Duct-to-duct biliary reconstruction following liver transplantation for primary sclerosing cholangitis

BACKGROUND: Use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is recognized as an important cause of peptic ulcer complications. The aim of this nested case-control study was to identify risk factors for NSAID-related ulcer complications. METHODS: Cases were consecutive NSAID users admitted with an ulcer complication (n = 118), and controls were a random sample of all NSAID users without ulcer complication identified by a pharmacoepidemiologic database (n = 540). RESULTS: Ninety-four of 118 cases were interviewed, and 324 of 540 controls answered the questionnaire. Analysis showed no difference between included and non-included subjects. Risk factors for patients at start of NSAID therapy were high age: 60-75 years (odds ratio (OR), 3.5 (95% confidence interval (Cl), 1.8-7.1); > 75 years (OR, 8.9 (4.3-18.3)); male sex (OR 1.7 (1.0-3.0)); ulcer history (OR 2.5 (1.2-5.1)); steroid treatment (OR 2.0 (0.8-4.6)); smoking (OR 1.6 (0.9-2.7)); and alcohol use (OR 1.8 (0.9-3.6)). Risk factors for patients receiving NSAID therapy were high age, male sex, ulcer history, smoking and, furthermore, dyspepsia (OR 2.0 (1.0-4.2)), especially NSAID-related dyspepsia (OR 8.7 (4.0-18.9)). Risk was lower for patients treated more than 3 months. CONCLUSION: Risk measured from this design can be shown to correlate strongly with the rate difference, a measure that is more clinically relevant than conventional relative risk estimates. Strong risk factors for NSAID-related ulcer complication are high age, male sex, ulcer history, and dyspepsia related to the NSAID therapy. Avoiding NSAID therapy in these high-risk patients, whenever possible, might prevent many adverse events.     

Stepanov-Like Pseudo Almost Periodic Solution of Quaternion-Valued for Fuzzy Recurrent Neural Networks with Mixed Delays

Neural Processing Letters - Real-valued neural networks or complex-valued neural networks are sometimes inappropriate for some engineering and research problems for instance where the data is...     

Numerical simulations of transport processes in a pulse tube cryocooler: Effects of taper angle

A numerical model is developed for the prediction of the performance and transport characteristics in an orifice pulse tube refrigerator (OPTR). The OPTR is studied for a two specific geometries. In the first geometry (A), only the taper angle of the pulse tube is changed. In the second geometry (B), the taper angle of the pulse tube is varied along with the diameter of the hot heat-exchanger. The taper angle of the pulse tube is shown to have significant effects on the secondary streaming patterns observed in the pulse tube. Tapering the pulse tube improved the performance of the OPTR only for Geometry-B. In this case, suppression of velocity streaming is achieved in the warm end of the pulse tube.     

Neutral dyeing of wool and wool/polyester blend fabrics using sulphatoethylsulphone reactive‐disperse dyes

Two models of temporarily anionic sulphatoethylsulphone reactive disperse dyes were applied to wool, polyester and wool/polyester blend fabrics at different dyeing pH. Maximum exhaustion values and colour yield were observed at pH 7. The results showed that reactive disperse dyes containing bis‐sulphatoethylsulphone reactive groups were more convenient for neutral dyeing of wool and wool/polyester blend fabrics if compared with a dye containing a mono‐sulphatoethylsulphone group. Excellent to very good wet fastness properties on all dyed fabrics were achieved.     

An experimental study of mixed convection around a rotating isothermal cylinder

The mixed convective flows generated by a heated rotating horizontal cylinder have been investigated experimentally. The presence of rotation represents an important complication and extension of previous studies on convective flow and heat transfer around heated stationary horizontal cylinders in an otherwise quiescent medium. Significant qualitative, as well as quantitative, differences in the heat transfer characteristics and flow patterns generated by the rotating cylinders are observed as compared to those for stationary cylinders. When the Reynolds number reaches a value corresponding to the rotational parameter σ ≡ Gr/Re² being just below unity, the thermal plume becomes unstable and eventually breaks down. This event corresponds to the onset of a secondary mean flow which appears to be periodic in the axial direction. Mean Nusselt number measurements are presented, which show a dramatic increase in heat transfer at the onset of the secondary flow. Also, the structure of the secondary flow and the behavior of the plume are elucidated through Schlieren photography.     

Characterization of composite materials based on LDPE loaded with agricultural tunisian waste

This study investigated the use of an available agricultural Tunisian vine stem waste as a filler material. Composites of green materials were prepared using vine stems as filler and low density polyethylene (LDPE) as a matrix. A series of composite films was prepared by different loadings of the vine stem waste with 10–50% of the filler in 10% intervals. The ensuing materials were characterized by several techniques. The morphology of the composites was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The thermal and mechanical properties were studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), respectively. The results indicated that vine‐stem based particles enhanced the thermo‐mechanical properties of the thermoplastic matrix and demonstrated that this available lignocellulosic biomass of vine stems can be considered to be a promising filler material. However, the obtained result of water absorption indicated that the maximum limit of the filler content should not exceed 30% of vine stems. POLYM. COMPOS., 36:817–824, 2015. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Complexity-reduced Volterra series model for power amplifier digital predistortion

This paper expounds a complexity-reduced Volterra series model for radio frequency power amplifier (PA) behavioral modeling and digital predistortion (DPD). An analysis was conducted, which took into account the memory effect mechanisms of the PA. This led to a closed-form expression that relates the memoryless behavior of the PA to the finite impulse response feedback filter, which approximates the memory effects’ behavior. The analysis resulted in a complexity-reduced Volterra series model which allows for a substantial reduction in the requirements for digital signal processors and the time needed to construct and implement the DPD in a real-time environment. The proposed model was validated as a behavioral model and a DPD using two different PA architectures, employing two different transistor technologies, driven by both 20 MHz 1001 wideband code division multiple access and long term evolution signals. The results obtained demonstrate the excellent modeling and linearization capability of the complexity-reduced Volterra series model.     

A comparison of a fluoroscopy-free mechanical targeting system and a free-hand technic for the placement of distal interlocking screws of tibial nails

Recently, radiation-independent aiming devices for the tibia which compensate for insertion-related implant deformation have been developed, but the benefits of such systems have not been determined. This study prospectively evaluated the duration of the nailing procedure, the length of radiation time, and the accuracy of interlocking screw placement with a radiation-independent distal aiming system and the free-hand technique. In an oblique cadaveric tibial fracture, a surgeon inexperienced with either technique performed a statically locked intramedullary nailing. For the aiming system and free-hand technique respectively, the total operation time was 25.4 +/- 11.3 vs 30.9 +/- 14.3 min (P = 0.029), the distal locking time was 16.7 +/- 8.6 vs 21.9 +/- 10.5 min (P = 0.004), the total fluoroscopy time was 9 +/- 5 vs 93 +/- 34 s (P < 0.0001), the distal locking fluoroscopy time was 0 versus 88 +/- 33 s (P < 0.0001), and the screw destruction was -0.7 +/- 5.2 vs 26.8 +/- 31.6 microns (P = 0.001). The failure rate was 1.6% (1 of 60 screws) in both groups. These results suggest that aiming devices can eliminate the need for radiation during distal interlocking screw placement.     

Interaction of tunnel linings and soft ground

Although soil-lining interaction is highly dependent on the tunnelling technology used, most of the available design methods for tunnel linings fail to take into consideration this important factor. During tunnel excavation, the in-situ stresses are significantly altered, depending on the tunnelling technique as well as the configuration of the tunnel and the characteristics of the soil deposits. The reduced radial stresses are the starting point of the soil-lining interaction at lining activation. This paper presents a method of lining design that considers the details of the excavation procedure and lining installation. Interaction between the tunnel lining and the ground is analysed in two stages—excavation and interaction. The excavation stage is responsible for determining the pre-lining soil deformations and the reduced in-situ stresses. The interaction stage models the soil-lining system together. Soil continuum, tunnel lining, and the interface between them are idealized in the whole system using nonlinear finite-element techniques. The deformations of the soil-lining system, as well as the lining internal forces, and equilibrium soil pressures are determined. Finally, results of the proposed analytical method as well as commonly used procedures are compared with field measurements compiled during the construction of two tunnels in which a precast segmental lining and rib and lagging lining were used.