Articoli di riviste sul tema "Surface treatement"

Introduction. The frequency of patellar fractures is approximately 0.5% to 1.5% of all skeletal injuries. The following types of fractures can be distinguished: avulsive, transverse, longitudinal, and comminuted. In cases of displacement of more than 2–3 mm and quadriceps tendon injuries open reduction and internal fixation with the restoration of the articular surface is more preferable. In cases of longitudinal fractures, arthroscopy is regarded as a highly effective method of surgical treatment. Materials and methods. Using arthroscopy, we have operated on 4 patients with longitudinal fracture of the patella. The average age of the injured persons was 15.4 years (14–17). These were 3 males and 1 female. All patients had sport-related injuries. Because of the longitudinal fracture of the patella, the lateral knee extensor mechanism remained intact, and arthrosopy-assisted surgical intervention with closed reposition of fragments and transcutaneous wire fixation was performed without wire suturing. Results and discussion. Minimal invasiveness, the possibility of visual control over the recovery quality of patellar surface, the reliability of fragment fixation, and a significant reduction in the subsequent rehabilitation make arthroscopy a highly effective method of surgical treatment for patellar fractures.

Catalytically active materials were obtained by processing the red mud of the Bogorodskoye field for the treatement of gas emissions from carbon monoxide. It was found that that the use of acid leaching followed by precipitation of sparingly soluble compounds with ammonium hydroxide leads to the production of materials with an iron content of 55% by weight according to elemental analysis. The samples were found to have higher specific surface area (154.8–155.7 m2/g) and porosity (0.275–0.311 cm3/g) and higher catalytic activity in the CO oxidation reaction compared to untreated red mud. It was confirmed that impregnation of the surface of refined products with copper oxide in the amount of 5 % by mass in terms of metal significantly increases the catalytic activity.

Molded Steel with manganese have approximately 1,2% C and 12% Mn, this high proportion of manganese gives to this alloy a stable austenitic structure on a room temperature. The experimental methods used for metallurgical studies are spark optical emission spectroscopy, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, micro-hardness and hardnesss test. Steel 1 is heat-treated constitued by 15,516 % of manganese, 2,677 % of chromuim and 1,286 % of carbon. Steel 2 is mechanically treated contains 13,454 % of manganese, 1,721 % of chromuim and 1,213 % of carbon . Steel 1 has sustained quench at 1070°C, for two differents maintaining times on oven 30 and 50 minutes for a thickness of 150 millimeters then for two differents thickness 100 and 150 millimeters for a time of 50 minutes. When maintaining time on the oven increase for low dimension, surface’s alloy become more ductile. We have applied a mechanical treatement manually on steel 2 surface, his hardness increase significantly.

Hypcalcemia is a rare cause of dilated cardiomyopathy, but should be suspected in the presence of an obvious long QT interval on the surface ECG; we report a case of 46 years-old-woman, with surgical history of thyroidectomy 6 years ago, admited in our cardiology departement for mangement of congestive heart failure secondary to dilated cardiomyopathy, her surface ECG showed sinus rhythm with long QT interval, his blood tests showed severe hypocalcemia and low serum concentration of parathyroid hormone (PTH), cardiac magnetic resonance imaging was in favor of non ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy. Concomitant with conventionel heart failure treatement, our patient had received parenteral calcium supplementation, vitamin D, levothyrox; after four weeks, heart failure symptomes were relieved, the intervalle QT has shortened, but persistant severe left ventricular systolic dysfuction. Hypoparathyroidism is frequent after thyroidectomy, and could be responsible of severe hypocalcemia which in turn may induce irreversible dilated cardiomyopathy.

The main removal mechanism of water contaminants in wetlands is microorganisms activities. One of them is a periphyton that lives on a submerged substratum. Therefore, a study of the influence of periphyton in construcetd wetlands which is important in improving water quality. The research objectives were to identify of the quality of influent, the composition of algae, the periphytone algae as primary producer, the influence of free water surface velocity factor, the quality of effluent, efectivity and eficiency of constracted wetlands. The study was conducted in Bandung City on January 2017. The results show that influent of sewage is contaminated with domestic wastewater. In constructed wetlands foundthree classes of benthic algae as periphyton, namely Bacillariophyta, Chlorophyta, and Cyanophyta. Periphyton algae play an important role in the transfer of oxygen into water colomn. The free surface velocity factor was strongly correlated to the percent removal of nitrate (r = 0.84) and very strong to the percent removal of total phosphate (r = 0.90) by periphyton. The quality of effluent that qualified grade III were total phosphate and COD parameter only. Effectivity of treatement were 6,6% ? 38,3% BOD, 6,0% ? 38% COD. Efficiency of treatment on the water discharge 0,01 L/s were 4,4% ammonium; 39,2% nitrat; 47,1% organic nitrogen; 53,6% phosphate total; 38,3% BOD; 38% COD; 76,5% detergent.

Biological activity of water can be apparently judged by the colonization of bacteria (microbes). In order to find out the extent of pollution and the relationship between inorganic matters and microbiota, a quantitative and qualitative analysis of bacteria in various types of sewage waters, namely sewage water by the residential colonies (group I), industrial waste water (group II), sewage treatment hub (group III), unorganized collected waste water (group IV) and old residential waste collection center (group V), of Bikaner city (Rajasthan, India) was carried out from February, 2010 to May, 2010. Water samples were taken from surface only owing to low depth and investigated for various abiotic factors (viz. transparency, pH, carbonate, bicarbonate, total alkalinity, total hardness, salinity, chloride, calcium, magnesium, sulphate, nitrate, silica, and inorganic phosphorous) and biotic factors (viz. number and diversity of bacteria). The domestic sewage water causes major water borne diseases basing upon Total Bacterial Count (TBC) and coliform Count (CC). The coliform count in the present study ranged from 2.5 to 5.12 MPN/mL. Comparision of microbial population in sewage water from all different Groups was done and the higher values of TBC and CC were recorded only in Sewage treatement hub (Group III).

The non-saturated Flow Drying Beds allow efficient treatment of septic tank sludge. However, they are vulnerable to clogging. To ensure the sustainability of this technology, through an additional supply of oxygen from the lateral surface, a flow model coupled with the variation of the biofilm has been developed. The calibration, validation and comparison of the simulated and experimental results were made from the NASH criterion. The simulations focused on two types of reactors. A reactor with pores on its side surface is called a ventilated reactor (VR). The second is then called an unventilated reactor (UVR). The results show that the maximum applicable organic load is 43.3 mgO2 / cm2 / d at the UVR level and 51.8 mgO2 / cm2 / d at the VR level. In addition, the reduction in free flow porosity is 93.33% at the UVR level and 81% at the AR level. In addition, the results show that when the hydraulic head is less than 5 cm / d, the COD removal efficiency is 96.19% at the UVR level and 95.64% at the VR level. But, when the load is greater than 5 cm / d, the yield is 92.65% at the level of the UVR and of 94.95% at the level of the VR. Thus, in the context of a large-scale operation, lateral ventilation is essential. It guarantees good purification efficiency, slows down internal clogging of beds and accelerates its reversibility when it occurs.

Phenol and phenolic compounds in wastewater from various industries were toxic to water livings and human even in ppm concentration. A number of photocatalysts and adsorbents were applied for the low cost and good efficiency wastewater management to reduce phenol concentration in water. In this work titanium dioxide, one of high efficiency photocatalysts which is widely used in water treatement, was coated on the fabricated adsorbent composite substrate. The composite substrate composed of activated carbon and NaA zeolite presents high phenol adsorption because of high porosity and good ion exchange properties resulting in good adsorption property. Accordingly, the absorption could promote the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 catalyst. As the specimens were easily disposed after water treatment process, therefore, it was a good choice for lower energy consumption. The composite substrate was easily fabricated by simple extrusion and fired under non oxidation atmosphere at 650°C for 3 hours. Then polyurethane foam was inserted into the composite substrate to make it be able to float and be swirled by wind near water surface to get more UV excitation than deeper water. Phenol concentration was investigated by the UV absorbance at 270 nm using UV-Vis spectrophotometer. The XRD and SEM were used to study phase crystal structure and morphology of the composite.

<p>Osteochondroma is most common primary benign bone tumor and comprising of more than one-third of primary benign bone tumors. Osteochondromas are usually extra-articular lesions secondary to their common origin from metaphysis of long bones. Osteochondroma of the femoral neck is atypical as they represent an intra-articular lesion. They are mostly asymptomatic depending on their size and location. We are describing a rare cause of sciatic nerve compression in an adult which turned out to be solitary osteochondroma of femoral neck. 18 years old man reported to us with complains of pain in left groin region, mass in buttock region associated with tingling sensations in left lower limb since 8 months. Patient complains of difficulty in sitting on hard surface. Sensation was decreased on plantar and dorsal aspect of left foot. A sessile mass measuring 6 x 4 cm on posterior femoral neck was seen on plain radiographs and CT. Electromyography showed moderate sciatic neuropathy of the peroneal and tibial branches. Surgical en-bloc resection was performed through posterior approach. The final pathological report indicated the tumor was an osteochondroma. Post-operatively symptoms resolved dramatically. At follow up, he had full resolution of neurologic findings. Postoperatively, the patient reported improvement in numbness and tingling in the leg. So we should have awareness and high index of suspicion of rare entities such as proximal femur osteochondroma during diagnosis and treatement of sciatic neuropathy along with other more common etiology. </p>

Abstract High dose adenovirus vector administration in vivo has been associated with toxicity toward many cell types, including endothelial cells. Some of the prominent pathological features of an adenovirus vector death in a gene therapy trial included capillary leak syndrome and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). We investigated the hypothesis that activated protein C (APC) might have a protective effect on primary human microvascular endothelial cells exposed to a first-generation adenovirus vector. We exposed primary human endothelial cells to a first-generation (E1, E3 deleted) adenovirus vector, AVC3FIX5 at concentrations ranging from 103 to 105 vector particles per cell and showed dose-dependent cell death as early as 6 hours (40% cell death at the highest dose). Phase contrast and immunofluorescence microscopy revealed that some cells died rapidly by primary necrosis while others died by apoptosis over a longer time course. By 40 hours, only 40% of the cells were viable. We then tested the effect of pretreatment of endothelial cells with APC concentrations ranging from 1 nM to 100 nM. Dose-dependent protection was seen in which cell death was reduced to 9 and 2 % at APC concentrations of 50 and 100 nM, respectively. We also tested the effect of timing of the APC treatment and showed that 1 hour pre-treatment or concurrent APC treatment were protective, but APC administered one hour after the adenovirus exposure was substantially less protective. This suggested that APC exerts its protective actions on endothelial cells either by interfering with early steps in the interaction of the vector with the cells, (e.g., vector entry) or by modulating death signaling pathways. It has been proposed that APC protects against cell damage in sepsis by interaction with the endothelial cell protein C receptor (EPCR) and protease activated receptor 1 (PAR1) on the endothelial cell surface to induce MCP-1 and other immunomodulatory genes by proteolytic signaling (Riewald et al., Science296:1880–1882, 2002). Other investigators have shown protective effects of APC for endothelial cells subjected to hypoxia through normalization of levels of p53, Bax, and Bcl-2 gene expression (Cheng et al., Nat Med9:338–342, 2003). The APC concentrations in our experiments that were maximally protective (50–100 nM) were of the same order of magnitude as was shown to be protective in vitro by these investigators. If APC can be shown to have a protective effect against adenovirus-induced endothelial cell toxicity and DIC in vivo, this may be a useful therapeutic strategy to explore as treatement of gene therapy vector toxicity. Cell Viability vs. APC Concentration Cell Viability vs. APC Concentration

Abstract αIIbβ3-mediated outside-in signaling following platelet adhesion to fibrinogen affects platelet adhesion, degranulation, and spreading, but the precise mechanisms involved remain incompletely understood. In this study, we demonstrate that the character of αIIbβ3 signaling is dependent on the surface density of the adsorbed ligand. Time-lapse total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIR-FM) allowed us to visualize the interactions between fibrinogen and the αIIbβ3 integrins on the basal membrane of adhering platelets using a fluorescently-labeled antibody specific for β3. We observed significant morphological and biochemical differences in the initial interaction between αIIbβ3 and fibrinogen depending on the fibrinogen surface density. These included differences in the kinetics of filopodia and lamellipodia formation. Although filopodia started to form at the same time after initial platelet contact with both low-density (adsorbed from 3 μg/ml) fibrinogen (~ 40–50 s), new filopodia formed for a significantly shorter period of time on low- than on high-density fibrinogen [120 s (n = 79) vs. 235 s (n = 62); medians; p< 0.001]. Lamellipodia started to form in platelets adhering to low-density fibrinogen significantly later than in platelets on high-density fibrinogen (140 s vs. 110 s; p = 0.04). Moreover, once lamellipodia started to appear, formation of new filopodia ceased in platelets adhering to low-density fibrinogen. In contrast, in platelets on high-density fibrinogen new filopodia continued to form even in the presence of lamellipodia for another 155 s. We also observed that a higher percentage of platelets adherent to high-density fibrinogen (52 ± 6 %) failed to develop a cytoplasmic Ca2+ signal compared to platelets adherent to low-density fibrinogen (13 ± 11 %; n = 3; p<0.001). In addition, only 8 ± 6 % of platelets on high-density fibrinogen developed sustained Ca2+ oscillations compared to 39 ± 14 % of platelets on low-density fibrinogen (n = 3; p = 0.01). TIR-FM analysis of platelets stained with a monoclonal antibody specific for a ligand-induced binding site in the PSI domain of β3 (AP5), showed that on low-density fibrinogen only receptors in a very thin and stationary ring at the edge of fully spread platelets were stained, whereas on high-density fibrinogen AP5 stained a thicker, more diffuse, and more mobile ring. These observations suggested that αIIbβ3 interactions with high-density fibrinogen are more transient than those with low-density fibrinogen. To test this directly, platelets adherent to fibrinogen for 1 h were treated with αIIbβ3 antagonists or EDTA and the loss of adhesion was then measured. Treatement with c7E3, tirofiban, or EDTA resulted in loss of 66 ± 13%, 57 ± 21%, and 63 ± 25%, respectively, of platelets on high density fibrinogen. In contrast, the same treatments resulted in loss of only 25 ± 3%, 34 ± 14%, and 31 ± 21% of platelets on low-density fibrinogen (n = 3; p ≤ 0.01 for each treatment). Thus, we provide evidence that the density of a single immobilized ligand can profoundly affect the morphological and biochemical nature of events leading to platelet adhesion, spreading, and outside-in signaling. These observations have potential significance for hemostasis, thrombosis, and the development of biocompatible materials.

Background: Primary dysmenorrhea is the common gynecologic problems, particularly among adolescent girls. The pain is severe during the first and/or second day of bleeding & usually lasts up to 72 hours. More than 55 to 80% of post-menarche women are thought to experience primary dysmenorrhea. Both vitamin E and a placebo may lessen dysmenorrhea-related pelvic pain, although vitamin E appears to do more significantly Objective: To find the role of vitamin E in the treatment of Primary dysmenorrhea Methodology: This randomized placebo-controlled trial was conducted at JankiDevi Jamiat Singh Maternity Hospital Lahore and Sir Syed Hospital Karachi from 1stJune 2021 to 31stMay 2022. Sample size 70 with age 16-28 years with unmarried women; regular menstrual cycles; no urogenital disorders; no previous history of abdominal or pelvic surgery. To check severity of pain we used Visual Analog Scale (VAS) & Cox Menstrual Symptom Scale (CMSS) was used for grading the pain duration. Pain duration was categorized as follows: score 1: ≤0-0.5 hours of pain; score 2: 0.5-1 hours of pain; score 3:>1 hour of pain; score 4: >1 day of pain. Two groups were formed from the sample. Vitamin E 400 units/day in two divided doses was prescribed for the first group to begin the treatment course (5 days in a month,), and Placebo was given to the second. Data was entered and analyzed in SPSS. Result: Total 70 were enrolled. There were 35 women given Vitamin E and 35 were given placebo. In Group 1, the mean age was 21.57+ 3.35 and in Group 2, the mean age was 22.0+3.05.Before treatment, the mean of VAS pain score was 49.29 in Vitamin E group ad placebo group was 58.71mm and after treatment, the mean of Vas pain score was reduce to 34.60 in vitamin E group and placebo group was 44.48. A significant difference was found the severity of pain and duration between the pre- and post treatment in both groups. Table: 2,3 As the comparison indicates, no significant differences were found regarding severity of pain and duration between the groups. ( p < 0.05). This study will help the practioners,gynecologist for in the treatement of primary dysmenorrheal further this will also open the doors for further researches in this field. Conclusion: Vitamin E helps to relieve pain in primary dysmenorrhea. It can be considered as a universal medicine in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea since it is a very simple way for pain control with fewer side effects and is cost-effective. Keywords: Dysmenorrhoea, Vitamin-E, nausea, vomiting, gastrointestinal symptoms

<p>In this paper a stratigraphic recording methodology is presented after a practial experience at the lo Boligni archaeological site. This experience has allowed, on the basis of cenital stereo-photo pairs, the digitalization of interfacial surfaces through high density point clouds renderization as the excavation went on, in order to obtain a Three-dimmensional Cummulative Model (TCM) of the stratigraphical sequence. It will be exposed the way some easy and affordable digital tools are used at the excavation in order to achieve a massive data recovery, and how their integration in CAD and GIS environments opens new possibilities for the everyday archaeological information treatement.</p>

Abstract In t(8;21) acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), the leukaemogenesis is supposed to be promoted by interference with expression of AML1 target genes. Repressor complex associated with AML1/ETO fusion protein recruits class I histone deacetylases (HDAC). Valproic acid (VPA) was found to have an extensive effect on AML blasts, via inhibition of class I HDAC. It was shown previously that VPA treatment disrupts the AML1/ETO-HDAC1 complex from AML1 promoter thus leading to apoptosis at different cell lines. However, there is still lack of in-depth morphological and immunophenotypical proof of the hypothesized restoration of differentiation after treatment with VPA. Although very little is known about AML1 target genes, it was shown that AML1 protein binds to promotor region of IL-3 and PU.1 and regulates their expression. There are also reports demonstrating possible candidate target genes of AML1 transcription factor (BPI, IGFBP7). We aimed to characterize the differentiation effect of VPA on AML1/ ETO-positive leukaemic cells and to determine the expression pattern of selected genes. Kasumi-1 (AML1/ETO-positive) cell line and MV4-11 (MLL/AF4-positive) cells were treated with VPA (0,5 mM and 1,0 mM concentrations) and examined by flow cytometry, morphological evaluation and qRT-PCR. Paediatric patients’ bone marrow samples (AML1/ ETO-positive) from the time of diagnosis were taken for in vitro experiment. We optimised the method of patients’ samples cultivation using conditioned medium with cytokines (IL6, FLT3 ligand, TPO, SCF) and we treated leukaemic cells with VPA. We examined immunophenotype and cell cycle of these samples after 24 and 48 hours of cultivation. We show that treatment of AML1/ETO-positive myeloid cells with HDACi VPA resulted in decreased expression of early myeloid progenitor antigens (CD33/34/117) and increased expression of antigens typical for differentiated myeloid cells (CD11a/11b). Cell morphology, nucleolar morphology and cytochemistry evaluation indicated the maturation process and decreased proliferation activity. All these phenomenons were not observed in control MLL/AF4-positive myeloid cells. We quantified the level of expression of selected genes (PU.1, C/EBPalpha, BPI, IGFBP7) and we observed the increase of genes expression after VPA treatment in AML1/ETO-positive cells. In VPA treated AML1/ETO-positive cells PU.1 increased expression 6.2 times (p<0.001), C/EBPalpha 3 times (p<0.001), BPI 2.6 times (p<0.001) and IGFBP7 7 times (p<0.001). Different situation occurred in MLL/AF4-positive cell line, where PU.1 conversely decreased expression 2.5 times (p=0.01), IGFBP7 decreased 2.4 times (p=0.01) and the expression of C/EBPalpha and BPI remained unchanged (p=0.32 and p=0.75) after VPA treatement. Samples recovered from patientś bone marrow reacted differently to VPA therapy. The first patient increased the expression of HLA-DR (p=0.04) and CD11b (p=0.02) and at the same time decreased the expression of CD38 (p=0.006) and CD117 (p=0.03) surface markers, which represents the signs of differentiation. The second patient’s sample presented with expression of HLA-DR (p=0.1) unchanged; expression of CD11b (p=0.05), CD38 (p=0.002), CD117 (p=0.04) and CD34 (p=0.02) decreased. The concentration of VPA used in our experiment seems to have strong cytotoxic effect on the other patient’s leukaemic cells, as they passed into the apoptosis, the amount of 10% of persistent blast cells was not sufficient for the analysis. Cell cycle examination confirmed the results of the experiment with cell lines; patientś samples treated with VPA decreased the proliferation and the number of cells undergoing apoptosis increased. Taken together, we provide a valid evidence of differentiation of AML1/ETO-positive cell line, demonstrated by flow cytometry and confirmed morphologically. This process goes hand in hand with the increase of the repressed genes expression as measured by qRT-PCR in contrast with non-CBF leukemic cells. Patients’ data are not completely in line with those experimental findings, as the flow cytometry analysis showed uneven changes in surface markers expression pattern. VPA induces differentiation and apoptosis; therefore it seems to be a promising drug in treatment of AML/ETO-positive paediatric AML. Supported by Grant Agency of Charles University 71/2006.

Research has been initiated on the effects of high frequency peening methods on the fatigue strength. These methods combine an improvement of weld toe profile with an initiation of compressive residual stresses and surface hardening. The effects of two techniques, High Frequency Impact Treatment (HiFIT) and Ultrasonic Impact Treatemnt (UIT) are compared. Laser measurements of the weld seam prove that both methods increase the overall weld toe radii. Further, residual stress measurements verify the introduction of compressive residual stresses at least up to a depth of 1 mm. The values meet the yield strength combined with an increase of the surface hardness. These material mechanical effects cause an increased crack resistance. Crack detection methods prove that the material mechanical effects yield to a retarded crack initiation. Experimental results show that these effects lead to a significant increase of the fatigue strength and reduced slopes of the SN-curves.

As PZT target are prepared from solid solution method. The perovskit phase evolution is investigated in this paper by DRX at different temperatures in order to show crystallization, morphology and structure of lead zirconate ceramics (PZT) target. Samples were deposited at room temperature on Aluminum (Al) and silicon (Si) substrates, and then heat-treated in a tabular furnace at 200 and 400°C during 30 min under atmospheric pressure. The films characterization were done glancing incidences X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) analysis with Fe Kα radiation (l=1.936Å ) at glancing angle of 1.5°for crystallographic characteristics; and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM-Zeiss ultra plus) in Ultra-High resolution imaging to observe surfaces morphology and cross-sections of thin films.We present in this paper a x-ray diffraction analysis, showing that as-deposited PZT films depend strongly on substrate nature, it presents an amorphous structure and nanocrystallizes in a pure perovskite phase PbZr0.44Ti0.56O3 when it was deposited on Al substrate (followed by thermal treatement at 400°C).Ferroelectrics and piezoelectric properties are showed using Sawyer Tower circuit and impulsionel test respectively.

The aim of this in vitro study was to assess the effect of toothpastes, with different compositions, on optical and morphological features of sound and demineralized enamel. We selected twenty-five teeth, recently extracted for orthodontic purposes, for this in vitro study. The teeth were caries free, without stains, fissures, filling or hypoplasia observed at inspection under standard conditions. Teeth were brushed (for 2–3 min, twice a day, for 21 days), with five different toothpastes (four commercially available and an experimental one) containing fluoride and hydroxyapatite. After that, teeth were demineralized with 37% orthophosforic acid (Ultra Etch®, Ultradent Products Inc., South Jordan, UT, USA) for 60 s. We repeated the brushing protocol for another 21 days on demineralized enamel. Enamel vestibular surfaces were examined using a spectrophotometer (Vita EasyShade -Vita Zahnfabrik, Bad Sackingen, Germany) and a Scanning Electron Microscope (Inspect S®, FEI Company, Hillsboro, OR, USA). Differences were statistically significant for colour parameters L* and ΔE*. SEM evaluation reveals demineralized enamel mineral gain after brushing with selected toothpastes. Toothpastes with specific ingredients can represent a balance between aesthetic and mineralization, and an oral hygiene correct algorithm is able to preserve enamel characteristics during ortodontic treatement with fixed appliances.

Abstract Ornamental plants are used to improve the aestheticquality of urban and rural landscapes, recreational areas, interiorscapes and commercial sites. Any negative effects of salts on ornamental plant growth have to be taken into consideration mainly for their negative influences on aesthetic value of ornamental plants. The research was conducted to determine the effects of different concentrations of calcium nitrate on some stress parameters (i.e. leaf relative water content, chlorophyll, stomatal conductance, ion leakage in the leaf tissues) and some plant growth parameters (total leaf number, number of dried leaf, main stem diameter, plant crown diameter, plant height, fresh and dry weight of root) of ornamental kale (Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala) plant grown under saline conditions. Four doses of NaCl (NaCl1:30, NaCl2:60, NaCl3:90, NaCl4:120 mM), three doses of Ca(NO3)2 (CaN1:5, CaN2:10, CaN3:15 mM), groups combined together in all doses of NaCl and Ca (NO3)2 and control (NaCl0:0 + CaN0:0) were applied into the pots with three replications. Ca (NO3)2 was applied to the leaf surface of the plants in the pots to be applied as Ca (NO3)2 spray. When the plants reached a certain maturity (two weeks after transfer to the pot), salt stress applications were started. Ca (NO3)2 treatments have applied after one week from salt stress applications. Calcium nitrate treatements applied under salt stress conditions had positive effects and increasing in effect on all parameters examined except for chlorophyll and ion leakage in leaf tissues of the plant. With increasing in calcium nitrate concentration, morphological and physiological characteristics of plants were observed increases in general. It was concluded that the increase of the number of leaves by NaCl2+CaN3 application can be minimized with CaN3 (with 15 mM Ca (NO3)2) stress caused by 60 mM salt concentration According to the results of the research, calcium nitrate applications can be recommended for ornamental kale plants grown under salt stress conditions especially limiting the negative effects of stress and to minimize such damage.

Post-treatement on the perovskite film is known to be an efficient way to passivate surface defects in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Conventionally, post-treatment with organic iodides has been performed on...

This study has investigated the effect of hydroperoxide treatment on the properties of bagasse fibers in order to get the value added material using by-products from sugar production such as reinforcement for composite materials. The results of processing bagasse fibers with hydroperoxide at different concentration, temperature and treatement time showed that treatment condition had a great influence on the properties of the obtained fibers. With the suitable treatement conditions of 10% peroxide concentration, treatment time of 40 minutes, treatment temperature at 60 0C, the treated fiber has a more homogeneous surface than the untreated. The composite using hybrid bagasse/glass fiber has higher flexural and impact resistance than when using glass fiber and reaches 162.6 MPa and 38.9 KJ/m2 (16.7% and 213% respectively compared to composite using glass fiber only). This can be explained that the treated bagasse fiber has better wetting ability with the matrix resin and together with the energy absorption capacity of the fiber bundle, it leads to an increase in flexural strength and impact strength of composite material.

Cotton is the king of textile industry. It is the most trendy, versatile, and eco- friendly fabric. This material is most desired fabric by the consumers. It has many good properties as it has good heat conductivity, absorption, strength, etc. it is used in vast gamut of products like apparel, home- furnishing, industries, medical, auto mobiles, etc. it can be blended with other natural as well as synthetic fibers like wool, silk, polyester, acrylic, nylon and many more. In today’s world there are various new technologies coming up every day, one of which is plasma technology which is slowly capturing the textile industries. Many researches are done and still continuing on plasma technology. In this study the researcher has tried to apply plasma treatment on to the cotton fabric to modify the surface property of the same. This di- electric plasma treatment was given on varying time period like 15min, 30min, 45min, 1hr, 1 1/2hr and 2hr. After plasma treatment the samples were undergone for pigment printing with water base and without water base printing paste. The same printing was also done on unmodified cotton sample to have a comparison between modified and unmodified samples. The results were compared on the basis of few tests like rub fastness (dry and wet), wash fastness and UV protection test. In this research it has been observed that plasma treated i.e., modified samples were having better fastness to dry and wet rub and wash fastness and UV protection of treated fabric after printing was increased. This study also shows that even 15min and 30min of treatment improves the fastness property of the cotton fabric so in concern of energy usage, treatment can be given for less time duration to have better quality products. UV protection of the fabric can be increased by printing with without water-based pigment printing with 1hr of plasma treatment which on the basis of the results said to be the optimum time of treatment.

Mice lacking the immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibition motif-containing co-inhibitory receptor G6b-B (Mpig6b, G6b knockout, KO) are born with a complex megakaryocyte (MK)/platelet phenotype characterized by severe macrothrombocytopenia, expansion of the MK population and focal myelofibrosis in the bone marrow and spleen. Platelets are almost completely devoid of the GPVI-FcRγ-chain collagen receptor complex, have reduced collagen integrin α2β1, elevated Syk tyrosine kinase activity, and a subset have increased surface immunoglobulins. A strikingly similar phenotype was recently reported in patients with null and loss-of-function mutations in MPIG6B. To better understand the cause and treatment of this pathology, we used pharmacological- and genetic-based approaches to rescue platelet counts and function in G6b KO mice. Intravenous-immunoglobulin resulted in a transient partial recovery of platelet counts, whereas immune deficiency had no bearing on platelet count or receptor expression in G6b KO mice. Syk loss-of-function (R41A) rescued macrothrombocytopenia, GPVI and α2β1 expression in G6b KO mice, whereas treatement with the Syk kinase inhibitor BI1002494 partially rescued platelet counts, but had no effect on GPVI and α2β1 expression, or bleeding. Src family kinase inhibitor dasatinib had no benefit in G6b KO mice. In contrast, treatment with the thrombopoietin mimetic romiplostim rescued thrombocytopenia, GPVI expression, and platelet reactivity to collagen, suggesting this may be a promising therapeutic for patients lacking functional G6b-B. Intriguingly, GPVI and α2β1 expression are significantly downregulated in romiplostim-treated wild-type mice, whereas GPVI was upregulated in romiplostim-treated G6b KO mice, suggesting a cell intrinsic feedback mechanism that auto-regulates platelet reactivity, depending physiological needs.

While the definition of high-dose corticosteroids depends on the indication, it is typically defined as greater than 15–20 mg for greater than 2–4 weeks. Corticosteroids have a variety of indications such as autoimmune, gastrointestinal, rheumatologic, respiratory, and hematologic conditions and after organ or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. They can predispose these patients to infections such as pneumococcal pneumonia, Pneumocystis jirovecii (carinii) pneumonia (PJP), hepatitis B reactivation, active tuberculosis, and disseminated strongyloides infection. This article outlines ways to modify these risks in these patients. Prophylaxis is of utmost importance to those at risk for PJP with trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, lamivudine for those at risk of hepatitis B reactivation, isoniazid (INH) for latent tuberculosis and ivermectin for those with positive strongyloides serology. Equally important in mitigating disease risk is the appropriate timing of vaccines to elicit an adequate immune response as well as offering additional vaccines such as the pneumococcal vaccine.RésuméLa notion de dose élevée de corticostéroïdes varie selon les indications, mais elle est généralement définie comme correspondant à plus de 15‑20 mg sur une période de plus de deux à quatre semaines. Les corticostéroïdes sont indiqués dans nombre de conditions auto‑immunes, gastro-intestinales, rhumatologiques, respiratoires et hématologiques, ainsi qu’à la suite d’une transplantation d’organe ou de cellules souches hématopoïétiques. Ils peuvent toutefois prédisposer les patients à diverses infections comme la pneumonie pneumococcique et la pneumonie à Pneumocystis jirovecii (carinii) ou PCP, à une réactivation de l’hépatite B, à une tuberculose active et à une strongyloïdose disséminée. Le présent article passe en revue différentes façons de réduire ces risques chez les patients concernés. Voici des mesures de prophylaxie qui s’avèrent être de la plus haute importance pour les personnes à risque : le triméthoprime ou le sulfaméthoxazole pour celles à risque de PCP; la lamivudine pour celles à risque de réactivation de l’hépatite B; l’isoniazide (INH) dans les cas de tuberculose latente; et l’ivermectine pour les personnes montrant une sérologie positive aux strongyloïdes. De plus, pour réduire le risque de maladie, un calendrier de vaccination approprié est tout aussi important, en vue de susciter une réponse immunitaire adéquate et de pouvoir offrir d’autres vaccins comme le vaccin antipneumococcique.Corticosteroids were first used in clinical practice in 1949 for rheumatoid arthritis.1 The number of patients on high-dose corticosteroids is not well known but the use of corticosteroids is becoming increasingly common for a number of indications: An estimated 1% of the general population in the UK is treated with corticosteroids, and this rate increases with age to almost 2.5% in those aged 70–79. 4“High-dose corticosteroids” as a risk factor for infections is typically defined as greater than 15–20 mg of prednisone (or its’ equivalent) for greater than 2–4 weeks, although this definition does vary slightly depending on the infection considered. Notably, this definition is different from the standard definition of high-dose corticosteroids for treatment purposes used in the literature – which is usually defined as greater than 30 mg but less than 100 mg/day – as this dose results in almost complete cytosolic receptor saturation. 2Corticosteroids are used commonly for their anti-inflammatory effects in many conditions with an element of autoimmune disease. The mechanism is to induce transient lymphocytopenia by altering lymphocyte circulation, inducing lymphocyte death and inhibiting cytokines to prevent T-cell activation.3 For example, they are used to induce remission in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or to maintain symptom control in rheumatologic diseases like polymyalgia rheumatica. They are also used to prevent organ rejection in solid organ transplantation. Other indications include autoimmune hepatitis, other rheumatologic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematous, vasculitis, respiratory conditions such as interstitial lung disease, sarcoidosis, hematologic disorders such as lymphoma, leukemia, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, hemolytic anemia), endocrine disorders like Graves disease to prevent opthalmopathy and other conditions like multiple sclerosis.The relative risk of bacterial infections was found to be 5-fold higher in IBD patients on corticosteroids alone, 4-fold higher for other infections like strongyloides and tuberculosis, and only 1.5 fold higher for viral infections.5 However, the absolute individual risk of infectious complications from corticosteroid use remains fairly small. Nevertheless, the burden is significant at a population level due to the high frequency of corticosteroid use. 4 Thus, most practitioners eventually come across these complications during their career.VaccinationsOne of the first considerations in patients on high-dose corticosteroids is the timing of the administration of vaccines to be given to these patients. Immunizations with inactivated vaccines can be given up to 2 weeks before high-dose corticosteroids are initiated, whereas live vaccines need to be given 4 weeks before the high-dose corticosteroids are begun. If the vaccines cannot be given prior to the start of a corticosteroid treatment, both live and inactivated vaccines must wait for 4 weeks after the steroids are completed to elicit an adequate immune response and prevent infectious complications with live vaccines.6Equally important to the timing of the vaccines, patients on high-dose corticosteroids (defined as anyone receiving ³ 20 mg/day for 14 days or more) should receive additional vaccines. A single dose of an inactivated pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (Prevnar), at least one year after any previous dose of pneumococcal vaccine polyvalent (Pneumovax), followed by a single dose of Pneumovax 8 weeks later with a booster of Pneumovax 5 years later is recommended for those on high-dose corticosteroids.7,8 Pneumocystis jiroveci infectionThe following patient groups are considered to be at higher risk forPneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (PJP; formerly known as Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia [PCP])if exposed to prednisone at doses as low as 20 mg/day for at least 4 weeks9: patients with an underlying immunosuppressive disorder (including autologous HSCT and malignancy), or those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and interstitial lung disease secondary to polymyositis/dermatomyositis. Also, patients receiving the same dose of prednisone plus TNF-alpha inhibitors, cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, or temsirolimus should also receive PJP prophylaxis. The first-line agent for prophylaxis is trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole 80/400 mg (single strength) daily or 160/800 mg (double strength) three times per week (e.g., Monday/Wednesday/Friday). While adverse events are rare on such low doses, thrombocytopenia is possible given that this is an idiosyncractic reaction but pancytopenia is usually observed at much higher (i.e., treatment) doses. Also possible are hyperkalemia, increased serum creatinine and aseptic meningitis. A more rare but devastating adverse event is Stevens-Johnson syndrome. A second line agent for PJP prophylaxis is dapsone but this requires glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) testing first, as those who are deficient in this erythrocytic enzyme show a two-fold higher predisposition to dapsone-induced hemolytic anemia. Other alternatives for PJP prophylaxis are atovaquone 1500 mg daily, but this is a costly option, or inhaled pentamidine via a nebulizer at 300 mg every month. Correct administration of inhaled pentamidine is crucial and due to the route of administration, disseminated PCP disease is still possible. 9 Hepatitis B ReactivationFurthermore, patients on corticosteroids of at least 20 mg/day for at least 4 weeks, have an 11–20% chance of reactivation if they are hepatitis B surface Ag carriers. An inactive carrier is hepatitis B surface antigen positive for greater than 6 months without detectable hepatitis B e antigen (HbeAg), presence of anti-hepatitis B e antibodies (anti-Hbe), and undetectable or low levels of hepatitis B DNA, repeatedly normal ALT levels, and no or minimal liver fibrosis. Inactive carriers comprise the largest group of chronic hepatitis B infected individuals with an estimated 250 million people worldwide and can convert to active disease under such immunosuppression.Therefore, it is prudent to prescribe hepatitis B prophylaxis to these patients although no high-level evidence supporting this approach is available.11 Lamivudine is considered first choice for these patients if they do not otherwise meet treatment criteria for hepatitis B. Tenofovir is considered first line in areas highly prevalent for resistance to lamivudine, which tends to occur with prolonged lamivudine exposure. For example, lamivudine resistance develops in up to 90% of HBV-HIV co-infected individuals after 4 years of lamivudine therapy.12.In the setting of isolated anti-Hb-core antibody positivity, prophylaxis is not recommendedgiven that the rate of reactivation is less than 1%.10 Instead, patients should have serial measurements of liver function, hepatitis B serology and hepatitis B DNA every 1–3 months during the period of immunosuppressive treatment and if there is any elevation in these markers, antiviral prophylaxis or treatment (depending on the results) should be offered.So, when assessing patients for the need for PCP or hepatitis B prophylaxis, both the intended duration as well as the dose of the corticosteroids need to be considered.Strongyloides stercoralis InfectionStrongyloides stercoralis can persist for several decades and can reactivate with glucocorticoid exposure causing a severe and sometimes fatal disseminated infection. Strongyloides infection can be asymptomatic and can be acquired walking barefoot on soil in the developing world.13 Strongyloides serology is therefore recommended for refugees from low-income countries in Southeast Asia and Africa where strongyloides is endemic before starting high-dose corticosteroid treatement.14 If positive, patients should be treated with 2 doses of ivermectin to prevent the development of hyperinfection. TuberculosisPatients with latent tuberculosis on higher dose and/or longer duration of glucocorticoid use are also at risk of conversion to active disease. A one-step tuberculin skin test (TST) ³ 5 mm is considered positive when a patient is on prednisone doses ³ 15 mg/day for one month or more. First-line treatment for latent tuberculosis is isoniazid over 9 months. Patients should begin therapy ideally at least 4 weeks before starting such immunosuppression to prevent conversion to active disease.15,16. If this is not possible, the recommendation is to start isoniazid and the corticosteroids at the same time. ConclusionsSerious and potentially fatal infections are just one of the many potential complications of being on high-dose corticosteroids for a long period of time – others include diabetes, hypertension, psychosis, osteoporosis, adrenal insufficiency and the development of cushingoid features.17 Infectious diseases that are either latent or inactive may reactivate under high-dose corticosteroids including tuberculosis, pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia, Strongyloides stercoralis, and hepatitis B. Screening and treatment for such conditions prior to starting high-dose corticosteroids, or at least once the corticosteroids are started, can prevent these complications. Furthermore, the timing of both inactivated and live vaccines is crucial for the patients’ ability to mount an appropriate immune response and to avoid complications from live vaccines. Finally, patients on high-dose corticosteroids are at higher risk for illnesses that may require additional vaccinations not otherwise given to such individuals – for example the pneumococcal vaccine.DisclosureThere are no conflicts of interest for either author on this manuscript. References1. Zoorob RJ and Cender D. A different look at corticosteroids. American Family Physician. 1998 Aug 1; 58(2): 443-450. 2. Buttgereit F, Da Silva JAP, Boers M et al. Standardised nomenclature for glucocorticoid dosages and glucocorticoid treatment regimens: current questions and tentative answers in rheumatology. Ann Rheum Dis 2002; 61: 718-722. 3.Hall BM and Hodgkinson SJ. Corticosteroids in autoimmune diseases. Aust Prescr 1999; 22: 9-11. 4. T.P. van Staa, H.G. Leufkens, L. Abenhaim, B. Begaud, B. Zhang, C. Cooper. Use of oral corticosteroids in the United Kingdom. QJM. 2000 Feb; 93(2): 105–111. 5. Paul Brassard, Alain Bitton, Alain Suissa, Liliya Sinyavskaya, Valerie Patenaude and Samy Suissa. Oral Corticosteroids and the Risk of Serious Infections in Patients With Elderly-Onset Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. The American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2014 Nov; 109: 1795-1802. 6. PHAC: Canadian Immunization Guide - section 3 - Vaccination of specific populations (acquired/secondary immunodeficiency) - http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/cig-gci/p03-07-eng.php#a4. Accessed July 19 2015. Modified December 5th 2013. 7. PHAC: Canadian Immunization Guide – Section 4 – Active Vaccines: Pneumococcal Vaccine - http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/cig-gci/p04-pneu-eng.php#tab1. Accessed July 19 2015. Modified March 24th 2015. 8. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Use of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine and 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine for adults with immunocompromising conditions: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2012 Oct 12; 61(40): 816. 9. Tomblyn M, Chiller T, Einsele H at al. Guidelines for preventing infectious complications among hematopoietic cell transplantation recipients: a global perspective. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2009; 15(10): 1143. 10. Di Bisceglie AM, Lok AS, Martin P, Terrault N, Perrillo RP, Hoofnagle JH. Recent US Food and Drug Administration warnings on hepatitis B reactivation with immune-suppressing and anticancer drugs: just the tip of the iceberg? Hepatology. 2015; 61(2): 703. 11. Cheng J, Li JB, Sun QL et al. Reactivation of Hepatitis B Virus After Steroid Treatment in Rheumatic Diseases. The Journal of Rheumatology. 2011; 38 (1): 181-182. 12. Benhamou Y, Bochet M, Thibault V, et al. Long-term incidence of hepatitis B virus resistance to lamivudine in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients. Hepatology. 1999; 30: 1302-1306. 13. Farthing M, Fedail S, Savioli L et al. WGO Practice Guideline: Management of strongyloides. 2004. 14. Khan K, Heidebrecht C, Sears J et al. Appendix 8: Intestinal parasites – Strongyloides and Schistosoma: evidence review for newly arriving immigrants and refugees. CMAJ . 2011; 183(12): E824-925. 15. Pai M, Kunimoto D, Jamieson F, et al. Canadian Tuberculosis Standards – 7th edition. Centre for Communicable Diseases and Infection Control - Public Health Agency of Canada. February 2014: 75. 16. Singh JA, Furst DE, Bharat A et al. 2012 Update of the 2008 American College of Rheumatology Recommendations for the Use of Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs and Biologic Agents in the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Arthritis Care & Research 2012; 64(5): 625–639. 17. Liu D, Ahmet A, Ward L et al. A practical guide to the monitoring and management of the complications of systemic corticosteroid therapy. Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology. 2013, 9:30.