Difficulties in the diagnosis of four repeats (4R) tauopathic parkinsonian syndromes

Corticobasal Degeneration Degeneration (CBD) and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) are types of four repeats (4R) tauopathies, which are associated to parkinsonian syndromes. The aim of the work is to analyze cases of patients of the Department of Neurology, overlapping of syndromes related to both pathologies and to show that most likely CBS and PSP are not lineary related to their commonly associated syndromes i.e. adequately corticobasal syndromes and progressive supranuclear palsy syndromes. In the context of each patient factors in favor of most likely CBS, PSP or both diseases are discussed and analyzed using contemporary criteria. This work discusses multidimensional aspect of the examination of five patient aged 64 to 83 – 4 females and 1 male with 4R tauopathies and difficulties in distinguishing both diseases. The duration of the disease varied from 1 to 5 years. Each patient after neurological examination was assessed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and psychological test. Examination of all patients was extended using single photon emission computer tomography (SPECT) to reveal the usefulness of this tool in differentiation of diseases was done. The outcome of this examination was verified with prior clinical manifestation of patients and morphological abnormalities in magnetic resonance imaging. Autopsies were not conducted

On some methods of calculating the integrals of trigonometric rational functions

The paper presents original methods of calculating integrals of selected trigonometric rational functions

Mechanical thrombectomy in acute stroke – Five years of experience in Poland

Objectives Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is not reimbursed by the Polish public health system. We present a description of 5 years of experience with MT in acute stroke in Comprehensive Stroke Centers (CSCs) in Poland. Methods and results We retrospectively analyzed the results of a structured questionnaire from 23 out of 25 identified CSCs and 22 data sets that include 61 clinical, radiological and outcome measures. Results Most of the CSCs (74%) were founded at University Hospitals and most (65.2%) work round the clock. In 78.3% of them, the working teams are composed of neurologists and neuro-radiologists. All CSCs perform CT and angio-CT before MT. In total 586 patients were subjected to MT and data from 531 of them were analyzed. Mean time laps from stroke onset to groin puncture was 250±99min. 90.3% of the studied patients had MT within 6h from stroke onset; 59.3% of them were treated with IV rt-PA prior to MT; 15.1% had IA rt-PA during MT and 4.7% – emergent stenting of a large vessel. M1 of MCA was occluded in 47.8% of cases. The Solitaire device was used in 53% of cases. Successful recanalization (TICI2b–TICI3) was achieved in 64.6% of cases and 53.4% of patients did not experience hemorrhagic transformation. Clinical improvement on discharge was noticed in 53.7% of cases, futile recanalization – in 30.7%, mRS of 0–2 – in 31.4% and mRS of 6 in 22% of cases. Conclusion Our results can help harmonize standards for MT in Poland according to international guidelines

Numeryczne określanie parametrów efektywnych transportu na podstawie cyfrowych obrazów mikrostruktury

Tyt. z nagłówka.Bibliografia s.551-[552].Dostępny również w formie drukowanej.ABSTRACT: In this work computationally efficient method of effective transport properties determination is proposed. The methodology is applied to digital images of random microstructures. It is shown that effective properties can be evaluated as mean values averaged over sufficient number of samples. The sample is assumed to be a finite-sized region which is a part of digital image. The condition regarding sample size, based on the variance of local volume fraction, is proposed. The variance is shown to be calculated on the basis of two-point probability function. Sample size criterion is verified for two different digital images of random microstructures. KEYWORDS: effective properties, local volume fraction, two-point probability, variance. STRESZCZENIE: W pracy przedstawia się numeryczną procedurę określania parametrów efektywnych transportu na podstawie cyfrowych obrazów mikrostruktur losowych. Pokazano, że wartości parametrów efektywnych można estymować jako wartości uśrednione po odpowiedniej liczbie próbek (losowych realizacji) pobranych z obszaru obrazu cyfrowego. Formułuje się warunek określający minimalny wymiar próbki, bazujący na pojęciu wariancji lokalnego udziału frakcyjnego. Wykazano, iż wariancja ta może być określana na podstawie znajomości funkcji prawdopodobieństwa dwupunktowego. Weryfikację warunku reprezentatywności przeprowadzono dla dwóch obrazów cyfrowych mikrostruktur losowych. SŁOWA KLUCZOWE: parametry efektywne, lokalny udział frakcyjny, prawdopodobieństwo dwupunktowe, wariancja

Warunki optymalizacji kształtu wyrobisk podziemnych

Tyt. z nagłówka.Bibliografia s.[529].Dostępny również w formie drukowanej.STRESZCZENIE: W artykule formułuje się energetyczny warunek optymalizacji kształtu wyrobisk podziemnych. Rozważania ograniczono do traktowania górotworu jako ośrodka liniowo sprężystego. Rozpatrywano eliptyczne i półeliptyczne kształty wyrobisk podziemnych. W celu zweryfikowania słuszności przyjętego kryterium wyniki, uzyskane z analiz numerycznych, porównano z rozwiązaniem Sałustowicza. Artykuł kończą przykłady symulacji numerycznych oraz wynikające z nich wnioski. SŁOWA KLUCZOWE: wyrobisko podziemne, optymalizacja kształtu, liniowa sprężystość. ABSTRACT: A new condition in view of underground excavation shape optimization is proposed. Linear elastic model of rock mass is assumed. Both ellipsoidal and half-ellipsoidal excavation shapes are considered. In order to verify the proposed criterion numerical results are compared with the solution formulated by Sałustowicz. Numerical simulations are performed and the conclusions are formulated. KEYWORDS: underground excavation, shape optimization, linear elasticity

Empirical and theoretical models for prediction of soil thermal conductivity: a review and critical assessment

The paper discusses existing models used to estimate the thermal conductivity of the soil medium. The considerations are divided into three general sections. In the first section of the paper, we focus on the presentation of empirical models. Here, in the case of Johansen method, different relations for Kersten number are also presented. In the next part, theoretical models are considered. In the following part, selected models were used to predict measured thermal conductivities of coarse- and fine-grained soils, at different water contents. Based on these predictions as well as on the authors’ experience, a critical assessment of the existing models is provided. The remarks as well as advantages and disadvantages of those models are summarized in a tabular form. The latter is important from a practical point of view; based on the table content, one can simply choose a model that is suitable for the particular problem

Recovery of microstructure properties: random variability of soil solid thermal conductivity

In this work, the complex microstructure of the soil solid, at the microscale, is modeled by prescribing the spatial variability of thermal conductivity coefficient to distinct soil separates. We postulate that the variation of thermal conductivity coefficient of each soil separate can be characterized by some probability density functions: fCl(λ), fSi(λ), fSa(λ), for clay, silt and sand separates, respectively. The main goal of the work is to recover/identify these functions with the use of back analysis based on both computational micromechanics and simulated annealing approaches. In other words, the following inverse problem is solved: given the measured overall thermal conductivities of composite soil find the probability density function f(λ) for each soil separate. For that purpose, measured thermal conductivities of 32 soils (of various fabric compositions) at saturation are used. Recovered functions f(λ) are then applied to the computational micromechanics approach; predicted conductivities are in a good agreement with laboratory results

Random checkerboard based homogenization for estimating effective thermal conductivity of fully saturated soils

This paper proposes homogenization scheme for estimating the effective thermal conductivity of fully saturated soils. This approach is based on the random checkerboard-like microstructure. Two modeling scales and two modeling approaches are distinguished and used, i.e. microscale and mesoscale and 1-step and 2-step homogenizations, respectively. The 2-step homogenization involves sequential averaging procedure, i.e. first, at microscale, a mineralogical composition of soil skeleton is considered and averaging process results in estimation of the skeleton effective thermal conductivity, and then, at mesoscale, a random spatial packing of solid skeleton and pores via random checkerboard microstructure is modeled and leads to evaluation of the soil overall thermal conductivity. The 1-step homogenization starts directly at the mesoscale and homogenization procedure yields evaluation of the overall soil thermal conductivity. At the mesoscale, the distinct nature of soil skeleton, as composed of soil separates, is considered and random variability of soil is modeled via enriched random checkerboard-like structure. Both approaches, i.e. 1-step and 2-step homogenizations, interrelate mineralogical composition with the soil texture characterized by the volume fractions of soil separates, i.e. sand, silt and clay. The probability density functions (PDFs) of thermal conductivity are assumed for each of the separates. The soil texture PDF of thermal conductivity is derived taking into consideration the aforementioned functions. Whenever the random checkerboard-like structure is used in averaging process, the Monte Carlo procedure is applied for estimation of homogenized thermal conductivity. Finally, the proposed methodology is tested against the laboratory data from our measurements as well as those available from literature

Multi-Scale Structural Assessment of Cellulose Fibres Cement Boards Subjected to High Temperature Treatment

The methodology of multi-scale structural assessment of the different cellulose fibre cement boards subjected to high temperature treatment was proposed. Two specimens were investigated: Board A (air-dry reference specimen) and Board B (exposed to a temperature of 230 °C for 3 h). At macroscale all considered samples were subjected to the three-point bending test. Next, two methodologically different microscopic techniques were used to identify evolution (caused by temperature treatment) of geometrical and mechanical morphology of boards. For that purpose, SEM imaging with EDS analysis and nanoindentation tests were utilized. High temperature was found to have a degrading effect on the fibres contained in the boards. Most of the fibres in the board were burnt-out, or melted into the matrix, leaving cavities and grooves which were visible in all of the tested boards. Nanoindentation tests revealed significant changes of mechanical properties caused by high temperature treatment: “global” decrease of the stiffness (characterized by nanoindentation modulus) and “local” decrease of hardness. The results observed at microscale are in a very good agreement with macroscale behaviour of considered composite. It was shown that it is not sufficient to determine the degree of degradation of fibre-cement boards solely on the basis of bending strength; advanced, microscale laboratory techniques can reveal intrinsic structural changes

On theoretical and practical aspects of Duhamel’s integral

The paper is a new approach to the Duhamel integral. It contains an overview of formulas and applications of Duhamel’s integral as well as a number of new results on the Duhamel integral and principle. Basic definitions are recalled and formulas for Duhamel’s integral are derived via Laplace transformation and Leibniz integral rule. Applications of Duhamel’s integral for solving certain types of differential and integral equations are presented. Moreover, an interpretation of Duhamel’s formula in the theory of operator semigroups is given. Some applications of Duhamel’s formula in control systems analysis are discussed. The work is also devoted to the usage of Duhamel’s integral for differential equations with fractional order derivative