Successful lumbar epidural catheter placement through a lower back lipoma

Structural abnormalities of the lumbar spine or the overlying structures may represent a relative contraindication or technical difficulty to neuraxial anesthesia. We report a case of successful epidural catheter placement through a lower back lipoma for vascular bypass surgery of the lower extremity

FATIGUE BEHAVIOR OF HOT MIX ASPHALT MODIFIED WITH NANO AL2O3 – AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

Nanotechnology is one of the most important research areas and is presented in the vast fields of knowledge such as road construction industry has been surrounded. This paper has focused on the potential benefits of nano particles for modification of asphalt mixtures. Nano Al2O3 due to its unique properties can improve the dynamic characteristics of hot mix asphalt. Fatigue life of asphaltic samples is determined with indirect tensile fatigue tests by using of UTM. The results show that fatigue life of modified asphalt mixtures in compare with conventional mix is significantly increased. Beside, based on experimental results and numerical analyses, a new model is presented for prediction the fatigue behavior of asphalt mixtures modified with nano Al2O3. This model can completely characterized the fatigue performance of modified asphalt under dynamic loading conditions and different temperatures

Small Multi-Band Rectangular Dielectric Resonator Antennas for Personal Communication Devices

The design of a novel rectangular dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) for multi-band application has been presented in this paper. The presented antenna has been composed of very low cost and relatively low dielectric constant substrate materials while three-segment thin dielectrics with different sizes have been used and separated by two metal plates in order to set the four different frequency bands. The proposed quad-band antenna operates at 2.4/3.5/5.2 & 5.8 GHz. The radiation pattern, gain and VSWR of this antenna show very good operation for this antenna in all frequency bands. The first method based on finite element method (FEM) and the second one based on finite integral technique (FIT) have been used to analyze antenna structure, and subsequently the Genetic Algorithm (GA) has been applied by using HFSS simulator to obtain the optimized parameters.DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.11591/ijece.v4i1.457

Stereološka procjena povoljnih učinaka sulforafana i kvercetina na bubrežno tkivo kod jednostrane opstrukcije uretre štakora

Hydrostatic pressure, which is the result of urinary tract blockage, initiates renal injuries. The injuries are characterized by tubular dilatation and/or atrophy, tubular cell death, inflammatory process and progressive interstitial fibrosis with loss of renal parenchyma. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ameliorative effects of sulforaphane and quercetin, the two natural compounds that can be found in vegetables, in unilateral ureteral obstruction (UU O). Three groups of rats underwent surgery to induce UU O. They received distilled water, sulforaphane (500 μg/animal/ day) and quercetin (50 mg/kg/day). Stereological methods were applied in order to obtain accurate, quantitative and comparable data. Less than ~4% of renal structures on average remained intact in UU O rats. After the treatment of UU O rats with quercetin, ~69%, 32%, 65%, 35% and 41% of the volume of the glomeruli, proximal and distal convoluted tubules (PCT and DCT), Henle’s loop and collecting ducts remained intact, respectively (p<0.01). After the treatment of UU O rats with sulforaphane, ~24%, 45%, and 26% of the volume of the PCT, DCT and Henle’s loop remained intact, respectively (p<0.01). After the treatment of UU O rats with quercetin, ~71%, 81%, 51%, and 57% of the length of the PCT, DCT, Henle’s loop and collecting ducts remained intact, respectively (p<0.01). After the treatment of UU O rats with sulforaphane, ~42% and 41% of the length of the PCT and DCT remained intact, respectively (p<0.01). Changes in the length of Henle’s loop and collecting ducts were not significant. In conclusion, quercetin and sulforaphane were found to be effective in preventing some structural renal damage in the direct obstruction model. Quercetin had a more ameliorative role on renal structures.Hidrostatski tlak, koji nastaje zbog blokade mokraćnog trakta, izaziva oštećenje bubrega. Ova oštećenja obilježena su širenjem i/ili atrofijom tubula, smrću tubularnih stanica, upalnim procesom i progresivnom intersticijskom fibrozom uz gubitak bubrežnog parenhima. Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je procijeniti povoljne učinke dvaju prirodnih spojeva koji se nalaze u povrću, sulforafana i kvercetina, kod jednostrane opstrukcije uretre (JOU). Tri skupine štakora podvrgnute su operaciji kako bi se izazvala JOU. Potom su primali destiliranu vodu, sulforafan (500 μg/životinja/dan) i kvercetin (50 mg/ kg/dan). Primijenjene su stereološke metode kako bi se dobili točni, kvantitativni i usporedivi podaci. Manje od ~4% bubrežnih struktura ostalo je u prosjeku intaktno kod štakora s JOU. Nakon liječenja JOU štakora kvercetinom intaktno je bilo ~69%, 32%, 65%, 35% i 41% volumena glomerula, proksimalnih i distalnih konvolucijskih tubula (PKT i DKT), Henleovih petlja odnosno zbirnih kanalića (p<0,01). Nakon liječenja JOU štakora kvercetinom intaktno je bilo ~71%, 81%, 51% i 57% duljine PKT, DKT, Henleovih petlja odnosno zbirnih kanalića (p<0,01). Nakon liječenja JOU štakora sulforafanom intaktno je bilo ~42% i 41% duljine PKT odnosno DKT (p<0,01). Promjene u duljini Henleovih petlja i zbirnih kanalića nisu bile značajne. U zaključku, kvercetin i sulforafan učinkovito priječe neka strukturna oštećenja bubrega kod modela izravne opstrukcije. Kvercetin je imao povoljniji učinak na bubrežne strukture

A Digital Image Watermarking Method in the Discrete Cosine Transformation Domain

In this paper, a watermarking method has been proposed based on Discrete Cosine Transform(DCT) which can be used in order to protect copyrighting and to provide right of image ownership. In this method, the original image transferred to DCT domain after dividing into non-overlapped blocks 8×8 and to the same method, watermark image which can be whether a firm mark or any desired image from owner of the art work, after dividing into non-overlapped blocks 4×4, transferred to DCT domain. Watermark image coefficients after one step coding composed with low frequency coefficients of original image and create the final watermark image. On the other hand, the process of reforming watermarked image and extracting the original watermark on the secondary side is extractable by using original image and with reverse mechanism. Experiments show that this method in encountering with a number of routine attacks has a good resistance

The analysis of the speech act by Van Dijk

  The speech act theory started by the English language philosphor John Austin , who is considered as the father of linguistic , he was influenced by the language philospher Witginstain who thinks that the meaning is the usage, this theory had become the most important one in the last sixtys century uptill now , it is also still having more techniques and concepts to make it richer, moreover, this theory becomes a methology to analyse the speech act in all its types, in this field , the importance of the researches and the pragmatic studies which the Holandian Van Dijk restruct rely on the speech act theory

The argumentaion theory : Laders and Techniques

  The purpuse of the speech whatever its type is the inflence  so the speaker tries so hard to produse linguistic words that direct the reciever towards a specific action.The importance of the argumintation theory lies in the depending on the speech techniques which the sender use in the speech .And which make his speech acceptable to the reciever.The argumentation theory started in the fields of Linguistics ,Logic ,Anthropology…etc and different other sciences.It becomes a complete theory after Perlman's researches which the scientists work on.All the analytists and researchers get benefit from in the communication and connecting theory.Relying on the speaker's techniques in achieving a successful connecting that leags to a real communication is the purpose of argumenation theory which is a still growing.And which considers the speech act theory as a scientific background

A Low-Cost Method for Optical Tomography

INTRODUCTION: In this study, arrangement of a low-cost optical tomography device compared to other methods such as frequency domain diffuse tomography or time domain diffuse tomography is reported. This low-cost diffuse optical imaging technique is based on the detection of light after propagation in tissue. These detected signals are applied to predict the location of in-homogeneities inside phantoms. The device is assessed for phantoms representing homogenous healthy breast tissues as well as those representing healthy breast tissues with a lesion inside.METHODS: A diode laser at 780nm and 50 mW is used as the light source. The scattered light is then collected from the outer surface of the phantom by a detector. Both laser and detector are fiber coupled. The detector fiber may turn around the phantom to collect light scattered at different angles. Phantoms made of intralipid as the scattering medium and ink as the absorbing medium are used as samples. Light is collected after propagation in the phantoms and the capability of the device in collecting data and detecting lesions inside the phantoms is assessed. The fact that the detection fiber orbits around the sample and detects light from various angles has eliminated the need to use several detectors and optical fibers. The results obtained from experiments are compared with the results obtained from a finite element method (FEM) solution of diffusion equation in cylindrical geometry written in FORTRAN.RESULTS: The graphs obtained experimentally and numerically are in good accordance with each other. The device has been able to detect lesions up to 13 mm inside the biological phantom.CONCLUSION: The data achieved by the optical tomography device is compared with the data achieved via a FEM code written in FORTRAN. The results indicate that the presented device is capable of providing the correct pattern of diffusely backscattered and transmitted light. The data achieved from the device is in excellent correlation with the numerical solution of the diffusion equation. Therefore, results indicate the applicability of the reported device. This device may be used as a base for an optical imaging. It is also capable of detecting lesions inside the phantom

Cross-border Mergers and Acquisitions: The Case of Merger Control v. Merger Deregulation

During the last century, not only the legal literature but also the literature in many fields along with government efforts on all levels, were all mainly devoted to the debate of trade liberalization in general, and specifically to the case of the expected gains from using international agreements as a tool to remove the trade barriers. Meanwhile, all the parties have paid little attention to profound questions about identifying the impediments that they are facing and the other possible options that might maximize the general welfare, which are the cross-border merger and acquisition transactions. This dissertation will address that under-researched question, and it will try to identify some of those impediments that are facing the cross-border merger and acquisition transactions. The dissertation will mainly focus on the different premerger control laws that are adopted around the globe, as an impediment that faces the cross-border mergers and acquisitions, and it will try to identify the drawbacks of those laws and most importantly develop and examine reforming proposals. The underlying result of this dissertation will reveal that the multijurisdictional premerger control laws across the globe have numerous drawbacks that are actual impediments that face mergers and acquisitions in general, and especially the cross-border transactions. In addition to that, the best reformative option is the abolishing of the premerger control laws, or in other words the deregulation of the cross-border merger and acquisition transactions. The conclusion of this dissertation is that using the law as a useful tool should be reinvented on two dimensions, at one end of the spectrum the law should enable the state possibilities that are required to give a hand and facilitate the entry to markets, by abolishing the premerger control laws i.e. deregulating mergers and acquisitions, and at the other end of the spectrum the law should grant the state the power to monitor and challenge those practices that might cause harm to employees or consumers, before the courts, along with the primary power to challenge anticompetitive behaviors