Optical Coherence Tomography: Essential Tool in Macular Hole Management

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a noninvasive, diagnostic technique for accurately identifying and quantitatively characterizing macular holes. OCT is crucial in assessing fellow eyes of patients with a macular hole to detect preclinical changes leading to subsequent hole formation. The tomographic information provided by OCT, akin to an in vivo biopsy, has led to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of hole formation. The cross-sectional view produced by OCT effectively distinguishes full-thickness macular holes from mimicking conditions like lamellar holes, macular pseudoholes, and cysts, which may sometimes be difficult to differentiate clinically. This information enables early diagnosis and can guide the intervention of choice when treatment is deemed necessary. OCT is useful to prognosticate cases, thereby facilitating discussions with patients and managing visual expectations preoperatively. Intraoperative OCT (iOCT) can identify intraoperative changes in the macular anatomy during surgery that can influence functional outcomes. Postoperatively, OCT is extremely useful for documenting serial changes in the foveal architecture and is helpful in correlating functional and anatomic outcomes. As the technology continues to improve, OCT has become indispensable for all aspects of patient care for macular holes

Estimated Stature Based on Long Bone Age 17-22 Years

The estimation of stature is very important in forensic anthropology for identification of bodies, but there is no standard model for the purpose. This study aimed to develop a model estimated height, using a predictor of long bones. A total of 96 samples of randomly selected students from a total of 199 students, aged 17-22 years. Height was measured using ZT-120 Health Scale and the length of the humerus, radius, ulna, femur, tibia and fibula was measured by using a spreading caliper. Height estimation model using multiple linear regression model with long bone length as a predictor. to estimate the height of men there are three bones as predictors, the left tibia, right humerus and a right radius, with a regression coefficient of 0.94 (±0.3), 0.82 (±0.3), and 0.79 (±0.4) sequentially. Predictors for the high women are left fibula, left ulna and left humerus, with regression koefsien 1.13 (±0.3), 1.20 (±0.4), and 0.85 (±0.4) sequentially. From this study it can be concluded that the left tibia, right humerus and right radius can be used estimate the height of men, and left fibula, left ulna and left humerus can be used estimate the height of women

PERBANDINGAN PERILAKU DAN KINERJA STRUKTUR BRESING KONSENTRIK TIPE X-2 TINGKAT DAN BRESING KONSENTRIK TIPE X-1 TINGKAT

Pada penelitian ini dilakukan perbandingan perilaku struktur baja yang terdiri atas simpangan, kekuatan dan kekakuan, serta kinerja struktur baja dengan bresing konsentrik tipe X-1 tingkat dan bresing konsentrik tipe X-2 tingkat. Struktur yang dianalisis diasumsikan sebagai gedung perkantoran 10 tingkat yang terletak ditanah lunak(SE). Model struktur yang dianalisis terdiri atas struktur baja dengan sistem rangka pemikul momen (SRPM) sebagai model acuan dan pembanding serta struktur baja dengan sistem rangka bresing konsentrik tipe X-1 tingkat (SRBK), dan sistem rangka bresing konsentrik tipe X-2 tingkat (SRBK). Analisis dilakukan dengan menggunakkan bantuan software SAP2000. Analisis tahap awal dilakukan terhadap model model SRPM untuk memperoleh dimensi elemen struktur yang memenuhi kriteria kekuatan elemen struktur dengan nilai stress ratio kurang dari 0,95. Dimensi yang sama digunakan pada model SRBK tipe X-1 dan SRBK tipe X-2 sehingga dapat diketahui perilaku dan kinerja masing-masing model struktur berdasarkan hasil analisis linear dan analisis nonlinear statik pushover. Dari hasil analisis dapat disimpulkan bahwa dengan dimensi elemen struktur yang sama, pada model SRBK tipe x-2 tingkat arah X tingkat ke-2, 3, 4, 5 dan arah Y tingkat ke- 2, 3, 4 memiliki simpangan lebih besar dibandingkan model SRBK tipe x-1 tingkat, simpangan maksimum model SRBK tipe x-2 tingkat memiliki simpangan terkecil dibandingkan dengan model struktur SRPM dan SRBK tipe x-1 tingkat. Kekuatan model SRBK tipe X-2 tingkat 8% lebih besar pada arah X dan 13% lebih besar pada arah Ydibandingkan dengan model SRBK tipe X-1. Model SRBK tipe X-2 mempunyai kekakuan lebih besar 2% pada arah X dan 14% pada arah Y dibandingkan dengan model SRBK tipe X-1. Hasil analisis menunjukkan bahwa model SRBK X-1 dan SRBK X-2 berada pada level kinerja yang sama yaitu Life Safety (LS)

The investigation of particle acceleration in colliding-wind massive binaries with SIMBOL-X

An increasing number of early-type (O and Wolf-Rayet) colliding wind binaries (CWBs) is known to accelerate particles up to relativistic energies. In this context, non-thermal emission processes such as inverse Compton (IC) scattering are expected to produce a high energy spectrum, in addition to the strong thermal emission from the shock-heated plasma. SIMBOL-X will be the ideal observatory to investigate the hard X-ray spectrum (above 10 keV) of these systems, i.e. where it is no longer dominated by the thermal emission. Such observations are strongly needed to constrain the models aimed at understanding the physics of particle acceleration in CWB. Such systems are important laboratories for investigating the underlying physics of particle acceleration at high Mach number shocks, and probe a different region of parameter space than studies of supernova remnants.Comment: 2 pages, 2 figures, to appear in the proceedings of the workshop "Simbol-X: the hard X-ray universe in focus", held in Bologna, Italy (14-16 May 2007

The VLT-FLAMES Tarantula Survey XXIII. Two massive double-lined binaries in 30 Doradus

Aims. We investigate the characteristics of two newly discovered short-period, double-lined, massive binary systems in the Large Magellanic Cloud, VFTS 450 (O9.7 II–Ib + O7::) and VFTS 652 (B1 Ib + O9: III:). Methods. We perform model-atmosphere analyses to characterise the photospheric properties of both members of each binary (denoting the “primary” as the spectroscopically more conspicuous component). Radial velocities and optical photometry are used to estimate the binary-system parameters. Results. We estimate Teff = 27 kK, log g = 2.9 (cgs) for the VFTS 450 primary spectrum (34 kK, 3.6: for the secondary spectrum); and Teff = 22 kK, log g = 2.8 for the VFTS 652 primary spectrum (35 kK, 3.7: for the secondary spectrum). Both primaries show surface nitrogen enrichments (of more than 1 dex for VFTS 652), and probable moderate oxygen depletions relative to reference LMC abundances. We determine orbital periods of 6.89 d and 8.59 d for VFTS 450 and VFTS 652, respectively, and argue that the primaries must be close to filling their Roche lobes. Supposing this to be the case, we estimate component masses in the range ∼20–50 M⊙. Conclusions. The secondary spectra are associated with the more massive components, suggesting that both systems are high-mass analogues of classical Algol systems, undergoing case-A mass transfer. Difficulties in reconciling the spectroscopic analyses with the light-curves and with evolutionary considerations suggest that the secondary spectra are contaminated by (or arise in) accretion disks

The Impact of Counter-terrorism Effectiveness on Economic Growth of Pakistan: An Econometric Analysis

Abstract The purpose of present study is to explore theoretically and empirically the impact of counterterrorism effectiveness on economic growth of Pakistan. The data for counter-terrorism components construct from GTD and data for growth variables gathered from WDI for the time 1980 to 2015. This study developed “negative binomial regression model” for investigating the magnitude and significance of counter-terrorism effectiveness. It also uses the ARDL bound test and causality analysis for examining the causal relationship between economic growth and counter-terrorism effectiveness. This study further identifies that there are three types of proactive strategies used by Government and military authorities to reduce violence: civilian policies, peace accords and military operations. The result shows that there are long term impacts of counter-terrorism policies on economic growth. The findings also imply that counter-terrorism strategies may not be able to restrict violence and incapacitate militant’s organization and their sleeper cell if it lacks strong political support. The present work is raw evidence for the effort level of authorities and their preemptive strategies that leads to the significant breakdown effect to curb terrorism across the country

Preliminary results of an observational campaign aiming at the study of the binary system LSS3074

We present preliminary results of an observational campaign aiming at the study of the binary system LSS3074. A new lightcurve clearly indicates that the system is in contact. Recent spectroscopy broadly confirms the previous results and the rather low masses of both components (O4f[SUP]+[/SUP] and O6-7:(f):). We further analyse an XMM-Newton observation of the object that indicates a rather hard X-ray spectrum. This is partly due to the high interstellar extinction towards the object but also to the high plasma temperature (kT Ë 1.2-1.3 keV)

The VLT-FLAMES Tarantula Survey XXII. Multiplicity properties of the B-type stars

We investigate the multiplicity properties of 408 B-type stars observed in the 30 Doradus region of the Large Magellanic Cloud with multi-epoch spectroscopy from the VLT-FLAMES Tarantula Survey (VFTS). We use a cross-correlation method to estimate relative radial velocities from the helium and metal absorption lines for each of our targets. Objects with significant radial-velocity variations (and with an amplitude larger than 16 km/s) are classified as spectroscopic binaries. We find an observed spectroscopic binary fraction (defined by periods of 0.1) for the B-type stars, f_B(obs) = 0.25 +/- 0.02, which appears constant across the field of view, except for the two older clusters (Hodge 301 and SL 639). These two clusters have significantly lower fractions of 0.08 +/- 0.08 and 0.10 +/- 0.09, respectively. Using synthetic populations and a model of our observed epochs and their potential biases, we constrain the intrinsic multiplicity properties of the dwarf and giant (i.e. relatively unevolved) B-type stars in 30 Dor. We obtain a present-day binary fraction f_B(true) = 0.58 +/- 0.11, with a flat period distribution. Within the uncertainties, the multiplicity properties of the B-type stars agree with those for the O stars in 30 Dor from the VFTS.Comment: Accepted by A&