Bacterial epidemiology of chronic otitis. Prophylactic and therapeutic deductions

The early onset sensory motor hereditary neuropathy (HSMN) can be divided into two forms: the early onset type (HSMN type III or Dejerine-Sottas) and the congenital hypomyelinating neuropathy (CHN). In both cases, abnormalities of myelination are present in peripheral nerves. Symptoms include hypotonia, weakness, hypotrophy, and areflexia. Skeletal changes may be present. In CHN symptoms may be present at birth and are rapidly progressive. Many authors actually consider the two forms different. The diagnosis is based only on clinical and neuropathological criteria. Here we report a case with a typical phenotype of HSMN type III but with peripheral nerve bioptic findings suggesting a CHN.     

Lead and cadmium in red deer and wild boar from different hunting grounds in Croatia

The concentration and relations of Cd and Pb as environmental risk factors were studied by atomic absorption spectrophotometry in the liver, kidney and muscle of free ranging wild boar (n = 94) and red deer (n = 45) from hunting grounds in four counties of north-east Croatia. In all four counties, the levels of Cd found in the kidney of red deer ranged from 2.28 to 5.91 mg/kg, and in wild boar from 3.47 to 21.10 mg/kg. The mean renal concentration of Cd was significantly higher in wild boar than in red deer from all four study areas. The mean hepatic (0.11 to 0.49 mg/kg, respectively) and muscle (0.01 to 0.04 mg/kg, respectively) Cd concentrations were similar in both species. The mean renal Cd concentration in wild boar and red deer exceeded 1 mg/kg in all four counties, ranging from 67.0% to 91.4% and from 45.5% to 69.2%, respectively. Also, the hepatic Cd/renal Cd ratio was lower than 1 in all animals. In all four counties, renal Pb concentration ranged from 0.058 to 3.77 mg/kg in red deer and from 0.056 to 11.60 mg/kg in wild boar. Hepatic Pb concentration was similar in both species (0.061 to 0.202 mg/kg in wild boar and 0.077 to 0.108 mg/kg in red deer). Because of the high Cd level in the organs of wild boar and red deer, further research is needed to identify the source of contamination in order to preserve the health of animals and humans.     

Case studies on the usability,acceptability and functionality of autonomous mobile delivery robots in real-world healthcare settings

Intelligent Service Robotics - Autonomous mobile delivery robots are used as a way to improve efficiency in hospitals and reduce staff workload amongst a growing workforce shortage in healthcare....     

Residual effects of deltamethrin and malathion on different populations of Sitophilus granarius (L.) on treated wheat grains

The impact of 2-, 7-, 14-, 30-, 90-, 150- and 720-day-old deposits of deltamethrin, applied with or without the synergist piperonyl butoxide (PBO), and of malathion, on adults of different populations of granary weevil Sitophilus granarius on wheat was investigated in the laboratory. The insecticides used were commercial formulations and their application rates were as recommended: deltamethrin (dustable powder) 0.5 mg a.i./kg, deltamethrin + PBO (1:10) (emulsifiable concentrate) 0.25 mg a.i./kg, and malathion (dustable powder) 10 mg a.i./kg. The weevil populations examined were: (a) a laboratory population, (b) field populations with different susceptibility to some insecticides as established previously, and (c) populations selected in the laboratory with deltamethrin or pirimiphos-methyl.The 2-day-old deposit of malathion caused complete mortality of all weevil populations after 7 and 14 days. The corresponding deposit of deltamethrin was 100% effective only against the laboratory weevils after 7-14 days, while deltamethrin at the lower level formulated with PBO caused about 90% mortality of laboratory weevils and much lower levels of kill among field and selected weevils.Deposits of deltamethrin and malathion up to 90 days old killed all field weevils after 14 days of exposure. The 150-day-old deposit of deltamethrin was also 100% effective against field weevils exposed for 14 days, while the effectiveness against selected populations was around 50%. Malathion deposits of the same age gave 40-50% mortality of field weevils, and 4-68% mortality of selected weevils. The 720-day-old deposits of malathion were ineffective against all weevil populations, while the mortality of laboratory weevils after 14 days contact with deltamethrin deposits of the same age was 76%, and that of field and selected weevils about 50%.     

Basics of surveillance--an overview

Surveillance of nosocomial infections is the foundation of an infection control program. This article describes components of a surveillance system, methods for surveillance, methods for case-finding, and data sources. We encourage the epidemiology team to use this background information as they design surveillance systems that meet the goals of their individual institution's infection control program.     

A phenomenological model for frictional contact of coated steel sheets

A simple phenomenological model for frictional contact with hardening is proposed. The objective is to simulate the frictional behaviour of coated steel sheets subjected to large sliding distances. Within the context of thermodynamics with internal variables, the friction coefficient is assumed to be a function of the frictional work resulting in a theory analogous to classical work-hardening elastoplasticity. The technique for experimental identification of the proposed model is described briefly and the material parameters obtained for Electrogalvanised steel sheet and BAF Al-killed steel sheet are presented. Within the computational scheme, a robust algorithm based on an operator split method (elastic predictor-frictional sliding corrector) is used for numerical integration of the friction constitutive equations. The finite-element simulation of a series of sliding tests is carried out and the results are compared with experiments.     

An electron microscope study of certain dispersions of detergents in oil

1. Electron micrographs of certain detergent and soap micelles presumably existing in oil solution are presented. 2. Both “spherical” and rodlike micelles appear to exist in oil. These micelles are apparently two molecular lengths in diameter. The rodlike micelles are of variable length, ranging up to over 300 Å. It seems likely that in some instances these rods are small linear aggregates of “spherical” micelles. 3. Association of rodlike micelles to form paracrystalline sheaves of long fibers is indicated. These structures apparently maintain fairly uniform spacings of from 80 Å to 100 Å between centers of the rods or fibers although the micelles appear to be only about 50 Å in diameter. 4. Aggregation of spherical micelles to form small colloid crystalline regions in large agglomerates is demonstrated.     

On finite element modelling of surface tension Variational formulation and applications – Part I: Quasistatic problems

This paper describes variational formulation and finite element discretization of surface tension. The finite element formulation is cast in the Lagrangian framework, which describes explicitly the interface evolution. In this context surface tension formulation emerges naturally through the weak form of the Laplace–Young equation.The constitutive equations describing the behaviour of Newtonian fluids are approximated over a finite time step, leaving the governing equations for the free surface flow function of geometry change rather than velocities. These nonlinear equations are then solved by using Newton-Raphson procedure.Numerical examples have been executed and verified against the solution of the ordinary differential equation resulting from a parameterization of the Laplace-Young equation for equilibrium shapes of drops and liquid bridges under the influence of gravity and for various contact angle boundary conditions.     

Formation of oxygen complexes in controlled atmosphere at surface of doped glassy carbon

The effects of boron and phosphorus incorporation in phenolic resin precursor to the oxidation resistance of glassy carbon have been studied. In order to reveal the nature and composition of the oxygen complexes formed at the surface of doped glassy carbon, under controlled atmosphere, the surface of the samples was cleaned under vacuum up to 1273 K. Specific functional groups, subsequently formed under dry CO₂ or O₂ atmosphere on the surface of boron-doped and phosphorus-doped glassy carbon samples, were examined using the temperature-programmed desorption method combined with mass spectrometric analysis. Characterization of surface properties of undoped and doped samples has shown that in the presence of either boron or phosphorus heteroatoms, a lower amount of oxygen complexes formed after CO₂ exposure, while, typically, higher amount of oxygen complexes formed after O₂ exposure. It has been concluded that the surface of undoped glassy carbon has a greater affinity towards CO₂, while in the presence of either boron or phosphorus heteroatoms, the glassy carbon surface affinity becomes greater towards O₂, under experimental conditions.     

Application of focusing method of index profiling to transition region of optical fibre preform

The letter shows how the focusing method of measuring the refractive-index profile of an optical fibre preform can be modified to be applicable to the transition region of the preform. This involves adding a slit between the collimated source and the preform and measuring the scattered power distribution along the projection of the slit in the measurement plane.