Study of strain-hardening near crack tips

Elastic-plastic analysis of stresses and strains near crack tip

Anthelmintic efficacy of albendazole and levamisole against gastrointestinal parasites in sri lanakan elephants at udawalawe, Sri Lanka

альбендазол, левамизол, комплексное лечение, стронгилята, фасциолы, паразитозы, слоны, Шри ЛанкаПроведено сравнение антигельминтной эффективности препаратов «Альбендазол» и «Левомизол» при желудочно-кишечных паразитозах слонов Шри-Ланки. Первый тест проводился с использованием только альбендазола, второй тест – комплексное использование препаратов. Слоны, находящиеся в эксперименте, были инвазированы фасциолами и стронгилятами. Было установлено, что комплексное лечение наиболее эффективно против желудочно-кишечных гельминтов слонов

Unusual presentation of Lisfranc fracture dislocation associated with high-velocity sledding injury: a case report and review of the literature

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Lisfranc fracture dislocations of the foot are rare injuries. A recent literature search revealed no reported cases of injury to the tarsometatarsal (Lisfranc) joint associated with sledding.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 19-year-old male college student presented to the emergency department with a Lisfranc fracture dislocation of the foot as a result of a high-velocity sledding injury. The patient underwent an immediate open reduction and internal fixation.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Lisfranc injuries are often caused by high-velocity, high-energy traumas. Careful examination and thorough testing are required to identify the injury properly. Computed tomography imaging is often recommended to aid in diagnosis. Treatment of severe cases may require immediate open reduction and internal fixation, especially if the risk of compartment syndrome is present, followed by a period of immobilization. Complete recovery may take up to 1 year.</p

Perceptions of successful ageing in Sri Lankan older people: A qualitative study

Background. This study explores the opinions and views of Sri Lankan older people about successful ageing. Methods. 30 females and 28 males aged 63 to 85 (median, 69) years recruited from 4 locations in a southern district in Sri Lanka participated in 8 focus groups (4 in rural and 4 in urban). Each focus group contained a single sex of participants so as to enable women to express their views freely. Discussions were audio recorded and transcribed. Transcripts were independently reviewed by the researchers and recurring themes were identified and coded using a content analysis approach. Analytic memos were prepared to elaborate on the themes and identify exemplary quotes. Results. Four major themes related to successful ageing were identified: (1) being physically active and healthy, (2) being free from burdens and responsibilities, (3) having fulfilling family relationships, and (4) pursuing spiritual development. In addition, a living environment conducive to physical activity and charitable work, and living with children were identified as facilitators of successful ageing. Economic hardship, having unsettled and vulnerable children, disrespect by the community, limited access to health care, and negative attitudes of health service providers towards older people were identified as important barriers to successful ageing. Conclusions. Strategies that can improve the quality of life of Sri Lankan older people include increased community awareness of population ageing and expectations of older people, a strengthened primary health care system that caters to their needs, and development of support systems for home-based care

High Efficient Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Based on Synthesized SnO 2

In this study, SnO2 semiconductor nanoparticles were synthesized for DSC applications via acid route using tin(ii) chloride as a starting material and hydrothermal method through the use of tin(iv) chloride. Powder X-ray diffraction studies confirmed the formation of the rutile phase of SnO2 with nanoranged particle sizes. A quasi-solid-state electrolyte was employed instead of a conventional liquid electrolyte in order to overcome the practical limitations such as electrolyte leakage, solvent evaporation, and sealing imperfections associated with liquid electrolytes. The gel electrolytes were prepared incorporating lithium iodide (LiI) and tetrapropylammonium iodide (Pr4N+I−) salts, separately, into the mixture which contains polyacrylonitrile as a polymer, propylene carbonate and ethylene carbonate as plasticizers, iodide/triiodide as the redox couple, acetonitrile as the solvent, and 4-tertiary butylpyridine as an electrolyte additive. In order to overcome the recombination problem associated with the SnO2 due to its higher electron mobility, ultrathin layer of CaCO3 coating was used to cover the surface recombination sites of SnO2 nanoparticles. Maximum energy conversion efficiency of 5.04% is obtained for the device containing gel electrolyte incorporating LiI as the salt. For the same gel electrolyte, the ionic conductivity and the diffusion coefficient of the triiodide ions are 4.70 × 10−3 S cm−1 and 4.31 × 10−7 cm2 s−1, respectively

Squamous cell carcinoma of the ampulla of vater – A case report

Introduction: Ampullary carcinoma comprises up to 2% of all gastrointestinal malignancies. Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the ampulla is a very rare neoplasm, with only three reported cases in literature. Due to its rarity, the biological behavior is largely unknown. We highlight such a case, and its diagnostic workup.Case Report: A 61 year old woman presented with painless obstructive jaundice of 2 months duration. MRI scan showed a stricture in the distal common bile duct suggestive of a neoplasm. Biopsy at ERCP showed a poorly differentiated ampullary carcinoma. The specimen received at Whipple’s surgery showed a white tumour surrounding the ampulla, 25 mm in maximum dimension. Histology and immunohistochemistry (CK 7+/20 -, CA 19-9+, CK5/6 focally+) pointed towards a poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. A primary squamous carcinoma elsewhere was excluded. The patient is alive nine months after surgery.Discussion: Ampullary squamous cell carcinoma is most often metastatic from sites such as the larynx, esophagus, lung and uterus. A squamous carcinoma therefore requires ruing out of a primary site elsewhere or a glandular component (adenosquamous carcinoma). These were excluded in this patient. Immunohistochemistry differed from that of primary adenocarcinoma of the ampulla

Care-giving expectations and challenges among elders and their adult children in Southern Sri Lanka

The elderly population in Sri Lanka is growing rapidly. Elders are traditionally cared for in the homes of their adult children, but the shifting socio-economic environment in Sri Lanka challenges this arrangement. This paper describes the dynamics of elder-care-giver relationships in Southern Sri Lanka. Data included four focus group discussions and five in-depth interviews with elderly, and ten in-depth interviews with adult children of the elderly. Discussion guide topics included care-giving arrangements, and roles/responsibilities of elders and care-givers. Using a grounded theory approach, a comprehensive analytic memo was developed and discussed to explore emerging themes on the care-giver dynamic. Both elders and care-givers felt that elders should be taken care of in the home by their children. They pointed to a sense of duty and role modelling of parental care-giving that is passed down through generations. Even as elders desired support from their children, they feared losing their independence, and saw financial autonomy as important for maintaining relationship balance. Care-giving challenges included: households where both the adult child and his/her spouse worked outside the home; households where elders had a disproportionate amount of household work; economically stressed households; and lack of direct communication between elders and care-givers regarding conflicts. Results point to strong values around caring for elderly in the home, but identify challenges to this arrangement in the future

Strength Reduction in Electrical and Elastic Networks

Particular aspects of problems ranging from dielectric breakdown to metal insu- lator transition can be studied using electrical o elastic networks. We present an expression for the mean breakdown strength of such networks.First, we intro- duce a method to evaluate the redistribution of current due to the removal of a finite number of elements from a hyper-cubic network of conducatances.It is used to determine the reduction of breakdown strength due to a fracture of size $\kappa$.Numerical analysis is used to show that the analogous reduction due to random removal of elements from electrical and elastic networks follow a similar form.One possible application, namely the use of bone density as a diagnostic tools for osteorosporosis,is discussed.Comment: one compressed file includes: 9 PostScrpt figures and a text fil

Enhancing Performance of SnO 2

Although liquid electrolyte based dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) have shown higher photovoltaic performance in their class, they still suffer from some practical limitations such as solvent evaporation, leakage, and sealing imperfections. These problems can be circumvented to a certain extent by replacing the liquid electrolytes with quasi-solid-state electrolytes. Even though SnO2 shows high election mobility when compared to the semiconductor material commonly used in DSCs, the cell performance of SnO2-based DSCs is considerably low due to high electron recombination. This recombination effect can be reduced through the use of ultrathin coating layer of ZnO on SnO2 nanoparticles surface. ZnO-based DSCs also showed lower performance due to its amphoteric nature which help dissolve in slightly acidic dye solution. In this study, the effect of the composite SnO2/ZnO system was investigated. SnO2/ZnO composite DSCs showed 100% and 38% increase of efficiency compared to the pure SnO2-based and ZnO-based devices, respectively, with the gel electrolyte consisting of LiI salt

Infectious Disease Ontology

Technological developments have resulted in tremendous increases in the volume and diversity of the data and information that must be processed in the course of biomedical and clinical research and practice. Researchers are at the same time under ever greater pressure to share data and to take steps to ensure that data resources are interoperable. The use of ontologies to annotate data has proven successful in supporting these goals and in providing new possibilities for the automated processing of data and information. In this chapter, we describe different types of vocabulary resources and emphasize those features of formal ontologies that make them most useful for computational applications. We describe current uses of ontologies and discuss future goals for ontology-based computing, focusing on its use in the field of infectious diseases. We review the largest and most widely used vocabulary resources relevant to the study of infectious diseases and conclude with a description of the Infectious Disease Ontology (IDO) suite of interoperable ontology modules that together cover the entire infectious disease domain