Perfusion in ENT imaging

AbstractPerfusion MRI is an essential part of characterizing salivary gland tumors. The shape of the curves can provide a guide as to the type of lesion: benign (ascending plateau) or malignant (descending plateau), and can also occasionally strongly suggest a histological type such as a Warthin tumor (intense, rapid contrast enhancement with washout>30%). Perfusion imaging (CT or MRI) for other head and neck tumors is currently being developed and is being assessed. It should be a tool to assist in choosing the most appropriate initial treatment (chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery) and should also allow poor responders to conservative treatment to be identified and recurrences to be detected in post-treatment damaged tissues. Aims: (a) to determine when to perform perfusion MRI; (b) to determine the type of perfusion to carry out: CT, T1-weighted MRI; (c) to determine how to position the region of interest to plot the perfusion curve; (d) to know how to interpret MRI curves for salivary gland tumors; (e) to know how to interpret the information obtained from perfusion CT or MRI for the upper aerodigestive tract

THE USE OF VIDEO IN TEACHING GRAMMAR TO PRE-SECONDARY STUDENTS

This paper examines the effectiveness of videos as a teaching medium in a pre-intermediate grammar class in Tangerang, Indonesia. This research adopted a quasi-experimental approach with a posttest control group design. Two pre-secondary classes in Tangerang were selected as subjects of the study. Data were obtained from the pretest and posttest, a questionnaire on student perception of video usage in teaching, and interviews. The experimental class was taught using a video while the control class was taught via textbooks. A pretest and a posttest were given to the experimental class. The improvement in scores was then examined using t-test. To compare the learning results of the two groups, a final posttest was conducted on both classes after the lessons. The scores were then examined using the Mann–Whitney test. Results indicated that students who learned from the video achieved higher scores than those who learned from textbooks. The learning-style questionnaire results revealed that learning with videos was enjoyable. Therefore, this medium is highly recommended as a crucial grammar-teaching tool in the classroom

The Role of Information Technology Organizational Design in Firms\u27 Ability to Innovate

Information technology (IT) organizations have become an integral part of many firms, with increasing strategic significance. Consequently, investments in IT represent a significant percentage of a firm\u27s expenditure. Despite the investment, the business value of IT has been difficult to quantify, creating uncertainty about a firm\u27s investments in IT innovation. The purpose of this nonexperimental study was to examine relationships between a firm\u27s innovativeness and 3 IT organizational design factors: knowledge creation, dynamic capabilities, and communication structures. The research questions addressed the relationships between a firm\u27s ability to innovate and specific design elements of the IT organization. The study was based on Nonaka\u27s dynamic theory of organizational knowledge creation, Schumpeter\u27s industrial market structure, and Wernerfelt\u27s resource-based view of the firm. Data were collected from an online survey with 115 employees of firms that depend on IT to deliver their products or services. Pearson product-moment correlational analysis revealed statistically significant relationships between the IT organizational design factors and a firm\u27s ability to innovate. The implications for positive social change stemming from this study affect managers of firms that rely on IT to deliver products or services. The findings suggest that the design of the IT organization influences the performance of the firm through cost reduction and its sustainability through innovation, both of which lead to community economic empowerment thus benefiting the general public

Regulation of sucrose synthase and its association with grain filling in spermine treated rice plant under water deficit

Spermine (SPM) was utilized to investigate its impact on the accumulation of sucrose synthase (SUS) and the role of SUS as a predictor of sink strength of rice under cyclic water stress. Treatments which consisted of control and SPM were arranged in a randomized complete block design. Biochemical analyses showed significantly higher contents of sucrose, starch and carbohydrate in SPM-treated panicles which pointed to increased loading of sucrose into the grains or conversion of sucrose into starch. Besides, the expression of SUS gene was up-regulated in both inferior and superior spikelets at twenty and three fold, respectively. Correspondingly, SUS enzyme showed an increase in its activity. The high expression of SUS3 during grain filling is linked to the increased capacity for starch synthesis. Grain weight and grain filling rate of SPM-treated spikelets improved due to their large sink capacity and increased number of spikelets per panicle

Development of Acid-Soil Tolerant Corn (Zea Mays L.) with High-Quality Protein

Corn is an important food crop in Indonesia. Plant expansion has been hampered by soilacidity problem and the protein content of many corn varieties was low. This research initiates development of soil-acid-tolerant corn with highquality- protein content. Research was done on 12 factorial treatments and 3 replications as blocks in RCBD. The first factor was corn populations: Toray-1(G1), Toray-2(G2), GS- 5(G3) and GS-10(G4). The second factor was fertilizations: P1(69 kg N+36 kg P2O5+15 kg K2O per ha)); P2(115 kg N+54 kg P2O5+30 kg K2O per ha); and P3(161 kg N+72 kg P2O5+45 kg K2O per ha). The observed variables consisted of several agronomic traits, including the protein content. Results indicated that the corn populations, in general, showed good agronomic traits. The differences were mostly between populations, not between fertilizations, and no interaction was observed. The yield potential ranged from 4.25 to 6.47 ton dry seeds per ha. The protein content of seed resulted from cross ranged from 9.84% to 11.30%, as compared to the parents of 9.11% and 12.62%. This research concludes that genetic factors play an important role as confirmed by heritability estimate (h2)=0.75

Reduction of hydrogen sulphide in chicken manure by immobilized sulphur oxidising bacteria isolated from hot spring

The rapid development of the poultry industry has led to the production of large amounts of manure, which produce substances like hydrogen sulfide (H2S) that contribute to odor pollution. H2S is a highly undesirable gas component and its removal from the environment is therefore necessary. Sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB) are widely known to remove contaminating H2S due to their ability to oxidize reduced sulfur compounds. In this study, three potential SOB (designated AH18, AH25, and AH28) that were previously isolated from a hot spring in Malaysia were identified by 16S rRNA gene analysis. Laboratory-scale biological deodorization experiments were conducted to test the performance of the three isolates—in the form of pure or mixed cultures, with the cells immobilized onto alginate as a carrier—in reducing the H2S from chicken manure. On the basis of 16S rRNA phylogenetic analysis, isolate AH18 was identified as Pseudomonas sp., whereas isolates AH25 and AH28 were identified as Achromobacter sp. The most active deodorizing isolate was AH18, with an H2S reduction rate of 74.7% (p 0.05), respectively. However, the H2S removal performance was enhanced in the mixed culture, with a reduction rate of 81.9% (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the three potential SOB isolates were capable of reducing the H2S from chicken manure in the form of a pure culture immobilized on alginate, and the reduction performance was enhanced in the mixed culture

Measurement of Salivary Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I in Acromegaly: Comparison with Serum Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I and Growth Hormone Concentrations

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