Cardiovascular magnetic resonance and right ventricular angiography in assessment of right ventricular volumes, function and wall motion abnormalities in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy: a comparative study

Background: Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is an inherited cardiomyopathy characterised by structural changes to mostly the right ventricle (RV) that predisposes to ventricular arrhythmias heart failure and sudden cardiac death. ARVC is diagnosed using the 2010 Task Force Criteria which include RV angiography (RVA) and cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). There has been a dearth of studies to document the comparison of the performance of CMR and RVA, and none undertaken in Africa. The aim of this study was to compare CMR and RVA in the assessment of ARVC in the South African ARVC registry. Methods: The study is a retrospective analysis of definite, possible and borderline ARVC cases from the South African ARVC registry and the African Cardiomyopathy and Myocarditis Registry Program (IMHOTEP) that have both CMR and RVA data. RV end-systolic and diastolic volumes, RV ejection fractions and the presence of absence of structural abnormalities derived from RVA and CMR are compared. Sensitivity of CMR and RVA for the diagnosis of definite, possible and borderline ARVC was also calculated. Results: A total of 11 patients out of 62 from the registry met the inclusion criteria. The Spearman’s coefficient for RV end-systolic volume was 0.48 (p=0.12). The Spearman’s coefficient for RV enddiastolic volume was 0.28 (p=0.4). The Spearman’s coefficient for RV ejection fraction was 0.06 (p=0.85). CMR detected regional wall abnormalities in 4 out of 11 patients while RVA did not detect any regional wall abnormalities. Sensitivity of CMR and RVA for the diagnosis of definite, possible and borderline ARVC was 48% and 55%, respectively. Conclusions: We show that South African ARVC patients had poor correlation between CMR and RVA parameters, and CMR was also more likely to reveal RV free wall regional wall motion abnormalities

Applications of rhetorical devices in advertising and marketing in a popular magazine

In modern society, in which particular attention is paid to media marketing, the marketing of popular products through print media is not only an important link in business planning but is also a way of creating a trend for products. Rhetoric is the art of creating aesthetics through the design of words and meanings. Showing the aesthetics of popular products through rhetorical devices has become a trend in print media marketing. The purpose of this study is to explore the scale and the focus of rhetoric and its applications. Thus, in this study, issues of the Chinese version of an international magazine, “with”, were selected from the same month (April, the late Spring edition) in two different years (2014 and 2015) to determine the numbers of different rhetorical devices used to market popular products. Qualitative methodology was adopted to identify the applications of rhetorical devices. It is anticipated that this study will help readers understand the priorities and importance of applications of various rhetorical devices in marketing popular products in the print media. Keywords: Popular products, print media, rhetori

A Study of Integrating a Current Event into a University Chinese Course to Discuss ‘Desire’ and ‘Righteousness’ of Moral Education

There have been campus accidents one after another around the world. In Taiwan, a horrible murder of a university student took place on 2015/3/4; the cause was love-related desire. It is university education’s responsibility and obligation to improve students’ moral character. For this reason, this study was motivated to integrate this current event into a university Chinese course to explore literature related to ‘desire’ and ‘righteousness’ using a qualitative research method. The interpretations of ‘desire’ and ‘righteousness’ in the literature were analyzed and the results were summarized to help improve students’ mental health when dealing with people and situations and to enhance universities’ moral education function

The production of textile fibers from soy proteins

The use of soy protein presently is limited mostly to animal feeds, but the markets for soy protein could be expanded by industrial applications. In these studies, soy fibers were produced from soy protein isolate using both wet spinning and extrusion methods. The wet spinning process consisted of forcing an aged alkaline protein solution through a spinnerette having 368-[mu] openings into an acid coagulating bath. The extrusion process employed a twin screw extruder to force a protein-water mixture with dough-like consistency through a die also with 368-[mu] openings. The physical properties of the fibers were measured at 11% and 65% relative humidity and wet conditions using an Instron Universal Testing Machine. The fibers produced by both methods initially were brittle and very weak. The addition of glycerol reduced brittleness in extruded fibers and the inorganic ions zinc and calcium decreased the brittleness of wet-spun fibers. Modification of soy proteins by acylation with acetic anhydride or esterification with low molecular weight alcohols prior to extrusion to block the polar groups of soy proteins decreased the tenacity of the fibers. The tenacity of soy fibers was significantly improved by finishing treatments after extrusion using reagents such as acetic anhydride, glyoxal, glutaraldehyde or a combination of glutaraldehyde and acetic anhydride. The fibers finished with acetic anhydride or glutaraldehyde after extrusion became less polar by blocking the polar groups or cross-linking protein molecules. The conditions of finishing fibers and stretching fibers were studied to improve fiber properties. Scanning electron micrographs of the fibers revealed that strong fibers were smooth and continuous while weak fibers often contained cracks and voids

The Structure and Rhetorical Techniques of the Classical Poem “Caught in a Rain by a Stream”

The classical Chinese poem “Caught in a Rain by a Stream” is a quatrain with seven-character lines. It vividly describes the rain and the tender and beautiful scene of the sunset. The features of this poem worthy of study its psychological and emotional factors, expressed by the poem’s characters though difficult to see. Thus, this study explores the poem’s structure and rhetorical techniques to further clarify the psychological and emotional aspects deeply hidden in its characters. This study adopts a qualitative research method to analyse the characters, the lines, and the overall context. The research findings also include a consideration of the spatial structure and rhetorical techniques applied. This study endeavours to help readers learn more about classical Chinese poetry. Key words: Tao-Jung Tsui, Caught in a Rain by a Stream, classical poetr

Life Tables of Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett) (Diptera: Tephritidae): with a Mathematical Invalidation for Applying the Jackknife Technique to the Net Reproductive Rate

Life table data for the melon fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett), reared on cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) were collected under laboratory and simulated field conditions. Means and standard errors of life table parameters were estimated for two replicates using the jackknife technique. At 25ºC, the intrinsic rates of increase (_r_) found for the two replicates were 0.1354 and 0.1002 day-1, and the net reproductive rates (_R_~0~) were 206.3 and 66.0 offspring, respectively. When the cucumbers kept under simulated field conditions were covered with leaves, the _r_ and _R_~0~ for the two replicates were 0.0935 and 0.0909 day-1, 17.5 and 11.4 offspring, respectively. However, when similar cucumbers were left uncovered, the _r_ and _R_~0~ for the two replicates were 0.1043 and 0.0904 day-1, and 27.7 and 10.1 offspring, respectively. Our results revealed that considerable variability between replicates in both laboratory and field conditions is possible; this variability should be taken into consideration in data collection and application of life tables. Mathematical analysis has demonstrated that applying the jackknife technique results in unrealistic pseudo-_R_~0~ and overestimation of its variance. We suggest that the jackknife technique should not be used for the estimation of variability of _R_~0~