Pattern selection dynamics in rod eutectics

The cooperative or diffusively coupled growth of multiple phases during solidification is one of the most widely observed and generally important classes of phase transformations in materials. Technologically, due to having lower melting points compared with their pure components, and small freezing ranges, these alloys have excellent fluidity exhibited during casting and favorable properties offered by the fine composite structures both of which contribute to the wide application of eutectic alloys in the casting, welding, and soldering of engineered components. Academically, the topic of eutectic solidification offers a wealth of rich problems involving multicomponent thermodynamics, solid-liquid and solid-solid interfacial phenomena, morphological stability, chemical and thermal diffusion, and nucleation phenomena. Surprisingly, despite the broad-based technological and academic importance, many fundamental questions regarding eutectic solidification remain unanswered. This lack of understanding severely limits our ability to employ computational methods in the prediction of microstructure for the effective design of new materials and processing techniques through simulation. In this study, pattern selection dynamics in rod eutectics are investigated by performing systematic directional solidification experiments with succinonitrile-(D) camphor transparent organic metal analog material and phase field simulations. Significant influence of the slide geometry on the rod morphology, even for specimen thicknesses which are many times greater than the characteristic eutectic spacing, has been observed. A new geometrical model is determined to accommodate the array distortion which exhibits very good agreement with the experimental observations, indicating that the principal effect of slide geometry that must be accounted for is array distortion. These results are confirmed with the phase field simulations. Two distinct influences of specimen slide geometry were observed. First, geometrical constraints give rise to the selection of array order, amounting (in the present case) to the selection of array orientation. Two particular states were observed, defined here as P1 and P2, where the 1st and 2nd nearest neighbors are aligned along the slide plane, respectively. Second, for relatively thin specimens (δ ≤ 30ym), a transition from 3D to quasi-3D growth was observed at very low velocities, where δ/λ∼ 1. Furthermore, by using phase field simulations, stability maps of different rod arrangements are obtained in addition to observation of rods to lamellar at very thin specimen thicknesses. Lastly, mechanisms of eutectic onset in directional growth is investigated and concluded that the formation of eutectic structure is very dependent on both external and internal parameters such as specimen thickness, thermal field, prior eutectic structure, single-phase formation and growth

Consolidating pedagogies:Between architecture and engineering

The paper presents and raises discussion on a new pedagogical approach, that com- bines computational modelling with careful use of precedent in architectural and engineering ed- ucation. This study is a part of a larger PhD research project investigating the workflows of the rationalization of form from the initial design phase to realization of structure, manufacturing and assembly. A range of efficiency criteria has been formulated and discussed to enable the deriva- tion of a methodology to analyze and reevaluate existing complex forms through the use of learn- ings from precedent. A series of projects have been evaluated. This paper presents a re-evaluation of the Dynamic Earth project in Edinburgh serving as an exemplar project to facilitate a novel pedagogy being tested and implemented through a research projec

The Incidence and Management of Pleural Injuries Occurring during Open Nephrectomy

Objective. To evaluate the incidence, management, and risk factors of pleural injuries occurring during open nephrectomy. Methods. Between June 2004/and June 2008, 165 patients (167 renal units) underwent open simple (n = 37, 22.2%), partial (n = 39, 23.4%) or radical (n = 91, 54.5%) nephrectomy in our institution. Results. Flank, Chevron, and abdominal midline incisions were used in 148(88.6%), 17(10.2%), and in 2(1.2%) surgical procedures, respectively. Ribs were excised in 109(65.3%) procedures (11th rib, 10th-11th ribs, and 11th-12th ribs). Intraoperative pleural injuries were detected in 20(12%) procedures, 16(80%) were treated successfully with simple evacuation technique, and 4 required chest tube insertion. Age, sex, surgery type, incision type, and surgery site were not associated with pleural injury occurrence (P > .05). Rib resection was the only parameter associated with pleural injury occurrence. Conclusion. Pleural injuries occur in 12% of open nephrectomy procedures, and 80% can be repaired successfully. Few of them (2.4%) need chest tube insertion. Performing rib resection is a significant risk factor for pleural injury occurrence during nephrectomies

Complementary and alternative medicine for management of premature ejaculation: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction: Premature ejaculation (PE) is defined as ejaculation within one minute (lifelong PE) or three minutes (acquired PE); inability to delay ejaculation; and negative personal consequences. Management includes behavioral and pharmacological approaches. Aim: To systematically review effectiveness, safety, and robustness of evidence for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in managing PE. Methods: Nine databases including MEDLINE were searched to September 2015. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating CAM for PE were included. Outcome measures: Studies were included if they reported intra-vaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT) and/or another validated premature ejaculation measure. Adverse effects were summarized. Results: Ten RCTs were included. Two assessed acupuncture, five Chinese herbal medicine, one Ayurvedic herbal medicine, and two topical “severance secret” (SS) cream. Risk of bias was unclear in all studies due to unclear allocation concealment or blinding, and only five studies reported stopwatch-measured IELT. Acupuncture slightly increased IELT over placebo in one study (mean difference [MD]=0.55 min, p=0.001). In another study, Ayurvedic herbal medicine slightly increased IELT over placebo (MD=0.80 min, p=0.001). Topical SS cream improved IELT over placebo in two studies (MD=8.60 min, p<0.001), though inclusion criteria were broad (IELT <3 min). Three studies comparing Chinese herbal medicine against selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) favored SSRIs (MD=1.01 min, p=0.02). However, combination treatment with Chinese medicine plus SSRIs improved IELT over SSRIs alone (two studies, MD=1.92 min, p<0.00001) and over Chinese medicine alone (two studies, MD=2.52 min, p<0.00001). Adverse effects were not consistently assessed, but where reported were generally mild. Conclusions: There is preliminary evidence for effectiveness of acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, Ayurvedic herbal medicine and topical SS cream in improving IELT and other outcomes. However, results are based on clinically heterogeneous studies of unclear quality. There is little data on adverse effects or potential for drug interactions. Further well-conducted RCTs would be valuable

Toward Evidence-Based Genetic Research on Lifelong Premature Ejaculation: A Critical Evaluation of Methodology

Recently, four premature ejaculation (PE) subtypes have been distinguished on the basis of the duration of the intravaginal ejaculation latency time (IELT). These four PE subtypes have different etiologies and pathogeneses. Genetic research on PE should consider the existence of these PE subtypes and the accurate measurement of the IELT with a stopwatch. Currently, three methods of genetic research on PE have been used. They differ in the investigated population, tool of measurement, study design, and variables of PE. From animal and human research, it is derived that the central serotonergic system "modulates" ejaculation, whereas the ejaculation (reflex) itself is probably not under direct influence of the serotonergic system, but rather under the influence of other neurotransmitter systems in the spinal cord. For genetic research on PE, it is important to take into account that the (serotonergic) modulation of the IELT is variable among men and may even be absent. This means that serotonergic genetic polymorphisms may only be found in men with PE who respond with an ejaculation delay treatment with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor

Surgical and minimally invasive treatment of ischaemic and non-ischaemic priapism : A systematic review by the EAU Sexual and Reproductive Health Guidelines panel

Peer reviewedPostprin

What is the effectiveness of surgical and non-surgical therapies in the treatment of ischemic priapism in patients with sickle cell disease? A systematic review by the EAU Sexual and Reproductive Health Panel

The authors acknowledge the participants for their cooperation Conflict of Interest: None of the authors declare any interest. Formatting of funding sources: This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.Peer reviewedPostprin

Microscale characterization of prostate biopsies tissues using optical coherence elastography and second harmonic generation imaging

© 2018 USCAP, Inc All rights reserved. Photonics, especially optical coherence elastography (OCE) and second harmonic generation (SHG) imaging are novel high-resolution imaging modalities for characterization of biological tissues. Following our preliminary experience, we hypothesized that OCE and SHG imaging would delineate the microstructure of prostate tissue and aid in distinguishing cancer from the normal benign prostatic tissue. Furthermore, these approaches may assist in characterization of the grade of cancer, as well. In this study, we confirmed a high diagnostic accuracy of OCE and SHG imaging in the detection and characterization of prostate cancer for a large set of biopsy tissues obtained from men suspected to have prostate cancer using transrectal ultrasound (TRUS). The two techniques and methods described here are complementary, one depicts the stiffness of tissues and the other illustrates the orientation of collagen structure around the cancerous lesions. The results showed that stiffness of cancer tissue was ∼57.63% higher than that of benign tissue (Young's modulus of 698.43±125.29 kPa for cancerous tissue vs 443.07±88.95 kPa for benign tissue with OCE. Using histology as a reference standard and 600 kPa as a cut-off threshold, the data analysis showed sensitivity and specificity of 89.6 and 99.8%, respectively. Corresponding positive and negative predictive values were 99.5 and 94.6%, respectively. There was a significant difference noticed in terms of Young's modulus for different Gleason scores estimated by OCE (P-value<0.05). For SHG, distinct patterns of collagen distribution were seen for different Gleason grade disease with computed quantification employing a ratio of anisotropic to isotropic (A:I ratio) and this correlated with disease aggressiveness

Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors for premature ejaculation: a systematic review and meta-analysis

CONTEXT: Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (PDE5is) are prescribed off-label for the treatment of premature ejaculation (PE). OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the evidence from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) for PDE5is in the management of PE. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: MEDLINE and other databases were searched to September 2015. Quality of RCTs was assessed. Intra-vaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT) data were pooled in a meta-analysis. Heterogeneity was assessed. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Fifteen RCTs were included. The majority were of unclear methodological quality. Pooled IELT evidence suggests: PDE5is are significantly more effective than placebo (231 participants, p<0.00001); there is no difference between PDE5is and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) (405 participants, p=0.50); and that PDE5is combined with an SSRI are significantly more effective than SSRIs alone (521 participants, p=0.001). However, high levels of statistical heterogeneity are evident (I(2)≥40%). Single RCT evidence suggests that sildenafil is significantly more effective than the squeeze technique; but both lidocaine gel and tramadol are significantly more effective than sildenafil. Sildenafil combined with behavioural therapy is significantly more effective than behavioural therapy alone. Sexual satisfaction and ejaculatory control appear better with PDE5is compared with placebo and with PDE5is combined with an SSRI compared with an SSRI alone. Adverse events are reported with both PDE5is and other agents. CONCLUSIONS: PDE5is are significantly more effective than placebo and PDE5is combined with an SSRI are significantly more effective than SSRIs alone at increasing IELT and improvement in other effectiveness outcomes. However, heterogeneity is evident across RCTs. The methodological quality of the majority of RCTs is unclear. PATIENT SUMMARY: We reviewed PDE5is for treating premature ejaculation. We found evidence to suggest that PDE5is are effective compared with placebo and that PDE5is combined with an SSRI are better than an SSRI alone. Adverse events are reported with PDE5is and other agents. However, the quality of the evidence is uncertain. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42013005289