Cathodic electrochemical protection of molybdenum electrodes in an all-electric melter

During several research programmes the cathodic protection of molybdenum heating electrodes was tested step by step on an allelectric glass melting furnace over eight years. Starting with one pair at least, all 12 heating electrodes were superimposed with a negative direct voltage to reduce the corrosion of molybdenum. The molybdenum release of the electrodes could nearly be halved at the used furnace and with the glass melted. The molybdenum content of the glass was determined to compare the unprotected and the protected State, respectively, and to confirm the success of the cathodic protection

Determination of the corrosion progress of zirconium oxide containing refractories based on the natural intrinsic gamma radiation of the material

The determination of the corrosion progress of refractory blocks is interesting for the operation of glass furnace tanks under safety and economic aspects. The measuring principle, based on the very small natural radiation of impurities of the zirconium raw materials for refractory production, has been known since the beginning of the seventies of the last century and could now be developed through improvements of measuring technology and sensors. Smaller changes to a laboratory test setup from medical technology were made both in the hardware and the software, to enable measurements of the intrinsie radiation of fused-cast AZS refractory materials in hot and dusty environment on glass melting furnaces during operation. Α measuring schedule was developed and calibrating measurements were carried out with blocks of different zirconia content. First practical tests were made on cold glass furnaces. The final adaptation of the equipment was done with measurements on operating glass furnaces. The measurements of the corrosion progress and/or the residual thickness of refractory blocks based on the natural intrinsic gamma radiation could be done with the expected accuracy and can be used to support the operator of glass melting tanks

Deskriptori binarnih podstruktura organskih molekula

Organic chemical structures are represented by binary vectors that contain information about presence or absence of 1365 substructures. The guiding ideas for selecting this set of substructures are described and examples are given. Software SubMat has been developed for a fast and flexible computation of binary substructure descriptors from molecular structures. Examples from structure similarity searches demonstrate the performance of representing organic chemical structures by the described set of substructures.Strukture organskih molekula prikazane su binarnim vektorima koji sadrže informacije o prisustnosti ili odsutnosti 1365 podstruktura. Razmotrene su ideje koje su dovele do izbora baš toga skupa podstruktura i navedeno nekoliko je primjera. Razvijen je program SubMat za brzo i fleksibilno računanje deskriptora binarnih podstruktura iz molekularnih struktura. Demonstrirana je uporaba opisanoga skupa podstruktura u prikazivanju struktura organskih molekula na primjerima pronalaženja strukturno sličnih molekula

Clinical impact of manual scoring of peripheral arterial tonometry in patients with sleep apnea.

PURPOSE The objective was to analyze the clinical implications of manual scoring of sleep studies using peripheral arterial tonometry (PAT) and to compare the manual and automated scoring algorithms. METHODS Patients with suspected sleep-disordered breathing underwent sleep studies using PAT. The recordings were analyzed using a validated automated computer-based scoring and a novel manual scoring algorithm. The two methods were compared regarding sleep stages and respiratory events. RESULTS Recordings of 130 patients were compared. The sleep stages and time were not significantly different between the scoring methods. PAT-derived apnea-hypopnea index (pAHI) was on average 8.4 events/h lower in the manually scored data (27.5±17.4/h vs.19.1±15.2/h, p<0.001). The OSA severity classification decreased in 66 (51%) of 130 recordings. A similar effect was found for the PAT-derived respiratory disturbance index with a reduction from 31.2±16.5/h to 21.7±14.4/h (p<0.001), for automated and manual scoring, respectively. A lower pAHI for manual scoring was found in all body positions and sleep stages and was independent of gender and body mass index. The absolute difference of pAHI increased with sleep apnea severity, while the relative difference decreased. Pearson's correlation coefficient between pAHI and oxygen desaturation index (ODI) significantly improved from 0.89 to 0.94 with manual scoring (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Manual scoring results in a lower pAHI while improving the correlation to ODI. With manual scoring, the OSA category decreases in a clinically relevant proportion of patients. Sleep stages and time do not change significantly with manual scoring. In the authors' opinion, manual oversight is recommended if clinical decisions are likely to change

Lebensmitteleffizienz der Österreichischen Nutztierhaltung - Bedeutung der Grünlandwirtschaft

Der Beitrag der Tierhaltung zur menschlichen Ernährungssicherung wird aufgrund der ineffizienten Umwandlung von pflanzlichen Futtermitteln in tierische Produkte sehr kontrovers diskutiert. Das Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war es daher, anhand von nationalen Daten für die Jahre 2011–2013 den Beitrag von verschiedenen Tierkategorien (Rinder, Milchkühe, Maststiere, Schweine, Masthühner, Legehennen, Puten, Schafe und Ziegen) zur Netto-Lebensmittelproduktion in Österreich zu ermitteln. Rinder trugen als einzige Nutztierart sowohl bezüglich Energie als auch bezüglich Protein zu einer positiven Netto-Lebensmittelproduktion bei, das heißt sie produzierten über die tierischen Produkte mehr für die Menschen essbare Energie und essbares Protein, als sie in Form von Futtermitteln aufnahmen. Werden auch die Unterschiede in der Proteinqualität zwischen pflanzlichen und tierischen Proteinen berücksichtigt, so lieferten zusätzlich auch Legehennen, Schafe und Ziegen einen positiven Beitrag zur Bereitstellung von Protein für die menschliche Ernährung. Abgesehen vom Futter für das intensive Stiermastsystem kamen rund 50 % des Futterproteins und der Futterenergie für Wiederkäuer von Dauergrünland, welches ansonsten nicht für die Lebensmittelproduktion zur Verfügung stehen würde

Multicenter Validation of the Vasoactive-Ventilation-Renal Score as a Predictor of Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation After Neonatal Cardiac Surgery

Objectives: We sought to validate the Vasoactive-Ventilation-Renal score, a novel disease severity index, as a predictor of outcome in a multicenter cohort of neonates who underwent cardiac surgery. Design: Retrospective chart review. Setting: Seven tertiary-care referral centers. Patients: Neonates defined as age less than or equal to 30 days at the time of cardiac surgery. Interventions: Ventilation index, Vasoactive-Inotrope Score, serum lactate, and Vasoactive-Ventilation-Renal score were recorded for three postoperative time points: ICU admission, 6 hours, and 12 hours. Peak values, defined as the highest of the three measurements, were also noted. Vasoactive-Ventilation-Renal was calculated as follows: ventilation index + Vasoactive-Inotrope Score + Δ creatinine (change in creatinine from baseline × 10). Primary outcome was prolonged duration of mechanical ventilation, defined as greater than 96 hours. Receiver operative characteristic curves were generated, and abilities of variables to correctly classify prolonged duration of mechanical ventilation were compared using area under the curve values. Multivariable logistic regression modeling was also performed. Measurements and Main Results: We reviewed 275 neonates. Median age at surgery was 7 days (25th–75th percentile, 5–12 d), 86 (31%) had single ventricle anatomy, and 183 (67%) were classified as Society of Thoracic Surgeons-European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery Congenital Heart Surgery Mortality Category 4 or 5. Prolonged duration of mechanical ventilation occurred in 89 patients (32%). At each postoperative time point, the area under the curve for prolonged duration of mechanical ventilation was significantly greater for the Vasoactive-Ventilation-Renal score as compared to the ventilation index, Vasoactive-Inotrope Score, and serum lactate, with an area under the curve for peak Vasoactive-Ventilation-Renal score of 0.82 (95% CI, 0.77–0.88). On multivariable analysis, peak Vasoactive-Ventilation-Renal score was independently associated with prolonged duration of mechanical ventilation, odds ratio (per 1 unit increase): 1.08 (95% CI, 1.04–1.12). Conclusions: In this multicenter cohort of neonates who underwent cardiac surgery, the Vasoactive-Ventilation-Renal score was a reliable predictor of postoperative outcome and outperformed more traditional measures of disease complexity and severity

Comparative study of the effect of antiretroviral therapy on benign lymphoepithelial cyst of parotid glands and ranulas in HIV-positive patients

OBJECTIVE. This study’s aim was to assess the effect of highly active antiretroviral drugs (HAART) on benign lymphoepithelial cysts (BLEC) of the parotid and ranulas. Study design. The records of 10 HIV-positive patients who presented with BLEC were reviewed, and 14 HIV-positive patients who presented with ranulas were prospectively enrolled. Patients in both groups received the same combination of HAART and were clinically evaluated for the first 3 months. Patients with ranulas were followed for an additional 3 months. A clinical reduction in the size of the lesions was considered to be a positive outcome. RESULTS. All parotid glands with BLEC resolved within 3 months. No positive results were observed in ranulas during the first 3 months. However, some of the ranulas displayed a positive result after the initial 3 months of HAART. CONCLUSIONS. In contrast to BLEC, ranulas in HIV-positive patients seem to present a mixed and delayed response to HAART.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/10792104/111/2hb201

Hard palate cleft and oro-nasal fistula reconstruction utilising a resorbable sheet

No abstract available.http://www.sada.co.zaam2013ay201