Dynamic behavior assessment of public buildings in Syria using non-linear time-history analysis and ambient noise measurements: a case study

This study evaluates the dynamic behavior and performance of vital reinforced concrete (RC) public building [Ministry of Higher Education (MHE)] designed in compliance with the old Syrian (non-seismic) building code. The real non-linear dynamic behavior of the MHE building has been checked by detailed dynamic numerical analyses (finite elements method—FEM) validated by a series of ambient noise measurements carried out on-site. The modeling approach for the thorough 3D dynamic analyses of the (RC) MHE building has been developed to be able to investigate the actual non-linear dynamic performance of widespread range of RC structures, providing the opportunity to set up a reliable detailed methodology to assess the real dynamic performance of the old vital structures designed according to the old Syrian (non-seismic) building code from the new seismic requirements perspective. The results of the frequency analyses, the nonlinear time history, and the experimental measurements have shown an excellent agreement. The study showed that the modeling approach by the FEM is reliable for predicting the actual dynamic behavior of RC structures, but it is very sensitive to the modeling assumptions. Furthermore, the dynamic performance analyses have revealed unsymmetrical behavior of the east–west wings about the Y-axis which could be attributed to the inefficient seismic rehabilitation executed in 2001

Investigation the nonlinear optical properties of silver nanoparticles using femtosecond laser

© 2020 Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd. In this research, the fabrication of silver nanoparticles and experimental nonlinear response (NLO). The fabrication of the silver nanoparticles has been done using E-Beam evaporation on a glass substrate (Ag-NPs) and investigation of their nonlinear optical response (NLO). The silver nanoparticles was evaluated by optical spectrum (UV-Vis) that shows localized surface Plasmon band at 375 nm. The experiment shows the nonlinear absorption and nonlinear refraction effect of silver nanoparticles, the silver nanoparticles is analysed by Z-Scan technique using a femtoseconds laser with 800 nm wavelength. The result shows the nonlinear absorption (NLA) is at 4.8710-4cmW-1, while (NLR) is at 7.9410-9cmW-1

Reprogramming of hepatic fat accumulation and 'browning' of adipose tissue by the short-chain fatty acid acetate

Background/Objectives: Short-chain fatty acids, produced by microbiome fermentation of carbohydrates, have been linked to a reduction in appetite, body weight and adiposity. However, determining the contribution of central and peripheral mechanisms to these effects has not been possible. Subjects/Methods:C57BL/6 mice fed with either normal or high-fat diet were treated with nanoparticle-delivered acetate, and the effects on metabolism were investigated. Results:In the liver, acetate decreased lipid accumulation and improved hepatic function, as well as increasing mitochondrial efficiency. In white adipose tissue, it inhibited lipolysis and induced 'browning', increasing thermogenic capacity that led to a reduction in body adiposity. Conclusions:This study provides novel insights into the peripheral mechanism of action of acetate, independent of central action, including ‘browning’ and enhancement of hepatic mitochondrial function

Global respiratory syncytial virus–related infant community deaths

Background Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of pediatric death, with >99% of mortality occurring in low- and lower middle-income countries. At least half of RSV-related deaths are estimated to occur in the community, but clinical characteristics of this group of children remain poorly characterized. Methods The RSV Global Online Mortality Database (RSV GOLD), a global registry of under-5 children who have died with RSV-related illness, describes clinical characteristics of children dying of RSV through global data sharing. RSV GOLD acts as a collaborative platform for global deaths, including community mortality studies described in this supplement. We aimed to compare the age distribution of infant deaths <6 months occurring in the community with in-hospital. Results We studied 829 RSV-related deaths <1 year of age from 38 developing countries, including 166 community deaths from 12 countries. There were 629 deaths that occurred <6 months, of which 156 (25%) occurred in the community. Among infants who died before 6 months of age, median age at death in the community (1.5 months; IQR: 0.8−3.3) was lower than in-hospital (2.4 months; IQR: 1.5−4.0; P < .0001). The proportion of neonatal deaths was higher in the community (29%, 46/156) than in-hospital (12%, 57/473, P < 0.0001). Conclusions We observed that children in the community die at a younger age. We expect that maternal vaccination or immunoprophylaxis against RSV will have a larger impact on RSV-related mortality in the community than in-hospital. This case series of RSV-related community deaths, made possible through global data sharing, allowed us to assess the potential impact of future RSV vaccines

Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging of articular cartilage and meniscus during osteoarthritis progression:experimental and clinical feasibility of novel MRI methods

Abstract Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common degenerative joint disease, causing joint pain and functional disability in millions of people worldwide. OA is characterized by the progressive loss of articular cartilage and involves the whole joint including articular cartilage, meniscus, subchondral bone and synovium. Despite great success in modern medicine, there is still no effective treatment to prevent or cure OA. This is largely due to the absence of a reliable and sensitive biomarker that is able to identify early OA and follow up the disease progression. Early diagnosis of OA can lead the way to appropriate interventions that can potentially avoid the onset or progression of OA. Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI) has been indirectly associated with the compositional changes and biomechanical properties of articular cartilage and meniscus. In addition to T1 and T2 relaxation time measurements, rotating frame of reference (RFR) relaxation parameters were found to be sensitive to the degenerative changes in articular cartilage and meniscus. The RFR parameters involve spin-locking irradiation, which can be modified to provide multiple relaxation methods such as continuous-wave T1ρ (CWT1ρ), adiabatic T1ρ (AdT1ρ), adiabatic T2ρ (AdT2ρ) and relaxation along a fictitious field (TRAFF). The aim of this thesis was to investigate the potential of qMRI parameters (T1, T2, CWT1ρ, AdT1ρ, AdT2ρ, TRAFF) for the assessment of structural and compositional changes in articular cartilage in a rabbit model of early OA and an equine model of post-traumatic OA. Biomechanical properties and histology were used as references. Moreover, the clinical feasibility of AdT1ρ and AdT2ρ for the evaluation of structural changes in meniscus was studied in human OA. Compared to other qMRI parameters, T1, CWT1ρ and AdT1ρ were more sensitive to the degenerative cartilage changes in both the rabbit model of early OA and the equine model of post-traumatic OA. The parameters were highly associated with cartilage tissue properties. Furthermore, AdT1ρ and AdT2ρ detected meniscus tissue alterations associated with meniscal tear and full-thickness cartilage lesions in human OA. These findings indicate the potential of T1, CWT1ρ and AdT1ρ mapping for the evaluation of early OA changes in articular cartilage, and clinical feasibility of AdT1ρ and AdT2ρ for the assessment of meniscus.Tiivistelmä Nivelrikko on yleisin nivelten sairaus, joka aiheuttaa huomattavaa kipua ja liikkumisvaikeuksia miljoonille ihmisille ympäri maailmaa. Nivelrikossa nivelrusto ohenee, mutta sairaus vaikuttaa koko niveleen ja kaikkiin sen kudoksiin, nivelrustoon, nivelkierukoihin, rustonalaiseen luuhun ja nivelkapseliin. Huolimatta nykylääketieteen saavutuksista, nivelrikkoa parantavaa tai estävää hoitoa ei ole olemassa. Merkittävä syy tehokkaiden hoitojen puuttumiseen on luotettavien ja herkkien nivelrikon diagnosointimenetelmien puute. Tällaisilla menetelmillä voitaisiin tunnistaa varhaisvaiheen nivelrikko ja seurata luotettavasti sen etenemistä. Varhainen diagnoosi mahdollistaisi paremmin nivelrikon etenemisen ennaltaehkäisyn, ja sitä kautta sen hidastamisen tai jopa pysäyttämisen kokonaan. Kvantitatiivisen magneettikuvauksen avulla voidaan epäsuorasti havainnoida muutoksia nivelruston ja nivelkierukoiden rakenteellisissa sekä toiminnallisissa ominaisuuksissa. T1- ja T2-relaksaatioaikamittausten ohella niin kutsuttujen pyörivän koordinaatiston relaksaatioparametrien on havaittu olevan herkkiä nivelruston ja nivelkierukoiden degeneratiivisille muutoksille. Pyörivän koordinaatiston parametrien mittauksessa käytettyä spin-lukko-pulssia voidaan muuttaa ja siten tuottaa erilaisia kontrasteja, kuten jatkuvan aallon T1ρ (CW-T1ρ), adiabaattinen T1ρ (AdT1ρ), adiabaattinen T2ρ (AdT2ρ) ja fiktiivisen kentän relaksaatio (TRAFF). Väitöskirjatyön tavoitteena oli selvittää kvantitatiivisten magneettikuvausparametrien (T1, T2, CWT1ρ, AdT1ρ, AdT2ρ ja TRAFF) potentiaalia kanin varhaisen nivelrikon ja ponin traumaperäisen nivelrikon tautimalleissa. Nivelruston biomekaanisia ominaisuuksia ja histologiaa käytettiin verrokkimenetelminä. Väitöskirjatyössä selvitettiin AdT 1ρ:n ja AdT2ρ:n kliinistä soveltuvuutta nivelkierukan rakenteellisten ominaisuuksien arviointiin ihmisillä. Muihin magneettikuvausparametreihin verrattuna T1, CWT1ρ sekä AdT1ρ olivat herkimpiä degeneratiivisille muutoksille kanin ja ponin tautimalleissa. Nivelkierukassa AdT1ρ ja AdT2ρ havaitsivat kudosmuutoksia, jotka liittyivät nivelkierukan repeämiseen ja nivelrustovaurioihin ihmisen nivelrikossa. Väitöskirjatyön havainnot osoittavat, että T1, CWT1ρ sekä AdT1ρ ovat potentiaalisia menetelmiä varhaisen nivelrikon aiheuttamien rustomuutosten havaitsemiseen sekä AdT1ρ ja AdT2ρ kliinisesti soveltuvia nivelkierukan arviointiin

Prevalence of arsenic exposure and skin lesions. A population based survey in Matlab, Bangladesh

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To assess prevalence of arsenic exposure through drinking water and skin lesions, and their variation by geographical area, age, sex, and socioeconomic conditions. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Skin lesion cases were identified by screening the entire population above 4 years of age (n = 166,934) living in Matlab, a rural area in Bangladesh, during January 2002 and August 2003. The process of case identification involved initial skin examinations in the field, followed by verification by physicians in a clinic, and final confirmation by two independent experts reviewing photographs. The tubewell water arsenic concentrations (n = 13,286) were analysed by atomic absorption spectrometry. Drinking water history since 1970 was obtained for each person. Exposure information was constructed using drinking water histories and data on water arsenic concentrations. MAIN RESULTS: The arsenic concentrations ranged from <1 to 3644 microg/l, and more than 70% of functioning tubewells exceeded the World Health Organisation guideline of 10 microg/l. Arsenic exposure had increased steadily from 1970s to the late 1990s, afterwards a decrease could be noted. In total, 504 skin lesions cases were identified, and the overall crude prevalence was 3/1000. Women had significantly higher cumulative exposure to arsenic, while men had significantly higher prevalence of skin lesions (SMR 158, 95% CI 133 to 188). The highest prevalence occurred in 35-44 age groups for both sexes. Arsenic exposure and skin lesions had a positive association with socioeconomic groups and achieved educational level. CONCLUSIONS: The result showed sex, age, and socioeconomic differentials in both exposure and skin lesions. Findings clearly showed the urgency of effective arsenic mitigation activities