Some Aspects of the Biology of a Predaceous Anthomyiid Fly, \u3ci\u3eCoenosia Tigrina\u3c/i\u3e

The results of a two-year study in Michigan on the incidence of Coenosia tigrina adults under different onion production practices is presented. In Michigan, C. tigrina has three generations and is more abundant in organic agroecosystems than chemically-intensive onion production systems

Spall And Dynamic Yielding Of Aluminum And Aluminum Alloys At Strain Rates Of 3X10(6) S(-1)

We have explored the role that grain size, impurity particles and alloying in aluminum play in dynamic yielding and spall fracture at tensile strain rates of similar to 3x10(6) We achieved these strain rates shocking the aluminum specimens via laser ablation using the Z-Beamlet Laser at Sandia National Laboratories. The high purity aluminum and 1100 series aluminum alloy produced very different spall strengths and nearly the same yield strengths. In contrast, various grain-sized Al + 3 wt. % Mg specimens presented the lowest spall strength, but the greatest dynamic yield strength. Fracture morphology results and particle analysis are presented along with hydrodynamic simulations to put these results in context. Impurity particles appeared to play a vital role in spall fracture at these fast strain rates. Alloying elements such as Mg seem to be the dominant factor in the dynamic yield results.Mechanical Engineerin

Laser-Induced Spall Of Aluminum And Aluminum Alloys At High Strain Rates

We conducted laser-induced spall experiments aimed at studying how a material's microstructure affects the tensile fracture characteristics at high strain rates (> 10(6) s(-1)). We used the Z-Beamlet Laser at Sandia National Laboratory to drive shocks and to measure the spall strength of aluminum targets with various microstructures. The targets were recrystallized, high-purity aluminum (Al-HP RX), recrystallized aluminum + 3 wt.% magnesium (Al-3Mg RX), and cold-worked aluminum + 3 wt.% magnesium (Al-3Mg CW). The Al-3Mg RX and Al-3Mg CW are used to explore the roles that solid-solution alloying and cold-work strengthening play in the spall process. Using a line-VISAR (Velocity Interferometer System for Any Reflector) and analysis of recovered samples, we were able to measure spall strength and determine failure morphology in these targets. We find that the spall strength is highest for Al-HP RX. Analysis reveals that material grain size plays a vital role in the fracture morphology and spall strength results.Mechanical Engineerin

Comparison of Accu Chek Inform II point-of-care test blood glucose meter with Hexokinase Plasma method for a diabetes mellitus population during surgery under general anesthesia

Purpose Blood glucose (BG) concentrations of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) are monitored during surgery to prevent hypo- and hyperglycemia. Access to point-of-care test (POCT) glucose meters at an operating room will usually provide monitoring at shorter intervals and may improve glycemic control. However, these meters are not validated for patients under general anesthesia. Methods This cross-sectional study included 75 arterial BG measurements from 75 patients (71 with DM, mostly insulin dependent) who underwent elective non-cardiac surgery under general anesthesia. Arterial blood samples were taken at least 60 minutes after induction. One drop of blood was used for Accu Chek Inform II (ACI II) POCT BG meter and the residual blood was sent to the clinical laboratory for a Hexokinase Plasma reference method. A Bland-Altman plot was used to visualize the differences between both methods, and correlation was assessed using the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). Results The results showed an estimated mean difference of 0.8 mmol/L between ACI II and the reference method, with limits of agreement equal to -0.6 and 2.2 mmol/L. In general, the reference method produced higher values than ACI II. ICC was 0.955 (95% CI 0.634-0.986), P &lt; 0.001, and concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) was 0.955 (95% CI 0.933-0.970). Conclusion Arterial BG measurements during surgery in patients with DM under general anesthesia using POCT BG meter are in general lower than laboratory measurements, but the ICC and CCC show a clinically acceptable correlation. We conclude that POCT measurements conducted on arterial specimens using the ACI II provide sufficiently accurate results for glucose measurement during surgery under general anesthesia.</p

Increased glycation and oxidative damage to apolipoprotein B100 of LDL cholesterol in patients with type 2 diabetes and effect of metformin

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate whether apolipoprotein B100 of LDL suffers increased damage by glycation, oxidation, and nitration in patients with type 2 diabetes, including patients receiving metformin therapy. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS For this study, 32 type 2 diabetic patients and 21 healthy control subjects were recruited; 13 diabetic patients were receiving metformin therapy (median dose: 1.50 g/day). LDL was isolated from venous plasma by ultracentrifugation, delipidated, digested, and analyzed for protein glycation, oxidation, and nitration adducts by stable isotopic dilution analysis tandem mass spectrometry. RESULTS Advanced glycation end product (AGE) content of apolipoprotein B100 of LDL from type 2 diabetic patients was higher than from healthy subjects: arginine-derived AGE, 15.8 vs. 5.3 mol% (P < 0.001); and lysine-derived AGE, 2.5 vs. 1.5 mol% (P < 0.05). Oxidative damage, mainly methionine sulfoxide residues, was also increased: 2.5 vs. 1.1 molar equivalents (P < 0.001). 3-Nitrotyrosine content was decreased: 0.04 vs. 0.12 mol% (P < 0.05). In diabetic patients receiving metformin therapy, arginine-derived AGE and methionine sulfoxide were lower than in patients not receiving metformin: 19.3 vs. 8.9 mol% (P < 0.01) and 2.9 vs. 1.9 mol% (P < 0.05), respectively; 3-nitrotyrosine content was higher: 0.10 vs. 0.03 mol% (P < 0.05). Fructosyl-lysine residue content correlated positively with fasting plasma glucose. Arginine-derived AGE residue contents were intercorrelated and also correlated positively with methionine sulfoxide. CONCLUSIONS Patients with type 2 diabetes had increased arginine-derived AGEs and oxidative damage in apolipoprotein B100 of LDL. This was lower in patients receiving metformin therapy, which may contribute to decreased oxidative damage, atherogenicity, and cardiovascular disease

Quantitative analysis of orthopedic metal artefact reduction in 64-slice computed tomography scans in large head metal-on-metal total hip replacement, a phantom study

Purpose: Quantification of the effect of O-MAR on decreasing metal artefacts caused by large head metal on metal total hip arthroplasty (MoM THA) in a dedicated phantom setup of the hip. Background: Pathological reactions of the hip capsule on Computed tomography (CT) can be difficult to diagnose due to different metal artefacts. The O-MAR algorithm deploys an iterative loop where the metal sinogram is identified, extracted, and subsequently serves as a mask to correct the measured sinogram. Main goal of this study is to quantify the ability of the O-MAR technique to correct deviation in medullary bone attenuation caused by streak artefacts from the large-head MoM THA embedded in a phantom. Secondary goal is to evaluate the influence of O-MAR on CNR. Methods: The phantom was designed as a Perspex box (PMMA) containing water and a supplementary MOM THA surrounded by Perspex columns comprising calibrated calcium pellets. Each column contains 200 mg of hydroxyapatite/calcium carbonate to simulate healthy bone tissue. Scans were obtained with and without a MoM THA at different dose levels. Different reconstructions were made with filter A, iDose(4) level 5 and with and without O-MAR. The scans without the prosthesis were used as the baseline. Information about the attenuation in Hounsfield units, image noise in standard deviation within the ROI's were extracted and the CNR was calculated. Results: Pellet L0 and R0 (proximal of the MoM THA) were defined as reference, lacking any disturbance by metal artefacts; L5, L6 and L8 were respectively visually categorized as 'light' 'medium' and 'heavy disturbance'. Significant improvements in attenuation deviation caused by metal artefact were 43, 68 and 32 %, for respectively pellet L5, L6 and L8 (p <0.001). Significant CNR improvements were present for L5 and L6 and were respectively 72 and 52 % (p <0.001). O-MAR showed no improvement on CNR for L8. Conclusion: This phantom study significantly increases image quality by the use of O-MAR in the presence of metal artefacts by significantly reducing metal artefacts subsequently and increasing CNR on a 64 slice CT system in light and medium disturbance of the imag

Combined extracellular matrix cross-linking activity of the peroxidase MLT-7 and the dual oxidase BLI-3 is critical for post-embryonic viability in <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i>

The nematode cuticle is a protective collagenous extracellular matrix that is modified, cross-linked, and processed by a number of key enzymes. This Ecdysozoan-specific structure is synthesized repeatedly and allows growth and development in a linked degradative and biosynthetic process known as molting. A targeted RNA interference screen using a cuticle collagen marker has been employed to identify components of the cuticle biosynthetic pathway. We have characterized an essential peroxidase, MoLT-7 (MLT-7), that is responsible for proper cuticle molting and re-synthesis. MLT-7 is an active, inhibitable peroxidase that is expressed in the cuticle-synthesizing hypodermis coincident with each larval molt. mlt-7 mutants show a range of body morphology defects, most notably molt, dumpy, and early larval stage arrest phenotypes that can all be complemented with a wild type copy of mlt-7. The cuticles of these mutants lacks di-tyrosine cross-links, becomes permeable to dye and accessible to tyrosine iodination, and have aberrant collagen protein expression patterns. Overexpression of MLT-7 causes mutant phenotypes further supporting its proposed enzymatic role. In combination with BLI-3, an H2O2-generating NADPH dual oxidase, MLT-7 is essential for post-embryonic development. Disruption of mlt-7, and particularly bli-3, via RNA interference also causes dramatic changes to the in vivo cross-linking patterns of the cuticle collagens DPY-13 and COL-12. This points toward a functionally cooperative relationship for these two hypodermally expressed proteins that is essential for collagen cross-linking and proper extracellular matrix formation

Counter-propagating radiative shock experiments on the Orion laser and the formation of radiative precursors

We present results from new experiments to study the dynamics of radiative shocks, reverse shocks and radiative precursors. Laser ablation of a solid piston by the Orion high-power laser at AWE Aldermaston UK was used to drive radiative shocks into a gas cell initially pressurised between $0.1$ and $1.0 \ bar with different noble gases. Shocks propagated at {80 \pm 10 \ km/s} and experienced strong radiative cooling resulting in post-shock compressions of { \times 25 \pm 2}. A combination of X-ray backlighting, optical self-emission streak imaging and interferometry (multi-frame and streak imaging) were used to simultaneously study both the shock front and the radiative precursor. These experiments present a new configuration to produce counter-propagating radiative shocks, allowing for the study of reverse shocks and providing a unique platform for numerical validation. In addition, the radiative shocks were able to expand freely into a large gas volume without being confined by the walls of the gas cell. This allows for 3-D effects of the shocks to be studied which, in principle, could lead to a more direct comparison to astrophysical phenomena. By maintaining a constant mass density between different gas fills the shocks evolved with similar hydrodynamics but the radiative precursor was found to extend significantly further in higher atomic number gases (\sim$$4$ times further in xenon than neon). Finally, 1-D and 2-D radiative-hydrodynamic simulations are presented showing good agreement with the experimental data.Comment: HEDLA 2016 conference proceeding

Flash Glucose Monitoring in the Netherlands:Increased monitoring frequency is associated with improvement of glycemic parameters

AIMS: To evaluate the association between flash glucose monitoring (FLASH) frequency and glycemic parameters during real-life circumstances in the Netherlands. METHODS: Obtained glucose readings were de-identified and uploaded to a dedicated database when FLASH reading devices were connected to internet. Data between September 2014 and March 2020, comprising 16,331 analyzable readers (163,762 sensors) were analyzed. Scan rate per reader was determined and each reader was sorted into 20 equally sized rank ordered groups (n=817 each). RESULTS: Users performed a median of 11.5 [IQR 7.7-16.7] scans per day. Those in the lowest and highest ventiles scanned on average 3.7 and 40.0 times per day and had an eHbA1c of 8.6% (71 mmol/mol) and 6.9% (52 mmol/mol), respectively. Increasing scan rates were associated with more time in target range (3.9-10 mmol/L), less time in hyperglycemia (>10 mmol/L), and a lower standard deviation of glucose. An eHbA1c of 7.0% (53 mmol/mol) translated in approximately 65% time in target range, 30% time in hyperglycemia and 5% time in hypoglycemia (<3.9 mmol/L). CONCLUSIONS: These outcomes among Dutch FLASH users suggest that with higher scan rate glycemic control improves