Introduction:People are now presenting with chronic musculoskeletal pain at a younger age,and many of them fulfil criteria for fibromyalgia.We have recently shown a strong association between fibromyalgia symptoms and...Introduction:People are now presenting with chronic musculoskeletal pain at a younger age,and many of them fulfil criteria for fibromyalgia.We have recently shown a strong association between fibromyalgia symptoms and autistic traits in a self-selected community population,with the relationship mediated in part by the presence of hypermobility.Many respondents also described food sensitivities and intolerances.This study explores the relationships between food issues and fibromyalgia symptoms in this population.Methods:We adopted a nonexperimental,correlational design and collected data from a volunteer sample of 442 adults(aged 18–60)who completed online self-report questionnaires assessing each of fibromyalgia symptoms(ACR criteria),autistic traits(RAADS score)and hypermobility(Beighton’s test).Subjects were also asked to record any food sensitivities,allergies,or intolerances,along with their consequences.Correlation analyses and linear regressions were used to test the relationships between these features and each of fibromyalgia,autistic traits and hypermobility.We analysed the data with parametric and non-parametric techniques to assess the significance and power of relationships,and the potential mediating effect of food-related symptoms in the correlation between fibromyalgia features and autistic traits.Results:Our self-selected community population had a mean age of 24 years and was 77%female.The self-reported prevalence of fibromyalgia,autistic traits and hypermobility was 40%,65%and 44%respectively.Hypermobile individuals showed a high prevalence of autistic traits,reaching 79%among females and 88%among males.Half of all subjects reported food sensitivity and 31%reported food intolerance.The incidence of food-related symptoms was higher among subjects who met criteria for fibromyalgia than those who reported autistic traits or hypermobility.Food sensitivity and food intolerance were both more significantly associated with fibromyalgia(r=0.24,P>0.001 and r=0.38,P>0.001)than with autistic traits(r=0.172,P>0.01 and r=0.148,P>0.01).Discussion:This community study provides evidence for an association between features of fibromyalgia and reported food intolerance and sensitivity.Although self-selected,the findings in our predominantly young population suggest that gluten and lactose consumption may be associated with higher levels of musculoskeletal pain.The study population commonly reported that avoidance of gluten and/or lactose containing foods reduced symptoms.Dietary adjustment may merit further investigation as a therapeutic modality for some patients with fibromyalgia.展开更多
Extrahepatic manifestations(EHMs)of hepatitis C virus(HCV)infection can affect a variety of organ systems with significant morbidity and mortality.Some of the most frequently reported EHM of HCV infection,involve the ...Extrahepatic manifestations(EHMs)of hepatitis C virus(HCV)infection can affect a variety of organ systems with significant morbidity and mortality.Some of the most frequently reported EHM of HCV infection,involve the oral region predominantly or exclusively.Oral lichen planus(OLP)is a chronic inflammatory condition that is potentially malignant and represents cell-mediated reaction to a variety of extrinsic antigens,altered selfantigens,or super antigens.Robust epidemiological evidence support the link between OLP and HCV.As the virus may replicate in the oral mucosa and attract HCV-specific T lymphocytes,HCV may be implicated in OLP pathogenesis.Sj?gren syndrome(SjS)is an autoimmune exocrinopathy,characterized by dryness of the mouth and eyes and a multitude of other systemic signs and symptoms.SjS patients have also an increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.Patients with chronic hepatitis C do frequently have histological signs of Sjgren-like sialadenitis with mild or even absent clinical symptoms.However,it is still unclear if HCV may cause a disease mimicking SjS or it is directly responsible for the development of SjS in a specific subset of patients.Oral squamous cell carcinoma is the most common oral malignant tumour and at least in some part of the world could be linked to HCV.展开更多
AIM: To determine the prevalence of osteoporosis in a cohort of patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) and to identify the relative significance of risk factors for osteoporosis. METHODS: Two hundred and fifty-eight unse...AIM: To determine the prevalence of osteoporosis in a cohort of patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) and to identify the relative significance of risk factors for osteoporosis. METHODS: Two hundred and fifty-eight unselected patients (92 M, 166 F) with CD were studied. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured at the lumbar spine and hip by dual X-ray absorptiometry. Bone formation was assessed by measuring bone specific alkaline phosphatase (BSAP) and bone resorption by measuring urinary excretion of deoxypyridinoline (DPD) and N-telopeptide (NTX). RESULTS: Between 11.6%-13.6% patients were osteoporotic (T score < -2.5) at the lumbar spine and/or hip. NTX levels were significantly higher in the patients with osteoporosis (P < 0.05) but BSAP and DPD levels were not significantly different. Independent risk factors for osteoporosis at either the lumbar spine or hip were a low body mass index (P < 0.001), increasing corticosteroid use (P < 0.005), and male sex (P < 0.01). These factors combined accounted for 23% and 37% of the reduction in BMD at the lumbar spine and hip respectively. CONCLUSION: Our results confirm that osteoporosis is common in patients with CD and suggest that increased bone resorption is the mechanism responsible for thebone loss. However, less than half of the reduction in BMD can be attributed to risk factors such as corticosteroid use and low BMI and therefore remains unexplained.展开更多
The sensitivity of magnetic Barkhausen noise (MBN) profile to changes in the excitation field strength and the number of turns of the detection coil was investigated in inhomogeneous material. Generally, the 0.5 mm ca...The sensitivity of magnetic Barkhausen noise (MBN) profile to changes in the excitation field strength and the number of turns of the detection coil was investigated in inhomogeneous material. Generally, the 0.5 mm case depth EN 36 steel specimen shows a double peak profile indicative of inhomogeneity through the detected depth the magnetized landscape. Various excitation field amplitudes were applied to the specimen and the induced MBN emission was analyzed for each magnetizing current. Excitation field at the lowest level induced an MBN emission of two peaks of equivalent heights. The first peak occurs at lower field than the second peak in the magnetization period. As the excitation field increased, the height of both peaks increased but the second peak increased in a higher rate than that of the first peak. Beyond certain excitation level, both peaks began to saturate and no increase in the MBN intensity was observed with increased excitation field strength. However, peak position and the number of Barkhausen events, indicated linearly as a function of the applied field strength. The experiment also establishes that the number of turns in the detection coil is important parameter which controls the height of the first peak. Low field peak height increases as the number of turn of the detection coil increases. The results indicate that the potential difference applied to the electromagnet and the sensitivity of the detection coil, determine the MBN profile characteristics.展开更多
Here we report a regulation about power conversion in fuel cells. This regulation is expressed as that total power produced by fuel cells is always proportional to the square of the potential difference between the \{...Here we report a regulation about power conversion in fuel cells. This regulation is expressed as that total power produced by fuel cells is always proportional to the square of the potential difference between the \{equilibrium\} potential and work potential. With this regulation we deduced fuel cell performance equation which can describe the potential vs.the current performance curves, namely, polarization curves of fuel cells with three power source parameters: equilibrium potential E_0; internal resistance R; and power conversion coefficient K. The concept of the power conversion coefficient is a new criterion to evaluate and compare the characteristics and capacity of different fuel cells. The calculated values obtained with this equation agree with practical performance of different types of fuel cells.展开更多
Microalgal phospholipid bilayer contributes to the molar excesses of methanol and high acid concentration required in reactive extraction to achieve high fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) yield. This study reports an inv...Microalgal phospholipid bilayer contributes to the molar excesses of methanol and high acid concentration required in reactive extraction to achieve high fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) yield. This study reports an investigation into the effects of pre-soaking Nannochloropsis occulata in methanol at 600:1 and 1000:1 methanol to oil molar ratios prior to acid-catalyzed in situ transesterification at 8.5:1 and 15:1 H2SO4 to oil molar ratios on the FAME yield. The results showed that the pre-soaked Nannochloropsis occulata produced a higher FAME yield at the two tested methanol to oil molar ratios and acid concentrations than the un-soaked, resulting in a reduction in methanol volume and acid concentration. A maximum FAME yield of 98.4% ± 1.3% was obtained for the pre-soaked Nannochloropsis occulata at 1000:1 methanol to oil molar ratio and 15:1 H2SO4 to oil molar ratio. Both the phosphorus mass balance and conversion of the isolated phospholipids into FAME revealed that pre-soaking solubilizes the phospholipid bilayer to some degree, and contributes to an increased FAME yield.展开更多
This article reports a high yielding technique of synthesizing zirconium dodecyl sulphate (“ZDS”) for in situ transesterification of Nannochloropsis occulata and Chlorella vulgaris for fatty acid methyl ester (FAME)...This article reports a high yielding technique of synthesizing zirconium dodecyl sulphate (“ZDS”) for in situ transesterification of Nannochloropsis occulata and Chlorella vulgaris for fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) production. ZDS produced a significantly higher FAME yield in N. occulata than in C. vulgaris (p = 0.008). The varying performance of ZDS in the two species could be due to their different cell wall chemistries. Sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) in H2SO4 for FAME enhancement from the two species was also studied. Treatment with SDS in H2SO4 increased the FAME production rate in both species. Residual protein content after the in situ transesterification in C. vulgaris and N. occulata reduced respectively by 6.5% and 10%. The carbohydrate content was reduced by 71% in C. vulgaris and 65% in N. occulata. The water tolerance of the process when using H2SO4, with or without SDS, was evaluated by hydrating the two species with 10% - 30% distilled water (w/w dry algae). The FAME concentration began to diminish only at 30% water content in both species. Furthermore, the presence of a small amount of water in the biomass or methanol increased the lipid extraction efficiency, improving the FAME yield, rather than inhibiting the reaction.展开更多
Thermodynamic concepts required for the thermodynamic calculation of the potentials of electrodes for high temperature applications are briefly reviewed. A thermodynamic approach to the calculation of half cell potent...Thermodynamic concepts required for the thermodynamic calculation of the potentials of electrodes for high temperature applications are briefly reviewed. A thermodynamic approach to the calculation of half cell potentials and the standard chemical potential of an electron at high temperatures which are related to the Standard Hydrogen Electrode(SHE) is discussed. As examples, an external Ag/AgCl reference electrode and a YSZ(Ag|O_2) pH sensor for high temperature applications are analyzed by using the thermodynamic approach to derive a high temperature pH measurement equation. The two electrodes are employed to measure high temperature pH and the measured pH was compared with the calculated pH by using a solution chemistry method. Concepts and principles for electrode kinetics are also briefly introduced and a modification to the Tafel equations is suggested.展开更多
Aluminium nitride ceramics containing 15 -30 w/o of SiC whiskers can be sintered to full density (by hot pressing at 1800℃)using 2-3 w/o of Y2O3 additions. The whiskers increase the toughness and strength of the comp...Aluminium nitride ceramics containing 15 -30 w/o of SiC whiskers can be sintered to full density (by hot pressing at 1800℃)using 2-3 w/o of Y2O3 additions. The whiskers increase the toughness and strength of the composite, KIC increasing from 2. & to about 5.0 and flexural strength increasing by 30-50%. However, the whiskers must be well dispersed and if the dispersion is not satisfactory, toughness may increase but the strength decreases. The hot-pressing temperature can be reduced by up to 100℃ if Y(NO3)3 . 5H2O is used as the sintering additive instead of Y2O3, but some oxidation of the AIN occurs during heating. Isopropan-2-01 is a better dispersing agent than cyclohexane, but again some oxidation of the AIN does occur.The best sample prepared during this work contained 20 w/o of SiC whiskers and 2 w/o Y2O3 added as Y(NO3)3. 5H2O and mixed in isopropanol. This exhibited a mean strength of 453MPa (maximum 522MPa, measured by disc flexure) and a fracture toughness of5. 5MPam1/2.展开更多
The discrete time wavelet transform has been used to develop software that detects seismic P and S-phases. The detection algorithm is based on the enhanced amplitude and polarization information provided by the wavele...The discrete time wavelet transform has been used to develop software that detects seismic P and S-phases. The detection algorithm is based on the enhanced amplitude and polarization information provided by the wavelet transform coefficients of the raw seismic data. The algorithm detects phases, determines arrival times and indicates the seismic event direction from three component seismic data that represents the ground displacement in three orthogonal directions. The essential concept is that strong features of the seismic signal are present in the wavelet coefficients across several scales of time and direction. The P-phase is detected by generating a function using polarization information while S-phase is detected by generating a function based on the transverse to radial amplitude ratio. These functions are shown to be very effective metrics in detecting P and S-phases and for determining their arrival times for low signal-to-noise arrivals. Results are compared with arrival times obtained by a human analyst as well as with a standard STA/LTA algorithm from local and regional earthquakes and found to be consistent.展开更多
Purpose To investigate the emotional status of children un-dergoing active treatment for ambly opia.Design Postal survey,in the context of a prospecti ve,multicenter,ran-domized controlled trial.Particip ants Parents ...Purpose To investigate the emotional status of children un-dergoing active treatment for ambly opia.Design Postal survey,in the context of a prospecti ve,multicenter,ran-domized controlled trial.Particip ants Parents of 177chil-dren with a unilateral visual impair ment referred from preschool vision screening.The chi ldren had been re-cruited to a randomized controlled t rial of treatment for u-nilateral visual impairment and ran domly assigned to re-ceive either glasses with or without patches,glasses alone,or treatment deferred for 1year.Methods A self-completion questionnaire,including a psychom etric behavioral scale,was sent to the parents of all childre n recruited to the trial at age 4years,to 66whose deferred tr eatment began at age5years,and finally to 151remaining in the trial at the end of follow-up.Main outcome measures Mean scores per treatment group on the Revised Rutte r Parent Scale for Preschool Children.Comparison of p arent responses to questions assessing the child’s general well-being and dif-ficulties associated with treatmen t.Results Completed questionnaires were returned for 144of 177(81%)chil-dren at a mean age(standard deviation)of 48months(5.0),for 45of 66(68%)at a mean age of 61months(5.8),and for 78of 151(52%)at a mean age of 67 months(5.0).Most parents reported having diffi culty with patching their child regardless of a ge(77%at age 4years and 73%at age 5years),with fewer reporting difficulties with glasses alone(42%and 53%,respectively).Chil-dren were significantly more upset b y patching than by glasses only(chi-square test,P=0.03for age 4years and P=0.01for age 5years),as were the parents of4-year-olds(chi-square test,P=0.01).Most parents thought their children were happy,c ooperative,and good tempered,and behavioral scores did not differ between treatment groups.Conclusions Treatment for unilateral vi-sual impairment is not easy to implem ent and is commonly associated with some degree of distr ess.Despite this,no impact on the childs global well-being or behavior was seen either during or after the treatment period.展开更多
文摘Introduction:People are now presenting with chronic musculoskeletal pain at a younger age,and many of them fulfil criteria for fibromyalgia.We have recently shown a strong association between fibromyalgia symptoms and autistic traits in a self-selected community population,with the relationship mediated in part by the presence of hypermobility.Many respondents also described food sensitivities and intolerances.This study explores the relationships between food issues and fibromyalgia symptoms in this population.Methods:We adopted a nonexperimental,correlational design and collected data from a volunteer sample of 442 adults(aged 18–60)who completed online self-report questionnaires assessing each of fibromyalgia symptoms(ACR criteria),autistic traits(RAADS score)and hypermobility(Beighton’s test).Subjects were also asked to record any food sensitivities,allergies,or intolerances,along with their consequences.Correlation analyses and linear regressions were used to test the relationships between these features and each of fibromyalgia,autistic traits and hypermobility.We analysed the data with parametric and non-parametric techniques to assess the significance and power of relationships,and the potential mediating effect of food-related symptoms in the correlation between fibromyalgia features and autistic traits.Results:Our self-selected community population had a mean age of 24 years and was 77%female.The self-reported prevalence of fibromyalgia,autistic traits and hypermobility was 40%,65%and 44%respectively.Hypermobile individuals showed a high prevalence of autistic traits,reaching 79%among females and 88%among males.Half of all subjects reported food sensitivity and 31%reported food intolerance.The incidence of food-related symptoms was higher among subjects who met criteria for fibromyalgia than those who reported autistic traits or hypermobility.Food sensitivity and food intolerance were both more significantly associated with fibromyalgia(r=0.24,P>0.001 and r=0.38,P>0.001)than with autistic traits(r=0.172,P>0.01 and r=0.148,P>0.01).Discussion:This community study provides evidence for an association between features of fibromyalgia and reported food intolerance and sensitivity.Although self-selected,the findings in our predominantly young population suggest that gluten and lactose consumption may be associated with higher levels of musculoskeletal pain.The study population commonly reported that avoidance of gluten and/or lactose containing foods reduced symptoms.Dietary adjustment may merit further investigation as a therapeutic modality for some patients with fibromyalgia.
文摘Extrahepatic manifestations(EHMs)of hepatitis C virus(HCV)infection can affect a variety of organ systems with significant morbidity and mortality.Some of the most frequently reported EHM of HCV infection,involve the oral region predominantly or exclusively.Oral lichen planus(OLP)is a chronic inflammatory condition that is potentially malignant and represents cell-mediated reaction to a variety of extrinsic antigens,altered selfantigens,or super antigens.Robust epidemiological evidence support the link between OLP and HCV.As the virus may replicate in the oral mucosa and attract HCV-specific T lymphocytes,HCV may be implicated in OLP pathogenesis.Sj?gren syndrome(SjS)is an autoimmune exocrinopathy,characterized by dryness of the mouth and eyes and a multitude of other systemic signs and symptoms.SjS patients have also an increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.Patients with chronic hepatitis C do frequently have histological signs of Sjgren-like sialadenitis with mild or even absent clinical symptoms.However,it is still unclear if HCV may cause a disease mimicking SjS or it is directly responsible for the development of SjS in a specific subset of patients.Oral squamous cell carcinoma is the most common oral malignant tumour and at least in some part of the world could be linked to HCV.
基金Supported by the Dunhill Trust, National Osteoporosis Society and National Association of Colitis and Crohn's disease
文摘AIM: To determine the prevalence of osteoporosis in a cohort of patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) and to identify the relative significance of risk factors for osteoporosis. METHODS: Two hundred and fifty-eight unselected patients (92 M, 166 F) with CD were studied. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured at the lumbar spine and hip by dual X-ray absorptiometry. Bone formation was assessed by measuring bone specific alkaline phosphatase (BSAP) and bone resorption by measuring urinary excretion of deoxypyridinoline (DPD) and N-telopeptide (NTX). RESULTS: Between 11.6%-13.6% patients were osteoporotic (T score < -2.5) at the lumbar spine and/or hip. NTX levels were significantly higher in the patients with osteoporosis (P < 0.05) but BSAP and DPD levels were not significantly different. Independent risk factors for osteoporosis at either the lumbar spine or hip were a low body mass index (P < 0.001), increasing corticosteroid use (P < 0.005), and male sex (P < 0.01). These factors combined accounted for 23% and 37% of the reduction in BMD at the lumbar spine and hip respectively. CONCLUSION: Our results confirm that osteoporosis is common in patients with CD and suggest that increased bone resorption is the mechanism responsible for thebone loss. However, less than half of the reduction in BMD can be attributed to risk factors such as corticosteroid use and low BMI and therefore remains unexplained.
文摘The sensitivity of magnetic Barkhausen noise (MBN) profile to changes in the excitation field strength and the number of turns of the detection coil was investigated in inhomogeneous material. Generally, the 0.5 mm case depth EN 36 steel specimen shows a double peak profile indicative of inhomogeneity through the detected depth the magnetized landscape. Various excitation field amplitudes were applied to the specimen and the induced MBN emission was analyzed for each magnetizing current. Excitation field at the lowest level induced an MBN emission of two peaks of equivalent heights. The first peak occurs at lower field than the second peak in the magnetization period. As the excitation field increased, the height of both peaks increased but the second peak increased in a higher rate than that of the first peak. Beyond certain excitation level, both peaks began to saturate and no increase in the MBN intensity was observed with increased excitation field strength. However, peak position and the number of Barkhausen events, indicated linearly as a function of the applied field strength. The experiment also establishes that the number of turns in the detection coil is important parameter which controls the height of the first peak. Low field peak height increases as the number of turn of the detection coil increases. The results indicate that the potential difference applied to the electromagnet and the sensitivity of the detection coil, determine the MBN profile characteristics.
基金Supported by EPSRC Funds(No.GR/ R5 0 4 17) and an EPSRC/ HEFCF J.I.F Award(No.JIF4 NESCEQ )
文摘Here we report a regulation about power conversion in fuel cells. This regulation is expressed as that total power produced by fuel cells is always proportional to the square of the potential difference between the \{equilibrium\} potential and work potential. With this regulation we deduced fuel cell performance equation which can describe the potential vs.the current performance curves, namely, polarization curves of fuel cells with three power source parameters: equilibrium potential E_0; internal resistance R; and power conversion coefficient K. The concept of the power conversion coefficient is a new criterion to evaluate and compare the characteristics and capacity of different fuel cells. The calculated values obtained with this equation agree with practical performance of different types of fuel cells.
文摘Microalgal phospholipid bilayer contributes to the molar excesses of methanol and high acid concentration required in reactive extraction to achieve high fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) yield. This study reports an investigation into the effects of pre-soaking Nannochloropsis occulata in methanol at 600:1 and 1000:1 methanol to oil molar ratios prior to acid-catalyzed in situ transesterification at 8.5:1 and 15:1 H2SO4 to oil molar ratios on the FAME yield. The results showed that the pre-soaked Nannochloropsis occulata produced a higher FAME yield at the two tested methanol to oil molar ratios and acid concentrations than the un-soaked, resulting in a reduction in methanol volume and acid concentration. A maximum FAME yield of 98.4% ± 1.3% was obtained for the pre-soaked Nannochloropsis occulata at 1000:1 methanol to oil molar ratio and 15:1 H2SO4 to oil molar ratio. Both the phosphorus mass balance and conversion of the isolated phospholipids into FAME revealed that pre-soaking solubilizes the phospholipid bilayer to some degree, and contributes to an increased FAME yield.
文摘This article reports a high yielding technique of synthesizing zirconium dodecyl sulphate (“ZDS”) for in situ transesterification of Nannochloropsis occulata and Chlorella vulgaris for fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) production. ZDS produced a significantly higher FAME yield in N. occulata than in C. vulgaris (p = 0.008). The varying performance of ZDS in the two species could be due to their different cell wall chemistries. Sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) in H2SO4 for FAME enhancement from the two species was also studied. Treatment with SDS in H2SO4 increased the FAME production rate in both species. Residual protein content after the in situ transesterification in C. vulgaris and N. occulata reduced respectively by 6.5% and 10%. The carbohydrate content was reduced by 71% in C. vulgaris and 65% in N. occulata. The water tolerance of the process when using H2SO4, with or without SDS, was evaluated by hydrating the two species with 10% - 30% distilled water (w/w dry algae). The FAME concentration began to diminish only at 30% water content in both species. Furthermore, the presence of a small amount of water in the biomass or methanol increased the lipid extraction efficiency, improving the FAME yield, rather than inhibiting the reaction.
文摘Thermodynamic concepts required for the thermodynamic calculation of the potentials of electrodes for high temperature applications are briefly reviewed. A thermodynamic approach to the calculation of half cell potentials and the standard chemical potential of an electron at high temperatures which are related to the Standard Hydrogen Electrode(SHE) is discussed. As examples, an external Ag/AgCl reference electrode and a YSZ(Ag|O_2) pH sensor for high temperature applications are analyzed by using the thermodynamic approach to derive a high temperature pH measurement equation. The two electrodes are employed to measure high temperature pH and the measured pH was compared with the calculated pH by using a solution chemistry method. Concepts and principles for electrode kinetics are also briefly introduced and a modification to the Tafel equations is suggested.
文摘Aluminium nitride ceramics containing 15 -30 w/o of SiC whiskers can be sintered to full density (by hot pressing at 1800℃)using 2-3 w/o of Y2O3 additions. The whiskers increase the toughness and strength of the composite, KIC increasing from 2. & to about 5.0 and flexural strength increasing by 30-50%. However, the whiskers must be well dispersed and if the dispersion is not satisfactory, toughness may increase but the strength decreases. The hot-pressing temperature can be reduced by up to 100℃ if Y(NO3)3 . 5H2O is used as the sintering additive instead of Y2O3, but some oxidation of the AIN occurs during heating. Isopropan-2-01 is a better dispersing agent than cyclohexane, but again some oxidation of the AIN does occur.The best sample prepared during this work contained 20 w/o of SiC whiskers and 2 w/o Y2O3 added as Y(NO3)3. 5H2O and mixed in isopropanol. This exhibited a mean strength of 453MPa (maximum 522MPa, measured by disc flexure) and a fracture toughness of5. 5MPam1/2.
文摘The discrete time wavelet transform has been used to develop software that detects seismic P and S-phases. The detection algorithm is based on the enhanced amplitude and polarization information provided by the wavelet transform coefficients of the raw seismic data. The algorithm detects phases, determines arrival times and indicates the seismic event direction from three component seismic data that represents the ground displacement in three orthogonal directions. The essential concept is that strong features of the seismic signal are present in the wavelet coefficients across several scales of time and direction. The P-phase is detected by generating a function using polarization information while S-phase is detected by generating a function based on the transverse to radial amplitude ratio. These functions are shown to be very effective metrics in detecting P and S-phases and for determining their arrival times for low signal-to-noise arrivals. Results are compared with arrival times obtained by a human analyst as well as with a standard STA/LTA algorithm from local and regional earthquakes and found to be consistent.
文摘Purpose To investigate the emotional status of children un-dergoing active treatment for ambly opia.Design Postal survey,in the context of a prospecti ve,multicenter,ran-domized controlled trial.Particip ants Parents of 177chil-dren with a unilateral visual impair ment referred from preschool vision screening.The chi ldren had been re-cruited to a randomized controlled t rial of treatment for u-nilateral visual impairment and ran domly assigned to re-ceive either glasses with or without patches,glasses alone,or treatment deferred for 1year.Methods A self-completion questionnaire,including a psychom etric behavioral scale,was sent to the parents of all childre n recruited to the trial at age 4years,to 66whose deferred tr eatment began at age5years,and finally to 151remaining in the trial at the end of follow-up.Main outcome measures Mean scores per treatment group on the Revised Rutte r Parent Scale for Preschool Children.Comparison of p arent responses to questions assessing the child’s general well-being and dif-ficulties associated with treatmen t.Results Completed questionnaires were returned for 144of 177(81%)chil-dren at a mean age(standard deviation)of 48months(5.0),for 45of 66(68%)at a mean age of 61months(5.8),and for 78of 151(52%)at a mean age of 67 months(5.0).Most parents reported having diffi culty with patching their child regardless of a ge(77%at age 4years and 73%at age 5years),with fewer reporting difficulties with glasses alone(42%and 53%,respectively).Chil-dren were significantly more upset b y patching than by glasses only(chi-square test,P=0.03for age 4years and P=0.01for age 5years),as were the parents of4-year-olds(chi-square test,P=0.01).Most parents thought their children were happy,c ooperative,and good tempered,and behavioral scores did not differ between treatment groups.Conclusions Treatment for unilateral vi-sual impairment is not easy to implem ent and is commonly associated with some degree of distr ess.Despite this,no impact on the childs global well-being or behavior was seen either during or after the treatment period.