Upper lid crease approach for margin rotation in trachomatous cicatricial entropion without external sutures

ABSTRACT Purpose: To describe the use of a lid crease incision for upper eyelid margin rotation in cicatricial entropion combining internal traction on the anterior lamella, tarsotomy, and tarsal overlap without external sutures. Methods: Surgical description: The main steps of the procedure consisted of exposure of the entire tarsal plate up to the eyelashes followed by tarsotomy through the conjunctiva. A double-armed 6.0 polyglactin suture was then passed through the distal tarsal fragment to the marginal section of the orbicularis oculi muscle. As the sutures were tied, the distal tarsus advanced over the marginal section, and traction was exerted on the marginal strip of the orbicularis muscle. There were no bolsters or external knots. The pretarsal skin-muscle flap was closed with a 6.0 plain gut suture. Results: We used this procedure at a tertiary hospital in Saudi Arabia from 2013 to 2014. Sixty upper lids of 40 patients (23 women and 17 men) were operated on, with an age range of 44-99 years [mean ± standard deviation (SD) = 70.9 ± 13.01 years]. Bilateral surgery was performed on 21 patients. Follow-up ranged from 1 to 12 months (mean 3.0 ± 2.71 months). Forty percent of the patients (24 lids) had more than 3 months' follow-up. The postoperative lid margin position was good in all cases. Trichiasis (two lashes) was observed in only one patient with unilateral entropion on the medial aspect of the operated lid. Conclusions: The upper lid margin can be effectively rotated through a lid crease incision with internal sutures. The technique combines the main mechanisms of the Wies and Trabut approaches and avoids the use of bolsters or external sutures, which require a second consultation to be removed. Some other lid problems, such as ptosis, retraction, or dermatochalasis, can be concomitantly addressed during the procedure

Ianus: an Adpative FPGA Computer

Dedicated machines designed for specific computational algorithms can outperform conventional computers by several orders of magnitude. In this note we describe {\it Ianus}, a new generation FPGA based machine and its basic features: hardware integration and wide reprogrammability. Our goal is to build a machine that can fully exploit the performance potential of new generation FPGA devices. We also plan a software platform which simplifies its programming, in order to extend its intended range of application to a wide class of interesting and computationally demanding problems. The decision to develop a dedicated processor is a complex one, involving careful assessment of its performance lead, during its expected lifetime, over traditional computers, taking into account their performance increase, as predicted by Moore's law. We discuss this point in detail

The Spin Glass Phase in the Four-State, Three-Dimensional Potts Model

We perform numerical simulations, including parallel tempering, on the Potts glass model with binary random quenched couplings using the JANUS application-oriented computer. We find and characterize a glassy transition, estimating the location of the transition and the value of the critical exponents. We show that there is no ferromagnetic transition in a large temperature range around the glassy critical temperature. We also compare our results with those obtained recently on the "random permutation" Potts glass.Comment: 7 pages and 3 figures. Corrected minor typo

Simulating spin systems on IANUS, an FPGA-based computer

We describe the hardwired implementation of algorithms for Monte Carlo simulations of a large class of spin models. We have implemented these algorithms as VHDL codes and we have mapped them onto a dedicated processor based on a large FPGA device. The measured performance on one such processor is comparable to O(100) carefully programmed high-end PCs: it turns out to be even better for some selected spin models. We describe here codes that we are currently executing on the IANUS massively parallel FPGA-based system.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figures; submitted to Computer Physics Communication

Susceptibility of biological stages of the horn fly, Haematobia irritans, to entomopathogenic fungi (Hyphomycetes)

The susceptibility of the egg, pupa, and adult of Haematobia irritans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae) to isolates of the fungi Metarhizium anisopliae (Metsch.) Sor., Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill., and Paecilomyces fumosoroseus (Wize) Brown and Smith, was evaluated under laboratory conditions. Groups of 20 eggs than 4 h old, pupae less than 48h old and adults were sprayed with a conidial suspension of each isolate. Eggs, pupae and adults of horn fly were susceptible to these entomopathogenic fungi. For treated eggs, the isolates Ma3, Ma 15, Ma25, Pfr1, and Pfr8 reduced adult emergence to 3.8% to 6.3% in comparison with the control (72%). The mortality of pupae infected by the isolates Ma2, Ma25, and Pfr10 ranged between 50% and 71.3%. Mortality of adults after treatment with the isolates Ma6, Ma 10, Ma 14, Ma 15, Pfr 1, Pfr 9, Pfr 10, Pfr 11, and Pfr12 were higher than 90%. The isolate Ma6 produced the lowest LC(50) against adult horn flies (8.08 &times 10(2)conidia/ml). These findings supported the hypotheses that isolates of M. anisopliae, and P. fumosoroseus are pathogenic against the different biological stages of horn flies by reducing adult emergence when applied on groups of eggs and pupae, and producing mortality when applied to adults

Tiempo fisiológico del ciruelo japonés (Prunus cerasifera EHRH) cv. Methley, calculado en un clima templado de altura intertropical

Aim: determine the physiological time (GDD and CU) of the phenological phases of the Japanese plum cv. Methley, cultivated in high altitudes with temperate climate. Design/methodology/approach: through daily observation, record of the appearance of phenological phases and use of Snyder´s method (1985), in twenty plum trees cv. Methley grafted on Mirobolano plum, the GDD of each phenological phase were quantified; CU were determined through three models (Richardson et al., 1974, Vega et al., 1990 and Shaltout and Unrath, 1983). Results: the physiological time of the cultivar had small quantitative variations for the same phenological phases in the studied years (2015 and 2016). The models for the CU calculation quantified different amounts of chilling temperatures. Study limitations/implications: the use of models for CU quantification, typical for temperate latitudes, in intertropical regions, makes difficult to monitor the accumulation of necessary cold to resume the growth of deciduous fruit trees. Findings/conclusions: it is recommended not to use own models from temperate latitudes, in high altitudes with temperate climate intertropical zones; in this case, it is right the use Vega´s model et al (1990).Objetivo: determinar el tiempo fisiológico (GDD y UF) de las fases fenológicas del ciruelo japonés (Prunus cerasifera EHRH) cv. Methley, cultivado en clima templado de altura. Diseño/metodología/aproximación: En árboles de ciruelo cv. Methley injertados sobre ciruelo Mirobolano (n=20) se cuantificaron los GDD de cada fase fenológica; determinando las UF a través de tres modelos usando la observación diaria, registro de la aparición de fases fenológicas y empleo del método de Snyder, durante 2015 y 2016. Resultados: el tiempo fisiológico del cultivar tuvo pequeñas variaciones cuantitativas para mismas fases fenológicas en los años estudiados. Los modelos de cuantificación de UF registraron distintas cantidades de frío. Limitaciones del estudio/implicaciones: el empleo de modelos de cuantificación de UF, propio de latitudes templadas, en regiones intertropicales, dificulta el monitoreo de la acumulación de frío necesario para reanudar el crecimiento de los frutales caducifolios. Hallazgos/conclusiones: se recomienda no emplear modelos propios de latitudes templadas, en zonas intertropicales con clima templado de altura, y emplear en este caso, el modelo de Vega et al. (1990)

P-P Total Cross Sections at VHE from Accelerator Data

Comparison of P-P total cross-sections estimations at very high energies - from accelerators and cosmic rays - shows a disagreement amounting to more than 10 %, a discrepancy which is beyond statistical errors. Here we use a phenomenological model based on the Multiple-Diffraction approach to successfully describe data at accelerator energies. The predictions of the model are compared with data On the basis of regression analysis we determine confident error bands, analyzing the sensitivity of our predictions to the employed data for extrapolation. : using data at 546 and 1.8 TeV, our extrapolations for p-p total cross-sections are only compatible with the Akeno cosmic ray data, predicting a slower rise with energy than other cosmic ray results and other extrapolation methods. We discuss our results within the context of constraints in the light of future accelerator and cosmic ray experimental results.Comment: 26 pages aqnd 11 figure

Genetic analysis of a major international collection of cultivated apple varieties reveals previously unknown historic heteroploid and inbred relationships

Domesticated apple (Malus x domestica Borkh.) is a major global crop and the genetic diversity held within the pool of cultivated varieties is important for the development of future cultivars. The aim of this study was to investigate the diversity held within the domesticated form, through the analysis of a major international germplasm collection of cultivated varieties, the UK National Fruit Collection, consisting of over 2,000 selections of named cultivars and seedling varieties. We utilised Diversity Array Technology (DArT) markers to assess the genetic diversity within the collection. Clustering attempts, using the software STRUCTURE revealed that the accessions formed a complex and historically admixed group for which clear clustering was challenging. Comparison of accessions using the Jaccard similarity coefficient allowed us to identify clonal and duplicate material as well as revealing pairs and groups that appeared more closely related than a standard parent-offspring or full-sibling relations. From further investigation, we were able to propose a number of new pedigrees, which revealed that some historically important cultivars were more closely related than previously documented and that some of them were partially inbred. We were also able to elucidate a number of parent-offspring relationships that had resulted in a number of important polyploid cultivars. This included reuniting polyploid cultivars that in some cases dated as far back as the 18th century, with diploid parents that potentially date back as far as the 13th century

Effective Lagrangian description of the lepton flavor violating decays Z-->li lj

A comprehensive analysis of the lepton flavor violating (LFV) decays Z-->li lj is presented within the effective Lagrangian approach. Both the decoupling and nondecoupling scenarios are explored. The experimental constraints from li --> lj lk \bar{lk} and li -->lj gamma as well as some relationships arising from the gauge invariance of the effective Lagrangian are used to put constraints on Z-->li lj. It is found that while current experimental data impose very strong constraints on Z-->mu e, the channel Z --> tau mu (e)still may be at the reach of the planned TESLA collider.Comment: References added, final version to appear in Physical Review

Effect of Chronic Administration of Resveratrol on Cognitive Performance during Aging Process in Rats

The increase in the elderly population has generated concern to meet health demands. The research efforts to elucidate the mechanisms of damage associated with aging have also been significantly increased, especially in order to avoid the reduction of the cognitive abilities in geriatric patients, resulting from the damage generated mainly at the level of the hippocampus during old age. At present, many studies describe resveratrol as an antiaging component. There are reports that it can activate the Sirt1 gene related to antiaging, emulating the effects obtained by caloric restriction in rodents. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of chronic administration of resveratrol (10 mg/kg) on cognitive performance in behavioral tests after 8 months of treatment and on the preservation of cerebral integrity in the cytoarchitecture of regions CA1 and CA2. Results showed that the cytoarchitecture of the CA1 and CA2 regions in the hippocampus retained their integrity over time in rats treated with resveratrol, and the behavioral test performed revealed that chronic resveratrol administration for 8 months showed improvements in cognitive performance. The results indicate that resveratrol may exhibit therapeutic potential for age-related conditions