Efficacy and Safety Of Radiation Synovectomy with Yttrium-90

In this long term retrospective study of radiation synovectomy with Yttrium-90 (Y90), we evaluated the results of 164 applications in 82 patients with RA, OA with synovitis, ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis. Radiation synovectomy with Y90 has an overall success rate of approximately 50% and is therefore an effective alternative to surgical synovectomy in chronic synovitis which fails to respond to conservative treatment. Elbow and knee responded significantly better than shoulder and ankle joints. Patients with radiological stages from 0 to 2 showed a significantly better success rate than those with stage 3 changes. In responders, repeat therapy for recurrence of symptoms or treatment of a symptomatic corresponding symmetrical joint is advisable. Repeat therapy in a previous non-responder is associated with an unacceptably high failure rate. Therefore, when a joint fails to respond after 6 months, arthroscopy should be performed to evaluate further treatment procedures. A successful result was found in only 11 of 25 joints treated with arthroscopic synovectomy followed by radiation synovectomy within 2 weeks, indicating no benefit of this combination

The Effects of Personality Type on Engineering Student Performance and Attitudes

The Myers‐Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI) was administered to a group of 116 students taking the introductory chemical engineering course at North Carolina State University. That course and four subsequent chemical engineering courses were taught in a manner that emphasized active and cooperative learning and inductive presentation of course material. Type differences in various academic performance measures and attitudes were noted as the students progressed through the curriculum. The observations were generally consistent with the predictions of type theory, and the experimental instructional approach appeared to improve the performance of MBTI types (extraverts, sensors, and feelers) found in previous studies to be disadvantaged in the engineering curriculum. The conclusion is that the MBTI is a useful tool for helping engineering instructors and advisors to understand their students and to design instruction that can benefit all of them

A Longitudinal Study of Engineering Student Performance and Retention. V. Comparisons with Traditionally-Taught Students

In a longitudinal study at North Carolina State University, a cohort of students took five chemical engineering courses taught by the same instructor in five consecutive semesters. The courses made extensive use of active and cooperative learning and a variety of other techniques designed to address a broad spectrum of learning styles. Previous reports on the study summarized the instructional methods used in the experimental course sequence, described the performance of the cohort in the introductory chemical engineering course, and examined performance and attitude differences between students from rural and urban backgrounds and between male and female students.1–4 This paper compares outcomes for the experimental cohort with outcomes for students in a traditionally‐taught comparison group. The experimental group outperformed the comparison group on a number of measures, including retention and graduation in chemical engineering, and many more of the graduates in this group chose to pursue advanced study in the field. Since the experimental instructional model did not require small classes (the smallest of the experimental classes had 90 students) or specially equipped classrooms, it should be adaptable to any engineering curriculum at any institution

A Quasi-Hopf algebra interpretation of quantum 3-j and 6-j symbols and difference equations

We consider the universal solution of the Gervais-Neveu-Felder equation in the ${\cal U}_q(sl_2)$ case. We show that it has a quasi-Hopf algebra interpretation. We also recall its relation to quantum 3-j and 6-j symbols. Finally, we use this solution to build a q-deformation of the trigonometric Lam\'e equation.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure

Intraocular pressure reduction and regulation system

An intraocular pressure reduction and regulation system is described and data are presented covering performance in: (1) reducing intraocular pressure to a preselected value, (2) maintaining a set minimum intraocular pressure, and (3) reducing the dynamic increases in intraocular pressure resulting from external loads applied to the eye

Note on the Algebra of Screening Currents for the Quantum Deformed W-Algebra

With slight modifications in the zero modes contributions, the positive and negative screening currents for the quantum deformed W-algebra W_{q,p}(g) can be put together to form a single algebra which can be regarded as an elliptic deformation of the universal enveloping algebra of \hat{g}, where g is any classical simply-laced Lie algebra.Comment: LaTeX file, 9 pages. Errors in Serre relation corrected. Two references to Awata,H. et al adde

Vertex Operators for Deformed Virasoro Algebra

Vertex operators for the deformed Virasoro algebra are defined, their bosonic representation is constructed and difference equation for the simplest vertex operators is described.Comment: stylistic errors correcte

Inhomogeneous Fragmentation of the Rolling Tachyon

Dirac-Born-Infeld type effective actions reproduce many aspects of string theory classical tachyon dynamics of unstable Dp-branes. The inhomogeneous tachyon field rolling from the top of its potential forms topological defects of lower codimensions. In between them, as we show, the tachyon energy density fragments into a p-dimensional web-like high density network evolving with time. We present an analytic asymptotic series solution of the non-linear equations for the inhomogeneous tachyon and its stress energy. The generic solution for a tachyon field with a runaway potential in arbitrary dimensions is described by the free streaming of noninteracting massive particles whose initial velocities are defined by the gradients of the initial tachyon profile. Thus, relativistic particle mechanics is a dual picture of the tachyon field effective action. Implications of this picture for inflationary models with a decaying tachyon field are discussed.Comment: 10 pages, 1 figur

Contenido bioquímico del ovario y hepatopáncreas de Uca longisignalis y Uca nr. minax

P align=justify>Biochemical composition of ovary and hepatopancreas tissues in wild populations of Uca longisignalis and Uca nr. minax were monitored during the reproductive season. Total lipid (concentration and content), C (carbon), N (nitrogen), and C:N ratios of the ovary and hepatopancreas were quantified over the course of ovarian maturation. Ovary lipid and C concentration varied significantly over the course of ovarian maturation for both species, but there was no relationship between lipid concentration or hepatopancreas content and the stage of ovarian development in females. Hepatopancreatic lipid and C concentration did not differ between sexes of U. nr. minax. Lipid demands of ovarian maturation thus appear to be met in large part by increased dietary intake and not purely by translocating lipid stores from the hepatopancreas. In both Uca longisignalis and U. nr. minax, the color of the hepatopancreas may be used as an indicator of the lipid and C levels of the hepatopancreas. Cadmium-yellow and lemon-yellow hepatopancreas tissues had the highest lipid concentrations. No evidence could be found to demonstrate depletion of lipid or C concentrations in the hepatopancreas concomitant with ovarian maturation. Se analizó la composición bioquímica de tejidos del ovario y hepatopáncreas de poblaciones naturales de Uca longisignalis and Uca nr. minax durante la época reproductiva. Se cuantificaron lípidos totales (concentración y contenido), C (carbono), N (nitrógeno), y los cocientes C:N del ovario y hepatopáncreas durante el proceso de maduración del ovario. Los lípidos y la concentración de C variaron significativamente durante el curso de maduración del ovario en ambas especies, pero no se encontró ninguna relación entre la concentración o contenido de lípidos del hepatopáncreas con el estadío de desarrollo del ovario en hembras. Tampoco se encontró ninguna diferencia en los lípidos del hepatopáncreas y la concentración de C entre sexos de la especie Uca nr. minax. La demanda de lípidos durante la maduración del ovario, parece ser aportada en gran parte por un incremento en la dieta diaria y no solamente por la translocación de reservas de lípidos desde el hepatopáncreas. En ambas especies, Uca longisignalis y U. nr. minax, el color del hepatopáncreas puede ser usado como un indicador de los niveles de lípidos y C en el hepatopáncreas. Los tejidos del hepatopáncreas con color amarillo-cadmio y amarillo-limón tuvieron las más altas concentraciones de lípidos. No se encontró ningúna evidencia para demostrar que la disminución en la concentración de lípidos y C en el hepatopáncreas es concomitante con la maduración del óvulo.