PRINCIPAL COMPONENT THERMOGRAPHY FOR STEADY THERMAL PERTURBATION SCENARIOS

The work focuses on the qualitative enhancement of Thermographic Inspection data using Principal Component Analysis technique. A new processing tool named Economical Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) is proposed for analyzing the infrared image sequences acquired from the test specimen. Experiments are carried out on test sample using thermal excitation modalities such as flash, halogen and induction to create temperature variations. The infrared (IR) image sequence containing the information about the sample is captured using IR cameras. The acquired IR image sequences are processed using the proposed Economical SVD which projects the matrix of raw pixel values of image sequence into a set of orthogonal components to extract features and reduce data redundancy. The results from processing revealed that Economical Singular Value Decomposition can be used with various thermal excitation modalities while enhancing the contrast between the defect and non defect areas. The proposed processing routine is bench marked against the available standard techniques such as the Thermal Signal Reconstruction for one single application and specific experimental conditions. Keywords: Thermographic Inspection, Principal Component Analysis, Economical Singular Value Decomposition, Orthogonal Components, Thermal Signal Reconstruction

Over-the-counter drug causing acute pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis is caused by alcohol, gall stone disease, drugs, trauma, infections, and metabolic causes such as hypercalcemia and hyperlipidemia. Hypercalcemia-induced acute pancreatitis has been well documented but only rarely occurs due to over-the-counter calcium carbonate. In this article, we present a case of over-the-counter calcium carbonate-induced acute pancreatitis

Kinetics and Mechanism of Ruthenium (III) Catalysed Oxidiaton of L -Cystine by Hexacyanoferrate (III) in Alkaline Medium

ABSTRACT The kinetics and mechanism of ruthenium (III) catalysed oxidation of L-cystine by alkaline hexacyanoferrate (III) (HCF (III)) were studied spectrophotometrically at 30 o C. The reaction was first order dependent each on [HCF (III)] and [ruthenium (III)] and fractional order dependent on [alkali] and independent of [cystine]. The main product of oxidation was 2-oxoethyldisulfanylacetaldehyde and it was identified and confirmed by Mass spectral studies. Further, no effect of added reaction product was observed. A plausible mechanism was proposed involving [Ru(H 2 O) 5 OH] 2+ in the slow step. Thermodynamic parameters for the rate determining step, E a and ∆S # were computed using linear least squares method and are found to be 56.59 ± 0.58 kJ mol -1 and -132.60 ± 1.91 J K -1 mol -1 respectively

AN ACETOXYGENATED ANALOGUE OF ERGOSTEROL FROM A SOFT CORAL OF THE GENUS LOBOPHYTUM

Chemical investigation of a soft coral of the genus Lobophytum of Andaman and Nicobar coasts resulted in the isolation of a new marine sterol acetate, (24S)-ergostane-3β,5α,6β,25-tetraol-3,6,25-triacetate (1) and of two known sterol glycosides 3β,4α-dihydroxypregn-20-ene-4-O-β-D-arabinopyranoside and 24-methylenecholest-5-ene-3β,7β,16β-triol-3-O-α-L-fucopyranoside-7β-acetate. The structures of the compounds were elucidated based on spectral studies and chemical conversions

Laparoscopic Radiofrequency Ablation of Uterine Leiomyomas: Clinical Outcomes during Early Adoption into Surgical Practice.

STUDY OBJECTIVE:To assess surgical outcomes, clinical effectiveness, and gynecologist experience of introducing laparoscopic radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of leiomyomas into surgical practice. DESIGN:Uncontrolled clinical trial. SETTING:Five academic medical centers across California. PATIENTS:Premenopausal women with symptomatic uterine leiomyomas, uterus size ≤16 weeks size, and all leiomyomas ≤10 cm with no more than 6 total leiomyomas. INTERVENTIONS:Laparoscopic RFA of leiomyomas. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:We assessed intraoperative complications, blood loss, operative time, and adverse events. Gynecologists reported the operative difficulty and need for further training after each case. Participants reported leiomyoma symptoms preoperatively and at 6 and 12 weeks after surgery. We analyzed all outcome data from the first case performed by gynecologists with no previous RFA experience. Patient demand for RFA was high, but poor insurance authorization prevented 74% of eligible women from trial participation; 26 women underwent surgery and were enrolled. The mean age of the participants was 41.5 ± 4.9 years. The mean operating time was 153 ± 51 minutes, and mean estimated blood loss was 24 ± 40 cc. There were no intraoperative complications and no major adverse events. Menstrual bleeding, sexual function, and quality of life symptoms improved significantly from baseline to 12 weeks, with a 25 ± 18-point, or 47%, decrease in the Leiomyoma Symptom Severity Score. After the first procedure, the mean difficulty score was 6 (95% confidence interval [CI], 4-7.5) on a 10-point scale, and 89% of surgeons felt "very or somewhat" confident in performing laparoscopic RFA. The difficulty score decreased to 4.25 (95% CI, 1.2-6) after the fourth procedure, with all gynecologists reporting surgical confidence. CONCLUSION:Laparoscopic RFA of leiomyomas can be introduced into surgical practice with good clinical outcomes for patients. Gynecologists with no previous experience are able to gain confidence and skill with the procedure in fewer than 5 cases

Population and Noncompartmental Pharmacokinetics of Sodium Oxybate Support Weight‐Based Dosing in Children and Adolescents With Narcolepsy With Cataplexy

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Bilateral pedicle stress fracture in the lumbar spine of a sedentary office worker

A case of bilateral pedicle fracture in the lumbar spine of a sedentary office worker is being presented. No such case has been reported in the literature previously. Bilateral pedicle fracture is a rare entity. Few cases have been reported in literature. All the reported cases had some underlying causative factors like degenerative spine disease, previous spinal surgery or stress-related activities, e.g. athletes. Our case is a 36-year-old sedentary office worker with none of the factors mentioned. We present a case of a 36-year-old sedentary worker with long-standing low backache. There were no root tension signs. Plain radiographs were inconclusive. The patient had a CT scan. The CT scan revealed long-standing defects in the pedicles of L2 vertebra with pseudoarthrosis. Infiltration with anaesthetic relieved the symptoms. Our patient was managed conservatively with spine rehabilitation physiotherapy program. Pedicle fracture can develop due to abnormal stresses in the pedicle either because of previous spinal surgery or spondylitic changes in the spine. Bilateral pedicle fracture in the absence of these conditions is extremely rare

Incidence, Predictors, and Prognostic Impact of Late Bleeding Complications After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

AbstractBackgroundThe incidence and prognostic impact of late bleeding complications after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) are unknown.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to identify the incidence, predictors, and prognostic impact of major late bleeding complications (MLBCs) (≥30 days) after TAVR.MethodsClinical and echocardiographic outcomes of patients who underwent TAVR within the randomized cohorts and continued access registries in the PARTNER (Placement of Aortic Transcatheter Valves) trial were analyzed after stratifying by the occurrence of MLBCs. Predictors of MLBCs and their association with 30-day to 1-year mortality were assessed.ResultsAmong 2,401 patients who underwent TAVR and survived to 30 days, MLBCs occurred in 142 (5.9%) at a median time of 132 days (interquartile range: 71 to 230 days) after the index procedure. Gastrointestinal complications (n = 58 [40.8%]), neurological complications (n = 22 [15.5%]), and traumatic falls (n = 11 [7.8%]) were identified as the most frequent types of MLBCs. Independent predictors of MLBCs were the presence of low hemoglobin at baseline, atrial fibrillation or flutter at baseline or 30 days, the presence of moderate or severe paravalvular leak at 30 days, and greater left ventricular mass at 30 days. MLBCs were identified as a strong independent predictor of mortality between 30 days and 1 year (adjusted hazard ratio: 3.91; 95% confidence interval: 2.67 to 5.71; p < 0.001).ConclusionsMLBCs after TAVR were frequent and associated with increased mortality. Better individualized and risk-adjusted antithrombotic therapy after TAVR is urgently needed in this high-risk population. (THE PARTNER TRIAL: Placement of AoRTic TraNscathetER Valve Trial; NCT00530894