INCREASING THE EFFECIENCY OF LASER MARKING OFALUMINUM ALLOYS BY DOUBLE WRITING OF THE SYMBOLS

A comparison is made between samples marked by writing letters and symbols once, with these marked by twice but writing with two times greater velocity. As a consequence of the sharp decreasing of the main characteristic of the material –its reflective index, in the second case we received an enhancement of the effectiveness of the laser marking, decreasing energy use at the same time. Experimental studies have been carried out with a CuBr (copper bromide vapour) laser for specific mechanical engineering details.

Topometric indices in patients with corneal ectasia and healthy controls

Introduction: Keratoconus and marginal pelucid degeneration are bilateral, non-inflammatory diseases of the cornea, characterized by stromal thinning and progressive protrusion. They lead to a significant deterioration of the visual acuity due to irregular astigmatism. Sometimes these two conditions are hard to distinguish from one another.Aim: The aim of this article is to determine the diagnostic value of the topometric indices and their role in diagnosing corneal ectasia.Patients and Methods: Using corneal topography OCULUS Keratograph 5M, we examined 80 eyes of 43 patients with corneal ectasia and 86 eyes of 43 patients with no signs of corneal disease. We evaluated the topographic maps and the following indices generated by the device: Rv (vertical radius), Rh (horizontal radius), Kmax, ISV (index of surface variance), IVA (index of vertical asymmetry), KI (keratoconus index), CKI (center keratoconus index), RMin (minimal radius), IHA (index of height asymmetry), IHD (index of height decentration), ABR (aberration). The statistical analysis was performed by SPSS version 15 and the following test: Mann–Whitney U test and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.Results: Statistically significant difference was found for all the examined parameters p < 0.001 using 95% confidence interval. The ROC analysis determined area under the curve in the range from 0.992 for ABR and IHA to 0.927 for CKI.Conclusion: The topometric indices have excellent capabilities in differentiating ectatic from normal corneas.Purpose: To determine the diagnostic value of the topometric indices and their role in diagnosing corneal ectasia.Patients and methods: Using corneal topography OCULUS Keratograph 5M  we examined  80 eyes of 43 patients with corneal ectasia and 86 eye of 43 patients with no signs of corneal disease. We evaluated the topographic maps and the following indices generated by the device: Rv(Vertical radius), Rh (horizontal radius), Кmax, ISV (Index of Surface Variance),  IVA- (Index of Vertical Asymmetry), KI - (Keratoconus Index), CKI- (Center Keratoconus Index ), RMin (Minimal radius),IHA-(Index of Height Asymmetry), IHD- (Index of Height Decentration), ABR( Aberration). The statistical analyzis was performed by SPSS version 15 and the following test: (Mann–Whitney U test) и ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristic Analysis).Results: Statistically significant difference was found for all of the examined parameters p<0.001 using 95% confidence interval. The ROC analysis determined area under the curve in the range from 0,992 for ABR and IHA to 0,927 for CKI.Conclusion: The topometric indices have excellent capabilties in differentiating ectatic from normal corneas

Integrating Third-party Services Using Brokers in the Serious Games’ Domain

In this paper we demonstrate how to integrate 3rd party services in serious games. We use message queue broker and micro-services in a publish/subscribe manner in order to use real-time 3rd party data into a serious game’s logic. First, we discuss the benefits of service oriented architecture. Then, we analyse and compare different message queues brokers in terms of data latency, throughput, fail-tolerance and scalability for the purpose of serious games. As a sequence, we apply those best practices from other domains in the field of Serious Games (SGs). Finally, we summarize the presented ideas and comparisons and draw conclusions

Tomato STEROL GLYCOSYLTRANSFERASE 1 silencing unveils a major role of steryl glycosides in plant and fruit development

Free and glycosylated sterols localize in the plant cell plasma membrane, where in combination with other lipids regulate its structure and function. The role of glycosylated sterols in regulating membrane-associated biological processes is more relevant in plants like tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), in which glycosylated sterols are the predominant sterols. A proper ratio of free sterols versus glycosylated sterols has proven to be essential for proper plant performance in several species, but almost nothing is known in tomato. To assess the role of glycosylated sterols in tomato plant and fruit development, we generated transgenic lines of tomato cultivar Micro-Tom expressing two different amiRNAs devised to silence STEROL GLYCOSYLTRANSFERASE 1, the most actively expressed of the four genes encoding sterol glycosyltransferases in this plant. STEROL GLYCOSYLTRANSFERASE 1 gene silencing caused moderate plant dwarfism and reduced fruit size. Analysis of the profile of glycosylated sterols throughout fruit development demonstrated that the maintenance of proper levels of these compounds during the early stages of fruit development is essential for normal fruit growth, since reduced levels of glycosylated sterols trigger a transcriptional downregulatory response that affects genes involved in processes that are critical for proper fruit development, such as seed filling, cell wall extension and auxin signaling

It is time to define an organizational model for the prevention and management of infections along the surgical pathway : a worldwide cross-sectional survey

Background The objectives of the study were to investigate the organizational characteristics of acute care facilities worldwide in preventing and managing infections in surgery; assess participants' perception regarding infection prevention and control (IPC) measures, antibiotic prescribing practices, and source control; describe awareness about the global burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and IPC measures; and determine the role of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic on said awareness. Methods A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted contacting 1432 health care workers (HCWs) belonging to a mailing list provided by the Global Alliance for Infections in Surgery. The self-administered questionnaire was developed by a multidisciplinary team. The survey was open from May 22, 2021, and June 22, 2021. Three reminders were sent, after 7, 14, and 21 days. Results Three hundred four respondents from 72 countries returned a questionnaire, with an overall response rate of 21.2%. Respectively, 90.4% and 68.8% of participants stated their hospital had a multidisciplinary IPC team or a multidisciplinary antimicrobial stewardship team. Local protocols for antimicrobial therapy of surgical infections and protocols for surgical antibiotic prophylaxis were present in 76.6% and 90.8% of hospitals, respectively. In 23.4% and 24.0% of hospitals no surveillance systems for surgical site infections and no monitoring systems of used antimicrobials were implemented. Patient and family involvement in IPC management was considered to be slightly or not important in their hospital by the majority of respondents (65.1%). Awareness of the global burden of AMR among HCWs was considered very important or important by 54.6% of participants. The COVID-19 pandemic was considered by 80.3% of respondents as a very important or important factor in raising HCWs awareness of the IPC programs in their hospital. Based on the survey results, the authors developed 15 statements for several questions regarding the prevention and management of infections in surgery. The statements may be the starting point for designing future evidence-based recommendations. Conclusion Adequacy of prevention and management of infections in acute care facilities depends on HCWs behaviours and on the organizational characteristics of acute health care facilities to support best practices and promote behavioural change. Patient involvement in the implementation of IPC is still little considered. A debate on how operationalising a fundamental change to IPC, from being solely the HCWs responsibility to one that involves a collaborative relationship between HCWs and patients, should be opened.Peer reviewe

It is time to define an organizational model for the prevention and management of infections along the surgical pathway: a worldwide cross-sectional survey

Background The objectives of the study were to investigate the organizational characteristics of acute care facilities worldwide in preventing and managing infections in surgery; assess participants' perception regarding infection prevention and control (IPC) measures, antibiotic prescribing practices, and source control; describe awareness about the global burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and IPC measures; and determine the role of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic on said awareness. Methods A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted contacting 1432 health care workers (HCWs) belonging to a mailing list provided by the Global Alliance for Infections in Surgery. The self-administered questionnaire was developed by a multidisciplinary team. The survey was open from May 22, 2021, and June 22, 2021. Three reminders were sent, after 7, 14, and 21 days. Results Three hundred four respondents from 72 countries returned a questionnaire, with an overall response rate of 21.2%. Respectively, 90.4% and 68.8% of participants stated their hospital had a multidisciplinary IPC team or a multidisciplinary antimicrobial stewardship team. Local protocols for antimicrobial therapy of surgical infections and protocols for surgical antibiotic prophylaxis were present in 76.6% and 90.8% of hospitals, respectively. In 23.4% and 24.0% of hospitals no surveillance systems for surgical site infections and no monitoring systems of used antimicrobials were implemented. Patient and family involvement in IPC management was considered to be slightly or not important in their hospital by the majority of respondents (65.1%). Awareness of the global burden of AMR among HCWs was considered very important or important by 54.6% of participants. The COVID-19 pandemic was considered by 80.3% of respondents as a very important or important factor in raising HCWs awareness of the IPC programs in their hospital. Based on the survey results, the authors developed 15 statements for several questions regarding the prevention and management of infections in surgery. The statements may be the starting point for designing future evidence-based recommendations. Conclusion Adequacy of prevention and management of infections in acute care facilities depends on HCWs behaviours and on the organizational characteristics of acute health care facilities to support best practices and promote behavioural change. Patient involvement in the implementation of IPC is still little considered. A debate on how operationalising a fundamental change to IPC, from being solely the HCWs responsibility to one that involves a collaborative relationship between HCWs and patients, should be opened

Effects of hospital facilities on patient outcomes after cancer surgery: an international, prospective, observational study

Background Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide.Methods A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study-a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital.Findings Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.85 [95% CI 2.58-5.75]; p&lt;0.0001), with excess mortality predominantly explained by a limited capacity to rescue following the development of major complications (63.0% vs 82.7%; OR 0.35 [0.23-0.53]; p&lt;0.0001). Across LMICs, improvements in hospital facilities would prevent one to three deaths for every 100 patients undergoing surgery for cancer.Interpretation Hospitals with higher levels of infrastructure and resources have better outcomes after cancer surgery, independent of country income. Without urgent strengthening of hospital infrastructure and resources, the reductions in cancer-associated mortality associated with improved access will not be realised

Custom anterior segment optical coherence tomography indices for detection of corneal ectasia

Introduction: Corneal thinning and changes in the corneal thickness profile are major symptoms of corneal ectasia. The anterior segment optical coherence tomography is currently widely used, and the development of additional indices may lead to improvements in the diagnostics of keratoconus. Aim: To determine the diagnostic value of newly developed custom anterior segment OCT indices in diagnosing corneal ectasia. Patients and methods: Two sets of patients were included in the current study - healthy controls in the first and patients with corneal ectasia in the second, 80 eyes per group of 43 patients each. The groups were age- and sex-matched. Each patient underwent a standard ophthalmological examination (visual acuity, tonometry, slit lamp examination, fundus biomicroscopy), a corneal topography with OCULUS Keratograph 5M, and an anterior segment optical coherence tomography with RTVue-100. Besides the indices automatically generated by the software of the device, we measured the following custom parameters: partial corneal area (PCA), partial chamber area (PCA), and an index that reflects the relation between the two (CpC). All measurements were performed in two axial pachymetric scans, one vertical and one horizontal using the built-in software. Results: A statistically significant difference was found between the two groups (p<0.001, confidence Interval 95%) for all the proposed indices in both the vertical and the horizontal scans. The ROC analysis showed promising results for differentiation between the groups with the area under the curve (AUC) in the range from 0.892 for the vertical partial anterior chamber area to 0.984 for the vertical CpC index. Conclusions: The proposed indices can be used to differentiate between normal and ectatic corneas

NOVEL METHODS FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF CRACK PROPAGATION IN ENDODONTICALLY TREATED TEETH

Background: Vertical root fractures (VRF) can be defined as either complete or incomplete fractures that occur predominantly in endodontically treated teeth (ETT). The clinical symptoms and conventional radiographic techniques are not always accurate, which can lead to diagnostic errors. This motivated us to seek new, better techniques that can improve the prognosis and treatment of ETT with vertical fractures. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of three novel techniques: Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT), Optical Computed Tomography (OCT) and 3D Profilometry for the visualization and assessment of VRF. Methods: The study involved intact human premolars, extracted for orthodontic or periodontal reasons. The teeth were then endodontically treated and restored with prefabricated metal posts. No additional preparation of the coronal hard dental tissues was performed, apart from the access cavity. After thermocycling, their fracture resistance was evaluated in a standard testing machine. The resulted vertical fractures and crack propagation were evaluated using CBCT, OCT and 3D Profilometry. Results: The CBCT provided visualization of the tooth in three planes: axial, coronal and sagittal. Root fractures were observed at the coronal and middle 1/3 of the root. The OCT provided highly-detailed, biomicroscopic cross-sectional images of the mesial and distal root surfaces. The images, obtained with 3D Profilometry showed the surface topography and provided precise information about the width and depth of the VRF. Conclusion: All of the techniques used in this study proved to be highly informative, non-invasive and non-contact methods, suitable for the evaluation of VRF

Global variation in postoperative mortality and complications after cancer surgery: a multicentre, prospective cohort study in 82 countries

Background: 80% of individuals with cancer will require a surgical procedure, yet little comparative data exist on early outcomes in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared postoperative outcomes in breast, colorectal, and gastric cancer surgery in hospitals worldwide, focusing on the effect of disease stage and complications on postoperative mortality. Methods: This was a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of consecutive adult patients undergoing surgery for primary breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer requiring a skin incision done under general or neuraxial anaesthesia. The primary outcome was death or major complication within 30 days of surgery. Multilevel logistic regression determined relationships within three-level nested models of patients within hospitals and countries. Hospital-level infrastructure effects were explored with three-way mediation analyses. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03471494. Findings: Between April 1, 2018, and Jan 31, 2019, we enrolled 15 958 patients from 428 hospitals in 82 countries (high income 9106 patients, 31 countries; upper-middle income 2721 patients, 23 countries; or lower-middle income 4131 patients, 28 countries). Patients in LMICs presented with more advanced disease compared with patients in high-income countries. 30-day mortality was higher for gastric cancer in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (adjusted odds ratio 3·72, 95% CI 1·70–8·16) and for colorectal cancer in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (4·59, 2·39–8·80) and upper-middle-income countries (2·06, 1·11–3·83). No difference in 30-day mortality was seen in breast cancer. The proportion of patients who died after a major complication was greatest in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (6·15, 3·26–11·59) and upper-middle-income countries (3·89, 2·08–7·29). Postoperative death after complications was partly explained by patient factors (60%) and partly by hospital or country (40%). The absence of consistently available postoperative care facilities was associated with seven to 10 more deaths per 100 major complications in LMICs. Cancer stage alone explained little of the early variation in mortality or postoperative complications. Interpretation: Higher levels of mortality after cancer surgery in LMICs was not fully explained by later presentation of disease. The capacity to rescue patients from surgical complications is a tangible opportunity for meaningful intervention. Early death after cancer surgery might be reduced by policies focusing on strengthening perioperative care systems to detect and intervene in common complications. Funding: National Institute for Health Research Global Health Research Unit