Status epilepticus induced by putrid salted gray mullet fish intoxication in patients with chronic kidney disease

Neurological and psychiatric symptoms are common presentations, but are often ignored in fresh salted gray Mullet fish intoxication. We report 2 patients with chronic renal failure at a predialyzed stage who developed refractory status epilepticus after ingestion of putrid salted gray Mullet. We warn consultant neurologists that fresh salted gray Mullet fish intoxication must be considered when patients with chronic kidney disease present with seizures or other unexplained neurological or psychiatric symptoms.     

Synthesis and characterization of polyurethane – Treated waste milled light bulbs composites

In this study, polyurethane (PU)-milled light bulbs glass composites were synthesized and characterized. The main interest in this study that the polyurethane derived from renewable resources and waste glass are used to form the composite constituents as an attempt towards environmental preservation. Castor oil and polymeric diphenyl methane di-isocyanates (PMDI) were used in NCO/OH ratio = 2 for polyurethane synthesis. Milled glass with average particles size less than 300 μm were prepared based on waste light bulbs. Silane A1100 (as a compatibilizer) was used in order to improve the value of recycled milled glass beads. The adhesion force between polyurethane matrix and milled glass beads was evaluated using mechanical and physical tests. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to investigate dispersion and fracture surfaces of the composites. Infrared spectrum (IR), Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) behavior, and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), were employed to characterize the developed composite materials in details. Chemical resistance (weight change, thickness swelling) was measured in oil, water and dilute acetic acid media. Furthermore, tensile strength and hardness were investigated using universal materials testing machines. A slight increase in the hardness values was reported along with the increasing in particulate fillers loading up to 10% as a considerable improvement has been detected when milled glass reached 20%. The DSC analysis showed the presence of treated milled glass beads influences the thermal behavior of pure PU and composites. This can be attributed to enhancing the physical bonding between PU and silica group. Waste milled glass showed a significant effect on the thermal degradation of the composites in the presence of coupling agent. Further analysis on the tensile strength of the composites indicated that such improved mechanical properties may be attributed to the presence of coupling agent.     

Optimization of composite plates with piezoelectric stiffener-actuators under in-plane compressive loads

Stiffeners which are used to strengthen a plate can be constructed of piezoceramic materials and subsequently used as piezo actuators to improve the load carrying capacity of the plate. In the present study, a fibre composite plate with initial imperfections and under in-plane compressive loads is studied with a view towards minimizing its deflection using the piezo actuators and the fibre orientations. Piezoceramic stiffeners are bonded symmetrically on the top and bottom of the plate and deployed as actuators. Two cases of electric fields, namely, the in-phase and out-of-phase voltages are applied to the actuators. The presence of initial deflections leads to deformation under the in-plane compressive loads which should be less than the critical buckling load. Two cases of initial imperfections are considered, and the first one is the deterministic initial deflections which are known a priori and as such they are given as input parameters for the problem. In the second case the initial deflections are uncertain and they have to be obtained according to a given criterion. In the present study they are determined to produce the least favourable initial deflection (largest deflection) at a given point and the solution is obtained by convex modelling. The effect of the actuators, the ply angles and the voltage are studied and their effects on the transverse deflection are investigated. A performance index involving the L₂ norm of the deflections is minimized using the piezo effect and as well as the ply angles the optimal values of which are determined for various problem parameters.     

Ultrastructural criteria that prove the similarities between amphibian and human tumors

The relationship between selected foods and nutrients and breast cancer risk was investigated in strata of age and menopausal status using data from a case-control study on breast cancer conducted between June 1991 and April 1994 in six Italian areas. Cases were 2,569 women with histologically confirmed incident breast cancer admitted to the major teaching and general hospitals of the study areas; controls were 2,588 women with no history of cancer admitted to hospitals in the same catchment area as cases for acute, nonneoplastic, nongynecological conditions unrelated to hormonal or digestive tract diseases or to long-term modifications of diet. Dietary habits were investigated using a validated food frequency questionnaire, including 78 foods or food groups. Among food groups, bread was directly and significantly related to breast cancer risk in older women and, consequently, in postmenopause, whereas the protection conferred by fish consumption was stronger in postmenopause and that exerted by raw vegetables was stronger in premenopause. Among nutrients, unsaturated fatty acids were inversely related to breast cancer risk, the association being stronger in postmenopausal and elderly women. The pattern was similar for total fats. For starch, available carbohydrates, and total proteins, no heterogeneity emerged across strata of age and menopausal status. Among micronutrients, protection diminished with increasing age for beta-carotene and calcium, whereas no heterogeneity emerged for vitamin E. Thus this age-specific analysis of the largest investigation to date on diet and breast cancer did not show any consistent pattern of breast cancer risk in relation to selected dietary factors across strata of age and menopausal status.     

Retrograde Amnesia in Dementia: Comparison of HIV-Associated Dementia, Alzheimer's Disease, and Huntington's Disease.

Remote memory was assessed in persons with HIV-associated dementia (HIV-D), probable Alzheimer's disease (AD), and Huntington's disease (HD) and in healthy controls. The clinical groups were similar in overall dementia severity. Each clinical group exhibited impairments on remote memory tests relative to controls; however, temporally graded memory loss with selective preservation of older information was observed in the AD group but not the HD or HIV-D group. Analysis of cued retrieval indicated a preferential cuing benefit for the HIV-D and HD groups relative to the AD group. The similar pattern of remote memory performance demonstrated by the HIV-D and HD groups is a novel finding and suggests a subcortically mediated retrograde amnesia in HIV-D. The temporally graded pattern and the abnormal cued retrieval performance in the AD group are consistent with a consolidation deficit associated with extrahippocampal (cortical) and hippocampal damage. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Alterations in plasma magnesium concentrations during liver transplantation

Plasma magnesium concentrations were monitored during orthotopic liver transplantation. Magnesium supplementation was not given, although intraoperative calcium, potassium, and sodium bicarbonate were given as required. We found that there were significant falls in magnesium concentration to below our laboratory lower limit of normal, occurring chiefly during the anhepatic phase of surgery. Two patients with hypomagnesemia but normal potassium and calcium ion concentrations developed ventricular extrasystoles. Magnesium is a smooth muscle relaxant, dilating coronary arteries and peripheral vessels. It also exerts an antiarrhythmic effect and may have a permissive effect on the actions of catecholamines. Magnesium supplementation may be indicated during orthotopic liver transplantation because of the potentially beneficial effects and to avoid possible deleterious effects of hypomagnesemia. However, magnesium levels need to be monitored to avoid the unwanted side effects of hypermagnesemia.     

The effects of a silane coupling agent on properties of rice husk-filled maleic acid anhydride compatibilized natural rubber/low-density polyethylene blend

Blends of natural rubber and low-density polyethylene were prepared in different weight compositions in presence of dicumyl peroxide and maleic acid anhydride. The effects of rice husk (RH) content and a silane coupling agent, that is, 3-aminopropyl triethoxy silane (3-APE, 1 wt% of filler content) on the physicomechanical properties and mass swell of the tested blend were investigated. The incorporation of untreated RH into the blend improved Young’s modulus, hardness but decreased tensile strength, elongation at break, impact strength, and mass swell. Incorporation of 3-APE has produced composite with improved tensile strength, Young’s modulus, hardness and impact strength with a sharp decrease in elongation, and better mass swell in comparison with untreated one. The effect of γ-irradiation doses on retained physicomechanical properties of RH (30 phr) filled blend samples before and after silane treatment was investigated at ambient temperature. The efficiency of silanized RH (30 phr) was also evaluated by the studies of the surface morphology (scanning electron microscopy) and thermal properties (thermal gravimetric analysis and thermal mechanical analysis).     

Shear Strength of Fiber-Reinforced Sands

Soil reinforcement using discrete randomly distributed fibers has been widely investigated over the last 30 years. Several models were suggested to estimate the improvement brought by fibers to the shear strength of soils. The objectives of this paper are to (1) supplement the data available in the literature on the behavior of fiber-reinforced sands; (2) study the effect of several parameters which are known to affect the shear strength of fiber-reinforced sands; and (3) investigate the effectiveness of current models in predicting the improvement in shear strength of fiber-reinforced sand. An extensive direct shear testing program was implemented using coarse and fine sands tested with three types of fibers. Results indicate the existence of a fiber-grain scale effect which is not catered for in current prediction models. A comparison between measured and predicted shear strengths indicates that the energy dissipation model is effective in predicting the shear strength of fiber-reinforced specimens in reference to the tests conducted in this study. On the other hand, the effectiveness of the predictions of the discrete model is affected by the parameters of the model, which may depend on the test setup and the procedure used for mixing the fibers.     

Hepatic lesions: discrimination of nonsolid, benign lesions from solid, malignant lesions with heavily T2-weighted fast spin-echo MR imaging

PURPOSE: To determine whether the combined use of heavily and moderately T2-weighted fast spin-echo magnetic resonance (MR) images improves differentiation of non-solid, benign hepatic lesions from solid malignancies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three radiologists reviewed moderately (n = 133) and heavily (n = 133) T2-weighted and multiphasic dynamic contrast material-enhanced (n = 93) MR images in 133 patients with proved focal hepatic lesions (95 benign, 38 malignant). The radiologists used a five-point scale to rate their confidence in determination of malignancy. RESULTS: All three reviewers were statistically significantly better able to differentiate small (diameter less than 3 cm; n = 84) benignancies from small malignancies with the combination of moderately and heavily T2-weighted images (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.99 for each reader) than with moderately T2-weighted images alone (area, 0.88-0.90; P < .05). Confident diagnoses were rendered in 69 (82%) patients, with 100% accuracy for the combined use of moderately and heavily T2-weighted images. For larger lesions (diameter 3 cm or larger; n = 49), accurate differentiation was possible with moderately T2-weighted images alone. Additional use of multiphasic images did not improve the sensitivity, specificity, or accuracy of image interpretation. CONCLUSION: The combined use of moderately and heavily T2-weighted fast spin-echo MR images improves differentiation of small benign hepatic lesions from small malignant lesions.     

Wind speed estimation uncertainties: effects of climatological and micrometeorological parameters

To achieve structures that are risk-consistent, structural reliability methods must be used that account for uncertainties with respect to the relevant parameters affecting the estimation of wind effects. In this paper, we obtain measures of uncertainties in the estimation of the wind speeds upwind of structures. These uncertainties are due to incomplete knowledge with respect to the relevant extreme climatological and micrometeorological parameters. Advances in wind engineering and improvements in computational capabilities now make it possible to improve upon earlier estimates available in the literature. The work presented in this paper is a phase of a broader NIST project aimed at developing user-friendly software for the estimation of probabilities of failure of low-rise structures subjected to wind loads.