NEW THERAPEUTIC OPTION AND INSIGHTS INTO THE IMPACT OF SYMPTOM SEVERITY ON QUALITY OF LIFE IN WOMEN WITH INTERSTITIAL CYSTITIS

Background: Interstitial Cystitis (IC) is a poorly understood condition of urinary bladder characterized by pelvic pain, urinary frequency, urgency and nocturia in the absence of other obvious pathology. The public health significance of IC is related to its profound impact on patients' physical and emotional Quality of Life (QOL). The actual prevalence rate is unknown, and estimates range widely from 67/100,000 to 575/100,000. The majority of IC cases are females in the midlife age. This research addressed 1) the extent to which socio-demographic and clinical factors affect both symptom severity and QOL in IC patients, 2) the impact of symptom severity on QOL and 3) the efficacy of a combination of oral and intravesical Pentosan Polysulfate Sodium (PPS) as a new therapeutic option for IC. Methods: Forty one women with IC (age 20-71 years) were studied. Demographic, reproductive and clinical characteristics as well as QOL measures were evaluated in a cross-sectional design to assess the first two aims. To examine the third aim, participants were randomized to receive either a combination of oral plus intravesical PPS (treatment group) or oral PPS plus intravesical placebo (placebo group) in a clinical trial design. The main outcomes were the changes in subjective and objective measures of symptom severity, QOL and sexual functions. Results: Unmarried patients reported more severe symptoms compared to married patients. Being unemployed, obese, currently unmarried and never pregnant were associated with a decrement in at least one QOL domain. Moreover, symptom severity was associated with worse QOL on 4 domains, (p<0.05). On the other hand, the results from the clinical trial showed a greater significant reduction in symptom severity among the treatment group compared to the placebo group (46% reduction vs. 24% reduction respectively, p=0.04) and significant improvement in all QOL domains in the treatment group compared to the baseline (p<0.05). Conclusion: Being unmarried and symptom severity are important factors that may disturb the QOL in IC patients. Moreover, the use of intravesical PPS simultaneously with oral PPS is an effective therapeutic option. The findings of this research will open a new option for IC patients to reduce their devastating symptoms and to improve their quality of life

Partial nutrient balances from agronomic and economic viewpoints: the case of corn cultivation in the acid upland soils of Isabela, the Philippines

Soil propertiesMaizeEconomic aspects

Vulnerability to social engineering in social networks : a proposed user-centric framework

Social networking sites have billions of users who communicate and share their personal information every day. Social engineering is considered one of the biggest threats to information security nowadays. Social engineering is an attacker technique to manipulate and deceive users in order to access or gain privileged information. Such attacks are continuously developed to deceive a high number of potential victims. The number of social engineering attacks has risen dramatically in the past few years, causing unpleasant damage both to organizations and individuals. Yet little research has discussed social engineering in the virtual environments of social networks. One approach to counter these exploits is through research that aims to understand why people fall victim to such attacks. Previous social engineering and deception research have not satisfactory identified the factors that influence the users' ability to detect attacks Characteristics that influence users' vulnerability must be investigated to address this issue and help to build a profile for vulnerable users in order to focus on increasing the training programs and education for those users. In this context, the present study proposes a user-centric framework to understand the user's susceptibility, relevant factors and dimensions

The effect of geometry and topology on the mechanics of grid shells

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2012.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 128-131).The use of grid shell structures in architecture and structural engineering has risen in the past decade, yet fundamental research on the mechanics of such structures is lacking. Grid shells are long span structures comprised of a lattice of single layer members forming a curved surface. Grid shells can be made of a wide range of materials from steel to wood. They have potential to be used in readapting existing spaces or in new aesthetically pleasing structures. By studying their mechanics, engineers can be more effective at the schematic phase of design so that the potential of grid shells can be maximized. This research conducts a parametric study that varies the topology and topography of grid shells. The parametric space is framed around real-world design constraints including the grid spacing, panel shape, span-to-height ratio and the use of double curvature. In this thesis, the buckling capacity is evaluated using finite element analysis for two typical grid shell geometries: the spherical cap and the corrugated vault. First, a spherical cap is considered for which an analytical solution exists and therefore the accuracy of the numerical procedure is validated. Simple closed-form solutions are derived using the concept of the equivalent continuum and compared to the numerical models. Then, the parametric study of the spherical cap is performed including variations of the grid spacing, the span to height ratio and the panel shape (triangles and quadrilaterals). Having determined the efficiency of the computational tool the study is extended to the barrel vault. Here the new features of the analysis are the use of double curvature by introducing corrugation along the edge and the crown. By understanding the fundamental mechanical behavior of grid shells, design guidelines aimed to maximize their capacity and efficiency and intended to facilitate the discussion between architect and engineer are proposed.by Samar Rula Malek.Ph.D

Study of the MITC3 shell element

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2007.Includes bibliographical references (leaf 63).Shell structures are frequently used for their aesthetic appeal, and material efficiency. They can be found everywhere, in all sorts of contexts. For example, they can serve as roofs to encapsulate large areas (think Millennium Park in Chicago); as fuselage for an airplane; as the frame of a car; as chemical containers (such as pressure vessels); even submarines. One of the most challenging phenomena in shells is boundary layers. Boundary layers are high concentrations of energy due to either irregular loadings, or incompatible boundary conditions, or geometric discontinuities. Previous studies have determined the location of this concentrated energy and how that location varies depending on the thickness of the shell; up to now however, any correlation between the boundary layers and the vibrations of the shell has not yet been examined. In our first study, we review the boundary layer behavior, and we investigate the dependence of the shell's natural frequencies on the boundary layer phenomenon for two shell benchmark problems: the Scordelis-Lo Roof and the Clamped Hyperboloid.(cont.) In our second study, we shortly review the MITC3 shell element. This element is known to lock in plate bending cases for a specific mesh pattern. Finally, we formulate a new MITC triangular, four node element and investigate its plate bending behavior in detail. Our results show that including an extra node in the center of the element does not improve the plate bending behavior. We discuss our results and make suggestions for future investigations.by Samar R. Malek.S.M

Predicting individuals' vulnerability to social engineering in social networks

The popularity of social networking sites has attracted billions of users to engage and share their information on these networks. The vast amount of circulating data and information expose these networks to several security risks. Social engineering is one of the most common types of threat that may face social network users. Training and increasing users’ awareness of such threats is essential for maintaining continuous and safe use of social networking services. Identifying the most vulnerable users in order to target them for these training programs is desirable for increasing the effectiveness of such programs. Few studies have investigated the effect of individuals’ characteristics on predicting their vulnerability to social engineering in the context of social networks. To address this gap, the present study developed a novel model to predict user vulnerability based on several perspectives of user characteristics. The proposed model includes interactions between different social network-oriented factors such as level of involvement in the network, motivation to use the network, and competence in dealing with threats on the network. The results of this research indicate that most of the considered user characteristics are factors that influence user vulnerability either directly or indirectly. Furthermore, the present study provides evidence that individuals’ characteristics can identify vulnerable users so that these risks can be considered when designing training and awareness programs

Cardioplegia at subnormothermia facilitates rapid functional resuscitation of hearts preserved in SOMAH for transplants

Objectives: Hearts preserved ex vivo at 4°C undergo time-dependent irreversible injury due to extreme hypothermia. Studies using novel organ preservative solution SOMAH, suggest that hearts are optimally ‘preserved’ at subnormothermic temperature of 21°C. Present study evaluates relative efficacy of SOMAH ‘cardioplegia’ at 4 and 21°C in preservation of optimum heart function after in vitro storage at subnormothermia. Methods: Porcine hearts arrested with SOMAH cardioplegia at 4 or 21°C were stored in SOMAH for 5-hour at 21°C (n = 5). At the end of storage, the weight of hearts was recorded and biopsies taken for cardiac tissue high energy phosphate level measurements. The hearts were then attached to a reperfusion apparatus and biochemical parameters including cardiac enzyme release and myocardial oxygen consumption and lactate production were determined in perfusate samples at regular intervals during ex vivo perfusion experiment. Functional evaluation of the hearts intraoperatively and ex vivo was performed by 2D echocardiography using trans-esophageal echocardiography probe. Results: Post-storage heart weights were unaltered in both groups, while available high-energy phosphates (HEP) were greater in the 21°C group. Upon ex vivo reperfusion, coronary flow was significantly greater (p < 0.05) in 21°C group. 2D echo revealed a greater cardiac output, fractional area change and ejection fraction in 21°C group that was not significantly different than the 4°C group. However, unlike 4°C hearts, 21°C hearts did not require inotropic intervention. Upon reperfusion, rate of cardiac enzyme release temporally resolved in 21°C group, but not in the 4°C group. 21°C working hearts maintained their energy state during the experimental duration but not the 4°C group; albeit, both groups demonstrated robust metabolism and function during this period. Conclusions: Rapid metabolic switch, increased synthesis of HEP, decreased injury and optimal function provides evidence that hearts arrested at 21°C remain viably and functionally superior to those arrested at 4°C when stored in SOMAH at ambient temperature pre-transplant. Ultramini-abstract Cardioplegic arrest and preservation of hearts in SOMAH at ambient temperature efficiently conserves metabolism and function in in vitro porcine model of heart transplant. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13019-014-0155-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Formulation of the Spinor Field in the Presence of a Minimal Length Based on the Quesne-Tkachuk Algebra

In 2006 Quesne and Tkachuk (J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. {\bf 39}, 10909, 2006) introduced a (D+1)-dimensional $(\beta,\beta')$-two-parameter Lorentz-covariant deformed algebra which leads to a nonzero minimal length. In this work, the Lagrangian formulation of the spinor field in a (3+1)-dimensional space-time described by Quesne-Tkachuk Lorentz-covariant deformed algebra is studied in the case where $\beta'=2\beta$ up to first order over deformation parameter $\beta$. It is shown that the modified Dirac equation which contains higher order derivative of the wave function describes two massive particles with different masses. We show that physically acceptable mass states can only exist for $\beta<\frac{1}{8m^{2}c^{2}}$. Applying the condition $\beta<\frac{1}{8m^{2}c^{2}}$ to an electron, the upper bound for the isotropic minimal length becomes about $3 \times 10^{-13}m$. This value is near to the reduced Compton wavelength of the electron $(\lambda_c = \frac{\hbar}{m_{e}c} = 3.86\times 10^{-13} m)$ and is not incompatible with the results obtained for the minimal length in previous investigations.Comment: 11 pages, no figur

Postmenopausal Women With Greater Paracardial Fat Have More Coronary Artery Calcification Than Premenopausal Women: The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) Cardiovascular Fat Ancillary Study.

BackgroundVolumes of paracardial adipose tissue (PAT) and epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) are greater after menopause. Interestingly, PAT but not EAT is associated with estradiol decline, suggesting a potential role of menopause in PAT accumulation. We assessed whether volumes of heart fat depot (EAT and PAT) were associated with coronary artery calcification (CAC) in women at midlife and whether these associations were modified by menopausal status and estradiol levels.Methods and resultsEAT and PAT volumes and CAC were measured using electron beam computed tomography scans. CAC was evaluated as (1) the presence of CAC (CAC Agatston score ≥10) and (2) the extent of any CAC (log CAC Agatston score &gt;0). The study included 478 women aged 50.9&nbsp;years (58% pre- or early perimenopausal, 10% late perimenopausal, and 32% postmenopausal). EAT was significantly associated with CAC measures, and these associations were not modified by menopausal status or estradiol. In contrast, associations between PAT and CAC measures were modified by menopausal status (interaction-P≤0.01). Independent of study covariates including other adiposity measures, each 1-SD unit increase in log PAT was associated with 102% higher risk of CAC presence (P=0.04) and an 80% increase in CAC extent (P=0.008) in postmenopausal women compared with pre- or early perimenopausal women. Additional adjustment for estradiol and hormone therapy attenuated these differences. Moreover, the association between PAT and CAC extent was stronger in women with lower estradiol levels (interaction P=0.004).ConclusionsThe findings suggest that PAT is a potential menopause-specific coronary artery disease risk marker, supporting the need to monitor and target this fat depot for intervention in women at midlife