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

Murine epidermal Langerhans cells mature into potent immunostimulatory dendritic cells in vitro

Schuler, G., and Steinman, R.M. Murine epidermal Langerhans cells mature into potent immunostimulatory dendritic cells in vitro. J. Exp. Med. 161: 526-546, 1985https://digitalcommons.rockefeller.edu/historical-scientific-reports/1016/thumbnail.jp

Administrative Challenges Facing Heads of Public Secondary Schools in the Implementation of Strategic Plans in Kondoa Town Council, Tanzania

This study aimed at examining the administrative challenges that faced heads of public secondary schools in the implementation of the strategic plans in Kondoa Town Council. The study was guided by two objectives; to examine the administrative factors that were affecting the implementation of strategic plans; to explore the possible measures that could curb administrative challenges faced by the heads of school in the implementation of strategic plans. The study employed a convergent parallel design under a mixed research method approach. The study had a sample size of 70 participants which were; secondary schools teachers 61, including one District Education Officer, four ward education officers and 4 heads of schools. Stratified, simple random sampling and purposive techniques were used. Instruments such as; questionnaires that have a correlation coefficient of 0.78 which was high enough to go the field for data collections. Interview guides and document analysis were employed. The quantitative data were analyzed with the aid of the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software version 20. The gathered data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics and the results were presented using tables, frequency, percentages and figures. Qualitative data were thematically analyzed in terms of categories, themes and report writing. The results of the study specified that the heads of schools were involved in strategic planning however they have limited knowledge and skills, adequate fund, lack of community participation, shortage of teachers, inadequate infrastructure, and political leaders’ interference in executing the strategic plans for the schools which were also a challenge to them. The study recommended that the government should, train heads of schools on how to effectively draw a strategic plan. Furthermore the study recommended that the government should provide a reasonable budget that would facilitate the implementation of strategic plans monitor and evaluate the carrying out the strategic plans through the local government authorities within the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology

Synthetic Methods of CTS and CZTS Nanocrystals

The synthesis of various morphologies of copper zinc tin sulfide (Cu2ZnSnS4) and copper tin sulfide (Cu2SnS3) nanocrystals were explored to find a more energy efficient synthesis. Reactions were all carried out at 220°C under either inert atmospheres or normal conditions. Variations in synthetic methods included reaction time and solvents used. Products were analyzed with powder X-Ray diffraction and compared to simulated powder patterns of zincblende and wurtzite nanocrystals. The synthesis of CTS nanocrystals required the reaction to be heated to 220°C overnight under an inert atmosphere. The reaction used for the synthesis of CZTS nanocrystals required less energy and only required the reaction to be heated to 220°C for four hours. The effects of solvents were found to be that 1-octadecene (ODE) yielded predominantly a zincblende morphology, oleylamine (OAm) yielded predominantly a Wurtzite morphology, and the use of 1-dodecanethiol (DDT) as the only solvent yielded a mixture of zincblende and Wurtzite nanocrystals. The various nanocrystals produced assisted in achieving our overall goal by narrowing down an energy efficient and effective synthesis of CZTS and CTS nanocrystals using earth-abundant and low cost reagents.https://digitalcommons.morris.umn.edu/urs_2015/1001/thumbnail.jp

Charge Qubit Purification by an Electronic Feedback Loop

We propose the manipulation of an isolated qubit by a simple instantaneous closed-loop feedback scheme in which a time-dependent electronic detector current is directly back-coupled into qubit parameters. As specific detector model we employ a capacitively coupled single-electron transistor. We demonstrate the stabilization of pure delocalized qubit states above a critical detector-qubit coupling. This electronic purification is independent of the initial qubit state and is accomplished after few electron jumps through the detector. Our simple scheme can be used for the efficient and robust initialization of solid-state qubits in quantum computational algorithms at arbitrary temperatures.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, supplementary material, with minor modifications to be published by PR