Evaluation of the retinal nerve fiber layer

In normal eyes, the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) is usually best visible in the inferior temporal part of the fundus, followed by the superior temporal region, the nasal superior region and the nasal inferior region. This distribution correlates with the configuration of the neuroretinal rim, the diameter of the retinal arterioles, the location of the foveola, and the lamina cribrosa morphology. With increasing age, the RNFL visibility decreases diffusely without preferring special fundus regions and without the development of localized defects. With all optic nerve diseases, the visibility of the RNFL is decreased in addition to the age-related loss, in a diffuse and/or a localized manner. The localized defects are wedge-shaped and not spindle-like defects, running toward or touching the optic disk border. Typically occurring in about 20% of all glaucoma eyes, they can be found also in other ocular diseases, such as optic disk drusen, toxoplasmotic retinochoroidal scars, longstanding papilledema or optic neuritis due to multiple sclerosis. Since they are not present in normal eyes, they almost always signify an abnormality. RNFL evaluation is especially helpful for early glaucoma diagnosis and in glaucoma eyes with small optic disks. In advanced optic nerve atrophy, other examination techniques, such as perimetry, may be more helpful for following optic nerve damage. Considering its great importance in the assessment of optic nerve anomalies and diseases and taking into account the feasibility of its ophthalmoscopic evaluation using green light, the retinal nerve fiber layer should be examined during any routine ophthalmoscopy.     

Raman study of the sol to gel transformation under normal and high pressure

The changes in the Raman spectra of the silica sol-gels have been examined as a function of time. The increase of pressure from 1 bar to 3.5 kbar decreased the gelation time from 168 h down to 6 h. The bands associated with the SiO₂ vibrations grow continuously with time indicating the continuous growth of network particles even after the gel had been formed.     

Changing patterns of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Israel and neighbouring territories

The most frequent form of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Israel and the neighbouring territories is due to Leishmania major, which is endemic mainly in the Jordan Valley and in the Rift Valley. CL due to L. tropica is much less common, and in the past only sporadic cases have been reported. In this study we present data obtained during the years 1988-1992 regarding CL in the area. Our clinic has diagnosed a total of 371 leishmaniasis cases, most of whom acquired the infection in the Jordan Valley, mainly during June and July. About one-third of the patients had single lesions, and one-third more than 5 lesions. We also describe an outbreak of leishmaniasis in Kfar Adumim, a village 15 km east of Jerusalem, where leishmaniasis was previously unknown. Parasites were characterized by the polymerase chain reaction and by immunostaining, and found to be both L. tropica and L. major. The localization of the homes of the affected people on a slope where hyraxes were abundant suggests that these animals might have been involved in the transmission of L. tropica in this area.     

Applications of Microcomputers in Automotive Electronics

The history of microcomputer application in automotive electronics is briefly reviewed. American, Japanese, and European automobile manufacturer's microcomputer products are considered, and representative production designs are compared. Differences in approaches and problem solutions are examined. The chronological introduction of microcomputer-controlled functions is presented for engine, transmission, entertainment/comfort/convenience, and instrument panel control. Growth trends are noted for each category, and future automotive microcomputer applications are discussed. Projections are made of future semiconductor VLSI technology and automotive microcomputers.     

Softening and microstructural change following the dynamic recrystallization of austenite

To characterize the dynamic recrystallization behavior of austenite, continuous-torsion tests were carried out on a Mo steel over the temperature range 950 ‡C to {dy1000} ‡C, and at strain rates of 0.02, 0.2, and 2 s^-1. Interrupted-torsion tests also were performed to study the characteristics of postdynamic recrystallization. Quenches were performed after increasing holding times to follow the development of the postdynamic microstructure. Finally, torsion simulations were carried out to assess the importance of metadynamic recrystallization in hot-strip mills. The postdynamic microstructure shows that the growth of dynamically recrystallized grains is the first change that takes place. Then metadynamically recrystallized grains appear and contribute to the softening of the material. The rate of metadynamic recrystallization and the meta-dynamically recrystallized grain size depend on strain rate and temperature and are relatively independent of strain, in contrast to the observations for static recrystallization. True dynamic recrystallization-controlled rolling (DRCR) is shown to require such short interpass times that it does not occur in isolation in hot-strip mills. As these schedules involve 20 to 80 pct softening by metadynamic recrystallization, a new concept known as metadynamic recrystallization-controlled rolling (MDRCR) is introduced to describe this type of situation. 1 C. ROUCOULES, formerly with the Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, PQ, Canada     

A simplified numerical analysis of the sheet tensile test

A simplified numerical analysis of the tensile test for sheet metal specimens is presented with particular emphasis on the relationship between plastic flow parameters and tensile ductility. This analysis is based on a one-dimensional, “long wavelength” approximation in which the stress state is assumed to be uniaxial throughout the deformation. To account for the influence of necking and triaxiality on the flow behavior, however, an extended Bridgman correction for sheet specimens deformed under conditions of plane stress is employed. The governing equilibrium equation and boundary conditions are discretized to obtain computer solutions. Engineering stress-strain curves and strain distributions in deformed tensile specimens are compared to results from a more complex formulation previously published in the technical literature and show good agreement with it.     

High temperature deformation of oxidized β-Zr-Mo alloys

The flow properties of β-phase Zr-Mo alloys were investigated by means of compression testing in a nominally pure (10 ppm O₂) argon atmosphere. Experiments were carried out in the strain rate range 10^-1 to 10^-5 s^-1 and from 900 to 1000°C. The stress-strain curves were unusual in that they exhibited a continuous decrease in flow stress with strain, after little or no work hardening. A further unusual feature of the data was that the flow stress in interrupted tests increased with delay time in all the alloys. By contrast, crystal bar Zr, tested under the same atmosphere, exhibited neither flow softening nor significant interruption hardening, but deformed in a conventional manner. The results obtained from X-ray investigations, as well as from interrupted tests and from tests carried out in a more purified atmosphere, indicated that the occurrence of both interruption hardening and flow softening was associated with the formation of an oxygen stabilized a-layer on the outer surface of the β-sample. Growth of the hard α-layer during annealing produces strengthening while its decrease in volume during deformation produces softening. A model, based on the assumption that the hard α-phase shares the load applied to the sample, was developed, and its predictions agree satisfactorily with the experimental observations. The extreme sensitivity of Zr-Mo alloys to trace amounts of oxygen is attributed to the presence of liquid molybdenum oxides in the surface scale, which leads to rapid oxygen transport. The stress sensitivity of the strain rate in these alloys decreases from 4.0 to 3.4 as the molybdenum concentration is increased from 0 to 6 pct, for both the yield and the steady-state regimes of flow. The alloy flow stress increases with molybdenum concentration approximately as C^0.4, and it is apparent that the molybdenum atoms do not act as individual obstacles to flow, but are likely to lead to strengthening by indirect means.