Estimation of corrosion resistance of curing mixtures based on coal-bearing rocks from Western Donbass

Purpose. Substantiation of possible use of coal-bearing rocks as a replacement for a part of the filler in the preparation of shotcrete for lining of mine workings in the conditions of mineralized mine water. Methods. The research is based on carrying out corrosion testing of concrete specimens by dipping them into mine water. Chemical analysis of mine waters composition has been completed. A scanning microscope was used to study the state of concrete specimens microstructure. Findings. A comparative analysis was conducted to evaluate of the cement rock resistance to mineralized water, depending on the composition of the starting components for the grouting and shotcrete mixtures is carried out. The change in the chemical composition of mine water after soaking concrete specimens in it is defined. Photographs of concrete specimens microstructure after soaking in ordinary and mineralized water for 6 and 8 months are shown. Originality. Curing mixtures based on coal-bearing rocks from Western Donbass are mineralized water resistant and can act as a quality protection from aggressive water filtrationdue to the properties of rocks used as a filler. Practical implications. The results can be used for the rational choice of the composition of the concrete mixture with the replacement of filler part with mine rock. That will enhance the long-term stability of the mine working lined by these compositions.Мета. Обґрунтування можливості використання вуглевміщуючих порід у якості заміни частини заповнювача в процесі приготування бетону для кріплення гірничих виробок в умовах мінералізованих шахтних вод. Методика. Робота базується на проведенні корозійних випробувань бетонних зразків шляхом занурення їх у шахтну воду. Виконано хімічний аналіз складу шахтних вод. Використаний растровий мікроскоп для дослідження стану мікроструктури бетонних зразків. Результати. Виконано порівняльний аналіз оцінки стійкості цементного каменю до впливу мінералізованої води залежно від складу вихідних компонентів для тампонажних, торкрет-бетонних і набризкбетонних сумішей. Визначено зміну хімічного складу шахтної води після витримки у ній бетонних зразків. Наведено фотографії мікроструктури бетонних зразків після витримки у нормальних умовах та мінералізованої води протягом 6 і 8 місяців. Наукова новизна. Твердіючі суміші на основі вуглевміщуючих порід Західного Донбасу достатньо стійкі до впливу мінералізованих вод та є якісною протифільтраційною завісою завдяки властивостям порід, використаних у якості заповнювача. Практична значимість. Отримані результати можуть бути використані для раціонального підбору складу бетонної суміші із заміною частини заповнювача шахтної породою, що дозволить підвищити тривалу стійкість гірничої виробки, закріпленої з використанням даних складів.Цель. Обоснование возможности использование углевмещающих пород в качестве замены части заполнителя в процессе приготовления бетона для крепления горных выработок в условиях минерализованных шахтных вод. Методика. Работа базируется на проведении коррозионных испытаний бетонных образцов путем погружения их в шахтную воду. Выполнен химический анализ состава шахтных вод. Использован растровый микроскоп для исследования состояния микроструктуры бетонных образцов. Результаты. Выполнен сравнительный анализ оценки устойчивости цементного камня к воздействию минерализованной воды в зависимости от состава исходных компонентов для тампонажных, торкрет-бетонных и набрызгбетонных смесей. Определено изменение химического состава шахтной воды после выдержки в ней бетонных образцов. Представлены фотографии микроструктуры бетонных образцов после выдержки в нормальных условиях и минерализованной воде в течение 6 и 8 месяцев. Научная новизна. Твердеющие смеси на основе углевмещающих пород Западного Донбасса устойчивы к влиянию минерализованных вод и являются качественной противофильтрационной завесой благодаря свойствам пород, использованных в качестве заполнителя. Практическая значимость. Полученные результаты могут быть использованы для рационального подбора состава бетонной смеси с заменой части заполнителя шахтной породой, что позволит повысить длительную устойчивость горной выработки, закрепленной с использованием данных составов.The authors express their gratitude to the administration of the Department of Construction, Geotechnics and Geomechanics of the National Mining University (Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine), represented by O. Shashenko and A. Solodiankin, as well as to all those who helped in carrying out works related to preparation of this paper

Eslicarbazepine acetate as monotherapy in clinical practice: Outcomes from Euro-Esli

OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness and safety/tolerability of eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL) monotherapy in clinical practice in Europe. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Euro-Esli was a pooled analysis of 14 European clinical practice studies. Responder rate (≥50% seizure frequency reduction) and seizure freedom rate (seizure freedom at least since prior visit) were assessed after 3, 6 and 12 months of ESL treatment and at last visit. Adverse events (AEs) and AEs leading to ESL discontinuation were assessed throughout follow-up. A subanalysis was conducted to assess outcomes for patients treated initially with ESL monotherapy and for patients treated at the last visit with ESL monotherapy. RESULTS: ESL was used as monotherapy in 88/2045 (4.3%) patients initially and in 229/1340 (17.1%) patients at the last visit. At 12 months, responder and seizure freedom rates were 94.1% and 88.2%, respectively, in patients treated initially with ESL monotherapy, and 93.2% and 77.4%, respectively, in patients treated at the last visit with ESL monotherapy. Corresponding values for patients treated initially with ESL adjunctive therapy were 74.8% and 39.0%, respectively; and for patients treated at the last visit with ESL adjunctive therapy, corresponding values were 70.4% and 25.9%, respectively. Safety and tolerability were generally comparable in patients treated with ESL as monotherapy or adjunctive therapy. The most commonly reported AEs (≥5% of patients in any group) were dizziness, somnolence, instability/ataxia, and fatigue. CONCLUSIONS: These clinical practice data support the use of ESL as monotherapy, as well as adjunctive therapy, for focal-onset seizures, complementing evidence from clinical trials.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The 4q12 Amplicon in Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumors: Consequences on Gene Expression and Implications for Sunitinib Treatment

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST) are highly aggressive tumors which originate from Schwann cells and develop in about 10% of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) patients. The five year survival rate is poor and more effective therapies are needed. Sunitinib is a drug targeting receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK) like PDGFRα, c-Kit and VEGFR-2. These genes are structurally related and cluster on chromosomal segment 4q12.) was present in MPNST cell lines suggesting an autocrine loop. We show that VEGF triggered signal transduction via the MAPK pathway, which could be blocked by sunitinib. might serve as predictive markers for efficacy of sunitinib

Status of Flat Electron Beam Production

Last year at LINAC2000 [1] we reported our initial verification of the round beam (comparable transverse emittances) to flat beam (high transverse emittance ratio) transformation described by Brinkmann, Derbenev, and Flöttmann [2]. Further analysis of our data has confirmed that a transverse emittance ratio of approximately 50 was observed. Graphics representing observational detail are included here, and future plans outlined

Utility of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in presurgical evaluation of patients with epilepsy: A multicenter study

OBJECTIVE: 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) is widely used in presurgical assessment in patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy (DRE) if magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and scalp electroencephalography (EEG) do not localize the seizure onset zone or are discordant. METHODS: In this multicenter, retrospective observational cohort study, we included consecutive patients with DRE who had undergone FDG-PET as part of their presurgical workup. We assessed the utility of FDG-PET, which was defined as contributing to the decision-making process to refer for resection or intracranial EEG (iEEG) or to conclude surgery was not feasible. RESULTS: We included 951 patients in this study; 479 had temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), 219 extratemporal epilepsy (ETLE), and 253 epilepsy of uncertain lobar origin. FDG-PET showed a distinct hypometabolism in 62% and was concordant with ictal EEG in 74% in TLE and in 56% in ETLE (p < .001). FDG-PET was useful in presurgical decision-making in 396 patients (47%) and most beneficial in TLE compared to ETLE (58% vs. 44%, p = .001). Overall, FDG-PET contributed to recommending resection in 78 cases (20%) and iEEG in 187 cases (47%); in 131 patients (33%), FDG-PET resulted in a conclusion that resection was not feasible. In TLE, seizure-freedom 1 year after surgery did not differ significantly (p = .48) between patients with negative MRI and EEG-PET concordance (n = 30, 65%) and those with positive MRI and concordant EEG (n = 46, 68%). In ETLE, half of patients with negative MRI and EEG-PET concordance and three quarters with positive MRI and concordant EEG were seizure-free postsurgery (n = 5 vs. n = 6, p = .28). SIGNIFICANCE: This is the largest reported cohort of patients with DRE who received presurgical FDG-PET, showing that FDG-PET is a useful diagnostic tool. MRI-negative and MRI-positive cases with concordant FDG-PET results (with either EEG or MRI) had a comparable outcome after surgery. These findings confirm the significance of FDG-PET in presurgical epilepsy diagnostics

The prognostic value of tumor mitotic rate in children and adolescents with cutaneous melanoma:A retrospective cohort study

Background: Mitotic rate is a strong predictor of outcome in adult patients with primary cutaneous melanoma, but for children and adolescent patients this is unknown. Objective: We sought to assess the prognostic value of primary tumor mitotic rate in children and adolescents with primary melanoma. Methods: This was a cohort study of 156 patients who were <20 years of age and who had clinically localized cutaneous melanoma. Patients <12 years of age were classified as children and those 12 to 19 years of age as adolescents. Clinicopathologic and outcome data were collected. Recurrence-free and melanoma-specific survival were calculated. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed using Cox proportional hazard models. Results: Thirteen of 156 patients (8%) were children. The mitotic rate was ≥1/mm2 in 104 patients (67%) and correlated with increasing Breslow thickness. A positive sentinel node was found in 23 of 61 patients (38%) in whom a sentinel lymph node biopsy specimen was obtained. The median follow-up was 61 months. Five-year melanoma-specific and recurrence-free survival rates were 91% and 84%, respectively. Mitotic rate was a stronger predictor of outcome than tumor thickness and was the only factor independently associated with recurrence-free survival. Limitations: This research was conducted at a single institution and the sample size was small. Conclusion: Mitotic rate is an independent predictor of recurrence-free survival in children and adolescents with clinically localized melanoma

Quantitative Gadolinium-Free Cardiac Fibrosis Imaging in End Stage Renal Disease Patients Reveals a Longitudinal Correlation with Structural and Functional Decline

Patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) suffer high mortality from arrhythmias linked to fibrosis, but are contraindicated to late gadolinium enhancement magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We present a quantitative method for gadolinium-free cardiac fibrosis imaging using magnetization transfer (MT) weighted MRI, and probe correlations with widely used surrogate markers including cardiac structure and contractile function in patients with ESRD. In a sub-group of patients who returned for follow-up imaging after one year, we examine the correlation between changes in fibrosis and ventricular structure/function. Quantification of changes in MT revealed significantly greater fibrotic burden in patients with ESRD compared to a healthy age matched control cohort. Ventricular mechanics, including circumferential strain and diastolic strain rate were unchanged in patients with ESRD. No correlation was observed between fibrotic burden and concomitant measures of either circumferential or longitudinal strains or strain rates. However, among patients who returned for follow up examination a strong correlation existed between initial fibrotic burden and subsequent loss of contractile function. Gadolinium-free myocardial fibrosis imaging in patients with ESRD revealed a complex and longitudinal, not contemporary, association between fibrosis and ventricular contractile function