Evidence for Anthropogenic Surface Loading as Trigger Mechanism of the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake

Two and a half years prior to China's M7.9 Wenchuan earthquake of May 2008, at least 300 million metric tons of water accumulated with additional seasonal water level changes in the Minjiang River Valley at the eastern margin of the Longmen Shan. This article shows that static surface loading in the Zipingpu water reservoir induced Coulomb failure stresses on the nearby Beichuan thrust fault system at <17km depth. Triggering stresses exceeded levels of daily lunar and solar tides and perturbed a fault area measuring 416+/-96km^2. These stress perturbations, in turn, likely advanced the clock of the mainshock and directed the initial rupture propagation upward towards the reservoir on the "Coulomb-like" Beichuan fault with rate-and-state dependent frictional behavior. Static triggering perturbations produced up to 60 years (0.6%) of equivalent tectonic loading, and show strong correlations to the coseismic slip. Moreover, correlations between clock advancement and coseismic slip, observed during the mainshock beneath the reservoir, are strongest for a longer seismic cycle (10kyr) of M>7 earthquakes. Finally, the daily event rate of the micro-seismicity (M>0.5) correlates well with the static stress perturbations, indicating destabilization.Comment: 22 pages, 4 figures, 3 table

Magnetism in all-carbon nanostructures with negative gaussian curvature

The electronic and magnetic properties of an sp2 bonded all-carbon nanostructure, consisting of a nanotube junction structurally related to schwarzite, were investigated. The spin density functional theory was used during the investigation. The electronic structure of different tetrapods was calculated using the density functional theory within the local spin density approximation (LSDA). It was found that particular systems, which were related to schwarzite and contain no under-coordinated carbon atoms, carry a net magnetic moment in the ground state. The effect of edge termination on the net magnetic moment of the tetrapod was also studied.open13713

Hydrogen for synthetic fuels via nuclear energy

Fluctuations in availability and recent increases in price of petroleum have had profound effects on the national economy. As synthetic fuels, in particular, hydrogen, become increasingly attractive, nuclear energy has a role in developing such fuels. It is postulated that the nuclear radiation of the fission process itself can be utilized directly in fluid fueled devices or radiation and heat can be used in special purpose solid-fuel reactors. Both fusion and fission are considered in this light.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/44905/1/10894_2005_Article_BF01063684.pd

Recommendations for resuming elective hip and knee arthroplasty in the setting of the SARS‑CoV‑2 pandemic: the European Hip Society and European Knee Associates Survey of Members

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the health care system around the entire globe. A consensus is needed about resuming total hip and knee procedures. The European Hip Society (EHS) and the European Knee Association (EKA) formed a panel of experts that have produced a consensus statement on how the safe re-introduction of elective hip and knee arthroplasty should be undertaken. Methods A prospective online survey was done among members of EHS and EKA. The survey consisted of 27 questions. It includes basic information on demographics and details the participant’s agreement with each recommendation. The participant could choose among three options (agree, disagree, abstain). Recommendations focussed on pre-operative, perioperative, and post-operative handling of patients and precautions. Results A total of 681 arthroplasty surgeons participated in the survey, with 479 fully completing the survey. The participants were from 44 countries and 6 continents. Apart from adhering to National and Local Guidelines, the recommendations concerned how to make elective arthroplasty safe for patients and staf. Conclusion The survey has shown good-to-excellent agreement of the participants with regards to the statements made in the recommendations for the safe return to elective arthroplasty following the frst wave of the COVID-19 pandemi

Impact of asymptomatic urogenital tract infections on ejaculate parameters in infertile men with varicocele

Varicocele, a pathology developing in 15 % males, is associated with 30 % male infertility cases. The role of urogenital infections coinciding with varicocele in infertile men has not been studied in sufficient detail.Objective: to examine the effects of bacterial and viral infections on ejaculate parameters in infertile patients with varicocele. The study included 49 patients with infertility and varicocele and 26 healthy males undergoing prophylactic medical examination. Highlevel infection was recorded after examination of ejaculates and urethral scrapes of 49 patients: bacterial (30.6 %) and viral (14.3 %) pathogens. Quantitative analysis of viral DNA showed high contamination of ejaculates with herpes viruses (&gt; 3 lg10/ml). Detailed analysis of spermatograms demonstrated a decrease in all basic parameters in patients with varicocele and infertility compared with those in healthy subjects. The presence of infectious agents had a statistically significant negative effect on ejaculate parameters. Spermiological examination revealed high level of sperm abnormalities (astenozoospermia, oligoteratozoospermia, and oligoastenoteratozoospermia) in patients with infertility, varicocele and bacterioviral infection of urogenital tract compared with uninfected infertile patients with varicocele. Laboratory tests for bacterial and viral infections should be recommended in infertility associated with varicocele even in the absence of clinical signs of these infections. Quantitative analysis of urogenital pathogens allows one to determine the necessity of etiotherapy of hidden infection and to monitor the effectiveness of treatment

К вопросу о ранней диагностике базальноклеточного рака (описание клинического случая)

Introduction. Basal cell carcinoma represents one of the most common malignant skin tumours. This malignant skin neoplasm is characterised by slow growth and a weak tendency to metastasis, although the fatal outcome with an aggressive tumour growth is also possible. On the example of a clinical case, an analysis of diagnostic errors regarding this disease was carried out.Case Description. Patient B., 67 years old, sought medical assistance in the Republican Dermatovenerologic Dispensary with complaints of a lesion on the nasal dorsum. The anamnesis indicated that the patient initially turned to a dermatologist at the place of residence, who prescribed a combined dermatic treatment containing a topical corticosteroid. Due to the lack of dynamics, the patient suggested a neoplasm and sought medical assistance from an oncologist at his place of residence. After excluding oncological pathology, the oncologist recommended observation and treatment by a dermatologist.Results and discussion. Repeatedly, the patient requested medical assistance only after a year and a half with complaints of an increase in the lesion on the nasal dorsum, the appearance of black crusts and bleeding. The results of a dermatoscopic examination demonstrated the absence of a pigment network, thus confirming the tumour process of non-melanocytic skin lesion. Based on the data of the clinical examination and histological examination of the tumour biopsy, the assumption was confirmed and the diagnosis of st. I T1N0M0 gr. III nasal skin cancer, was made. Under the conditions of the Republican Dermatovenerologic Dispensary, the patient underwent X-ray therapy according to the radical program in 5 days a week by the Xstrahl-300 (0545) instrument with the single and summary tumour doses on the area of the nasal skin tumour equal to 400 and 4000 cGy, respectively. Positive dynamics was noted (the lesion focus was epithelised) and the patient is currently under the supervision of an oncologist at the place of residence.Conclusions. The lack of proper examination by a dermatologist and oncologist at the place of residence contributed to the progression and growth of a malignant neoplasm in the patient. The diagnostic significance of the dermatoscopic method in the early stages of the malignant tumour process is substantiated.Введение. Базальноклеточная карцинома является одной из наиболее часто встречаемых злокачественных опухолей кожи. Это злокачественное новообразование кожи отличается медленным ростом и низкой склонностью к метастазированию, но при агрессивном течении опухоли возможен и смертельный исход. На примере клинического случая проведен разбор ошибок при диагностике данного заболевания.Описание случая. Пациент Б., 67 лет, обратился за медицинской помощью в Республиканский кожно-венерологический диспансер с жалобами на очаг поражения на спинке носа. Из данных анамнеза известно, что пациент изначально обратился к дерматологу по месту жительства, который назначил комбинированное наружное средство, в состав которого входил топический кортикостероид. Ввиду отсутствия динамики пациент предположил у себя наличие новообразования и самостоятельно обратился к онкологу по месту жительства. Онколог, в свою очередь, исключив свою патологию, рекомендовал наблюдение и лечение у дерматолога.Результаты и обсуждение. Повторно пациент обратился за помощью только через полтора года с жалобами на увеличение очага поражения на спинке носа, появление корок черного цвета и кровоточивости. Результаты дерматоскопического исследования показали отсутствие пигментной сетки, что свидетельствовало в пользу опухолевого процесса немеланоцитарного поражения кожи. На основании данных клинического осмотра и гистологического исследования биоптата опухоли подтверждено предположение и выставлен диагноз — рак кожи носа ст. I T1N0M0 гр. III. В условиях РОД больному была проведена рентгенотерапия по радикальной программе, в режиме 5 дней в неделю на аппарате Xstrahl-300 (0545), РОД-400 сГр, СОД-4000 сГр на область опухоли кожи носа. Отмечена положительная динамика (у больного очаг поражения заэпителизировался), и в настоящее время пациент находится на диспансерном учете у онколога по месту жительства.Заключение. Отсутствие должного обследования дерматологом и онкологом по месту жительства способствовало медленному прогрессированию и росту злокачественного новообразования у пациента. Обоснована диагностическая значимость дерматоскопического метода на ранних стадиях злокачественного опухолевого процесса

Factors Affecting COVID-19 Outcomes in Cancer Patients: A First Report From Guy's Cancer Center in London

Background: There is insufficient evidence to support clinical decision-making for cancer patients diagnosed with COVID-19 due to the lack of large studies. Methods: We used data from a single large UK Cancer Center to assess the demographic/clinical characteristics of 156 cancer patients with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis between 29 February and 12 May 2020. Logistic/Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify which demographic and/or clinical characteristics were associated with COVID-19 severity/death. Results: 128 (82%) presented with mild/moderate COVID-19 and 28 (18%) with a severe case of the disease. An initial cancer diagnosis >24 months before COVID-19 [OR: 1.74 (95% CI: 0.71–4.26)], presenting with fever [6.21 (1.76–21.99)], dyspnea [2.60 (1.00–6.76)], gastro-intestinal symptoms [7.38 (2.71–20.16)], or higher levels of C-reactive protein [9.43 (0.73–121.12)] were linked with greater COVID-19 severity. During a median follow-up of 37 days, 34 patients had died of COVID-19 (22%). Being of Asian ethnicity [3.73 (1.28–10.91)], receiving palliative treatment [5.74 (1.15–28.79)], having an initial cancer diagnosis >24 months before [2.14 (1.04–4.44)], dyspnea [4.94 (1.99–12.25)], and increased CRP levels [10.35 (1.05–52.21)] were positively associated with COVID-19 death. An inverse association was observed with increased levels of albumin [0.04 (0.01–0.04)]. Conclusions: A longer-established diagnosis of cancer was associated with increased severity of infection as well as COVID-19 death, possibly reflecting the effects a more advanced malignant disease has on this infection. Asian ethnicity and palliative treatment were also associated with COVID-19 death in cancer patients

Computational platform for doctor–artificial intelligence cooperation in pulmonary arterial hypertension prognostication: a pilot study

Background Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a heterogeneous and complex pulmonary vascular disease associated with substantial morbidity. Machine-learning algorithms (used in many PAH risk calculators) can combine established parameters with thousands of circulating biomarkers to optimise PAH prognostication, but these approaches do not offer the clinician insight into what parameters drove the prognosis. The approach proposed in this study diverges from other contemporary phenotyping methods by identifying patient-specific parameters driving clinical risk. Methods We trained a random forest algorithm to predict 4-year survival risk in a cohort of 167 adult PAH patients evaluated at Stanford University, with 20% withheld for (internal) validation. Another cohort of 38 patients from Sheffield University were used as a secondary (external) validation. Shapley values, borrowed from game theory, were computed to rank the input parameters based on their importance to the predicted risk score for the entire trained random forest model (global importance) and for an individual patient (local importance). Results Between the internal and external validation cohorts, the random forest model predicted 4-year risk of death/transplant with sensitivity and specificity of 71.0–100% and 81.0–89.0%, respectively. The model reinforced the importance of established prognostic markers, but also identified novel inflammatory biomarkers that predict risk in some PAH patients. Conclusion These results stress the need for advancing individualised phenotyping strategies that integrate clinical and biochemical data with outcome. The computational platform presented in this study offers a critical step towards personalised medicine in which a clinician can interpret an algorithm's assessment of an individual patient