Thyroid gland and thyroid status in patients with chronic liver diseases

We have conducted a prospective study aimed to analyse contraceptive use among women seeking for legal abortion in the State University Hospital "Ma?chin dom"--Sofia. Our date demonstrate that the patients were well informed about the existing contraceptive methods. On the contrary the percentage of women-using contraception and especially those, using highly effective ones is relatively low. The patients claim the possible side effects of the high effective contraception as a reason against use.     

Choice between money and intranasal heroin in morphine-maintained humans

Five morphine-maintained individuals participated in an inpatient study evaluating the effects of a monetary alternative ($10, $20, $40) on intranasal (i.n.) heroin (placebo, 12.5, 25, 50, 100 mg) self-administration, using a procedure in which subjects chose between money and heroin. Each money amount was tested in combination with each heroin dose. Subjects responded under a progressive-ratio schedule (PR 50, 100, ..., 2800); the PR value increased independently for each option. Subjective, performance, and physiological effects were also measured during each session. Heroin breakpoint values increased in a dose-related manner, relative to placebo, when $10 or $20 was available. In contrast, only the highest dose produced a heroin breakpoint value that was significantly different from placebo when $40 was available. Heroin also produced dose-related increases in several ratings of drug effect, including "I feel ..." "a good drug effect", "high", "mellow", and "stimulated". These effects were not significantly affected by the alternative money condition. These results demonstrated: (1) the dose-related reinforcing effects of i.n. heroin in opioid-dependent individuals; (2) that i.n. heroin self-administration can be modified by the availability of an alternative reinforcer (i.e. money); and (3) that self-reported drug effects can be differentiated from drug self-administration.     

Comparative properties of arginases

Arginase is a primordial enzyme, widely distributed in the biosphere and represented in all primary kingdoms. It plays a critical role in the hepatic metabolism of most higher organisms as a cardinal component of the urea cycle. Additionally, it occurs in numerous organisms and tissues where there is no functioning urea cycle. Many extrahepatic tissues have been shown to contain a second form of arginase, closely related to the hepatic enzyme but encoded by a distinct gene or genes and involved in a host of physiological roles. A variety of functions has been proposed for the "extrahepatic" arginases over the last three decades. In recent years, interest in arginase has been stimulated by a demonstrated involvement in the metabolism of the ubiquitous and multifaceted molecule nitric oxide. Molecular biology has begun to furnish new clues to the disparate functions of arginases in different environments and organisms. Comparative studies of arginase sequences are also beginning to elucidate the comparative evolution of arginases, their molecular structures and the nature of their catalytic mechanism. Further studies have sought to clarify the involvement of arginase in human disease. This review presents an outline of the current state of arginase research by giving a comparative overview of arginases and their associated properties.     

Dismantling the disability/handicap distinction

This paper discusses the distinction between disability and handicap as it is proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in their publication International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities and Handicaps (WHO, 1993 (first published, 1980)). Following criticism of this an attempt to salvage the distinction by Nordenfelt (1993, 1983) is discussed. It is argued that neither the WHO nor Nordenfelt are successful in their attempts to preserve the distinction between disability and handicap in a theoretically well-motivated manner. Contrary to the WHO, it is argued that what they term 'disabilities' and 'handicaps' both have external causes. And contrary to Nordenfelt's position it is shown that "basic actions" do not provide a firm theoretical foundation for the concept of disability. Moreover, the criticisms of these two sets of views reveal that attempts to describe the phenomenon of disablement which focus on the individual suffer from a serious methodological shortcoming.     

A genetic animal model of human neocortical heterotopia associated with seizures

Malformations of the human neocortex are commonly associated with developmental delays, mental retardation, and epilepsy. This study describes a novel neurologically mutant rat exhibiting a forebrain anomaly resembling the human neuronal migration disorder of double cortex. This mutant displays a telencephalic internal structural heterotopia (tish) that is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. The bilateral heterotopia is prominent below the frontal and parietal neocortices but is rarely observed in temporal neocortex. Neurons in the heterotopia exhibit neocortical-like morphologies and send typical projections to subcortical sites; however, characteristic lamination and radial orientation are disturbed in the heterotopia. The period of neurogenesis during which cells in the heterotopia are generated is the same as in the normotopic neocortex; however, the cells in the heterotopia exhibit a "rim-to-core" neurogenetic pattern rather than the characteristic "inside-out" pattern observed in normotopic neocortex. Similar to the human syndrome of double cortex, some of the animals with the tish phenotype exhibit spontaneous recurrent electrographic and behavioral seizures. The tish rat is a unique neurological mutant that shares several features with a human cortical malformation associated with epilepsy. On the basis of its regional connectivity, histological composition, and period of neurogenesis, the heterotopic region in the tish rat is neocortical in nature. This neurological mutant represents a novel model system for investigating mechanisms of aberrant neocortical development and is likely to provide insights into the cellular and molecular events contributing to seizure development in dysplastic neocortex.     

What can be controlled: actionable ICT4D in the case of Palestine

ABSTRACT

A thriving information and communication technology (ICT) economy is an aspiration for developing countries. This research identifies the factors that can motivate or inhibit ICT opportunities in a developing country to grow a sustainable economy. We build an ICT4D decision framework that provides a three-dimensional view based on (1) key factors (e.g. infrastructure, policies), (2) the ICT supply chain, and (3) stakeholders (e.g. industry, government, academia). The framework is applied to the case of Palestine. We use secondary and primary data to understand how both controllable and non-controllable country characteristics have contributed to or inhibited the growth and development of an ICT sector. Results from extensive secondary data sources demonstrate the usability of the framework to analyze the current setting of the ICT sector, in addition to help investigate a range of possible opportunities for action. Then, via a targeted set of interviews with academic, industrial, and governmental sources who are experts in the Palestinian ICT arena, we perform an exploratory study that focuses on key controls and impacts for future development of the ICT economy. The outcomes of this research have the ability to frame and inform economic development decisions that could define the future of the Palestinian state.     

Dynamic contact strain measurement by time‐resolved stroboscopic energy dispersive synchrotron X‐ray diffraction

Recent developments of synchrotron X‐ray sources and dedicated high‐energy beamlines are now enabling strain measurements from large volumes of industrially relevant metallic materials. Such capability is allowing the validation of novel and alternative nondestructive experimental methods of strain measurement or computational models of complex deformation processes. This study describes the first dynamic contact strain measurement of a ball bearing using stroboscopic energy dispersive X‐ray diffraction. The experiment probed the dynamic contact strain in the outer raceway of a test bearing. The inner raceway of the bearing was attached to a shaft rotating at 150 revolutions per minute, and the outer raceway, where the measurements were made, was fixed in a stationary bearing housing. A triggering system was used to synchronise the data acquisition of the energy dispersive X‐ray diffraction detector with the bearing rotation. Specifically, diffraction data were acquired, stroboscopically, from the material volume within the raceway, in a known location, when the ball was positioned directly below it. A total of 20 s of accumulated diffraction signal was recorded, acquiring 2 ms of data per revolution, providing diffraction patterns of sufficient quality for the dynamic contact strain to be measured. Macromechanical stress field was calculated from the micromechanical strains measured from five lattice planes. This allowed a comparison of the experimentally measured stress field and that of finite element simulations. Good agreement was observed between the finite element results and experimental measurements indicating the applicability of this novel dynamic strain measurement technique for tribological systems.     

On the influence of alloy composition on the oxidation performance and oxygen-induced phase transformations in Ti–(0–8) wt%Al alloys

Adopting a high-throughput combinatorial approach, a compositionally graded Ti–xAl (0 ≤ x ≤ 8 wt%) specimen was prepared to conduct a rapid systematic investigation of the influence of composition and exposure time on the oxidation performance of the titanium-rich section of the binary Ti–Al system. The compositionally graded specimen was solution heat treated and subjected to oxidation tests at 650 °C for different exposure times. The morphology, structure, and composition of the oxide scale as well as the microstructural changes in the base material were studied across the entire composition range, using a suite of characterization techniques. The observations revealed the presence of Al₂O₃ in the topmost layer of the oxide scale in addition to TiO₂, indicating its early formation during oxidation. An increase in Al concentration improves the scaling rate of Ti; however, this is observed only for extended exposure times (i.e., 50 and 100 h), and a parabolic oxidation law is obeyed in the composition-time domain. The formation of the α₂ phase (Ti₃Al) also takes place for relatively higher Al contents (i.e., 8 wt%).     

Manipulating transmit and receive sensitivities of radiofrequency surface coils using shielded and unshielded high-permittivity materials

Objective

To use high-permittivity materials (HPM) positioned near radiofrequency (RF) surface coils to manipulate transmit/receive field patterns.

Materials and methods

A large HPM pad was placed below the RF coil to extend the field of view (FOV). The resulting signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was compared with that of other coil configurations covering the same FOV in simulations and experiments at 7 T. Transmit/receive efficiency was evaluated when HPM discs with or without a partial shield were positioned at a distance from the coil. Finally, we evaluated the increase in transmit homogeneity for a four-channel array with HPM discs interposed between adjacent coil elements.

Results

Various configurations of HPM increased SNR, transmit/receive efficiency, excitation/reception sensitivity overlap, and FOV when positioned near a surface coil. For a four-channel array driven in quadrature, shielded HPM discs enhanced the field below the discs as well as at the center of the sample as compared with other configurations with or without unshielded HPM discs.

Conclusion

Strategically positioning HPM at a distance from a surface coil or array can increase the overlap between excitation/reception sensitivities, and extend the FOV of a single coil for reduction of the number of channels in an array while minimally affecting the SNR.