Automated data acquisition and reduction system for torsional braid analyzer

Automated Data Acquisition and Reduction System (ADAR) evaluates damping coefficient and relative rigidity by storing four successive peaks of waveform and time period between two successive peaks. Damping coefficient and relative rigidity are then calculated and plotted against temperature or time in real time

Weight loss surgery in adolescents corrects high-density lipoprotein subspecies and their function.

Background/objectiveYouth with obesity have an altered high-density lipoprotein (HDL) subspecies profile characterized by depletion of large apoE-rich HDL particles and an enrichment of small HDL particles. The goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that this atherogenic HDL profile is reversible and that HDL function would improve with metabolic surgery.MethodsSerum samples from adolescent males with severe obesity mean±s.d. age of 17.4±1.6 years were studied at baseline and 1 year following vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG). HDL subspecies and HDL function were evaluated pre and post VSG using paired t-tests. A lean group of adolescents was included as a reference group.ResultsAfter VSG, body mass index decreased by 32% and insulin resistance as estimated by homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance decreased by 75% (both P<0.01). Large apoE-rich HDL subspecies increased following VSG (P<0.01) and approached that of lean adolescents despite participants with considerable residual obesity. In addition, HDL function improved compared with baseline (cholesterol efflux capacity increased by 12%, HDL lipid peroxidation potential decreased by 30% and HDL anti-oxidative capacity improved by 25%, all P<0.01).ConclusionsMetabolic surgery results in a significant improvement in the quantity of large HDL subspecies and HDL function. Our data suggest metabolic surgery may improve cardiovascular risk in adolescents and young adults

Pengaruh Faktor-faktor Kebiasaan (Habitus), Modal (Capital), dan Perubahan (Changes) sebagai Model Perilaku Keuangan untuk Meningkatkan Performa Keuangan Perempuan Pelaku UMKM (suatu Studi di UMKM Binaan Fe UNPAR –Bandung dan Jakarta)

Berbagai produk asing tidak dapat dibendung telah menyerbu pasar domestik sekarang. Serbuan tersebut terutama dari barang-barang Cina (Kompas: 2011: 13 Mei h. 38). Fenomena ini telah mengakibatkan munculnya ribuan pengangguran baru. Padahal 90% dunia bisnis Indonesia terdiri dari sektor UMKM (BPS: 2000), dan dari jumlah sektor UMKM tersebut, USAha UMKM yang dikelola oleh perempuan jumlahnya meningkat sangat pesat, hal ini mengindikasikan semakin meningkat pula pemberdayaan perempuan di Indonesia (Kontan: April 2011: h. 11).Berdasarkan analisis kualitatif maka aplikasi teori Bourdieu (1999) dalam penelitian ini dengan tujuan untuk melihat perilaku pengelolaan keuangan oleh perempuan pengelola UMKM, yaitu dari 3 variabel Bourdieu: Habitus, Capital dan Changes, variabel perilaku manakah yang signifikan mempengaruhi performa keuangan UMKM. Variabel dominan akan disosialisasikan kepada perempuan pengelola UMKM lain untuk dianalisis apakah terdapat peningkatan performa keuangannya pada tahun berikutnya, bila perilaku pengelola bertambah baik. Alat analisis statistik akan digunakan sebagai pembanding atas analisis tersebut. UMKM yang diteliti adalah UMKM binaan Unpar.Bila perilaku keuangan perempuan pengelola UMKM bertambah baik, maka performa keuangan USAhanya akan meningkat lebih baik, pada gilirannya diharapkan sektor UMKM akan meningkat kesejahteraannya, serta dapat bertahan menghadapi serbuan produk asing.Kata

Why Train Together When Racing Is Performed Alone?:Drafting in Long-Track Speed Skating

PURPOSE: In long-track speed skating, drafting is a commonly used phenomenon in training; however, it is not allowed in time-trial races. In speed skating, limited research is available on the physical and psychological impact of drafting. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of "skating alone," "leading," or "drafting" on physical intensity (heart rate and blood lactate) and perceived intensity (perceived exertion) of speed skaters.METHODS: Twenty-two national-level long-track speed skaters with a mean age of 19.3 (2.6) years skated 5 laps, with similar external intensity in 3 different conditions: skating alone, leading, or drafting. Repeated-measures analysis of variance showed differences between the 3 conditions, heart rate (F2,36 = 10.546, P &lt; .001), lactate (F2,36 = 12.711, P &lt; .001), and rating of perceived exertion (F2,36 = 5.759, P &lt; .01).RESULTS: Heart rate and lactate concentration were significantly lower (P &lt; .001) when drafting compared with leading (heart rate Δ = 7 [8] beats·min-1, 4.0% [4.7%]; lactate Δ = 2.3 [2.3] mmol/L, 28.2% [29.9%]) or skating alone (heart rate Δ = 8 [7.1] beats·min-1, 4.6% [3.9%]; lactate Δ = 2.8 [2.5] mmol/L, 33.6% [23.6%]). Rating of perceived exertion was significantly lower (P &lt; .01) when drafting (Δ = 0.8 [1.0], 16.5% [20.9%]) or leading (Δ = 0.5 [0.9], 7.7% [20.5%]) versus skating alone.CONCLUSIONS: With similar external intensity, physical intensity, as well as perceived intensity, is reduced when drafting in comparison with skating alone. A key finding of this study is the psychological effect: Skating alone was shown to be more demanding than leading, whereas leading and drafting were perceived to be similar in terms of perceived exertion. Knowledge about the reduction of internal intensity for a drafting skater compared with leading or skating alone can be used by coaches and trainers to optimize training conditions.</p

The Tree Inclusion Problem: In Linear Space and Faster

Given two rooted, ordered, and labeled trees $P$ and $T$ the tree inclusion problem is to determine if $P$ can be obtained from $T$ by deleting nodes in $T$. This problem has recently been recognized as an important query primitive in XML databases. Kilpel\"ainen and Mannila [\emph{SIAM J. Comput. 1995}] presented the first polynomial time algorithm using quadratic time and space. Since then several improved results have been obtained for special cases when $P$ and $T$ have a small number of leaves or small depth. However, in the worst case these algorithms still use quadratic time and space. Let $n_S$, $l_S$, and $d_S$ denote the number of nodes, the number of leaves, and the %maximum depth of a tree $S \in \{P, T\}$. In this paper we show that the tree inclusion problem can be solved in space $O(n_T)$ and time: O(\min(l_Pn_T, l_Pl_T\log \log n_T + n_T, \frac{n_Pn_T}{\log n_T} + n_{T}\log n_{T})). This improves or matches the best known time complexities while using only linear space instead of quadratic. This is particularly important in practical applications, such as XML databases, where the space is likely to be a bottleneck.Comment: Minor updates from last tim

Endothelial Dysfunction, Inflammation, and Apoptosis in Diabetes Mellitus

Endothelial dysfunction is regarded as an important factor in the pathogenesis of vascular disease in obesity-related type 2 diabetes. The imbalance in repair and injury (hyperglycemia, hypertension, dyslipidemia) results in microvascular changes, including apoptosis of microvascular cells, ultimately leading to diabetes related complications. This review summarizes the mechanisms by which the interplay between endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, and apoptosis may cause (micro)vascular damage in patients with diabetes mellitus

Solid breast neoplasms: Differential diagnosis with pulsed Doppler ultrasound

In this prospective study, duplex Doppler ultrasound was used in 95 consecutive patients with solid breast masses to evaluate the presence of neovascular flow. A positive Doppler signal, i.e., a Doppler shift frequency of more than 1 kHz using a 5 MHz insonating frequency, was found in 34 of 57 patients with a carcinoma, and also in three patients with a benign condition. These results indicate that negative findings with pulsed Doppler ultrasound cannot be used to exclude malignancy. However, a frequency shift of more than 1 kHz indicates a high probability for malignancy. In our study a high frequency shift was not related to tumor size. We also evaluated the correlation between a high frequency shift and axillary nodal metastasis. According to our results there is a very low chance of axillary metastasis when no high frequency shifts are found

WFPC2 Observations of the Hubble Deep Field-South

The Hubble Deep Field-South observations targeted a high-galactic-latitude field near QSO J2233-606. We present WFPC2 observations of the field in four wide bandpasses centered at roughly 300, 450, 606, and 814 nm. Observations, data reduction procedures, and noise properties of the final images are discussed in detail. A catalog of sources is presented, and the number counts and color distributions of the galaxies are compared to a new catalog of the HDF-N that has been constructed in an identical manner. The two fields are qualitatively similar, with the galaxy number counts for the two fields agreeing to within 20%. The HDF-S has more candidate Lyman-break galaxies at z > 2 than the HDF-N. The star-formation rate per unit volume computed from the HDF-S, based on the UV luminosity of high-redshift candidates, is a factor of 1.9 higher than from the HDF-N at z ~ 2.7, and a factor of 1.3 higher at z ~ 4.Comment: 93 pages, 25 figures; contains very long table

Burden and Cost of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction and Reimbursement of Its Treatment in a Developing Country:An Observational Study in Indonesia

Objective: The number of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) procedures is increasing. However, ACLR procedures are likely to be underbudgeted in a developing country like Indonesia. This study aimed to analyze costs for ACLR procedures in Indonesia's resource-limited context, determine the burden of ACLR, and suggest national prices for ACLR reimbursement. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted between 1 January and 31 December 2019 on the cost of ACLR from a payer perspective using inpatient billing records in four hospitals. The national burden of ACLR was calculated, and projected national prices for reimbursement were determined. Results: Of 80 ACLRs, 53 (66%) were isolated ACLRs and 27 (34%) ACLRs were combined with meniscus treatment. Mean hospital costs incurred per ACLR procedure were US$2853, with the dominant cost relating to orthopedic implant prices (US$ 1,387.80). The costs of ACLR with combined meniscus treatment were estimated as being 35% higher than isolated ACLR. The national burden of ACLR showed a total budget of US$367.4 million per 100,000 patients (0.03$ 271.3 million per 100,000 patients (0.02% of GDP) for isolated ACLR. Conclusion: ACLR procedures in Indonesia are likely underbudgeted. Adjustments of reimbursement prices for ACLR are needed to facilitate adequate access of Indonesians to the procedures. This study demonstrated varying costs determined for ACLR in Indonesia, which entails that a new reimbursement system with improvement of national prices should become the core of transformation

Seasonal changes in the antibody responses against Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface antigens in areas of differing malaria endemicity in Indonesia.

BACKGROUND: The transmission of malaria in Indonesia is highly heterogeneous spatially and seasonally. Anti-malaria antibody responses can help characterize this variation. In the present study antibody responses to Plasmodium falciparum MSP-1 and AMA-1 were measured to assess the transmission intensity in a hypo-endemic area of Purworejo and a meso-endemic area of Lampung during low and high transmission seasons. METHODS: Filter-paper blood spot samples collected from Purworejo and Lampung by cross-sectional survey during high and low transmission season were stored at -20°C. Indirect ELISA assays were carried out using PfMSP1-19 and PfAMA1 antigens. A positivity threshold was determined by samples from local unexposed individuals, and the differences in seroprevalence, antibody level and correlation between antibody level and age in each site were statistically analysed. RESULTS: Prevalence of antibodies to either PfMSP1-19 or PfAMA1 was higher in Lampung than in Purworejo in both the low (51.3 vs 25.0%) and high transmission season (53.9 vs 37.5%). The magnitude of antibody responses was associated with increasing age in both sites and was higher in Lampung. Age-adjusted seroconversion rates showed an approximately ten-fold difference between Lampung and Purowejo. Two different seroconversion rates were estimated for Lampung suggesting behaviour-related differences in exposure. In both settings antibody responses to PfMSP1-19 were significantly lower in the low season compared to the high season. CONCLUSION: Seasonal changes may be detectable by changes in antibody responses. This is particularly apparent in lower transmission settings and with less immunogenic antigens (in this case PfMSP1-19). Examination of antibody levels rather than seroprevalence is likely to be a more sensitive indicator of changes in transmission. These data suggest that sero-epidemiological analysis may have a role in assessing short-term changes in exposure especially in low or seasonal transmission settings