Synthesis and characterization of copoly (amide-imide-sulfonamides)

Commercially available aromatic diamines such as 4,4\u27-oxydianiline and 4,4\u27-methylenedianiline were treated with N-acetamidobenzenesulfonyl chloride to give the amino-sulfonamido-acetanilide derivatives. These derivatives were treated with 6M hydrochloric acid to give the demine monomers containing a preformed sulfonamide linkage. These monomers were polymerized with various bisimide diacids using the Yamazaki reaction. Polymerizations involving a low temperature solution technique were also investigated. The polymers obtained were characterized using infrared spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and dilute solution viscosity. Inherent viscosities of the prepared polymers ranged from 0.08 to 0.54 dL/gm. In spite of low inherent viscosities, the polymers had film forming properties, with all but one being clear, flexible, and slightly colored. Glass transition temperatures, determined by differential scanning calorimetry, ranged from 266 to 324°C. Thermogravimetric analyses of the polymers showed that they have moderate thermal stability with polymer decomposition temperatures ranging from 361 to 417°C and weight losses ranging from 4.13% to 11.28% at 360°C in nitrogen

Total prostatectomy as a treatment for prostatic carcinoma in 25 dogs

Objective: To describe the complications and outcome after total prostatectomy in dogs with histologically confirmed prostatic carcinoma. Study Design: Multi-institutional retrospective case series. Animals: 25 client-owned dogs. Methods: Medical records of dogs undergoing total prostatectomy were reviewed from 2004 to 2016. Data retrieved included signalment, presenting signs, preoperative clinical findings, laboratory data, diagnostic imaging, surgical technique, histologic diagnosis, postoperative complications, occurrence of postoperative metastasis, and survival. Results: Twenty-five dogs underwent total prostatectomy for prostatic carcinoma. Urinary anastomotic techniques included urethrourethral anastomosis in 14 dogs, cystourethral anastomosis in 9 dogs, ureterocolonic anastomosis in 1 dog, and anastomosis between the bladder neck and penile urethra in 1 dog. All dogs survived to discharge. Fifteen dogs were diagnosed with transitional cell carcinoma, 8 dogs with prostatic adenocarcinoma, 1 with prostatic cystadenocarcinoma, and 1 with an undifferentiated carcinoma. Permanent postoperative urinary incontinence was present in 8 of 23 dogs. The median survival time was shorter in dogs with extracapsular tumor extension compared with those with intracapsular tumors. The overall median survival time was 231 days (range, 24-1255), with 1- and 2-year survival rates equal to 32% and 12%, respectively. Conclusion and Clinical Significance: Total prostatectomy, combined with adjunct therapies, prolongs survival and lowers complication rates compared to previous reports of dogs with prostatic carcinoma. It should be noted, however, that case selection likely played a significant role in postoperative outcome

Violation of Casimir Scaling for Static QCD Potential at Three-loop Order

We compute the full ${\cal O}(\alpha_s^4)$ and ${\cal O}(\alpha_s^4\log\alpha_s)$ corrections to the potential $V_R(r)$ between the static color sources, where $V_R(r)$ is defined from the Wilson loop in a general representation $R$ of a general gauge group $G$. We find a violation of the Casimir scaling of the potential, for the first time, at ${\cal O}(\alpha_s^4)$. The effect of the Casimir scaling violation is predicted to reduce the tangent of $V_R(r)/C_R$ proportionally to specific color factors dependent on $R$. We study the sizes of the Casimir scaling violation for various $R$'s in the case $G=SU(3)$. We find that they are well within the present bounds from lattice calculations, in the distance region where both perturbative and lattice computations of $V_R(r)$ are valid. We also discuss how to test the Casimir scaling violating effect.Comment: 20 pages, 7 figures, v2: a typo in eq.(13) correcte

Measurement of νˉμ\bar{\nu}_{\mu} and νμ\nu_{\mu} charged current inclusive cross sections and their ratio with the T2K off-axis near detector

We report a measurement of cross section $\sigma(\nu_{\mu}+{\rm nucleus}\rightarrow\mu^{-}+X)$ and the first measurements of the cross section $\sigma(\bar{\nu}_{\mu}+{\rm nucleus}\rightarrow\mu^{+}+X)$ and their ratio $R(\frac{\sigma(\bar \nu)}{\sigma(\nu)})$ at (anti-)neutrino energies below 1.5 GeV. We determine the single momentum bin cross section measurements, averaged over the T2K $\bar{\nu}/\nu$-flux, for the detector target material (mainly Carbon, Oxygen, Hydrogen and Copper) with phase space restricted laboratory frame kinematics of $\theta_{\mu}$500 MeV/c. The results are $\sigma(\bar{\nu})=\left( 0.900\pm0.029{\rm (stat.)}\pm0.088{\rm (syst.)}\right)\times10^{-39}$ and $\sigma(\nu)=\left( 2.41\ \pm0.022{\rm{(stat.)}}\pm0.231{\rm (syst.)}\ \right)\times10^{-39}$in units of cm$^{2}$/nucleon and$R\left(\frac{\sigma(\bar{\nu})}{\sigma(\nu)}\right)= 0.373\pm0.012{\rm (stat.)}\pm0.015{\rm (syst.)}$.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figure

Rapid tests and urine sampling techniques for the diagnosis of urinary tract infection (UTI) in children under five years: a systematic review

Background: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common sources of infection in children under five. Prompt diagnosis and treatment is important to reduce the risk of renal scarring. Rapid, cost-effective, methods of UTI diagnosis are required as an alternative to culture. Methods: We conducted a systematic review to determine the diagnostic accuracy of rapid tests for detecting UTI in children under five years of age. Results: The evidence supports the use of dipstick positive for both leukocyte esterase and nitrite (pooled LR+ = 28.2, 95% CI: 17.3, 46.0) or microscopy positive for both pyuria and bacteriuria (pooled LR+ = 37.0, 95% CI: 11.0, 125.9) to rule in UTI. Similarly dipstick negative for both LE and nitrite (Pooled LR- = 0.20, 95% CI: 0.16, 0.26) or microscopy negative for both pyuria and bacteriuria (Pooled LR- = 0.11, 95% CI: 0.05, 0.23) can be used to rule out UTI. A test for glucose showed promise in potty-trained children. However, all studies were over 30 years old. Further evaluation of this test may be useful. Conclusion: Dipstick negative for both LE and nitrite or microscopic analysis negative for both pyuria and bacteriuria of a clean voided urine, bag, or nappy/pad specimen may reasonably be used to rule out UTI. These patients can then reasonably be excluded from further investigation, without the need for confirmatory culture. Similarly, combinations of positive tests could be used to rule in UTI, and trigger further investigation

Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) and Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) Conceptual Design Report Volume 2: The Physics Program for DUNE at LBNF

The Physics Program for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) at the Fermilab Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) is described

On the Analysis of Genome-Wide Association Studies in Family-Based Designs: A Universal, Robust Analysis Approach and an Application to Four Genome-Wide Association Studies

For genome-wide association studies in family-based designs, we propose a new, universally applicable approach. The new test statistic exploits all available information about the association, while, by virtue of its design, it maintains the same robustness against population admixture as traditional family-based approaches that are based exclusively on the within-family information. The approach is suitable for the analysis of almost any trait type, e.g. binary, continuous, time-to-onset, multivariate, etc., and combinations of those. We use simulation studies to verify all theoretically derived properties of the approach, estimate its power, and compare it with other standard approaches. We illustrate the practical implications of the new analysis method by an application to a lung-function phenotype, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) in 4 genome-wide association studies