Qalb ommu

Ġabra ta’ poeżiji u proża li tinkludi: Il-għanja tal-ħamsa u tletin sena ta’ Patri Mattew – Meta lbist il-ġlekk ta’ ħija ta’ George Vella – Tliet poeżiji qosra ta’ John Sciberras – Għada jisbaħ xorta waħda – Ġejjin id-dgħajjes – Il-kotra u ż-żmien – Ferħa bla temma ta’ A. Guillaumier – Qalb ommu ta’ Jos. M. Manara.N/

Definitions and reliability assessment of elementary ultrasound lesions in giant cell arteritis: a study from the OMERACT Large Vessel Vasculitis Ultrasound Working Group

Objectives: To define the elementary ultrasound (US) lesions in giant cell arteritis (GCA) and to evaluate the reliability of the assessment of US lesions according to these definitions in a web-based reliability exercise. Methods: Potential definitions of normal and abnormal US findings of temporal and extracranial large arteries were retrieved by a systematic literature review. As a subsequent step, a structured Delphi exercise was conducted involving an expert panel of the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) US Large Vessel Vasculitis Group to agree definitions of normal US appearance and key elementary US lesions of vasculitis of temporal and extracranial large arteries. The reliability of these definitions on normal and abnormal blood vessels was tested on 150 still images and videos in a web-based reliability exercise. Results: Twenty-four experts participated in both Delphi rounds. From originally 25 statements, nine definitions were obtained for normal appearance, vasculitis and arteriosclerosis of cranial and extracranial vessels. The 'halo' and 'compression' signs were the key US lesions in GCA. The reliability of the definitions for normal temporal and axillary arteries, the 'halo' sign and the 'compression' sign was excellent with inter-rater agreements of 91-99% and mean kappa values of 0.83-0.98 for both inter-rater and intra-rater reliabilities of all 25 experts. Conclusions: The 'halo' and the 'compression' signs are regarded as the most important US abnormalities for GCA. The inter-rater and intra-rater agreement of the new OMERACT definitions for US lesions in GCA was excellent

Prevention of hepatorenal toxicity with Sonchus asper in gentamicin treated rats

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Sonchus asper </it>possesses antioxidant capacity and is used in liver and kidney disorders. We have investigated the preventive effect of methanolic extract of <it>Sonchus asper </it>(SAME) on the gentamicin induced alterations in biochemical and morphological parameters in liver and kidneys of Sprague-Dawley male rat.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Acute oral toxicity studies were performed for selecting the therapeutic dose of SAME. 30 Sprague-Dawley male rats were equally divided into five groups with 06 animals in each. Group I received saline (0.5 ml/kg bw; 0.9% NaCl) while Group II administered with gentamicin 0.5 ml (100 mg/kg bw; i.p.) for ten days. Animals of Group III and Group IV received gentamicin and SAME 0.5 ml at a dose of 100 mg/kg bw and 200 mg/kg bw, respectively while Group V received only SAME at a dose of 200 mg/kg bw. Biochemical parameters including aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), γ-glutamyltransferase (γ-GT), total cholesterol, triglycerides, total protein, albumin, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), total bilirubin and direct bilirubin were determined in serum collected from various groups. Urinary out puts were measured in each group and also assessed for the level of protein and glucose. Lipid peroxides (TBARS), glutathione (GSH), DNA injuries and activities of antioxidant enzymes; catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were determined in liver and renal samples. Histopathological studies of liver and kidneys were also carried out.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>On the basis of acute oral toxicity studies, 2000 mg/kg bw did not induce any toxicity in rats, 1/10^thof the dose was selected for preventive treatment. Gentamicin increased the level of serum biomarkers; AST, ALT, ALP, LDH, γ-GT, total cholesterol, triglycerides, total protein, albumin, creatinine, BUN, total and direct bilirubin; as were the urinary level of protein, glucose, and urinary output. Lipid peroxidation (TBARS) and DNA injuries increased while GSH contents and activities of antioxidant enzymes; CAT, POD, SOD decreased with gentamicin in liver and kidney samples. SAME administration, dose dependently, prevented the alteration in biochemical parameters and were supported by low level of tubular and glomerular injuries induced with gentamicin.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These results suggested the preventive role of SAME for gentamicin induced toxicity that could be attributed by phytochemicals having antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties.</p

SAE Baja Drivetrain

Presentation location: Reed Hall of Science Room 214 Olivet Nazarene University has been developing its SAE Baja program for the past several years. This year, the University has assigned the senior design team with the drivetrain optimization project. The primary goal of this project is to produce an increase of top speed and acceleration in the ONU Baja vehicle, compared to previous years. These vehicular improvements are to be completed for the SAE competition at the end of the 2021 Spring semester. The project mentors, Clay Bass and Dr. Allen, outlined the need statement for this project and the vehicular work required for success. To complete this project, the team was tasked with selecting an ideal transmission setup, tuning the continuously variable transmission (CVT), designing and installing the CVT cover, designing and attaching the gear shifter, installing the transmission cage, and designing and implementing a splash shield between the fuel tank and engine. The drivetrain team intends to optimize acceleration and top speed by selecting the proper gear ratios in the transmission and tuning the CVT to the point of full belt engagement. Additionally, all covers and parts must be designed and installed according to the SAE standards. The drivetrain team has already conducted numerous tests to determine the current top speed and acceleration. Additional research has been performed on past Baja teams from other universities to determine the ideal solution to this project

U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior

Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report. Suggested citation: Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data ISBN iii iv Conversion Factors and Datu

All Tribolium Genotypes

This file includes all the genotypes scored as part of this study in GenPop format. Sample names include either Fam (indicating that they are the first offspring from each family in the inbreeding assey) or Ind (indicating that these are additional individuals from the selection lines also included in the sample name)

Per locus heterozygosity

The estimated heterozygosities for each locus for each population produced by GenPop