solution. Electrochemical measurement by cyclic potentiodynamic polari...Corrosion behavior of friction stir lap welded AA6061-T6 aluminum alloy was investigated by immersion tests in sodium chloride + hydrogen peroxide solution. Electrochemical measurement by cyclic potentiodynamic polarization, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive spectroscopy were employed to characterize corrosion morphology and to realize corrosion mechanism of weld regions as opposed to the parent alloy. The microstructure and shear strength of welded joint were fully investigated. The results indicate that, compared with the parent alloy, the weld regions are susceptible to intergranular and pitting attacks in the test solution during immersion time. The obtained results of lap shear testing disclose that tensile shear strength of the welds is 128 MPa which is more than 60% of the strength of parent alloy in lap shear testing. Electrochemical results show that the protection potentials of the WNZ and HAZ regions are more negative than the pitting potential. This means that the WNZ and HAZ regions do not show more tendencies to pitting corrosion. Corrosion resistance of parent alloy is higher than that for the weldments, and the lowest corrosion resistance is related to the heat affected zone. The pitting attacks originate from the edge of intermetallic particles as the cathode compared with the Al matrix due to their high self-corrosion potential. It is supposed that by increasing intermetallic particle distributed throughout the matrix of weld regions, the galvanic corrosion couples are increased, and hence decrease the corrosion resistance of weld regions.展开更多
We investigate a series-parallel repairable system consisting of three-unit with multiple vacations of a repairman. By using C0-semigroup theory of linear operators in the functional analysis, we prove that the system...We investigate a series-parallel repairable system consisting of three-unit with multiple vacations of a repairman. By using C0-semigroup theory of linear operators in the functional analysis, we prove that the system is well-posed and has a unique positive dynamic solution.展开更多
Objective:To demonstrate utility and safety of the puncture aspiration injection and reospiration(PAIR)technique for outpatients.Methods:Percutaneous treatment with US guidance was applied to 33 patients for 44 cysts....Objective:To demonstrate utility and safety of the puncture aspiration injection and reospiration(PAIR)technique for outpatients.Methods:Percutaneous treatment with US guidance was applied to 33 patients for 44 cysts.Patients treated with the PAIR technique,were outpatients.PAIR and catheterization technique were evaluated for efficacy and safety of procedure and complication rates.Results:Thirty-five of 44 cysts were treated with the PAIR and 9 of 44 were treated with the catheterization technique.The success rate of the cysts Gharbi type 1(CEI)and type 2(Ct3a)treated with the PAIR technique was 1009.hi the follow up of 9 cysts treated with the catheterization technique,2 of them(22%)developed cyst infection and 1(11%)developed a biliary fistula.Conclusions:The PAIR technique was found to be an effective and safe approach in order to treat Gharbi type 1 and type 2 cysts percutaneously for outpatients.It has a very low complication rate in comparison with the catheterization technique.So every effort should be mode to finish the treatment with PAIR technique.展开更多
Objective:Healthcare-seeking behavior(HSB)would affect the prevalence of morbidity and mortality.There are various factors that affect one's HSB.This study aimed to determine if health awareness and lifestyle migh...Objective:Healthcare-seeking behavior(HSB)would affect the prevalence of morbidity and mortality.There are various factors that affect one's HSB.This study aimed to determine if health awareness and lifestyle might relate to HSB.Methods:A cross-sectional study was applied by using three questionnaires to determine par ticipants'health awareness,lifestyle,and HSB.This study took place in Universitas Advent Indonesia and the students were recruited to be par ticipants.Results:There were 39 par ticipants joined in this study.Most of the par ticipants were females,third-year students,and from Accounting major.Almost all participants were aware of their low risk of health issues,had a fine lifestyle,and had moderate HSB.Conclusions:One's urge to seek health care facilities was not related to their health awareness and lifestyle.There was no fur ther study to contradict with this finding at this moment.展开更多
A μ negative metamaterial using spiral resonator (SR) with an electromagnetically coupled (EMC) feeding system is proposed as a novel antenna structure. The proposed antenna is designed and fabricated on a FR4 dielec...A μ negative metamaterial using spiral resonator (SR) with an electromagnetically coupled (EMC) feeding system is proposed as a novel antenna structure. The proposed antenna is designed and fabricated on a FR4 dielectric substrate with a thickness of 1.6 mm and relative permittivity of 4.0 to achieve its radiation characteristic. The antenna is operated at frequency 2.4 GHz. To improve the antenna gain, a matching circuit is inserted into the feed line. The µnegative metamaterial is achieved by using a spiral resonator with spiral numbers N = 3, 5, 7, and 10. It is found that the negative imaginary part tends to shift leftward as the value of N increases. The simulation result of the proposed antenna structure with spiral number N = 3, strip width w = 3.1 mm, and gap width s = 0.5 mm provides the best performance with S11 = -15 dB, VSWR < 2 bandwidth of 30 MHz and gain of –0.5 dB at frequency of 2.43 GHz. The proposed antenna with matching circuit provides the antenna gain of 2.21 dB, which is better than that without the matching circuit. The dimensions of the proposed antenna are reduced by 53% compared with those of the conventional patch. Both the simulation and measurement results of the radiation characteristics of the proposed antenna show good agreement.展开更多
Energy demand will continue to rise as a result of predicted population growth. In this work, a user-friendly home energy monitoring system based on IoT is described, which is capable of collecting, analyzing, and dis...Energy demand will continue to rise as a result of predicted population growth. In this work, a user-friendly home energy monitoring system based on IoT is described, which is capable of collecting, analyzing, and displaying data. Users register their sensors and devices on the monitoring platform. PostgreSQL and Elasticsearch databases are used to store the resulting measurements. In a smart home, the wireless sensor ACS712 was used to monitor the flow of electricity (current and voltage) for a household device. The user can share data about electricity consumption and costs with a third party via the private IPFS (InterPlanetary File System) network. A third party can download all the energy consumption data for a device or many devices from the platform for 1 day, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year. The studies on the development of energy-efficient technology for home devices benefit greatly from the gathered data. For security in the system, it is preferred to run Keyrock Idm, Wilma Pep Proxy, and Orion Context Broker in HTTPS mode, and MQTTS is used to retrieve sensor data. The experimental results showed that the energy monitoring system accurately records voltage, current, active power, and the total amount of power used and offers low-cost solutions to the users using household devices in a day.展开更多
<b>Introduction:</b> Achieving viral load suppression among the adolescents living with HIV continues to hold back attainment of sustainable development goals. TASO Mbale realized a viral load suppression ...<b>Introduction:</b> Achieving viral load suppression among the adolescents living with HIV continues to hold back attainment of sustainable development goals. TASO Mbale realized a viral load suppression rate of 63.1% among the adolescents living with HIV in care in quarter 4 of 2016. We therefore, instituted a quality imrpovement project to improve Viral load suppression from 63.1% in quarter 4 2016 to 90% by the end of quarter 4 2017. <b>Method:</b> Baseline data from the Uganda viral load dashboard were analyzed, and fishbone diagram was utilized to provide root causes of low viral load suppression among the adolescents living with HIV at TASO Mbale. The identified barriers were Knowlegde gap, among the adolescents, on positive living, Missing clinic appointments, Sub-optimal adherence, Poorly planned adolescent HIV clinic, Inadequate follow-up and Low use of data for informed decisions. A plan-do-study-act (PDSA) model was applied to implement tested changes. Strategies that worked included introduction of appointment register to track appointment behaviour of the adolescents, generating lists of clients on appointment who were due for Viral Load bleeding, telephone calls for follow up, increasing the frequency of reviewing adolescents from once a month to twice a week, committing a dedicated team responsible for adolescent care. <b>Results:</b> The viral load suppression improved from 63.1% in quarter 4 of 2016 to 63.8% in the first quarter of 2017, to 87.5% in quarter 2 of 2017, 97.6% in the third quarter and 91.4% in quarter 4 of 2017. <b>Conclusion:</b> The use of quality improvement in addressing gaps in HIV service delivery is highly effective.展开更多
BACKGROUND With advancements in the treatment of chronic liver disease(CLD),including liver transplantation(LT),quality of life and satisfaction after LT have become an important issue for pediatric patients and their...BACKGROUND With advancements in the treatment of chronic liver disease(CLD),including liver transplantation(LT),quality of life and satisfaction after LT have become an important issue for pediatric patients and their parents.More evidence-based information is needed to describe and assess the impact of pediatric CLD on parents and the satisfaction of parents with treatment to better understand their needs.AIM To assess the satisfaction of parents of pediatric LT patients and that of parents of pediatric CLD patients METHODS During this survey,data were collected from parents of pediatric patients who underwent LT between January 2010 and April 2017(LT group;n=91)and parents of pediatric patients with chronic liver disease(CLD group;n=94).Group comparisons were made based on the pediatric health-related quality of life(PedsQL)health care parent satisfaction scale,impact on family scale(IFS)and demographic characteristics.The PedsQL was administered to parents during a phone interview and the results were used to assess the health carerelated satisfaction of parents.The IFS was used to assess the impact of the child’s CLD status on the family.Demographic variables such as education level(elementary vs middle vs high vs university),monthly income(low vs middle vs high),and place of residence(village vs town vs city)were compared between CLD and LT parent groups.Finally,PedsQL and IFS results were also analyzed according to demographic variables.RESULTS A total of 185 parents aged 19 to 65 years were included.There were statistically significant differences between the LT and CLD groups in terms of career(P<0.001),monthly income(P=0.016),and education level(P=0.041).According to the PedsQL results,family inclusion,communication,technical skills,emotional needs,and overall satisfaction were significantly different between the groups;the LT group had consistently higher scores(P<0.001).Additionally,scores for the IFS parameters of financial impact,familial-social impact,personal strain,and total impact were consiste展开更多
文摘AIM: To assess the association between serum lipids and diabetic retinopathy (DR). · METHODS: Sixty -one diabetic patients without retinopathy (NDR), 55 diabetic patients with non - proliferative retinopathy (NPDR) and 75 diabetic patients with proliferative retinopathy (PDR) according to ETDRS grading scale were enrolled in this study. Total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and triglyceride values were compared between the groups. ·RESULTS: The groups were well-balanced in terms of age and gender (P =0.071, P =0.265 respectively). The mean HbA1c values were significantly lower in NDR group than the NPDR and PDR groups(P =0.004, P =0.009 respectively). Mean total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL, HDL and VLDL levels were not significantly different between the groups (P =0.693, P =0.774, P =0.644, P = 0.910 and P =0.967 respectively, one way ANOVA). Mean total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL, HDL and VLDL levels were not significantly different between the patients with ME and patients without ME(P =0.622, P =0.113, P =0.955, P =0.735 and P =0.490 respectively, t -test). The mean blood glucose significantly correlated with total cholesterol (r =0.173, P =0.017) and LDL (r =0.190, P = 0.008). The mean HbA1c significantly correlated with total cholesterol (r =0.158, P =0.030) and triglyceride (r =0.148, P =0.042). ·CONCLUSION: Serum lipid levels were not significantly associated with the severity of DR or existence of ME despite the significant correlation between the mean blood glucose, HbA1c and total cholesterol.
基金the Scientific Research Projects of Karabuk University(BAP)with project no.KBUBAP-16/1-DR-075.
文摘In this study,the effect of Y addition(0,0.5,1 and 2 wt%)on microstructure and corrosion properties of Mg-6Zn-0.5Zr-1 Nd(wt%)alloy was investigated.The alloys were produced by low-pressure die casting method and extruded at 300℃and 400℃after homogenization treatment at 400℃for 24 h.The results showed that the as-cast microstructure of the alloy with no Y addition consisted ofα-Mg,Mg-Zn binary and Mg-Zn-Nd ternary phases.With increasing Y additions,the average grain size showed a substantial decrease and two kinds of ternary Mg-Zn-Y ternary phases,designated as I-phase(Mg3Zn6Y)and W-phase(Mg3Zn3Y2)were formed.Homogenization treatment resulted in a partial dissolution of second phase particles.Extrusion process gave rise to a remarkable grain refinement due to the DRX mechanism.The extruded alloys with no Y addition exhibited poor corrosion resistance due to the strong micro galvanic coupling effect.Y additions up to 1 wt%improved the corrosion resistance due to the formation of finer grains,fine and uniform distribution of second phase particles and more stable oxide film.
文摘The distribution of plant species and relationships between species and soil factors in the east central part of Gurbantunggut Desert was studied to provide more insight into the flora and determine differences in vegetation across various parts of the desert. Two-way Cluster Analysis showed that the vegetation in the area could be divided into three groups, the first group was dominated by the shrub species, Ephedra przewalskii and the grass species, Carex physodes mainly in areas of flat grounds and gentle slopes; the second group was dominated by C. physodes, Artemisia songorica and A. xerophytica mainly on the slope of sand dunes and the third group was dominated by the shrub species, Haloxylon persicum mainly on the top of sand dunes. There was no difference in plant density between Groups 1 and 2 but there was a significant decrease in Group 3. Soil water under vegetation Group 3 was much lower than that in the other two groups at all soil depths. The EC, organic matter, total P and soluble Na, Ca and Mg varied very similarly with soil water. Canonical corre- spondence analysis （CCA） satisfactorily assessed the species-soil relations in the area. The distribution of plant species was strongly correlated with the soil factors of water content, organic matter, EC and nutrients. The variations in species occurrence explained by the three CCA axes were about 70%, indicating that some explanatory site variables may exist outside our studied parameters. Soil texture is suggested to be included in future studies to improve the explanation of CCA.
基金supported by the Scientific Research Projects of Karabuk University (BAP) with Project No. KBUBAP-18-DS-008
文摘This study aims to investigate the influence of Sn addition on microstructure and corrosion properties of AS21 magnesium alloys. The AS21 alloys with 0, 0.5, 1 and 2 wt.% Sn additions were produced by low pressure die casting method. Microstructure characterizations were performed by optical and scanning electron microscopy. Corrosion properties of the alloys were examined by immersion and electrochemical corrosion tests in 3.5% NaCl solution. The microscopic results showed that AS21 alloy consisted of α-Mg, isolated β-Mg17Al12 and Chinese script type Mg2Si intermetallic phases. With increasing amount of Sn, the distribution of Mg2Si phase became more discrete and denser. After 2 wt.% Sn addition, a Sn-rich network structure formed throughout the microstructure and islands of Chinese script shape were made of shorter rods of Mg2Si phase. The constant immersion corrosion tests revealed that increasing Sn addition led to a continual decrease in the degradation of AS21 alloys, in which the corrosion rate of AS21 alloy was decreased by approximately 65% with 2 wt.% Sn addition. The electrochemical corrosion tests also showed that the corrosion resistance of AS21 alloy was gradually improved with increasing Sn content.
文摘Synovial sarcoma is a rare soft tissue sarcoma of the head and neck region involving the parapharyngeal space.The diagnosis of synovial sarcoma can be very challenging to the pathologists.We present a rare case of parapharyngeal synovial sarcoma in a young female patient who had a two-month history of left cervical intumescent mass at level II.The fine needle aspiration cytology of the mass was proved inconclusive.Transcervical excision of the mass was performed and the first case of parapharyngeal sarcoma was identified in our center by fluorescence in situ hybridization(FISH) technique.Repeat imaging revealed residual tumor.The patient successfully underwent a second excision of the residual tumor and received adjuvant radiotherapy.
文摘Phospholipase A enzymes cleave phospho- and galactolipids to generate free fatty acids and lysolipids that function in animal and plant hormone signaling. Here, we describe three Arabidopsis patatin-related phospholipase A （pPLA） genes AtPLAIVA, AtPLAIVB, and AtPLAIVC and their corresponding proteins. Loss-of-function mutants reveal roles for these pPLAs in roots during normal development and under phosphate deprivation. AtPLAIVA is expressed strongly and exclusively in roots and AtplalVA-null mutants have reduced lateral root development, characteristic of an impaired auxin response. By contrast, AtPLAIVB is expressed weakly in roots, cotyledons, and leaves but is transcriptionally induced by auxin, although AtplalVB mutants develop normally. AtPLAIVC is expressed in the floral gynaecium and is induced by abscisic acid （ABA） or phosphate deficiency in roots. While an AtplalVC-1 loss-of-function mutant displays ABA respon- siveness, it exhibits an impaired response to phosphate deficiency during root development. Recombinant AtPLA proteins hydrolyze preferentially galactolipids and, less efficiently, phospholipids, although these enzymes are not localized in chloroplasts. We find that AtPLAIVA and AtPLAIVB are phosphorylated by calcium-dependent protein kinases in vitro and this enhances their activities on phosphatidylcholine but not on phosphatidylglycerol. Taken together, the data reveal novel functions of pPLAs in root development with individual roles at the interface between phosphate deficiency and auxin signaling.
文摘The use of urea and urea-based fertilizers has increased considerably over the past 15 years. They cur- rently account for approximately 51% of the world＇s agricultural nitrogen consumption. However, about 20-70% of the applied urea fertilizer is lost to the environment, causing serious pollution and increasing costs. These losses come from leaching, decomposition, and ammonium volatilization in the soil during handling and storage. Controlled release by coating can be used to increase urea fertilizer efficiency. We studied the use of gypsum, sulfur, and ground magnesium lime as cost-effective coating materials. All these coating materials contain nutrients required by plants. The effects of the coating composition and proportion of sealant on the rate of urea release and the crushing strength of the coated urea were investigated. We found that coated urea with the same proportion of gypsum-ground magnesium lime （GML） exhibited low urea release and high crushing strength. The performance was enhanced when using polyols as a sealant on the surface of the coated urea. A surface morphology analysis indicated a uniform and smooth surface on the coated film. The efficiency of the coated urea improved by 34.2% when using gypsum-GML （ 1：1 ratio） containing 1.1% oolvols.
基金Project supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Xinjiang University (the Starting Research Fund for Doctors) (No. BS080103)
文摘The authors take all isomorphism classes of indecomposable representations as new generators, and obtain all skew-commutators between these generators by using the Ringel-Hall algebra method. Then they prove that the set of these skew-commutators is a GrSbner-Shirshov basis for quantum group of type D4.
基金financially supported by the Scientific Research Projects of Karabuk University(BAP)(No.KBUBAP-16/1-DR-075)。
文摘Microstructure,mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of as-cast and as-extruded Mg-4 wt%Zn-1 wt%La magnesium alloys were investigated.The alloys were produced by low-pressure die casting method and extruded at 350℃after homogenization at 400℃for 24 h.The results show that the as-cast alloy mainly consists of primaryα-Mg matrix and Mg-Zn-La ternary second phases(also called T-Phase)along grain boundaries and isolated spherical particles inside the grains.After extrusion at350℃,the average grain size decreases by 81%due to dynamic recrystallization mechanism and T-phase particles are distributed along the extrusion direction.The elongation,yield strength and tensile strength of the as-cast Mg-4Zn-1La alloy increase by 179%,90%and 40%,respectively,as a result of the extrusion process.The as-extruded Mg-4Zn-1La alloy shows better corrosion resistance than the as-cast alloy due to increased grain boundaries and decreased content of T-phase.
文摘Approximately 70%of the applied urea fertilizer may be lost into the environment.This loss is due to leaching,decomposition and ammonium volatilization in soil,water and air.Through coating,the slow release technology can be used to reduce losses and to increase the fertilizer efficiency.Sulfur has been used as a coating material,but the coating cracks easily because of its friability,sometimes being peeled off from the urea surface.In this study,four types of materials,namely,gypsum,cement,sulfur and zeolite,were mixed and used as coating materials to search for the most effective and cheap coating materials.The primary reasons for selecting these materials were improving fruit quality and preventing plant diseases,providing a plant nutrient,increasing soil fertility and water retention.The materials were also selected based on their availability,processiblity and price.The effects of the coating materials,thickness,drying time,sieving and sealant on the crushing strength and dissolution rate of urea were investigated.Coated urea with the same proportion of gypsum-sulfur exhibited high crushing strength and lower dissolution rate.However,the performance was further enhanced by applying molten paraffin wax on the hot urea surface.SEM images demonstrated that the micro-structure of gypsum-sulfur coated urea after sieving resulted in a smoother coated layer.The efficiency of the coated urea was improved by26%using gypsum-sulfur（20%total coating）,3%paraffin wax and sieving the coating materials before application.
文摘<div style="text-align:justify;"> Digital image collection as rapidly increased along with the development of computer network. Image retrieval system was developed purposely to provide an efficient tool for a set of images from a collection of images in the database that matches the user’s requirements in similarity evaluations such as image content similarity, edge, and color similarity. Retrieving images based on the content which is color, texture, and shape is called content based image retrieval (CBIR). The content is actually the feature of an image and these features are extracted and used as the basis for a similarity check between images. The algorithms used to calculate the similarity between extracted features. There are two kinds of content based image retrieval which are general image retrieval and application specific image retrieval. For the general image retrieval, the goal of the query is to obtain images with the same object as the query. Such CBIR imitates web search engines for images rather than for text. For application specific, the purpose tries to match a query image to a collection of images of a specific type such as fingerprints image and x-ray. In this paper, the general architecture, various functional components, and techniques of CBIR system are discussed. CBIR techniques discussed in this paper are categorized as CBIR using color, CBIR using texture, and CBIR using shape features. This paper also describe about the comparison study about color features, texture features, shape features, and combined features (hybrid techniques) in terms of several parameters. The parameters are precision, recall and response time. </div>
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China （11061033）.Acknowledgements. Part of this work is done during the corresponding author＇s visiting the Stuttgart University with the support of China Scholarship Council. With this opportunity, he expresses his gratefulness to Professor Steffen Koenig and the Institute of Algebra and Number Theory of Stuttgart University and the China Scholarship Council.
文摘In this paper, by using the Ringel-Hall algebra method, we prove that the set of the skew-commutator relations of quantum root vectors forms a minimal GrSbner- Shirshov basis for the quantum groups of Dynkin type. As an application, we give an explicit basis for the types E7 and Dn.
文摘Corrosion behavior of friction stir lap welded AA6061-T6 aluminum alloy was investigated by immersion tests in sodium chloride + hydrogen peroxide solution. Electrochemical measurement by cyclic potentiodynamic polarization, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive spectroscopy were employed to characterize corrosion morphology and to realize corrosion mechanism of weld regions as opposed to the parent alloy. The microstructure and shear strength of welded joint were fully investigated. The results indicate that, compared with the parent alloy, the weld regions are susceptible to intergranular and pitting attacks in the test solution during immersion time. The obtained results of lap shear testing disclose that tensile shear strength of the welds is 128 MPa which is more than 60% of the strength of parent alloy in lap shear testing. Electrochemical results show that the protection potentials of the WNZ and HAZ regions are more negative than the pitting potential. This means that the WNZ and HAZ regions do not show more tendencies to pitting corrosion. Corrosion resistance of parent alloy is higher than that for the weldments, and the lowest corrosion resistance is related to the heat affected zone. The pitting attacks originate from the edge of intermetallic particles as the cathode compared with the Al matrix due to their high self-corrosion potential. It is supposed that by increasing intermetallic particle distributed throughout the matrix of weld regions, the galvanic corrosion couples are increased, and hence decrease the corrosion resistance of weld regions.
文摘We investigate a series-parallel repairable system consisting of three-unit with multiple vacations of a repairman. By using C0-semigroup theory of linear operators in the functional analysis, we prove that the system is well-posed and has a unique positive dynamic solution.
文摘Objective:To demonstrate utility and safety of the puncture aspiration injection and reospiration(PAIR)technique for outpatients.Methods:Percutaneous treatment with US guidance was applied to 33 patients for 44 cysts.Patients treated with the PAIR technique,were outpatients.PAIR and catheterization technique were evaluated for efficacy and safety of procedure and complication rates.Results:Thirty-five of 44 cysts were treated with the PAIR and 9 of 44 were treated with the catheterization technique.The success rate of the cysts Gharbi type 1(CEI)and type 2(Ct3a)treated with the PAIR technique was 1009.hi the follow up of 9 cysts treated with the catheterization technique,2 of them(22%)developed cyst infection and 1(11%)developed a biliary fistula.Conclusions:The PAIR technique was found to be an effective and safe approach in order to treat Gharbi type 1 and type 2 cysts percutaneously for outpatients.It has a very low complication rate in comparison with the catheterization technique.So every effort should be mode to finish the treatment with PAIR technique.
文摘Objective:Healthcare-seeking behavior(HSB)would affect the prevalence of morbidity and mortality.There are various factors that affect one's HSB.This study aimed to determine if health awareness and lifestyle might relate to HSB.Methods:A cross-sectional study was applied by using three questionnaires to determine par ticipants'health awareness,lifestyle,and HSB.This study took place in Universitas Advent Indonesia and the students were recruited to be par ticipants.Results:There were 39 par ticipants joined in this study.Most of the par ticipants were females,third-year students,and from Accounting major.Almost all participants were aware of their low risk of health issues,had a fine lifestyle,and had moderate HSB.Conclusions:One's urge to seek health care facilities was not related to their health awareness and lifestyle.There was no fur ther study to contradict with this finding at this moment.
文摘A μ negative metamaterial using spiral resonator (SR) with an electromagnetically coupled (EMC) feeding system is proposed as a novel antenna structure. The proposed antenna is designed and fabricated on a FR4 dielectric substrate with a thickness of 1.6 mm and relative permittivity of 4.0 to achieve its radiation characteristic. The antenna is operated at frequency 2.4 GHz. To improve the antenna gain, a matching circuit is inserted into the feed line. The µnegative metamaterial is achieved by using a spiral resonator with spiral numbers N = 3, 5, 7, and 10. It is found that the negative imaginary part tends to shift leftward as the value of N increases. The simulation result of the proposed antenna structure with spiral number N = 3, strip width w = 3.1 mm, and gap width s = 0.5 mm provides the best performance with S11 = -15 dB, VSWR < 2 bandwidth of 30 MHz and gain of –0.5 dB at frequency of 2.43 GHz. The proposed antenna with matching circuit provides the antenna gain of 2.21 dB, which is better than that without the matching circuit. The dimensions of the proposed antenna are reduced by 53% compared with those of the conventional patch. Both the simulation and measurement results of the radiation characteristics of the proposed antenna show good agreement.
文摘Energy demand will continue to rise as a result of predicted population growth. In this work, a user-friendly home energy monitoring system based on IoT is described, which is capable of collecting, analyzing, and displaying data. Users register their sensors and devices on the monitoring platform. PostgreSQL and Elasticsearch databases are used to store the resulting measurements. In a smart home, the wireless sensor ACS712 was used to monitor the flow of electricity (current and voltage) for a household device. The user can share data about electricity consumption and costs with a third party via the private IPFS (InterPlanetary File System) network. A third party can download all the energy consumption data for a device or many devices from the platform for 1 day, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year. The studies on the development of energy-efficient technology for home devices benefit greatly from the gathered data. For security in the system, it is preferred to run Keyrock Idm, Wilma Pep Proxy, and Orion Context Broker in HTTPS mode, and MQTTS is used to retrieve sensor data. The experimental results showed that the energy monitoring system accurately records voltage, current, active power, and the total amount of power used and offers low-cost solutions to the users using household devices in a day.
文摘<b>Introduction:</b> Achieving viral load suppression among the adolescents living with HIV continues to hold back attainment of sustainable development goals. TASO Mbale realized a viral load suppression rate of 63.1% among the adolescents living with HIV in care in quarter 4 of 2016. We therefore, instituted a quality imrpovement project to improve Viral load suppression from 63.1% in quarter 4 2016 to 90% by the end of quarter 4 2017. <b>Method:</b> Baseline data from the Uganda viral load dashboard were analyzed, and fishbone diagram was utilized to provide root causes of low viral load suppression among the adolescents living with HIV at TASO Mbale. The identified barriers were Knowlegde gap, among the adolescents, on positive living, Missing clinic appointments, Sub-optimal adherence, Poorly planned adolescent HIV clinic, Inadequate follow-up and Low use of data for informed decisions. A plan-do-study-act (PDSA) model was applied to implement tested changes. Strategies that worked included introduction of appointment register to track appointment behaviour of the adolescents, generating lists of clients on appointment who were due for Viral Load bleeding, telephone calls for follow up, increasing the frequency of reviewing adolescents from once a month to twice a week, committing a dedicated team responsible for adolescent care. <b>Results:</b> The viral load suppression improved from 63.1% in quarter 4 of 2016 to 63.8% in the first quarter of 2017, to 87.5% in quarter 2 of 2017, 97.6% in the third quarter and 91.4% in quarter 4 of 2017. <b>Conclusion:</b> The use of quality improvement in addressing gaps in HIV service delivery is highly effective.
文摘BACKGROUND With advancements in the treatment of chronic liver disease(CLD),including liver transplantation(LT),quality of life and satisfaction after LT have become an important issue for pediatric patients and their parents.More evidence-based information is needed to describe and assess the impact of pediatric CLD on parents and the satisfaction of parents with treatment to better understand their needs.AIM To assess the satisfaction of parents of pediatric LT patients and that of parents of pediatric CLD patients METHODS During this survey,data were collected from parents of pediatric patients who underwent LT between January 2010 and April 2017(LT group;n=91)and parents of pediatric patients with chronic liver disease(CLD group;n=94).Group comparisons were made based on the pediatric health-related quality of life(PedsQL)health care parent satisfaction scale,impact on family scale(IFS)and demographic characteristics.The PedsQL was administered to parents during a phone interview and the results were used to assess the health carerelated satisfaction of parents.The IFS was used to assess the impact of the child’s CLD status on the family.Demographic variables such as education level(elementary vs middle vs high vs university),monthly income(low vs middle vs high),and place of residence(village vs town vs city)were compared between CLD and LT parent groups.Finally,PedsQL and IFS results were also analyzed according to demographic variables.RESULTS A total of 185 parents aged 19 to 65 years were included.There were statistically significant differences between the LT and CLD groups in terms of career(P<0.001),monthly income(P=0.016),and education level(P=0.041).According to the PedsQL results,family inclusion,communication,technical skills,emotional needs,and overall satisfaction were significantly different between the groups;the LT group had consistently higher scores(P<0.001).Additionally,scores for the IFS parameters of financial impact,familial-social impact,personal strain,and total impact were consiste
