Frequency Of Development Of Connective Tissue Disease In Statin-Users Versus Nonusers

Statins have pleiotropic properties that may affect the development of connective tissue diseases (CTD). The objective of this study was to compare the risk of CTD diagnoses in statin users and nonusers. This study was a propensity score-matched analysis of adult patients (30 to 85 years old) in the San Antonio military medical community. The study was divided into baseline (October 1, 2003 to September 30, 2005), and follow-up (October 1, 2005 to March 5, 2010) periods. Statin users received a statin prescription during fiscal year 2005. Nonusers did not receive a statin at any time during the study. The outcome measure was the occurrence of 3 diagnosis codes of the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification consistent with CTD. We described co-morbidities during the baseline period using the Charlson Comorbidity Index. We created a propensity score based on 41 variables. We then matched statin users and nonusers 1:1, using a caliper of 0.001. Of 46,488 patients who met study criteria (13,640 statin users and 32,848 nonusers), we matched 6,956 pairs of statin users and nonusers. Matched groups were similar in terms of patient age, gender, incidence of co-morbidities, total Charlson Comorbidity Index, health care use, and medication use. The odds ratio for CTD was lower in statin users than nonusers (odds ratio: 0.80; 95% confidence interval: 0.64 to 0.99; p = 0.05). Secondary analysis and sensitivity analysis confirmed these results. In conclusion, statin use was associated with a lower risk of CTD. Published by Elsevier Inc.Pharmac

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-Based for Slope Mapping and the Determination of Potential Slope Hazard

This paper discusses the applications of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for geological mapping and the determination of cross-section of certain selected area. With the development of modern technology, the utilization of UAV to gather data for geological mapping can be considered as finest method as it is quick, reliable, precise, cost-effective and also easily to operate. High imagery quality is essential for the effectiveness and nature of normal mapping output such as Digital Surface Model (DSM) and also Ortho Images. The utilization of UAV to capture aerial photo helps to gather information from a normal area to an area which almost impossible to reach. With the data obtained by the UAV, it will later be processed in established software and the analysis of slope profile of certain selected study area will be done. From these analyses, the potential slope hazards which based on slope angles will be determined and considered as another interest of this study

The Tolman VII solution, trapped null orbits and w - modes

The Tolman VII solution is an exact static spherically symmetric perfect fluid solution of Einstein's equations that exhibits a surprisingly good approximation to a neutron star. We show that this solution exhibits trapped null orbits in a causal region even for a tenuity (total radius to mass ratio) $> 3$. In this region the dynamical part of the potential for axial w - modes dominates over the centrifugal part.Comment: 5 pages revtex. 10 figures png. Further information at http://grtensor.phy.queensu.ca/tolmanvii

A Theoretical Construction of Thin Shell Wormhole from Tidal Charged Black hole

Recently, Dadhich et al [ Phys.Lett.B 487, 1 (2000)] have discovered a black hole solution localized on a three brane in five dimensional gravity in the Randall-Sundrum scenario. In this article, we develop a new class of thin shell wormhole by surgically grafting above two black hole spacetimes. Various aspects of this thin wormhole are also analyzed.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figures, Accepted in Gen.Rel.Gra

experimental study of hydrogen embrittlement in maraging steels

Abstract This research activity aims at investigating the hydrogen embrittlement of Maraging steels in connection to real sudden failures of some of the suspension blades of the Virgo Project experimental apparatus. Some of them failed after 15 years of service in working conditions. Typically, in the Virgo detector, blades are loaded up to 50-60% of the material yield strength. For a deeper understanding of the failure, the relationship between hydrogen concentration and mechanical properties of the material, have been investigated with specimens prepared in order to simulate blade working conditions. A mechanical characterization of the material has been carried out by standard tensile testing in order to establish the effect of hydrogen content on the material strength. Further experimental activity was executed in order to characterize the fracture surface and to measure the hydrogen content. Finally, some of the failed blades have been analyzed in DICI-UNIPI laboratory. The experimental results show that the blades failure can be related with the hydrogen embrittlement phenomenon

A conceptual framework for the design of a 3D courseware on electromagnetic theory

This paper will explain about research on development of three dimensional (3D) courseware for Electromagnetic Theory Subject (EMT) subject that have been offers to all Malaysia Technical University Network (MTUN). The EMT courseware was included a multimedia software, three dimensional environment, and exercises for student to be done to test their understanding after using the courseware. Moreover, this paper explain about the research methodology that include the development of the courseware for teaching and learning, the effectiveness of the 3D courseware for teaching and learning, and the use of ICT in education for universities level. In this research it is use of Constructivism-Cognitive-Contextual Model Life Cycle (C3MLC) model to construct the research, which it includes of Analysis phase, Design phase, Development phase, Implementation phase, Evaluation phase. After the first three phases have been completely done, courseware will be test to Subject Matter Expert (SME) to judge the validity of the courseware for the learning usage. It includes past students and lecturers before the Evaluation phase be done to collect research sample, instrument, and methodology of collecting and analyzing data gathered

Aluminum toxicity in acid sulfate soil alleviated with biogenic liming composites of blood cockle shell and palm kernel shell

Low crop yield from acid sulfate soil was caused by high concentrations of aluminum and iron in soil. Aluminum ion which cause root injury at root region inhibits the uptake of the nutrients by the root and lead to nutrient deficiency. Ground magnesium limestones can beapplied to overcome this problem but incurred more production cost. Biogenic liming agent from blood cockle shell and/or palm kernel shell are more cost effective and provide the essential element i.e. calcium. This study evaluate phase-association of Al in acid sulfate soil remediated using biogenic composites liming material using selective sequential extraction analysis. Biogenic liming composites were characterized for pH, proximate analysis and elemental composition. High ratio of BCS in composite retained Al in the residual form about 91.33%. Amelioration of soil with 100% PKS did not give significant reduction of the exchangeable Al.Keywords: soil remediation; phytotoxicity; abiotic stress; calcination; alkalinity

The Application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) For Slope Mapping at Gambang Damai Residents, Pahang: A Case Study

This paper highlights the work of slopemapping utilizing the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with its perimeter, area, and volume of particular regions chosen at Gambang Damai Residents in Kuantan Pahang. The location selected was choose because of its proximity to the study area. Slope mapping has traditionally been time-consuming and challenging, especially in hilly areas. This research also aimed to identify potential slope hazards based on slope angle. The accuracy and nature of typical mapping outputs, such as the Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and Digital Orthophoto, depend on high-quality photos that modern UAVs can only capture. These photographs taken by the UAV will be transferred to Agisoft software to generatea complete map of the study area. With the help of Global Mapper, it's easy to measure elements such as the perimeter, area, and volume of selected study areas, which is the main point of this research. The results of the two slopes (slope A and slope B) show that slope B produces a massive volume of 1469.7 m3, whilst slope A generates just 1382.9 m3. Slope A has an enclosed area of 1634.3 m2, which is more significant than slope B's enclosed area of 766.86 m2.Additionally, slope A's perimeter is 162.28 m, more extensive than slope B's 159.45 m. Another result of this research is that researchers and engineers may evaluate potential slope hazards using a contemporary mapping approach by determining their particular slope angles. According to the findings, slope A has an angle of 47.35⁰, while slope B has an angle of 54.75⁰. Both slopes considered to be very steep. In conclusion, using current technology, such as UAVs, is quite beneficial when mapping in geotechnical engineering. Researchers and engineers can gather slope measurements more quickly than with previous traditional approaches by adopting multi-rotor UAV slope mapping

Generalized Swiss-cheese cosmologies: Mass scales

We generalize the Swiss-cheese cosmologies so as to include nonzero linear momenta of the associated boundary surfaces. The evolution of mass scales in these generalized cosmologies is studied for a variety of models for the background without having to specify any details within the local inhomogeneities. We find that the final effective gravitational mass and size of the evolving inhomogeneities depends on their linear momenta but these properties are essentially unaffected by the details of the background model.Comment: 10 pages, 14 figures, 1 table, revtex4, Published form (with minor corrections