Optimizing Compton Back Scattering Parameters Using a Simulation Code

Compton scattering is an interaction of photons with atomic electrons, in which both the energy and the momentum are conserved. The photon interacts with a constant interaction cross section per electron eσc for all materials at a certain photon energy. However the Compton scattering cross section per atom, σc, is equal to the number of electrons in the atom multiplied by the eσc [1]: σc=Zeσc this characteristic means that for a given photon energy, each material has a unique scattering cross section different from other materials. It also means that the higher the atomic number, the stronger the signal obtained from Compton scattering, at least for small thicknesses

Pengaruh Individu dan Organisasi terhadap Disiplin Kerja (Studi pada PT. Bank “X” Cabang “Y” Malang)

Work discipline is the condition desired by organization. Work discipline will never be happened automatically, but should be shaped by many factors, both individual and organizational factors. Employee that discipline in their work will give optimal result that supports achievement of company's goals. PT. Bank “X” Branch “Y” Malang is a stated-owned corporation and has strategic position in supporting national development. In order to make its function functioned properly, so that PT Bank “X” Branch “Y” Malang has to enhance its organization performance. Organization performance was significantly affected by employee work discipline, while personnel management has heavy duty in creating high-level discipline. This research was explanatory research, with employee of PT. Bank “X” Branch “Y” Malang as the analysis unit. Stratified random sampling technique was used in taking sample, while questionnaire was used to collect data from 50 employees. Variable measurement used in this research was the Likert scale. Data analysis used descriptive and inferential methods. The results showed that: (1) descriptive analysis resulted that variables of employee need (X1), employee capability (X2), work training (X3), compensation type (X4), close-monitoring (X5) and employee's work discipline (Y) were perceived by employees properly and occurred as desired. (2) By completely, there was significant influence between independent variables on dependent variable. (3) Partially, variables of employee need (X1), employee work capability (X2), work training (X3), compensation type (X4) and close-monitoring (X5) significantly affected variable of employee work discipline (Y). (4) Regression test result showed that variable of compensation type (X4) has dominant contribution, namely 19,90 percents, on employee work discipline (Y), if been compared with other variables. Variables of compensation type (X4) have dominant contribution in this research. So that there are many things that should be considered by company, namely: 1) variabel of compensation type (X4) essentially on items of incentive giving and amount of insurance guarantee that should be more considered and enhanced because variable of compensation type (X4) had dominant contribution on employee work discipline, of course, and without ignoring other variables. (2) Employee work discipline have shown a properly condition so that should be maintained even enhanced in order to give more maximal value-added for the company

A MATLAB app to assess, compare and validate new methods against their benchmarks

Emerging technologies for physiological signals and data collection enable the monitoring of patient health and well-being in real-life settings. This requires novel methods and tools to compare the validity of this kind of information with that acquired in controlled environments using more costly and sophisticated technologies. In this paper, we describe a method and a MATLAB tool that relies on a standard sequence of statistical tests to compare features obtained using novel techniques with those acquired by means of benchmark procedures. After introducing the key steps of the proposed statistical analysis method, this paper describes its implementation in a MATLAB app, developed to support researchers in testing the extent to which a set of features, captured with a new methodology, can be considered a valid surrogate of that acquired employing gold standard techniques. An example of the application of the tool is provided in order to validate the method and illustrate the graphical user interface (GUI). The app development in MATLAB aims to improve its accessibility, foster its rapid adoption among the scientific community and its scalability into wider MATLAB tools

Care of patients with hemoglobin disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic: An overview of recommendations.

The outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to a global health emergency.1 Compared to the general population, patients with hemoglobin disorders such as sickle cell disease (SCD) or thalassemia are expected to be more severely affected by COVID-19 due to their preexisting chronic morbidities.2 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not report any specific indications for patients with hemoglobinopathies. However, it can be hypothesized that the rapid spread of the virus may render these patients fragile when fighting the infection. SCD, a hematological condition with functional asplenia, puts patients at a greater risk to develop acute pulmonary complications, including viral infections.2 A study by Hussain et al reported four SCD cases that tested positive for COVID-19.3 These cases initially presented to the emergency department for a typical vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC), and the clinical course of their SARS-CoV-2 infection was rather mild. Patients had a history of respiratory complications, such as acute chest syndrome (ACS), asthma, or pulmonary embolism, which may be potential risk factors for progressive COVID-19 pulmonary disease in patients with SCD.3 A series of isolated cases of ACS in SCD patients positive for COVID-19 has been recently reported.4,5 Therefore, very little clinical experience of infected patients with SCD currently exists. For this reason, we believe that certain recommendations must be followed by healthcare professionals treating any SCD patient infected with SARS-CoV-2

PHAEODACTYLUM TRICORNUTUM MICROALGAE GROWTH RATE IN HETEROTROPHIC AND MIXOTROPHIC CONDITIONS

The Brazilian National Program for Biofuel Production has been encouraging diversification of feedstock for biofuel production. One of the most promising alternatives is the use of microalgae biomass for biofuel production. The cultivation of microalgae is conducted in aquatic systems, therefore microalgae oil production does not compete with agricultural land. Microalgae have greater photosynthetic efficiency than higher plants and are efficient fixing CO2. The challenge is to reduce production costs, which can be minimized by increasing productivity and oil biomass. Aiming to increase the production of microalgae biomass, mixotrophic cultivation, with the addition of glycerol has been shown to be very promising. During the production of biodiesel from microalgae there is availability of glycerol as a side product of the transesterification reaction, which could be used as organic carbon source for microalgae mixotrophic growth, resulting in increased biomass productivity. In this paper, to study the effect of glycerol in experimental conditions, the batch culture of the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum was performed in a 2-liter flask in a temperature and light intensity controlled room. During 16 days of cultivation, the number of cells per ml was counted periodically in a Neubauer chamber. The calculation of dry biomass in the control experiment (without glycerol) was performed every two days by vacuum filtration. In the dry biomass mixotrophic experiment with glycerol concentration of 1.5 M, the number of cells was assessed similarly in the 10th and 14th days of cultivation. Through a volume element methodology, a mathematical model was written to calculate the microalgae growth rate. Was used an equation that describes the influence of irradiation and concentration of nutrients in the growth of microalgae. A simulation time of 16 days was used in the computations, with initial concentration of 0.1 g l-1. In order to compare simulation data with experimental data, we calculated the dry weight in 8 points in the course of sixteen days. In this way, it was possible to assess graphically biomass concentration versus time through the experiments and by numerical simulation. It was identified that the simulation results were consistent with the experiments and that the addition of glycerol greatly influenced the growth of microalgae. In the present analysis, the glycerol added increased 30% in biomass

Spread of efflux pump overexpressing-mediated fluoroquinolone resistance and multidrug resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa by using an efflux pump inhibitor

Background: Fluoroquinolone resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa may be due to efflux pump overexpression and/or target mutations. We designed this study to investigate the efflux pump mediated fluoroquinolone resistance and check the increasing effectiveness of fluoroquinolones in combination with an efflux pumps inhibitor among P. aeruginosa isolates from burn wounds infections. Materials and Methods: A total of 154 consecutive strains of P. aeruginosa were recovered from separate patients hospitalized in a burn hospital, Tehran, Iran. The isolates first were studied by disk diffusion antibiogram for 11 antibiotics and then minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) experiments were performed to detect synergy between ciprofloxacin and the efflux pump inhibitor, carbonyl cyanide-m-chlorophenyl hydrazone (CCCP). Then to elucidate the inducing of multi drug resistance due to different efflux pumps activation in Fluoroquinolone resistant isolates, synergy experiments were also performed in random ciprofloxacin resistant isolates which have overexpressed efflux pumps phenotypically, using CCCP and selected antibiotics as markers for Beta-lactams and Aminoglycosides. The isolates were also tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the presence of the MexA, MexC and MexE, which encode the efflux pumps MexAB-OprM, MexCD-OprJ and MexEF-OprN. Results: Most of the isolates were resistant to 3 or more antibiotics tested. More than half of the ciprofloxacin resistant isolates exhibited synergy between ciprofloxacin and CCCP, indicating the efflux pump activity contributed to the ciprofloxacin resistance. Also increased susceptibility of random ciprofloxacin resistant isolates of P. aeruginosa to other selected antibiotics, in presence of CCCP, implied multidrug extrusion by different active efflux pump in fluoroquinolones resistant strains. All of Ciprofloxacin resistant isolates were positive for MexA, MexC and MexE genes simultaneously. Conclusion: In this burn hospital, where multidrug resistant P. aeruginosa isolates were prevalent, ciprofloxacin resistance and multidrug resistance due to the overexpression of fluoroquinolones mediated efflux pumps has also now emerged. Early recognition of this resistance mechanism should allow the use of alternative antibiotics and use an efflux pumps inhibitor in combination with antibiotic therapy. © 2015 by The Korean Society of Infectious Diseases

Maximum Upper Esophageal Sphincter (UES) Admittance: A Non-Specific Marker of UES Dysfunction

This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance With Wiley Terms and Conditions for self-archiving'.© 2015 John Wiley & Sons LtdBackground Assessment of upper esophageal sphincter (UES) motility is challenging, as functionally, UES relaxation and opening are distinct. We studied novel parameters, UES admittance (inverse of nadir impedance), and 0.2-s integrated relaxation pressure (IRP), in patients with cricopharyngeal bar (CPB) and motor neuron disease (MND), as predictors of UES dysfunction. Methods Sixty-six healthy subjects (n = 50 controls 20–80 years; n = 16 elderly >80 years), 11 patients with CPB (51–83 years) and 16 with MND (58–91 years) were studied using pharyngeal high-resolution impedance manometry. Subjects received 5 × 5 mL liquid (L) and viscous (V) boluses. Admittance and IRP were compared by age and between groups. A p < 0.05 was considered significant. Key Results In healthy subjects, admittance was reduced (L: p = 0.005 and V: p = 0.04) and the IRP higher with liquids (p = 0.02) in older age. Admittance was reduced in MND compared to both healthy groups (Young: p < 0.0001 for both, Elderly L: p < 0.0001 and V: p = 0.009) and CPB with liquid (p = 0.001). Only liquid showed a higher IRP in MND patients compared to controls (p = 0.03), but was similar to healthy elderly and CPB patients. Only admittance differentiated younger controls from CPB (L: p = 0.0002 and V: p < 0.0001), with no differences in either parameter between CPB and elderly subjects. Conclusions & Inferences The effects of aging and pathology were better discriminated by UES maximum admittance, demonstrating greater statistical confidence across bolus consistencies as compared to 0.2-s IRP. Maximum admittance may be a clinically useful determinate of UES dysfunction

EHA Research Roadmap on Hemoglobinopathies and Thalassemia: An Update

The inherited disorders of hemoglobin, which include sickle cell disease and thalassemias, are the most common and widespread distributed monogenic disorders. Due to a selective advantage in malaria regions, these hemoglobin defects are particularly frequent in Africa, Asia, or in the Mediterranean areas, where malaria was endemic until the last century. In recent decades, the globalization of migration has contributed to generate multiethnic European societies. Due to migration from countries or regions with high hemoglobinopathy frequencies such as Africa, Middle East, or Asia, large numbers of patients with these disorders are living in almost every European country today. Furthermore, the numbers are increasing because of increasing refugee flows toward Europe. Additional requirements are the development of European recommendations and guidelines for diagnosis and effective therapeutic approaches. These, together with the advancement of clinical trials using new drugs and therapeutic procedures could ameliorate the quality of life of patients affected with these diseases and increase their life expectancy. Lastly, coordinated efforts should be made to develop diagnostic pathways for thalassemias and hemoglobinopathies, in order to plan interventions, including prenatal diagnosis and cure. For these reasons, the development of new tools to reliably diagnose anemias is urgently needed and fits well with the needs of personalized medicine. In the last 15 years, hematology research has made many big leaps forward. Our general aim will be to solve several hematologic problems using these new approaches. We expect that the development of such a diagnostic tool will improve timely diagnosis throughout Europe, especially in those countries where it is difficult to gain access to "classical" diagnostic tests

Efficacy and safety of deferasirox at low and high iron burdens: results from the EPIC magnetic resonance imaging substudy

The effect of deferasirox dosing tailored for iron burden and iron loading based on liver iron concentration (LIC) was assessed over 1 year in less versus more heavily iron-overloaded patients in a substudy of the Evaluation of Patients' Iron Chelation with ExjadeA (R). Deferasirox starting dose was 10-30 mg/kg/day, depending on blood transfusion frequency, with recommended dose adjustments every 3 months. Therapeutic goals were LIC maintenance or reduction in patients with baseline LIC < 7 or a parts per thousand yen7 mg Fe/g dry weight (dw), respectively. Changes in LIC (R2-magnetic resonance imaging) and serum ferritin after 1 year were assessed. Adverse events (AEs) and laboratory parameters were monitored throughout. Of 374 patients, 71 and 303 had baseline LIC < 7 and a parts per thousand yen7 mg Fe/g dw, respectively; mean deferasirox doses were 20.7 and 27.1 mg/kg/day (overall average time to dose increase, 24 weeks). At 1 year, mean LIC and median serum ferritin levels were maintained in the low-iron cohort (-0.02 A +/- 2.4 mg Fe/g dw, -57 ng/mL; P = not significant) and significantly decreased in the high-iron cohort (-6.1 A +/- 9.1 mg Fe/g dw, -830 ng/mL; P < 0.0001). Drug-related gastrointestinal AEs, mostly mild to moderate, were more frequently reported in the < 7 versus a parts per thousand yen7 mg Fe/g dw cohort (39.4 versus 20.8 %; P = 0.001) and were not confounded by diagnosis, dosing, ethnicity, or hepatitis B and/or C history. Reported serum creatinine increases did not increase in low- versus high-iron cohort patients. Deferasirox doses of 20 mg/kg/day maintained LIC < 7 mg Fe/g dw and doses of 30 mg/kg/day were required for net iron reduction in the high-iron cohort, with clinically manageable safety profiles. The higher incidence of gastrointestinal AEs at lower iron burdens requires further investigation