Mechanical Response of He- Implanted Amorphous SiOC/ Crystalline Fe Nanolaminates

This study investigates the microstructural evolution and mechanical response of sputter-deposited amorphous silicon oxycarbide (SiOC)/crystalline Fe nanolaminates, a single layer SiOC film, and a single layer Fe film subjected to ion implantation at room temperature to obtain a maximum He concentration of 5 at. %. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy indicated no evidence of implantation-induced phase transformation or layer breakdown in the nanolaminates. Implantation resulted in the formation of He bubbles and an increase in the average size of the Fe grains in the individual Fe layers of the nanolaminates and the single layer Fe film, but the bubble density and grain size were found to be smaller in the former. By reducing the thicknesses of individual layers in the nanolaminates, bubble density and grain size were further decreased. No He bubbles were observed in the SiOC layers of the nanolaminates and the single layer SiOC film. Nanoindentation and scanning probe microscopy revealed an increase in the hardness of both single layer SiOC and Fe films after implantation. For the nanolaminates, changes in hardness were found to depend on the thicknesses of the individual layers, where reducing the layer thickness to 14 nm resulted in mitigation of implantation-induced hardening

Pretherapeutic gamma-glutamyltransferase is an independent prognostic factor for patients with renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) regulates apoptotic balance and promotes cancer progression and invasion. Higher pretherapeutic GGT serum levels have been associated with worse outcomes in various malignancies, but there are no data for renal cell carcinoma (RCC). METHODS: Pretherapeutic GGT serum levels and clinicopathological parameters were retrospectively evaluated in 921 consecutive RCC patients treated with nephrectomy at a single institution between 1998 and 2013. Gamma-glutamyltransferase was analysed as continuous and categorical variable. Associations with RCC-specific survival were assessed with Cox proportional hazards models. Discrimination was measured with the C-index. Decision-curve analysis was used to evaluate the clinical net benefit. The median postoperative follow-up was 45 months. RESULTS: Median pretherapeutic serum GGT level was 25 U l(-1). Gamma-glutamyltransferase levels increased with advancing T (P<0.001), N (P=0.006) and M stages (P<0.001), higher grades (P<0.001), and presence of tumour necrosis (P<0.001). An increase of GGT by 10 U l(-1) was associated with an increase in the risk of death from RCC by 4% (HR 1.04, P<0.001). Based on recursive partitioning-based survival tree analysis, we defined four prognostic categories of GGT: normal low (<17.5 U l(-1)), normal high (17.5 to <34.5 U l(-1)), elevated (34.5 to <181.5 U l(-1)), and highly elevated (⩾181.5 U l(-1)). In multivariable analyses that adjusted for the effect of standard features, both continuously and categorically coded GGT were independent prognostic factors. Adding GGT to a model that included standard features increased the discrimination by 0.9% to 1.8% and improved the clinical net benefit. CONCLUSIONS: Pretherapeutic serum GGT is a novel and independent prognostic factor for patients with RCC. Stratifying patients into prognostic subgroups according to GGT may be used for patient counselling, tailoring surveillance, individualised treatment planning, and clinical trial design

Assessment of hygienic conditions of ground pepper (Piper nigrum L.) on the market in São Paulo city, by means of two methodologies for detecting the light filth

Pepper should to be collected, processed, and packed under optimum conditions to avoid the presence of foreign matter. The hygienic conditions of ground pepper marketted in São Paulo city were assessed in determining the presence of foreign matter by means of two extraction methodologies. This study was carried out during a six-month time period from May to September 2006. The occurrence of light impurities was determined either by the flotation technique following the methodology recommended by AOAC or by enzyme – linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). It was observed that 100% of the examined samples contained insect fragments, and many samples were housing more than one type of foreign matter. Twentytwo percent of samples were unqualified for consumption owing to the occurrence of rodent hairs. For the calibration of ELISA test for quantification of insect contamination level in pepper samples, a range of standard-infested samples was prepared in adding 1, 2, 4, 8 and 10 insects in a control sample to estimate the number of insects in the analyzed samples by measuring optical densities (OD) values with a spectrophotometer. Among the 22 samples, 36.4% of samples presented OD values close to that corresponding to the standard infested with eight insects, 40.9% of samples were comparable to OD of the standard infested with four insects, 18.2% comparable to standard with 10 insects, and 4.5% to the standard with two insects. According to the results observed in the present study, the technique described in AOAC official methods manual was found more suitable for detecting not only the insects but also the additional impurities in analyzed samples, while ELISA is specific to detect myosin from the insect muscle, which undergoes serious degradation with time. Keywords: Pepper, ELISA test , Light filth, AOAC official method

A review of water-energy-food-ecosystems Nexus research in the Mediterranean: evolution, gaps and applications

The water-energy-food-ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus has gained recognition as an innovative approach for analysing the interconnectedness of global resource systems and achieving sustainability goals. In the Mediterranean, where water scarcity, climate change, and ecosystem degradation pose significant challenges, implementing an integrated WEFE Nexus approach is crucial. We conducted a comprehensive review of scientific literature through the lenses of Nexus ‘ideas’, ‘relationship’ and ‘practices’. A total of 142 research articles were selected and characterized in terms of WEFE interlinkages being investigated, explored topics, methods and scales of analysis, and contexts of operationalization. We found that water-energy interdependences dominate WEFE Nexus research in the Mediterranean, driven by the large presence of energy-intensive water abstraction and distribution systems to meet drinking and irrigation water demands. At the same time, the expansion of the Nexus approach to additional components is only partial, mostly focusing on assessing impacts on the physical environment and climate, without capturing feedback dynamics. Geographically, Nexus research in the Mediterranean is primarily conducted in isolated case studies, with few large scale assessments developed at the entire Mediterranean scale, and with some countries not yet represented, in particular the Western Balkans. Although WEFE Nexus research in the Mediterranean is recognizing the importance of transdisciplinarity moving beyond biophysical assessments to encompass societal and governance dynamics, further research is needed on understanding the economic implications of WEFE Nexus interactions. To advance Nexus implementation in the region, sustainable technology, and natural resources management, which are key fields of WEFE Nexus research operationalization, would benefit from harmonization in their design objectives. This would enable a more comprehensive and coherent approach towards achieving water, food, and energy security while preserving the environment in the Mediterranean region

Associations Between Presenting Symptoms, Clinicopathological Parameters, and Prognosis in a Contemporary Series of Patients With Renal Cell Carcinoma

PURPOSE: To evaluate the impact of presenting symptoms on survival in a contemporary series of patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We prospectively recorded data on the presenting symptoms, pathology, and RCC-specific survival of 633 consecutive RCC patients who underwent surgery between 2003 and 2012. RESULTS: Four hundred thirty-three RCCs (68%) were incidental, 111 (18%) were associated with local symptoms, and 89 (14%) were associated with systemic symptoms. Among those with incidental RCC, 317 patients (73%) were completely asymptomatic and 116 patients (27%) presented with symptoms not related to the tumor. During a median follow-up interval of 40 months (interquartile range: 39 to 69 months), 77 patients died from RCC. In univariate analyses, symptom classification was significantly associated with RCC-specific survival (p<0.001). Patients with incidental RCC and unrelated symptoms tended to have worse prognosis than did patients who were completely asymptomatic, although this difference was not statistically significant (p=0.057). The symptom classification was associated with advanced TNM stages (p<0.001) and grade (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms that presenting symptoms are associated with tumor characteristics and survival. The majority of RCCs are diagnosed incidentally in patients without any symptoms or with symptoms not related to RCC. Patients in the latter group tend to have a worse prognosis than do patients who are completely asymptomatic. With the increasing number of incidentally diagnosed RCCs, substratification of patients with incidental tumors may be prognostically relevant

Mechanical Response of He- Implanted Amorphous SiOC/ Crystalline Fe Nanolaminates

This study investigates the microstructural evolution and mechanical response of sputter-deposited amorphous silicon oxycarbide (SiOC)/crystalline Fe nanolaminates, a single layer SiOC film, and a single layer Fe film subjected to ion implantation at room temperature to obtain a maximum He concentration of 5 at. %. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy indicated no evidence of implantation-induced phase transformation or layer breakdown in the nanolaminates. Implantation resulted in the formation of He bubbles and an increase in the average size of the Fe grains in the individual Fe layers of the nanolaminates and the single layer Fe film, but the bubble density and grain size were found to be smaller in the former. By reducing the thicknesses of individual layers in the nanolaminates, bubble density and grain size were further decreased. No He bubbles were observed in the SiOC layers of the nanolaminates and the single layer SiOC film. Nanoindentation and scanning probe microscopy revealed an increase in the hardness of both single layer SiOC and Fe films after implantation. For the nanolaminates, changes in hardness were found to depend on the thicknesses of the individual layers, where reducing the layer thickness to 14 nm resulted in mitigation of implantation-induced hardening

Mobile Robot Localization using Panoramic Vision and Combinations of Feature Region Detectors

IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA 2008, Pasadena, California, May 19-23, 2008), pp. 538-543.This paper presents a vision-based approach for mobile robot localization. The environmental model is topological. The new approach uses a constellation of different types of affine covariant regions to characterize a place. This type of representation permits a reliable and distinctive environment modeling. The performance of the proposed approach is evaluated using a database of panoramic images from different rooms. Additionally, we compare different combinations of complementary feature region detectors to find the one that achieves the best results. Our experimental results show promising results for this new localization method. Additionally, similarly to what happens with single detectors, different combinations exhibit different strengths and weaknesses depending on the situation, suggesting that a context-aware method to combine the different detectors would improve the localization results.This work was partially supported by USC Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE), the FI grant from the Generalitat de Catalunya, the European Social Fund, and the MID-CBR project grant TIN2006-15140-C03-01 and FEDER funds and the grant 2005-SGR-00093

It is not always chlorhexidine: Identification of benzoxonium chloride and lauramine oxide as culprit allergens in a popular antiseptic in Switzerland.

A popular antiseptic spray in Switzerland (Merfen spray), containing chlorhexidine digluconate, benzoxonium chloride and lauramine oxide, is frequently used to treat skin wounds. However, it is also increasingly reported as a major cause of adverse skin reactions, including allergic contact dermatitis (ACD). To investigate the contact allergens responsible for ACD from this antiseptic. Patch tests were performed on seven patients with a clinical history compatible with contact dermatitis from this antiseptic mixture. All patients presented with acute eczematous reactions following contact with either Merfen spray alone, or with multiple products including this spray. Patients showed positive reactions to this product in both patch tests and repeated open application tests (ROATs). Four patients showed dose-dependent reactions to both benzoxonium chloride and lauramine oxide. One patient showed a dose-dependent reaction to the former and a non-dose-dependent reaction to the latter. Finally, two subjects showed responses only to lauramine oxide. One patient reacted to chlorhexidine digluconate 0.5% aq. in addition to both other allergens. Two commercially unavailable allergens, that is, benzoxonium chloride and/or lauramine oxide were identified as major causes of ACD from Merfen antiseptic spray, whereas chlorhexidine digluconate was a contributing culprit in only one patient

Rehabilitation Following Posterior Shoulder Stabilization

Posterior shoulder instability has been noted in recent reports to occur at a higher prevalence than originally believed, with many cases occurring in active populations. In most cases, primary surgical treatment for posterior shoulder instability—a posterior labral repair—is indicated for those patients who have failed conservative management and demonstrate persistent functional limitations. In order to optimize surgical success and return to a prior level of function, a comprehensive and focused rehabilitation program is crucial. Currently, there is a limited amount of literature focusing on rehabilitation after surgery for posterior instability. Therefore, the purpose of this clinical commentary is to present a post-surgical rehabilitation program for patients following posterior shoulder labral repair, with recommendations based upon best medical evidence. # Level of Evidence