Interdialytic blood pressure obtained by ambulatory blood pressure measurement and left ventricular structure in hypertensive hemodialysis patients

Unlike in subjects with normal renal function, the relationship between hypertension and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in dialysis patients is still being debated. In order to clarify this issue, we performed 44-hour ambulatory blood pressure measurements (ABPM) during the interdialytic period in a group of 164 hypertensive patients, the blood pressure (BP) control based on conventional antihypertensive strategy previously, on chronic hemodialysis treatment in the Mediterranean region of Turkey. These results were then compared with their echocardiographic data. This is a cross-sectional analysis. The mean ABPM during 44 hours was close to the manually measured predialysis value, but there was a gradual increase in the ABPM values in the interdialytic period. When divided into a group with mild or no left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) (45 patients) and severe LVH (119 patients), the latter had significantly higher BP levels in all separate periods, while the difference in predialysis BP was not significant. Patients with severe LVH had larger left atrium and left ventricular diameters, and consumed more antihypertensive drugs. Systolic BP during the night before dialysis showed the strongest relation to LVH, but interdialytic weight gain was also independently related to LVH. Yet, 56% of the patients with systolic BP <135 had severe LVH. There is not only an association between BP and presence of LVH, but it is shown that volume expansion is also an important independent determinant of LVH. This may explain the difficulty in identifying hypertension as a cardiac risk factor in these patients.     

Uptake of trivalent chromium ions from aqueous solutions using kaolinite

The sorption of Cr(III) from aqueous solutions on kaolinite has been studied by a batch technique. We have investigated how solution pH, ionic strength and temperature affect this process. The adsorbed amount of chromium ions on kaolinite has increased with increasing pH and temperature when it has decreased with increasing ionic strength. The sorption of Cr(III) on kaolinite is endothermic process in nature. Sorption data have been interpreted in terms of Freundlich and Langmuir equations. The adsorption isotherm was measured experimentally at different conditions, and the experimental data were correlated reasonably well by the adsorption isotherm of the Langmuir, and the isotherm parameters (q(m) and K) have been calculated as well. The enthalpy change for chromium adsorption has been estimated as 7.0 kJ mol(-1). The order of enthalpy of adsorption corresponds to a physical reaction.     

Strategies for ideal indoor environments towards low/zero carbon buildings through a biomimetic approach

Biomimicry is a relatively new discipline of applied science that seeks inspiration from natural systems for innovative solutions to human problems. Taking nature as ‘model, mentor and measure’ receives wide acceptance in the field of architecture but predominantly in conceptualising novel forms. The biomimicry concept is comprehensively analysed for its ability to provide more sustainable and possibly even regenerative built environments. As part of this study, first, various frameworks for approaching ‘biomimicry’ in general are discussed and then relevant examples pertaining to architecture are evaluated. Case studies are critiqued with respect to varied levels of sustainability achieved and its causative factors. In the second part, an approach model for ‘biomimetic architecture’ in the context of Mumbai is presented and applicable strategies based on climatic adaptation are suggested using local biodiversity as a library of organisms. The generic example of ‘human skin’ addressing the same adaptation is analysed and complemented by a state-of-the-art case study on similar lines. The results achieved clearly reveal that biomimicry is a successful approach to design and operate the sustainable built environments for the buildings of the future.     

Heat transfer enhancement in cylindrical fins through longitudinal parabolic perforations

In our previous works, it is clearly addressed that optimisation of fin profile is of vital importance in terms of the rate of heat transfer from a hot surface, and the optimisation procedure depends on several factors. Within the scope of this research, a longitudinal cylindrical fin profile is under interest for the optimisation research. The purpose is to investigate the effects of longitudinal parabolic perforations on the fin parameters such as temperature distribution, effectiveness and efficiency, in which the fin surface is cooled by natural convection and radiation. Different concavity levels are considered to form parabolic perforations. The rate of heat transfer from fin surface is numerically correlated with the fin mass with respect to different concavity levels. According to results, heat transfer from unit fin mass is enhanced with the new designs. The outcome of the study can be used to optimise the needs for particular applications by making a decision between heat loss and weight options. That is, the increase in the concavity level of the perforation results in a lighter and cheaper design, but yielding a lower heat loss. However, heat transfer from unit mass is still enhanced.     

A water-soluble Irgacure 2959-based diallylammonium salt system for antibacterial coatings

A water-soluble mixture of a novel diallylammonium salt photoinitiator based on 2-hydroxy-1-[4-(2-hydroxyethoxy) phenyl]-2-methyl-1-propanone (Irgacure 2959 or I2959) and diallylammonium tosylate has been prepared. It shows excellent water-solubility of 6.8 wt% in water, much greater than the solubility of I2959 (<2 wt%). It has a strong absorbance at 269 nm (ε ~ 15731) in methanol. It exhibits 15.6 times higher migration stability than I2959 due to its monomeric nature. Its photoinitiating efficiency of 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA) and poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA, M_n = 575 D) was found to be similar to I2959. PEGDA hydrogels prepared using the synthesized photoinitiator (PI) were found to have highly porous structures (15.44 μm) compared with those using I2959. PEGDA film prepared using this PI has demonstrated antibacterial properties against gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 15442) and gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 23235) bacterial species.     

Performance comparisons of the image quality evaluation techniques in Wireless Multimedia Sensor Networks

Recent developments with the integration of new vision capabilities into the wireless sensor devices have resulted in the necessity of investigating the behavior of well known image quality evaluation techniques in Wireless Multimedia Sensor Networks (WMSN). Wireless sensor devices can collect process and evaluate image data with a camera module. These devices can also monitor the image quality in order to take some adaptive precautions at the communications layer protocols and thus guarantee application layer quality requirements. In order to evaluate the transmitted image quality results more accurately, it’s imperative to analyze the factors which lead to change in behaviors of existing image quality evaluation techniques. In this work, the effect of the transmission distortions, packet size, link and node correlation on the image quality evaluation are highlighted. The success of prevalent image quality metrics is also examined with emphasis on whether these metrics can reflect implicitly the region of interest (ROI) information in an image. Furthermore, a simple metric is proposed to estimate an image quality on the fly by considering the ROI parts of the image and using only the average of the packets and their priority level. This study leads to explore smart ways for the adaptation of the communication protocols to the wireless environment.     

Effect of root canal sealers on the push-out bond strengths of tooth-colored posts to root dentine

Objectives: This study evaluated the effect of different root canal sealers on the push-out bond strength of tooth-colored posts to root dentin. Material and methods: Eighty human mandibular premolar teeth with single roots were decoronated and randomly divided into two groups according to post material: G1–G5: Cytec blanco; G6–G10: Cosmopost. In each group, the specimens were further subgrouped according to the filling material plus sealer (n = 8): G1, G6: Gutta-percha + AH Plus; G2, G7: Resilon + Epiphany SE; G3, G8: Gutta-percha + Sealite; G4, G9: Gutta-percha + iRoot SP; and G5, G10: control (unobturated). Cytec blanco and Cosmopost of 1.4 mm diameter were adhesively luted to samples using Variolink II. Push-out test was performed in a universal testing machine, and failure modes were examined under stereomicroscope. Data were analyzed with the two-way ANOVA and post hoc Tukey’s tests. Statistical significance was set to 0.05. Results: Roots obturated with AH Plus (3.48 ± 1.41 MPa), Sealite (3.47 ± 0.65 MPa), and Resilon (3.36 ± 1.23 MPa) had the lowest bond strength (p < 0.005). iRoot SP and control group samples showed the highest bond strength values (7.38 ± 0.89 MPa and 6.43 ± 1.16 MPa, respectively) (p < 0.05). Significant differences were observed among tooth-colored posts and sealers (p < 0.05). Adhesive failures were predominant in all groups (48%). Conclusions: When the resin cement Variolink II was used, the types of root canal filling materials and sealers could affect the retentions of the fiber/zirconium posts; the fiber post revealed the higher bond values than the zirconium post; and the calcium silicate-based sealer (iRoot SP) revealed the highest bond strengths.     

Evaluation of Nitrite in Ready-Made Soups

As time is very important for today’s people, ready-made soups in different forms (powder, liquid, canned) are consumed highly. Nitrite has been implicated with a variety of long-term adverse effects and has been of interest to public health providers and governmental regulators for the last 40 years. The present study was aimed to assess nitrite levels in commercially available soups in powder form by using a spectrophotometric method and to evaluate the possible toxicological outcomes. For this purpose, 66 ready-made soups were randomly collected and divided into seven groups: tomato-, chicken-, yoghurt-, mushroom-, lentil-, meat-, and vegetable-based. The minimum–maximum and median levels of nitrite content of the soup groups are 28–2,091 (median, 108), 53–400 (median, 136), 26–129 (median, 47), 58–197 (median, 109), 12–225 (median, 38), 12–555 (median, 40), 184–1229 (median, 389) mg kg⁻¹, respectively. Meat- and tomato-based soups have the highest nitrite contamination among the groups. On the other hand, acceptable daily intake (ADI) of nitrite given by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) is 0–0.07 mg kg⁻¹ (body weight, b.w.) per day, while Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set a reference dose (R_fD) of 0.10 mg nitrite nitrogen per kilogram b.w. per day (equivalent to 0.33 mg nitrite ion per kilogram b.w. per day). This means that the highest intake of nitrite a 70-kg person must be no more than 4.9 mg in 1 day according to JECFA and SCF and 7 mg kg⁻¹ b.w. per day according to EPA. However, nitrite intake from one portion (13 g) meat-based soups, when calculated with median daily intake levels (5.05 mg), exceeds the limit of JECFA and SCF. With long-term daily consumption of high nitrite levels exceeding ADI, the risk of mild to moderate methemoglobinemia would be increased, especially for susceptible populations such as young children and elderly. Besides, the higher intake of nitrite from foodstuff and other sources may induce the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines which are formed endogenously from nitrites and nitrates. The first results of the study were presented as a poster at the 121st AOAC Annual Meeting & Exposition, held at Anaheim, California USA, September 16–20, 2007.     

Computing minimum distortion embeddings into a path for bipartite permutation graphs and threshold graphs

The problem of computing minimum distortion embeddings of a given graph into a line (path) was introduced in 2004 and has quickly attracted significant attention with subsequent results appearing at recent stoc and soda conferences. So far, all such results concern approximation algorithms or exponential-time exact algorithms. We give the first polynomial-time algorithms for computing minimum distortion embeddings of graphs into a path when the input graphs belong to specific graph classes. In particular, we solve this problem in polynomial time for bipartite permutation graphs and threshold graphs. For both graph classes, the distortion can be arbitrarily large. The graphs that we consider are unweighted.