Randomized crossover comparison between the i-gel and the LMA-Unique in anaesthetized, paralysed adults

<b>Background</b>: The i-gel differs from other supraglottic airway devices, in that it has a softer, non-inflatable cuff. This study was designed to compare the performance of the i-gel and the LMA-Unique (LMA-U) when used during anaesthesia in paralysed patients. <b>Methods</b>: Both devices were studied in 39 anaesthetized, paralysed patients in a randomized crossover trial. The primary outcome was airway leak pressure. Secondary outcomes included time to insertion, the number of insertion and reposition attempts, leak volumes, and leak fractions. <b>Results</b>: There was no significant difference between the airway leak pressures of the two devices [median (IQR) leak pressures 25 (22–30) vs 22 (20–28) cm H2O for the i-gel and LMA-U, respectively; P=0.083, 95% CI of the mean difference –0.32 to 4.88 cm H2O]. The median (IQR) insertion time for the i-gel was significantly less than for the LMA-U [12.2 (9.7–14.3) vs 15.2 (13.2–17.3) s; P=0.007]. All the LMA-U devices and 38 of 39 i-gel airways were inserted at the first attempt. The number of manipulations required after insertion to achieve a clear airway was the same in both the groups (four in each). There were no statistically significant differences in leak volumes or leak fractions during controlled ventilation. <b>Conclusions</b>: We found no difference in leak pressures and success rate of first-time insertion between the i-gel and the LMA-U. Time to successful insertion was significantly shorter for the i-gel. We conclude that the i-gel provides a reasonable alternative to the LMA-U for controlled ventilation during anaesthesia

Thermoelectric transport properties of a T-shaped double quantum dot system in the Coulomb blockade regime

We investigate the thermoelectric properties of a T-shaped double quantum dot system described by a generalized Anderson Hamiltonian. The system's electrical conduction (G) and the fundamental thermoelectric parameters such as the Seebeck coefficient ($S$) and the thermal conductivity ($\kappa$), along with the system's thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) are numerically estimated based on a Green's function formalism that includes contributions up to the Hartree-Fock level. Our results account for finite onsite Coulomb interaction terms in both component quantum dots and discuss various ways leading to an enhanced thermoelectric figure of merit for the system. We demonstrate that the presence of Fano resonances in the Coulomb blockade regime is responsible for a strong violation of the Wiedemann-Franz law and a considerable enhancement of the system's figure of merit ($ZT$).Comment: 7 pages, 10 figure

Balanced nutrition increases yield of pearl millet under drought

Improving the climate resilience of crops is particularly important in the semi-arid tropics (SAT) where variability and uncertainty of precipitation is expected to increase under climate change with detrimental impacts on the vulnerability of livelihoods of small farm holders. This study analyses a long-term strategic experiment datasets from fifteen experiments (1981–1995) managed under different fertility level sat International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru and on-farm balanced nutrition management trials (2010–2012) in Karnataka, India to evaluate the pearl millet performance in contrasting seasons with improved agronomic management. Long-term climate variability and yield trends were analyzed using ICRISAT’s weather datasets. On-farm data analysis revealed that majority of farmers’ field soils were deficient in organic carbon, available phosphorous, sulphur, zinc and boron at all the locations studied. Pearl millet grain yield and above ground dry matter was improved significantly with balanced nutrient application (NPK + S + Zn + B) in farmers’ field which were critically deficient in the soil nutrients. Even in comparatively drier years, application of balanced nutrient significantly increased grain yield and aboveground dry matter which provides resilience against drought through enhanced water productivity. Long-term experiments conducted in ICRISAT showed that nitro-gen application increased grain yield and above ground dry matter in pearl millet however seasonal variability had a greater effect on yield than cultivars and applied N. Pearl millet yield was positively associated with August maximum temperature and negatively with seasonal precipitation. September precipitation >125 mm which coincided with grain filling stage reduced grain yield. Benefit: cost analysis showed that balanced nutrient application of pearl millet is an economically sustainable option across the seasons. Pearl millet can be an important component of climate resilient agriculture in low production environments when managed with improved agronomic practices

MBE growth of GaInAsSb p/n junction diodes for thermophotovoltaic applications

This paper reports recent progress in the development of quaternary III-V thermophotovoltaic (TPV) devices based on MBE grown Ga{sub x}In{sub 1{minus}x}As{sub y}Sb{sub 1{minus}y}. TPV is of great interest for a variety of applications. The objective of this work is to develop a TPV cell which is tunable to the emission spectrum of a heated blackbody, at temperatures in the range of 1200--1473 K. One aspect of this tuning is to match the band gap, E{sub gap}, of the photovoltaic device to the peak output of the heat source., An advantage of the quarternary III-V semiconductor systems is that devices can be fabricated by molecular beam epitaxy on a suitable binary substrate, such as GaSb or InAs, and the band gap and lattice constant can be adjusted more or less independently, to match requirements. Quarternary cells, with band-gaps in the 0.5 to 0.72 eV range, have been fabricated and tested. For 0.54 eV devices the authors obtained V{sub oc} = 0.3 V and I{sub sc} = 1.5 amperes/cm{sup 2} under infrared illumination of a 1200 K blackbody. Under high illumination levels the V{sub oc} and I{sub sc} ranged from 0.5 V at 3 amperes/cm{sup 2} for 0.72 eV devices to 0.31 V at 1.2 amperes/cm{sup 2} for 0.5 eV devices, indicating good photovoltaic device characteristics over the range of bandgaps. The diode ideality factor for 0.54 eV devices ranged from 2.45 at low illumination indicating tunneling-dominated dark current, to 1.7 at high illumination intensity indicating recombination-generation dominated dark currents

Dynamics of coherently pumped lasers with linearly polarized pump and generated fields

The influence of light polarization on the dynamics of an optically pumped single-mode laser with a homogeneously broadened four-level medium is theoretically investigated in detail. Pump and laser fields with either parallel or crossed linear polarizations are considered, as are typical in far-infrared-laser experiments. Numerical simulations reveal dramatically different dynamic behaviors for these two polarization configurations. The analysis of the model equations allows us to find the physical origin of both behaviors. In particular, the crossed-polarization configuration is shown to be effective in decoupling the pump and laser fields, thus allowing for the appearance of Lorenz-type dynamics

Analysis of Two-Body Decays of Charmed Baryons Using the Quark-Diagram Scheme

We give a general formulation of the quark-diagram scheme for the nonleptonic weak decays of baryons. We apply it to all the decays of the antitriplet and sextet charmed baryons and express their decay amplitudes in terms of the quark-diagram amplitudes. We have also given parametrizations for the effects of final-state interactions. For SU(3) violation effects, we only parametrize those in the horizontal $W$-loop quark diagrams whose contributions are solely due to SU(3)-violation effects. In the absence of all these effects, there are many relations among various decay modes. Some of the relations are valid even in the presence of final-state interactions when each decay amplitude in the relation contains only a single phase shift. All these relations provide useful frameworks to compare with future experiments and to find out the effects of final-state interactions and SU(3) symmetry violations.Comment: 28 pages, 20 Tables in landscape form, 4 figures. Main changes are: (i) some errors in the Tables and in the relations between the quark-diagram amplitudes of this paper and those of Ref.[10] are corrected, (ii) improvements are made in the presentation so that comparisons with previous works and what have been done to include SU(3) breaking and final-state interactions are more clearly stated; to appear in the Physical Review

Stress avulsion of the tibial tuberosity after tension band wiring of a patellar fracture: a case report

INTRODUCTION: To the best of our knowledge there is no other report of an elderly patient who was surgically treated for a patellar fracture with tension band wiring and who subsequently suffered from an avulsion fracture of the tibial tuberosity. The combination of a patellar fracture and avulsion of the patellar ligament has only been described as complication after bone-patellar tendon-bone anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions. However, due to demographic changes and more elderly patients treated this injury may become more frequent in future. CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of an 81 year old female who sustained an oblique patellar fracture after a direct contact injury of the left knee when falling on ice. Consequently the patellar fracture was openly reduced and stabilized with tension band wiring. The follow-up was uneventful till three months after surgery when the patient noticed a spontaneous avulsion fracture of the tibial tuberosity (Ogden type 3). The tibial tuberosity fragment was reattached with two non-resorbable sutures looped around two modified AO cortical 3.5 mm long neck screws. Intraoperatively multiple bone cysts were seen. Biopsies were not taken to prevent further fragmentation of the tibial tuberosity. The patient was followed up with anteroposterior and lateral full weight bearing radiographs and clinical assessment at 6, 12 weeks and 6 months after surgery. Recovery was completely pain free with full satisfaction. CONCLUSION: In conclusion in elderly patients with a patella fracture a possible associated but not obvious fracture of the tibial tuberosity should be ruled out and the postoperative rehabilitation protocol after tension band wiring of the patella might have to be individually adjusted to bone quality and course of the fracture

A Measurement of the Decay Asymmetry Parameters in \Xi_{c}^{0}\to \X^{-}\pi^{+}

Using the CLEO II detector at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring we have measured the $\Xi_c^{0}$ decay asymmetry parameter in the decay $\Xi_c^{0} \to \Xi^{-} \pi^+$. We find $\alpha_{\Xi_c^{0}} \alpha_{\Xi} = 0.26 \pm 0.18{(stat)}^{+0.05}_{-0.04}{(syst)}$, using the world average value of $\alpha_{\Xi} = -0.456 \pm 0.014$ we obtain $\alpha_{\Xi_c^{0}} = -0.56 \pm 0.39{(stat)}^{+0.10}_{-0.09}{(syst)}$. The physically allowed range of a decay asymmetry parameter is $-1<\alpha<+1$. Our result prefers a negative value: $\alpha_{\Xi_c^{0}}$ is $<0.1$ at the 90% CL. The central value occupies the middle of the theoretically expected range but is not yet precise enough to choose between models.Comment: 10 pages postscript, also available through http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLN

Study of the decay asymmetry parameter and CP violation parameter in the Lambdac+ --> Lambda pi+ decay

Using data from the FOCUS (E831) experiment at Fermilab, we present a new measurement of the weak decay-asymmetry parameter alpha(Lambdac) in Lambdac --> Lambda pi decay. Comparing particle with antiparticle decays, we obtain the first measurement of the CP violation parameter : A = [alpha(Lambdac)+alpha(antiLambda_c)]/[alpha(Lambdac)-alpha(antiLambda_c)]. We obtain alpha(Lambdac)=-0.78+-0.16+-0.13 and A = -0.07+-0.19+-0.12 where errors are statistical and systematic.Comment: 18 pages, to be submitted to Phys. Lett. B For a list of the FOCUS collaboration, see http://www-focus.fnal.gov/authors.htm