Seismic wave amplification: Basin geometry vs soil layering.

International audienceThe main purpose of the paper is to analyze seismic site effects in alluvial basins and to discuss the influence of the knowledge of the local geology on site amplification simulations. Wave amplification is due to a combined effect of impedance ratio between soil layers and surface wave propagation due to the limited extent of the basin. In this paper, we investigate the influence of the complexity of the soil layering (simplified or detailed layering) on site effects in both time and frequency domain. The analysis is performed by the Boundary Element Method. The European test site of Volvi (Greece) is considered and 2D amplification in the basin is investigated for various soil models. Seismic signals are computed in time domain for synthetic Ricker signals as well as actual measurements. They are analyzed in terms of amplification level as well as time duration lengthening (basin effects) for both SH and SV waves. These results show that the geometry of the basin has a very strong influence on seismic wave amplification in terms of both amplification level and time duration lengthening. The combined influence of geometry/layering of alluvial basins seems to be very important for the analysis of 2D (3D) site effects but a simplified analysis could sometimes be sufficient. In the case of Volvi European test site, this influence leads to (measured and computed) 2D amplification ratios far above 1D estimations from horizontal layering descriptions

Two Brothers with Skewed Thiopurine Metabolism in Ulcerative Colitis Treated Successfully with Allopurinol and Mercaptopurine Dose Reduction

Thiopurine therapy effectively maintains remission in inflammatory bowel disease. However, many patients are unable to achieve optimum benefits from azathioprine or 6-mercaptopurine because of undesirable metabolism related to high thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) activity characterized by hepatic transaminitis secondary to increased 6-methylmercaptopurine (6-MMP) production and reduced levels of therapeutic 6-thioguanine nucleotide (6-TGN). Allopurinol can optimize this skewed metabolism. We discuss two brothers who were both diagnosed with ulcerative colitis (UC). Their disease remained active despite oral and topical mesalamines. Steroids followed by 6-mercaptopurine (MP) were unsuccessfully introduced for both patients and both were found to have high 6-MMP and low 6-TGN levels, despite normal TMPT enzyme activity, accompanied by transaminitis. Allopurinol was introduced in combination with MP dose reduction. For both brothers addition of allopurinol was associated with successful remission and optimized MP metabolites. These siblings with active UC illustrate that skewed thiopurine metabolism may occur despite normal TPMT enzyme activity and can lead to adverse events in the absence of disease control. We confirm previous data showing that addition of allopurinol can reverse this skewed metabolism, and reduce both hepatotoxicity and disease activity, but we now also introduce the concept of a family history of preferential MP metabolism as a clue to effective management for other family members

A National Survey of Hereditary Angioedema and Acquired C1 Inhibitor Deficiency in the United Kingdom

Background: Detailed demographic data on people with hereditary angioedema (HAE) and acquired C1 inhibitor deficiency in the United Kingdom are relatively limited. Better demographic data would be beneficial in planning service provision, identifying areas of improvement, and improving care./ Objective: To obtain more accurate data on the demographics of HAE and acquired C1 inhibitor deficiency in the United Kingdom, including treatment modalities and services available to patients./ Methods: A survey was distributed to all centers in the United Kingdom that look after patients with HAE and acquired C1 inhibitor deficiency to collect these data./ Results: The survey identified 1152 patients with HAE-1/2 (58% female and 92% type 1), 22 patients with HAE with normal C1 inhibitor, and 91 patients with acquired C1 inhibitor deficiency. Data were provided by 37 centers across the United Kingdom. This gives a minimum prevalence of 1:59,000 for HAE-1/2 and 1:734,000 for acquired C1 inhibitor deficiency in the United Kingdom. A total of 45% of patients with HAE were on long-term prophylaxis (LTP) with the most used medication being danazol (55% of all patients on LTP). Eighty-two percent of patients with HAE had a home supply of acute treatment with C1 inhibitor or icatibant. A total of 45% of patients had a supply of icatibant and 56% had a supply of C1 inhibitor at home./ Conclusions: Data obtained from the survey provide useful information about the demographics and treatment modalities used in HAE and acquired C1 inhibitor deficiency in the United Kingdom. These data are useful for planning service provision and improving services for these patients

Consumer and Healthcare Professional Led Priority Setting for Quality Use of Medicines in People with Dementia: Gathering Unanswered Research Questions

Background: Historically, research questions have been posed by the pharmaceutical industry or researchers, with little involvement of consumers and healthcare professionals. Objective: To determine what questions about medicine use are important to people living with dementia and their care team and whether they have been previously answered by research. Methods: The James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership process was followed. A national Australian qualitative survey on medicine use in people living with dementia was conducted with consumers (people living with dementia and their carers including family, and friends) and healthcare professionals. Survey findings were supplemented with key informant interviews and relevant published documents (identified by the research team). Conventional content analysis was used to generate summary questions. Finally, evidence checking was conducted to determine if the summary questions were 'unanswered'. Results: A total of 545 questions were submitted by 228 survey participants (151 consumers and 77 healthcare professionals). Eight interviews were conducted with key informants and four relevant published documents were identified and reviewed. Overall, analysis resulted in 68 research questions, grouped into 13 themes. Themes with the greatest number of questions were related to co-morbidities, adverse drug reactions, treatment of dementia, and polypharmacy. Evidence checking resulted in 67 unanswered questions. Conclusion: A wide variety of unanswered research questions were identified. Addressing unanswered research questions identified by consumers and healthcare professionals through this process will ensure that areas of priority are targeted in future research to achieve optimal health outcomes through quality use of medicines

Comparaison des propriétés de conduction du 9,9’ diéthyle 3,3’ dicarbazyle et de poly(3,6-N alkylcarbazolediyl)

Afin de comparer les propriétés de conduction électronique du 9,9' diéthyle 3,3' dicarbazyle (DEDCZ) à celles des polymères correspondant, nous avons été amenés à synthétiser le DEDCZ par deux nouvelles méthodes que nous décrivons. Puis, nous montrons que le dopage chimique en solution de ces deux types de composé par des sels ferriques peut être suivi par spectroscopie UV-visible. La conductivité électronique pour un agent dopant donné, est du même ordre de grandeur pour le DEDCZ et pour le polymère. Ce qui signifie que, dans le cas de ces matériaux, une diade joue un rôle déterminant. Ce résultat est confirmé par la similitude du comportement électrochimique du dimère et du polymère en présence de divers électrolytes

Roqwei - About the Rongra (Rera)

Two recordings in which Mr D K Roqwei talks about the name of the Rera. This consists of 2 sound files: nst-mun_20130126_02_BKL_H4n_Roqwei_AboutRongra nst-mun_20130126_02_BKL_H4n_Roqwei_DeizRoqClan The details of these recordings are as follows: nst-mun_20130126_02_BKL_H4n_Roqwei_AboutRongra_Duration 5’23”, About the name of the Rera (Ronrang), called Rongra in Mungre and the oral history of the Ronrang nst-mun_20130126_02_BKL_H4n_Roqwei_DeizRoqClan_Duration 13’48”, Oral history of Deiz Roq famil

Comportement électrochimique de solutions de poly(N-alkylcarbazole)s de faible polymolécularité

Le présent travail concerne l'étude électrochimique de solution de poly(N-alkylcarbazole)s dans le dichlorométhane-NBu4BF4 par voltampérométrie cyclique et électrode tournante. L'influence de la masse moléculaire moyenne en nombre sur les caractéristiques électrochimiques des solutions de polymères a été examinée

Research data supporting “Spectroscopic ellipsometry characterization of ZnO:Sn thin films with various Sn composition deposited by remote-plasma reactive sputtering”

Data generated in the characterization and analysis of the Zinc Tin Oxide thin films (as shown in the Figures in the manuscript)EPSRC [EP/M013650/1