Factors affecting development of rifampicin resistance in biofilm-producing Staphylococcus epidermidis

BACKGROUND: Solitary rectal ulcer syndrome (SRUS) is often resistant to medical and surgical treatment. AIM: To determine whether biofeedback retraining is a useful treatment for this condition. PATIENTS: Thirteen consecutive patients with SRUS (three men, median age 34 years, median duration of symptoms three years) underwent treatment. Previous surgical treatment had failed in five. METHODS: Patients were evaluated prospectively. Anorectal physiological studies were performed in 11 patients before treatment. A standardised questionnaire was used before and after treatment, and all but two patients were examined after treatment. RESULTS: Median follow up was nine months (range 3-22 months). After treatment four patients were asymptomatic, and four felt improved. Symptom improvement or elimination occurred in: need to strain (7/13 patients), digitation (7/11), laxative use (5/9). Time in the toilet (median 30 v 10 minutes, before v after treatment) and number of visits to toilet (6 v 3/day) were also improved. Three patients were able to maintain employment before treatment compared with eight after treatment. The solitary ulcer did not heal completely in any of the nine patients examined after treatment, but improved in four. Previous surgery, the macroscopic appearance of the ulcer, the presence of pelvic floor paradox, and other physiological parameters did not predict outcome. CONCLUSION: Biofeedback retraining is a useful treatment for this condition. Long term studies are now required.     

Potential instabilities of lead silver alloy anodes in acidic sulfate electrolytes

The kinetic behaviour of lead and lead–silver anodes, polarized under galvanostatic conditions in a H2SO4ZnSO4MnSO4 electrolyte, has been studied. Whereas the potential of the lead anode stabilizes during electrolysis, the potential of the lead–silver alloy anode oscillates between two limits after an induction time. Both silver on the anode surface and manganese in the electrolyte are required for the potential oscillations to appear. With increasing time the potential oscillations change in shape and period. From impedance data obtained earlier, at the beginning of, and during the potential oscillations, it is shown that the potential instabilities originate from electrode coverage by a silver salt adsorbate.     

NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF HIGHLY UNDEREXPANDED AXISYMMETRIC JET WITH RUNGE-KUTTA DISCONTINUOUS GALERKIN FINITE ELEMENT METHOD

Highly undcrexpanded axisymmctric jet was simulated using the Runge-Kutta Discontinuous Galerkin （RKDG） finite element method, which, based on two-dimensional conservation laws, was used to solve the axisymmetric Euler equations. The computed results show that the complicated flow field structures of interest, including shock waves, slipstreams and the triple point observed in experiments could be well captured using the RKDG finite element method. Moreover, comparisons of the Mach disk location exhibit excellent agreements between the computed results and experimental measurements, indicating that this method has high capability of capturing shocks without numerical oscillation and artificial viscosity occurring near the discontinuous point.     

TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT OF POTTERY IN NORTHERN SYRIA DURING THE CHALCOLITHIC AGE*

The techniques of manufacture and decoration employed by the potters living on the Plain of Antioch from about 4500 to 2000 b.c. are summarized on the basis of evidence obtained from a laboratory study of the pottery and the local clays.     

新疆农村住宅节能现状分析

通过实地调研，对新疆农村住宅的能耗状况与节能技术现状作出总结与分析。     

预应力对混凝土宽箱梁桥剪力滞的影响分析

目前对多室宽箱梁剪滞效应的研究尚少,其中更有必要研究预应力的影响。通过对一座典型的五跨预应力混凝土宽箱梁桥进行三维有限元分析,考虑了预应力束的空间作用效应,得出该类型宽箱梁桥在有无预应力作用下其剪力滞效应的比较,其结果可供同类工程参考。     

用于儿童斜视矫正的微结构压贴三棱镜

针对儿童斜视辅助治疗的色散问题,提出了利用微棱镜阵列组消除压贴三棱镜中的色散现象的设计方案。通过压贴三棱镜平移光线,用微棱镜阵列组进行色散补偿,设计了一个新颖的组合光学系统。阐述了微棱镜阵列组色散补偿的基本原理,并利用几何光学软件仿真了组合光学系统的色散、透过率等光学参数。点列图以及扩散函数图等仿真结果表明,微棱镜阵列对于减少压贴三棱镜的色散有较明显的效果。     

风电机组叶片疲劳加载综合测试系统

利用LabVIEW研制了风电叶片疲劳加载综合测试系统,包括数据采集显示、数据存储和通信控制等功能。采用激光传感器测距,虚拟仪器软件采集数据处理,PLC趋势二分法搜索频率,执行相关程序算法对频率跟踪、输出控制,完成叶片疲劳加载测试过程。试验结果表明:使用图形化软件编程,数据处理功能强大,操作简便,检测效率得到很大提高,降低了设备成本,为风电叶片检测与分析提供一种的实用手段。