Cutaneous manifestations in COVID-19

Despite of primarily infecting the respiratory tract, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may have an extensive extrapulmonary clinical manifestations, including the integumen system. Cutaneous manifestations of COVID-19 are polymorphic, hence it can be confused with any other identical lesions caused by other agents. This literature review concludes the cutaneous manifestations which can be found in COVID-19. COVID-19 may manifest as maculopapular rash, urticaria, vesicular lesions, covid toes, and livedo recamosa. Some of these cutaneous manifestations may have a significant prognostic value for diagnosing COVID-19. Although COVID-19 role in the integumen system is poorly understood, proper identification are needed to distinguish these lesions from different etiological agents.  

Application of digital control to a magnetic model suspension and balance model

The feasibility of using a digital computer for performing the automatic control functions for a magnetic suspension and balance system (MSBS) for use with wind tunnel models was investigated. Modeling was done using both a prototype MSBS and a one dimensional magnetic balance. A microcomputer using the Intel 8080 microprocessor is described and results are given using this microprocessor to control the one dimensional balance. Hybrid simulations for one degree of freedom of the MSBS were also performed and are reported. It is concluded that use of a digital computer to control the MSBS is eminently feasible and should extend both the accuracy and utility of the system

WATER SEPARATION PROCESS

To reduce the amount of high quality energy utilized in removing water from a dilute ethanol solution, a two-stage process is used. The first stage removes eighty-five percent of the water using a low temperature apparatus and process and the remainder of the energy is removed by any of the other conventional processes. In the first stage, anhydrous sodium sulfate is dissolved in a dilute aqueous solution of 10 weight percent alcohol at approximately thirty degrees centrigrade. The solution is cooled to approximately twenty degrees centrigrade, at which temperature decahydrate crystals of sodium sulfate precipitate from the solution are removed. The solution is increased to a value in excess of 45% of alcohol which requires removal of approximately 82 percent of the water in the form of crystals. The crystals are dried to the anhydrous state at substantially room temperature and reused

Atomic Hydrogen Cleaning of Polarized GaAs Photocathodes

Atomic hydrogen cleaning followed by heat cleaning at 450$^\circ$C was used to prepare negative-electron-affinity GaAs photocathodes. When hydrogen ions were eliminated, quantum efficiencies of 15% were obtained for bulk GaAs cathodes, higher than the results obtained using conventional 600$^\circ$C heat cleaning. The low-temperature cleaning technique was successfully applied to thin, strained GaAs cathodes used for producing highly polarized electrons. No depolarization was observed even when the optimum cleaning time of about 30 seconds was extended by a factor of 100

Developing Rich Language Learning Environment Material to Support Literacy Skills of the Fourth Grade Students of Primary Schools in Bali Province

This study aimed at developing rich language learning materials to support literacy skills of grade 4 students in Bali province. Research and Development (R&D) design was employed in this study. There were 6 primary schools involved and the data were collected through document study, observation, questionnaire, and test. The findings show that the literacy coverage of English language learning for grade 4 students includes reading simple descriptive texts and writing simple and meaningful descriptive sentence. The rich language learning environment (RLLE) material were developed in various texts such as topical vocabulary, grammar focus, everyday expression, language game, and stories need to be developed. The quality of the developed RLLE material is good based on the result of the expert jugdments and the result of questionnaires. The RLLE material was effective to support grade 4 students' literacy skills based on the result of statistical analysis on the literacy skills. The post-test result was significantly higher than the pre-test scores. Thus, the RLLE material is recommended to be used as suplementary material to support students' literacy skills of grade 4 in Balinese elementary schools

Melioidosis: an emerging infection in Taiwan?

From January 1982 to May 2000, 17 infections caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei were diagnosed in 15 patients in Taiwan; almost all the infections were diagnosed from 1994 to May 2000. Of the 15 patients, 9 (60%) had underlying diseases, and 10 (67%) had bacteremic pneumonia. Thirteen (76%) episodes of infection were considered indigenous. Four patients died of melioidosis. Seventeen B. pseudomallei isolates, recovered from eight patients from November 1996 to May 2000, were analyzed to determine their in vitro susceptibilities to 14 antimicrobial agents, cellular fatty acid and biochemical reaction profiles, and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA patterns. Eight strains (highly related isolates) were identified. All isolates were arabinose non-assimilators and were susceptible to amoxicillin-clavulanate, piperacillin-tazobactam, imipenem, and meropenem. No spread of the strain was documented

Structure and energetics of the Si-SiO_2 interface

Silicon has long been synonymous with semiconductor technology. This unique role is due largely to the remarkable properties of the Si-SiO_2 interface, especially the (001)-oriented interface used in most devices. Although Si is crystalline and the oxide is amorphous, the interface is essentially perfect, with an extremely low density of dangling bonds or other electrically active defects. With the continual decrease of device size, the nanoscale structure of the silicon/oxide interface becomes more and more important. Yet despite its essential role, the atomic structure of this interface is still unclear. Using a novel Monte Carlo approach, we identify low-energy structures for the interface. The optimal structure found consists of Si-O-Si "bridges" ordered in a stripe pattern, with very low energy. This structure explains several puzzling experimental observations.Comment: LaTex file with 4 figures in GIF forma

Xenon improves neurologic outcome and reduces secondary injury following trauma in an in vivo model of traumatic brain injury

Objectives: To determine the neuroprotective efficacy of the inert gas xenon following traumatic brain injury and to determine whether application of xenon has a clinically relevant therapeutic time window. Design: Controlled animal study. Setting: University research laboratory. Subjects: Male C57BL/6N mice (n = 196). Interventions: Seventy-five percent xenon, 50% xenon, or 30% xenon, with 25% oxygen (balance nitrogen) treatment following mechanical brain lesion by controlled cortical impact. Measurements and Main Results: Outcome following trauma was measured using 1) functional neurologic outcome score, 2) histological measurement of contusion volume, and 3) analysis of locomotor function and gait. Our study shows that xenon treatment improves outcome following traumatic brain injury. Neurologic outcome scores were significantly (p < 0.05) better in xenon-treated groups in the early phase (24 hr) and up to 4 days after injury. Contusion volume was significantly (p < 0.05) reduced in the xenon-treated groups. Xenon treatment significantly (p < 0.05) reduced contusion volume when xenon was given 15 minutes after injury or when treatment was delayed 1 or 3 hours after injury. Neurologic outcome was significantly (p < 0.05) improved when xenon treatment was given 15 minutes or 1 hour after injury. Improvements in locomotor function (p < 0.05) were observed in the xenon-treated group, 1 month after trauma. Conclusions: These results show for the first time that xenon improves neurologic outcome and reduces contusion volume following traumatic brain injury in mice. In this model, xenon application has a therapeutic time window of up to at least 3 hours. These findings support the idea that xenon may be of benefit as a neuroprotective treatment in patients with brain trauma