State of the art: A review

Electronic devices and instruments currently used to track animals in order to determine their migratory and navigational behavior are discussed. Passive and active transducers in use for this purpose are described. The characteristics of the data received by the transducers and the equipment used to process the data are explained

Received dose variability after administration of I-131 for treatment of hyperthyroidism in cats

Abstract Background Injectable radioactive iodine (I‐131) frequently is used to treat hyperthyroidism in cats. In human medicine, residual activity after injection of radionuclides has been reported, and the actual quantity administered is recorded after administration. Objective Our aim was to evaluate actual administered dose variability after administration of preprepared I‐131 single unit doses for the treatment of hyperthyroidism in cats. Animals Twenty‐seven cats with hyperthyroidism treated with I‐131 between April 2017 and March 2019. Methods Retrospective observational study of cats treated with preprepared single unit I‐131 doses. For each dose, the measured activity before administration and residual activity were recorded. The measured dose and the actual dose administered were compared to the prescribed dose. Results Measured activity before administration ranged from 88.4% to 103.3% of the prescribed dose. Mean residual activity was 5.2 ± 3.0 MBq (ranging from 1.5% to 15% of the prescribed dose). The actual dose administered (measured activity − residual activity) ranged from 79.1% to 100.2% of the prescribed dose. Seventeen of 28 (60.7%) of the actual administered doses differed between 10% and 20% of the prescribed dose. One administered dose had a >20% difference compared to the prescribed dose (79.10% of the prescribed dose). Conclusion and Clinical Importance Our study identified variability in the residual and actual administered activity of I‐131 as compared to the prescribed dose, which should be taken into consideration when treating cats with (predrawn) I‐131

Methodology for cokemaking technology selection for operating conditions and expansion of iron and steel works

Selection of cokemaking technology within an Iron & Steel Works (I&SW) setting is a complicated problem, involving analysis of coal quality, coke demand and supply, environmental regulations, and the plant energy balance. The methodology involves coal blend selection, preparation, charging, cokemaking and quenching technology selection to meet the blast furnaces’ coke quality requirements and the I&SW energy balance. Hatch’s mass and energy balance, OPEX, CAPEX, Energy/CO2 and Financial Models provide the client with NPV/IRR ranking and sensitivity analysis to assist in selecting the best strategy amongst by-product or heat recovery ovens, charging and quenching systems for replacement or expansion programs

Methodology for Cokemaking Technology Selection

The objective of this article is the selection of cokemaking technology within an Iron & Steel Works (I&SW), involving analysis of coal quality, coke demand and supply, environmental regulations, and the plant energy balance. The methodology involves coal blend selection, preparation, charging, cokemaking and quenching technology selection to meet the blast furnaces’ coke quality requirements and the I&SW energy balance. Hatch’s mass and energy balance, OPEX, CAPEX, Energy/CO2 and Financial Models provide the client with NPV/IRR ranking and sensitivity analysis to assist in selecting the best strategy amongst by-product or heat recovery ovens, charging and quenching systems for replacement or expansion programs. The developedmethodology was successfully applied for development of coal and cokemaking strategy, estimation of required cokemaking capacity for the metallurgical giant, which incorporates four integrated iron and steel works, two stand alone coke plant and several coal and iron ore mines. Some of Hatch’s recommendationsare already implemented and tested by the client. The optimum selection of cokemaking technologies requires a careful analysis of the I&SW and companyspecific requirements in order to develop a techno-economic analysis that will provide the optimum strategy to get the most from existing assets and to ensure competitive future coke production. Development by Hatch methodology could be successfully applied for selection and construction of green site cokemaking facilities as well as for brown field modernizations. Keywords: By-product cokemaking, heat recovery cokemaking, energy balance, financial analysi

Chandra X-Ray Study of Galactic Supernova Remnant G299.2-2.9

We report on observations of the Galactic supernova remnant (SNR) G299.2$-$2.9 with the {\it Chandra X-Ray Observatory}. The high resolution images with {\it Chandra} resolve the X-ray-bright knots, shell, and diffuse emission extending beyond the bright shell. Interior to the X-ray shell is faint diffuse emission occupying the central regions of the SNR. Spatially-resolved spectroscopy indicates a large foreground absorption ($N_{\rm H}$ $\sim$ 3.5 $\times$ 10$^{21}$ cm$^{-2}$), which supports a relatively distant location ($d$ $\sim$ 5 kpc) for the SNR. The blast wave is encountering a highly inhomogeneous ambient medium with the densities ranging over more than an order of magnitude ($n_0$ $\sim$ 0.1 $-$ 4 cm$^{-3}$). Assuming the distance of $d$ $\sim$ 5 kpc, we derive a Sedov age of $\tau$ $\sim$ 4500 yr and an explosion energy of $E_0$ $\sim$ 1.6 $\times$ 10$^{50}$ ergs. The ambient density structure and the overall morphology suggest that G299.2$-$2.9 may be a limb-brightened partial shell extending to $\sim$7 pc radius surrounded by fainter emission extending beyond that to a radius of $\sim$9 pc. This suggests the SNR exploded in a region of space where there is a density gradient whose direction lies roughly along the line of sight. The faint central region shows strong line emission from heavy elements of Si and Fe, which is caused by the presence of the overabundant stellar ejecta there. We find no evidence for stellar ejecta enriched in light elements of O and Ne. The observed abundance structure of the metal-rich ejecta supports a Type Ia origin for G299.2$-$2.9.Comment: 16 pages (AASTex emulator style), 3 Tables, 10 Figures (including 1 color: Figure 1), Accepted by Ap

Comparison of different enrichment media for the isolation of Salmonella from naturally infected slaughter pigs

The present study aimed to assess the impact of different enrichment media, Reppaport-vassiliadis (RV) broth, Rappaport-Vassiliadis Soya (RVS) broth, Diagnostic semi-solid Salmonella (DIA) agar, Simple Method Salmonella (SMS) agar, Modified Semisolid Rappaport Vassiliadis (MSRV) agar and Mueller Kauffmann Tetrathionate novobiocin (MKTTn) broth, on the detection of Salmonella as well as on the isolated serotype and genotype

Chronic recurrent ankle sprain: A randomized clinical trial studying the impact of two treatment protocols

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Identification campaign of supernova remnant candidates in the Milky Way - I: Chandra observation of G308.3-1.4

ROSAT all-sky survey (RASS) data have provided another window to search for supernova remnants (SNRs). In reexamining this data archive, a list of unidentified extended X-ray objects have been suggested as promising SNR candidate. However, most of these targets have not yet been fully explored by the state-of-art X-ray observatories. For selecting a pilot target for a long-term identification campaign, we have observed the brightest candidate, G308.3-1.4, with Chandra X-ray observatory. An incomplete shell-like X-ray structure which well-correlated with the radio shell emission at 843 MHz has been revealed. The X-ray spectrum suggests the presence of a shock-heated plasma. All these evidences confirm G308.3-1.4 as a SNR. The brightest X-ray point source detected in this field-of-view is also the one locates closest to the geometrical center of G308.3-1.4, which has a soft spectrum. The intriguing temporal variability and the identification of optical/infrared counterpart rule out the possibility of an isolated neutron star. On the other hand, the spectral energy distribution from Ks band to R band suggests a late-type star. Together with a putative periodicity of \sim1.4 hrs, the interesting excesses in V, B bands and H-alpha suggest this source as a promising candidate of a compact binary survived in a supernova explosion (SN).Comment: 19 pages, 10 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in Ap

Validity, practical utility, and reliability of the activPAL in preschool children

<p>Purpose: With the increasing global prevalence of childhood obesity, it is important to have appropriate measurement tools for investigating factors (e.g. sedentary time) contributing to positive energy balance in early childhood. For pre-school children, single unit monitors such as the activPALTM are promising. However, validation is required as activity patterns differ from adults.</p> <p>Methods: Thirty pre-school children participated in a validation study. Children were videoed for one hour undertaking usual nursery activity while wearing an activPALTM. Video (criterion method) was analyzed on a second-by-second basis to categorise posture and activity. This was compared with the corresponding activPALTM output. In a subsequent sub-study investigating practical utility and reliability, 20 children wore an activPALTM for seven consecutive 24-hour periods.</p> <p>Results: A total of 97,750 seconds of direct observation from 30 children were categorized as sit/lie (46%), stand (35%), walk (16%); with 3% of time in nonsit/lie/upright postures (e.g. crawl/crouch/kneel-up). Sensitivity for the overall total time matched seconds detected as activPALTM ‘sit/lie’ was 86.7%, specificity 97.1%, and positive predictive value (PPV) 96.3%. For individual children, the median (interquartile range) sensitivity for activPALTM sit/lie was 92.8% (76.1-97.4), specificity 97.3% (94.9-99.2), PPV 97.0% (91.5-99.1). The activPALTM underestimated total time spent sitting (mean difference -4.4%, p<0.01), and overestimated time standing (mean difference 7.1%, p<0.01). There was no difference in overall % time categorised as ‘walk’ (p=0.2). The monitors were well tolerated by children during a seven day period of free-living activity. In the reliability study, at least five days of monitoring were required to obtain an intraclass correlation coefficient of ≥0.8 for time spent sit/lie according to activPALTM output.</p> <p>Conclusion: The activPAL had acceptable validity, practical utility, and reliability for the measurement of posture and activity during freeliving activities in pre-school children.</p&gt