Numerical investigation of Liquefaction Mitigation in-Sandy Soils under Earthquake Loading Using Vertical Gravel Drains.

Liquefaction is one of the most dramatic defects of granular soil. This phenomenon is mostly observed when loose sand is subjected to a dynamic load or earthquake. In this study, the liquefaction that affected the loose soil evaluated, and some recommendations are introduced. (2-D) Numerical analysis using Plaxis (8.2) was conducted to simulate the behavior of the loose soil under dynamic loads. The studied model was carried out on multi-layers soil supported by stone columns subjected to dynamic loads. It was found that stone columns enhanced the soil behavior and reduced the damage that occurred. Liquefaction of the loose soil could be constrained by increasing the shearing parameters of the soil. The damages of a dynamic load are time-dependent, so the corresponding damage increases as the time of the applied dynamic load increases. Moreover, the many straining actions are evaluated, and a comparative study is introduced, such as access pore water pressure, total vertical displacement, deformation of soil, and velocity

Association between the polymorphisms of matrix metalloproteinases 9 and 3 genes and risk of myocardial infarction in Egyptian patients

Abstract The present study investigated the relationship between the genetic polymorphisms in MMP-9 and MMP-3 genes and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We examined 40 patients with acute myocardial infarction and 40 age and sex matched controls for MMP-9 functional promoter polymorphism (1562 C > T) and MMP-3 (5A/6A) deletion/insertion polymorphism using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) for amplified genomic DNA. The frequencies of the combined mutant genotypes CT and TT in the (1562 C > T) MMP9 were significantly higher in AMI patients (20%) when compared to the controls (0%) (p value = 0.005) showing an association between these genotypes and AMI. Also there was a significant difference between 5A/5A genotype and 5A allele frequencies when both are compared in the patients (25% and 35%) and the controls (2.5% and 18.75%) (p= 0.009; OR =13; CI= 1.576–107.233); and (p=0.02; OR =2.333, CI= 1.130–4.820) respectively. In conclusion, the 1562C> T polymorphism of the MMP9 gene is strongly associated with acute myocardial infarction in the Egyptian population. Furthermore, our study supported the presence of the 5A/5A genotype of MMP3 gene promoter polymorphism as a risk factor of AMI in Egyptian patients. Meanwhile, the race selection should be paid more attention since the pathogenesis of a disease might have different bases in different racial population groups.Keywords: Matrix metalloproteinase; 1562C>T; 5A/6A; RFLP; Myocardial infarctionThe Egyptian Journal of Medical Human Genetics (2013) 14, 143–14

The impact of social media in business growth and performance: A scientometrics analysis

The purpose of this research is to investigate the status and the evolution of the scientific studies on the applications of social media in the business. The present research is an applied scientific method based on quantitative approach by using library method and scientometrics indicators. With the use of bibliometric library of R software, scientific products in the field of social media applications in business from 2005 to the end of January 2019, the study overviews trends and achievements of this field. The results show that from the beginning of 2005 through January 2019, 2682 articles have been indexed in Web of Science in the field of social media and business; however, since 2009, scientific productions in this topic have grown rapidly and in 2017, there was a substantial increase in the number of studies. The findings also show that the United States with 1269 published articles and the Business Horizons Magazine with the publication of 73 articles, pioneered in the publications of this topic. Analyzing the content of the works produced in the applications of the social media and businesses can help us better understand the growth trend in this area

Echocardiographic Parameters of Severity in Isolated Neonatal Patent Ductus Arteriosus

Background: A hemodynamically-significant patent ductus arteriosus (hsPDA) compromises the early neonatal transition. There is no general agreement on echocardiographic indicators of hsPDA that can predict clinical decompensation. Aim of the Work: We aimed to assess echocardiographic parameters that are associated with the isolated PDA effects on hemodynamics, which could help in subsequent management decision making. Materials and Methods: We conducted a prospective observational analytical study on 50 neonates with isolated PDA and 20 controls. They underwent clinical and echocardiographic assessment at 48 hours of age, after another 48-72 hours and prior to discharge. Results: No correlation was found between PDA diameter and weight (p=0.72), length (p=0.11), Body surface area (BSA) (p=0.33), gestational age (p=0.13). A strong association of PDA-related hemodynamic instability was found with pulmonary hypertension (p=<0.01 & 0.05 for initial and latter studies). Left atrium diameter (LA) Z-score was higher among cases, correlated with PDA size in the 3 echocardiographic studies (p=0.001, 0.001 and 0.007 respectively), and correlated with hemodynamic instability in the initial study (p=0.03). Diameter of descending aorta at level of diaphragm and pulmonary flow/systemic flow ratio (Qp:Qs) correlated with PDA diameter in the latter 2 studies (p=0.001). Main pulmonary artery and left pulmonary artery (LPA) Z-scores were correlated with PDA size at the initial and follow-up studies as expected (p=0.001, 0.047 & 0.047; and p=0.004, 0.018 & 0.032, respectively). LPA Z-score correlated with hemodynamic instability at the follow-up study (p=0.005), which was not sustained at the subsequent study. Conclusion: Pulmonary hypertension, larger LA Z-score and LPA Z-scores are important early (at 48 hours) associations of a hsPDA and hemodynamic instability

Progressive fibrosing interstitial lung diseases: current practice in diagnosis and management

Objective: Some patients with interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) other than idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) develop a progressive fibrosing phenotype. We investigated the diagnosis and management of non-IPF ILDs using data from a survey of physicians and from US insurance claims. Methods: Pulmonologists, rheumatologists and internists in France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, UK and US who had managed ≥10 patients with non-IPF ILDs in the past year, including those with progressive fibrosing ILDs, completed an online survey. Data on US insurance and prescription claims were obtained from a repository that aggregates data on claims routed from providers or pharmacies to payers. Results: In May–June 2017, 243 pulmonologists, 203 rheumatologists and 40 internists completed an online survey. Respondents estimated that 18–32% of patients diagnosed with non-IPF ILDs develop progressive fibrosis and that time from symptom onset to death in these patients was 61–80 months. Drug treatment was given to 50–75% of patients with non-IPF progressive fibrosing ILDs. Reasons for patients not being treated included that physicians considered patients to have mild or slowly progressing disease, or did not believe that available treatments are effective or well tolerated. Corticosteroids were the preferred first-line treatment for all types of non-IPF ILD. There was considerable heterogeneity in preferences for second- and third-line treatments. US insurance claims data from 3823 patients indicated that, in 2016, 50–75% of patients with ILDs received drug treatment (mostly corticosteroids) for their ILD. Conclusions: Physicians estimate that 18–32% of patients diagnosed with non-IPF ILDs develop a progressive fibrosing phenotype and that these patients experience significant delays in the diagnosis of ILD and the detection of progressive fibrosis. Between 25% and 50% of patients with progressive fibrosing ILDs do not receive drug therapy. There is an unmet need for effective and well tolerated treatments for progressive fibrosing ILDs

What Can Your Food Do For You? (And Should FDA Let It?): An Overview of the Regulatory Regime (or Lack Thereof) Surrounding Functional Foods

Foods that provide a health benefit beyond basic nutrition, otherwise known as &acirc;&euro;&oelig;functional foods,&acirc;&euro; may hold the key to better short- and long-term health for many Americans. In recent years, American consumers have grown more and more interested in the possibility of using foods, along with the traditional healthcare system, to promote well-being, reduce the risks of disease, and lower overall costs of care. In response, the food industry and, increasingly, the biotechnology industry have developed and marketed more and more products purporting to be functional foods of one type or another, making myriad claims as to their effects on health or the human body. The problem is that, unlike in Japan where there is a formalized regulatory system for approving the separate category of functional foods, the United States Food and Drug Administration does not even recognize the term. Instead, the FDA approves or rejects such products on a case-by-case basis under one of its currently existing regulatory categories, including conventional foods, dietary supplements, medical foods, foods for special dietary use, or, if necessary, drugs. The current regime, marked by a multitude of available labeling claims, all with different substantiation standards, as well as multiple federal agencies exercising regulatory control, lacks consistency and promotes both consumer and manufacturer confusion. Moreover, the lines between the current regulatory categories are blurry, and some are viewed as more favorable to manufacturers than others, which creates incentives for the marketing of products under regulatory categories to which they do not truthfully belong. This can lead to claims being made directly to consumers that are misleading, inaccurate or unsubstantiated. In order to take advantage of the enormous benefits that foods can provide and the potential for a vast amount of quality consumer education through food labeling, significant changes must be made to the current regulatory system surrounding functional foods

Monitoring Temperature Profile and Drying Kinetics of Thin-Layer Banana Slices under Controlled Forced Convection Conditions

The drying kinetics of banana slices were examined in a forced convection dryer using an infrared camera to monitor the temperature profile and drying kinetics under control conditions. The air temperature was tested at 40 °C, 50 °C, 60 °C, and 70 °C and the air velocity at 0.2 m/s, 0.5 m/s, and 0.75 m/s, with initial moisture contents of the banana ranging from 76–80% wet basis. The thicknesses of the banana slices being dried were 2, 4, 6, and 8 mm. The optimum drying conditions for the highest drying rate and best color were found to be a temperature of 70 °C, an air velocity of 0.75 m/s, a low relative humidity of 5 to 7%, and banana slices with a thickness of 2 mm. As the air temperature increased, the drying rate and shrinkage also increased. Shrinkage varies concerning moisture loss, and the reduction in radial dimension of banana slices was around 17–23% from the original slice before drying. An empirical mathematical equation was derived by applying the technique of multiple linear regression analysis to the whole dataset of the many experiments of the experimental work. The moisture diffusivity was between 7.88 × 10−10 to 1.04 × 10−10 m2/s, and the average activated energy of the banana was 34.29 kJ/mol. The experimental data were used to fit the drying models. The Midilli model was predicted to produce the closest results to the experimental data