itsmedicinesfakianakis

[itsmedicinesfakianakis]

Formulation of an aloe-based product according to Iranian traditional medicine and development of its analysis method

Currently, people are more interested to traditional medicine. The traditional formulations should be converted to modern drug delivery systems to be more acceptable for the patients. In the present investigat… from # All Medicine by Alexandros G. Sfakianakis via alkiviadis.1961 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2wRLS4N

from OtoRhinoLaryngology - Alexandros G. Sfakianakis via Alexandros G.Sfakianakis on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2xwZako

[itsmedicinesfakianakis]

The Unique and Efficient Four-Flipper Locomotion of Plesiosaurs

Did a remarkable group of extinct reptiles have a remarkable means of propelling themselves through the water? – Read more on ScientificAmerican.com

from # All Medicine by Alexandros G. Sfakianakis via alkiviadis.1961 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2x3ypGj from OtoRhinoLaryngology - Alexandros G. Sfakianakis via Alexandros G.Sfakianakis on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2wh5Wfh

[itsmedicinesfakianakis]

Imaging behavioural complications of Parkinson’s disease

Abstract

In addition to motor symptoms, behavioural complications are commonly found in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Behavioural complications, including depression, anxiety, apathy, impulse control disorder and psychosis, together have a large impact on PD patient’s quality of life. Many neuroimaging studies using PET, SPECT and MRI techniques have been conducted to study the underlying neural mechanisms of PD pathogenesis and pathophysiology in relation to its behavioural complications. This review will survey these PET, SPECT and MRI studies to describe the current understanding of the neuro-chemical, functional and structural changes associated with behavioural complications in PD patients.

from # All Medicine by Alexandros G. Sfakianakis via alkiviadis.1961 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2vre2mN from OtoRhinoLaryngology - Alexandros G. Sfakianakis via Alexandros G.Sfakianakis on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2whydmc

[itsmedicinesfakianakis]

Experimental Study on RFID Antenna Reading Areas in a Tunnel System

We study optimized antenna reading area mappings for a radiofrequency identification- (RFID-) based access monitoring system, used in an underground nuclear waste storage facility. We shortly introduce the access monitoring system developed for the ONKALO tunnel in Finland and describe the antenna mounting points as well as the research area. Finally, we study the measurement results of the antenna reading areas and factors that affect the reading area size. Based on our results, in addition to antenna location and direction, absorption to obstacles, reflections, diffraction, scattering, and refraction affect the antenna reading area. from # All Medicine by Alexandros G. Sfakianakis via alkiviadis.1961 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2wITW7A

from OtoRhinoLaryngology - Alexandros G. Sfakianakis via Alexandros G.Sfakianakis on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2xxvzHl

[itsmedicinesfakianakis]

Study on a High-Accuracy Real-Time Algorithm to Estimate SOC of Multiple Battery Cells Simultaneously

In traditional battery equalization strategy, open-circuit voltage (OCV) of battery cells was used to judge the difference of SOC between them. However, OCV is not only determined by SOC but also influenced by internal resistance, polarization voltage, capacity, and other nonlinear factors. As a result, OCV is not an ideal indicator of SOC differences, especially in transient conditions. In order to control battery consistency accurately, it is best to use SOC directly as standard for battery consistency judgment and control. To achieve this, an algorithm that can estimate SOC of multiple battery cells simultaneously with low computational complexity and high accuracy is needed. Limited by computing speed of Battery Control Unit (BCU), existing SOC estimation method is hard to estimate SOC of each battery cell simultaneously with high accuracy. In this research, a new SOC estimation strategy was proposed to estimate SOC of multiple battery cells simultaneously for battery equalization control. Battery model is established based on experimental data, and a processor-in-the-loop test system was established to verify the actual performance of the proposed algorithm. Results of simulation and test indicate that the proposed algorithm can estimate SOC of multiple battery cells simultaneously and achieved good real-time performance and high accuracy. from # All Medicine by Alexandros G. Sfakianakis via alkiviadis.1961 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2wntIok

from OtoRhinoLaryngology - Alexandros G. Sfakianakis via Alexandros G.Sfakianakis on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2who8Wh

[itsmedicinesfakianakis]

Robust Nearfield Wideband Beamforming Design Based on Adaptive-Weighted Convex Optimization

Nearfield wideband beamformers for microphone arrays have wide applications in multichannel speech enhancement. The nearfield wideband beamformer design based on convex optimization is one of the typical representatives of robust approaches. However, in this approach, the coefficient of convex optimization is a constant, which has not used all the freedom provided by the weighting coefficient efficiently. Therefore, it is still necessary to further improve the performance. To solve this problem, we developed a robust nearfield wideband beamformer design approach based on adaptive-weighted convex optimization. The proposed approach defines an adaptive-weighted function by the adaptive array signal processing theory and adjusts its value flexibly, which has improved the beamforming performance. During each process of the adaptive updating of the weighting function, the convex optimization problem can be formulated as a SOCP (Second-Order Cone Program) problem, which could be solved efficiently using the well-established interior-point methods. This method is suitable for the case where the sound source is in the nearfield range, can work well in the presence of microphone mismatches, and is applicable to arbitrary array geometries. Several design examples are presented to verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach and the correctness of the theoretical analysis. from # All Medicine by Alexandros G. Sfakianakis via alkiviadis.1961 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2wIfSzA

from OtoRhinoLaryngology - Alexandros G. Sfakianakis via Alexandros G.Sfakianakis on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2xwZ8sM

[itsmedicinesfakianakis]

Anthocyanin Retention of Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) Juice Subjected to Different Nanofiltration Conditions

The aim of this work was to evaluate the retention of anthocyanin during a nanofiltration process of cranberry juice. Nanofiltration membranes, HC-50P DDS with an effective area of 0.36 m2 in a plate/frame nanofilter system, DDS Lab Module, were used for the experiments. Juice feed flow rate varied from 1.0 to 12.0 L min−1 at transmembrane pressures between 20 and 40 bar (2026 and 4052 kPa). Permeate flux reached a maximum value of 41.3 L h−1 m−2 at a pressure of 40 bar and a feed rate of 12 L min−1, showing a direct dependency on these two parameters. Retention coefficients of anthocyanin of 0.94 to 0.99 corresponding to percentage recovery between 93 and 99% were obtained. Total anthocyanin content increased to values between 237 and 287 mg L−1 from original concentration of 82 to 97 mg L−1 in feed solution. Total soluble solids were also retained on the nanofilter. Both anthocyanin retentate and permeate obtained by nanofiltration could be potential functional ingredients for the food and nutraceutical industry. from # All Medicine by Alexandros G. Sfakianakis via alkiviadis.1961 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2wI71hb

from OtoRhinoLaryngology - Alexandros G. Sfakianakis via Alexandros G.Sfakianakis on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2whvEQN

[itsmedicinesfakianakis]

High-Dose Ifosfamide Chemotherapy in a Series of Patients Affected by Myxoid Liposarcoma

Background. To report on the activity of high-dose prolonged-infusion ifosfamide (HDIFX) chemotherapy in a retrospective series of patients affected by myxoid liposarcoma treated at Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori in Milan, Italy. Patients and Methods. Patients with an advanced myxoid liposarcoma treated with HDIFX (14 g/sqm, i.v., prolonged infusion of 14 days every 28 days) as a single agent between May 2002 and April 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. All pathologic diagnoses were centrally reviewed and molecularly confirmed. Response was evaluated by RECIST, and survival functions were computed by the Kaplan-Meier method. Results. Eleven patients with advanced myxoid liposarcoma were treated with HDIFX (male/female = 9/2, median age 33 years, range 31–75). Among these, 1/11 received HDIFX in first line, 5/11 in second line, 3/11 in third line, and 2/11 in fourth line for a median course number of 3 (range 2–7). No RECIST objective responses were observed. Overall median progression-free survival was 1,9 months. Median overall survival was 37 months. At a median follow-up of 115 months, 1 patient is alive. Conclusions. In this series of patients affected by advanced myxoid liposarcoma, chemotherapy with HDIFX was essentially inactive. from # All Medicine by Alexandros G. Sfakianakis via alkiviadis.1961 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2wnjEf7

from OtoRhinoLaryngology - Alexandros G. Sfakianakis via Alexandros G.Sfakianakis on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2xx08x0

[itsmedicinesfakianakis]

PLA-Based Hybrid and Composite Electrospun Fibrous Scaffolds as Potential Materials for Tissue Engineering

The aim of the study was to manufacture poly(lactic acid)- (PLA-) based nanofibrous nonwovens that were modified using two types of modifiers, namely, gelatin- (GEL-) based nanofibres and carbon nanotubes (CNT). Hybrid nonwovens consisting of PLA and GEL nanofibres (PLA/GEL), as well as CNT-modified PLA nanofibres with GEL nanofibres (PLA + CNT/GEL), in the form of mats, were manufactured using concurrent-electrospinning technique (co-ES). The ability of such hybrid structures as potential scaffolds for tissue engineering was studied. Both types of hybrid samples and one-component PLA and CNTs-modified PLA mats were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), water contact angle measurements, and biological and mechanical tests. The morphology, microstructure, and selected properties of the materials were analyzed. Biocompatibility and bioactivity in contact with normal human osteoblasts (NHOst) were studied. The coelectrospun PLA and GEL nanofibres retained their structures in hybrid samples. Both types of hybrid nonwovens were not cytotoxic and showed better osteoinductivity in comparison to scaffolds made from pure PLA. These samples also showed significantly reduced hydrophobicity compared to one-component PLA nonwovens. The CNT-contained PLA nanofibres improved mechanical properties of hybrid samples and such a 3D system appears to be interesting for potential application as a tissue engineering scaffold. from # All Medicine by Alexandros G. Sfakianakis via alkiviadis.1961 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2wnkLf1

from OtoRhinoLaryngology - Alexandros G. Sfakianakis via Alexandros G.Sfakianakis on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2whJ0N1

[itsmedicinesfakianakis]

Prevalence of Severe and Profound Sensorineural Hearing Loss in School Children in West Bengal, India

Abstract

There is pressing need for reliable information about prevalence of sensorineural hearing loss in children in India. Without this basic information it is difficult to plan services on a rational basis. In this stratified cross sectional study, we aimed to determine the prevalence of severe and profound sensorineural hearing loss in school children in West Bengal, India. We hypothesized that all children with severe or profound hearing loss in elementary schools (age 6–14 years) would be among those identified as 'children with special need' because of their marked problems with hearing, speech or communication. First stratum of our study included all 6–14 years old mainstream elementary school 'children with special need', with known or suspected hearing problem. Second stratum covered all 6–14 years old hearing impaired children attending special schools. Comprehensive audiological assessment of 10,763 'children with special need' in mainstream elementary schools identified 3984 children showing severe or profound SNHL (≥71 dB). A further 1022 children were identified with similar loss in special schools, giving a total of 5006 children with severe or profound sensorineural loss among a school population of 8,654,057, with estimated prevalence of 0.58 (CI 0.57–0.59) per 1000 children. This is the first large scale study of the epidemiology of severe and profound sensorineural hearing loss in school children in India. Although further studies are needed from other parts of India, in the interim, findings of this study can form the basis for planning resource allocation, service provision, investigation into etiology and prevention of sensorineural deafness in children in India.

from #ORL via a.lsfakia on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2iJ1OAj via IFTTT from OtoRhinoLaryngology - Alexandros G. Sfakianakis via Alexandros G.Sfakianakis on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2x4pxAj

[itsmedicinesfakianakis]

Prevalence of Severe and Profound Sensorineural Hearing Loss in School Children in West Bengal, India

Abstract

There is pressing need for reliable information about prevalence of sensorineural hearing loss in children in India. Without this basic information it is difficult to plan services on a rational basis. In this stratified cross sectional study, we aimed to determine the prevalence of severe and profound sensorineural hearing loss in school children in West Bengal, India. We hypothesized that all children with severe or profound hearing loss in elementary schools (age 6–14 years) would be among those identified as ‘children with special need’ because of their marked problems with hearing, speech or communication. First stratum of our study included all 6–14 years old mainstream elementary school ‘children with special need’, with known or suspected hearing problem. Second stratum covered all 6–14 years old hearing impaired children attending special schools. Comprehensive audiological assessment of 10,763 ‘children with special need’ in mainstream elementary schools identified 3984 children showing severe or profound SNHL (≥71 dB). A further 1022 children were identified with similar loss in special schools, giving a total of 5006 children with severe or profound sensorineural loss among a school population of 8,654,057, with estimated prevalence of 0.58 (CI 0.57–0.59) per 1000 children. This is the first large scale study of the epidemiology of severe and profound sensorineural hearing loss in school children in India. Although further studies are needed from other parts of India, in the interim, findings of this study can form the basis for planning resource allocation, service provision, investigation into etiology and prevention of sensorineural deafness in children in India.

http://ift.tt/2iJ1OAj from OtoRhinoLaryngology - Alexandros G. Sfakianakis via Alexandros G.Sfakianakis on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2vEi9rO

[itsmedicinesfakianakis]

The views of children and young people on the use of silk garments for the treatment of eczema: a nested qualitative study within the CLOTHES randomised controlled trial

Summary

Background

Many children suffer with skin diseases, but to date, most dermatological research has been done 'on' rather than 'with' children; in this study we actively sought the experiences of children and young people. Atopic eczema (AE) is a chronic, itchy, inflammatory skin condition that affects around 20% of children and can impact on health and wellbeing for children and their families. The role of specialist clothing in the management of AE is poorly understood.

Objectives

The aim of this study, which was nested in a randomised controlled trial was to qualitatively examine child participants' experiences of using silk garments for the treatment of AE.

Methods

Eighteen children aged 5-15, who took part in the CLOTHES trial, participated in age-appropriate individual interviews or focus groups.

Results

Thematic analysis generated 4 themes directly related to the garments: i) expectations of the garments; ii) wearing the silk garments; iii) did they help? and iv) thoughts about the garments. The conclusions from this nested qualitative study are that: there was some limited improvement in eczema for some children but that the hoped for 'miracle cure' did not transpire. A mixed picture of knowledge, beliefs and experiences of using the silk garments emerged.

Conclusion

Engaging children in the evaluation of the garments provided first hand nuanced insights that enhanced understanding of the CLOTHES study as a whole. This nested study demonstrates that children can and indeed want to be engaged in dermatological research in meaningful ways that add to our understanding of treatment options.

This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

http://ift.tt/2vISopH from OtoRhinoLaryngology - Alexandros G. Sfakianakis via Alexandros G.Sfakianakis on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2x3RI2q

[itsmedicinesfakianakis]

Prevalence and determinants of seborrheic dermatitis in a middle aged and elderly population: the Rotterdam Study

Abstract

Background

Seborrheic dermatitis is a chronic relapsing inflammatory skin disease with unclear pathophysiological mechanisms.

Objective

To establish which lifestyle and physiological determinants are associated with seborrheic dermatitis.

Methods

Seborrheic dermatitis was diagnosed by a trained physician during a full body skin examination within the Rotterdam Study, a prospective population-based cohort study in middle aged and elderly. The current design is a comparative cross-sectional study embedded in the Rotterdam Study. Potential factors were identified from the literature and analysed in a multivariable logistic regression, including: age, sex, obesity, skin colour, stress, depression, education level, hypertension, climate, xerosis cutis, alcohol and tobacco use.

Results

Of the 5,498 participants, 788 participants were diagnosed with seborrheic dermatitis (14.3%). We found associations between seborrheic dermatitis and male sex (adjusted OR 2.09; 95% CI: 1.77-2.47), darker skin (adjusted OR 0.39; 95% CI: 0.22-0.69), season (summer vs winter: adjusted OR 0.63; 95% CI: 0.48-0.82) and generalized xerosis cutis (adjusted OR 1.41; 95% CI 1.12-1.80).

Conclusion

Seborrheic dermatitis is one of most common inflammatory dermatoses in middle and elderly aged individuals, especially during winter period. Men, and people with a light and dry skin were most likely to have seborrheic dermatitis.

This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

http://ift.tt/2vqMzBS from OtoRhinoLaryngology - Alexandros G. Sfakianakis via Alexandros G.Sfakianakis on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2vE6nhh

[itsmedicinesfakianakis]

Robust Fe3Mo3C Supported IrMn Clusters as Highly Efficient Bifunctional Air Electrode for Metal–Air Battery

Catalysts at the air cathode for oxygen reduction and evolution reactions are central to the... from OtoRhinoLaryngology - Alexandros G. Sfakianakis via Alexandros G.Sfakianakis on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2x3WQmV

[itsmedicinesfakianakis]

Integration of Graphene, Nano Sulfur, and Conducting Polymer into Compact, Flexible Lithium–Sulfur Battery Cathodes with Ultrahigh Volumetric Capacity and Superior Cycling Stability for Foldable Devices

Lithium–sulfur batteries, as one of the most promising next-generation batteries, attract tremendous... from OtoRhinoLaryngology - Alexandros G. Sfakianakis via Alexandros G.Sfakianakis on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2vEaqKe

[itsmedicinesfakianakis]

Robust Fe3Mo3C Supported IrMn Clusters as Highly Efficient Bifunctional Air Electrode for Metal–Air Battery

Catalysts at the air cathode for oxygen reduction and evolution reactions are central to the stability of rechargeable metal–air batteries, an issue that is gaining increasing interest in recent years. Herein, a highly durable and efficient carbide-based bifunctional catalyst consisting of iron–molybdenum carbide (Fe3Mo3C) and IrMn nanoalloys is demonstratred. This carbide is chemically stable in alkaline media and over the potential range of an air cathode. More importantly, Fe3Mo3C is very active for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in alkaline media. Fe3Mo3C supported IrMn as a bifunictional catalysts exhibits superior catalytic performance than the state of the art ORR catalyst (Pt/C) and the oxygen evolution reaction catalyst (Ir/C). IrMn/Fe3Mo3C enables Zn–air batteries to achieve long-term cycling performance over 200 h with high efficiency. The extraordinarily high performance of IrMn/Fe3Mo3C bifunictional catalyst provides a very promising alternative to the conventional Pt/C and Ir/C catalyst for an air cathode in alkaline electrolyte.

An efficient and cost-effective IrMn/Fe3Mo3C bifunctional catalyst is demonstrated that enables Zn–air battery to achieve long-term cycling performance over 200 h with high efficiency.

from # All Medicine by Alexandros G. Sfakianakis via alkiviadis.1961 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2x3JY09 from OtoRhinoLaryngology - Alexandros G. Sfakianakis via Alexandros G.Sfakianakis on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2vDxnNT

[itsmedicinesfakianakis]

Integration of Graphene, Nano Sulfur, and Conducting Polymer into Compact, Flexible Lithium–Sulfur Battery Cathodes with Ultrahigh Volumetric Capacity and Superior Cycling Stability for Foldable Devices

Lithium–sulfur batteries, as one of the most promising next-generation batteries, attract tremendous attentions due to their high energy density and low cost. However, their practical application is hindered by their short cycling life and low volumetric capacity. Herein, compact, flexible, and free-standing films with a sandwich structure are designed simply by vacuum filtration, in which nanosulfur is homogenously coated by graphene and poly(3,4-ethylene-dioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). This unique hierarchical structure not only provides a highly conductive network and intimate contacts between nanosulfur and graphene/PEDOT:PSS for effective charge transportation, but also offers synergistic physical restriction and chemical confinement of dissoluble intermediate lithium polysulfides during electrochemical processes. Therefore, these conductive compact films, used directly as cathodes, show the highest reversible volumetric capacity of 1432 Ah L−1 at 0.1 C and 1038 Ah L−1 at 1 C, and excellent cycling stability with a minimal decay rate of 0.04% per cycle over 500 cycles at 1 C. Meanwhile, remarkable rate performance with a high capacity of 701 mAh g−1 at 4 C is also achieved. Soft-packaged batteries based on this flexible cathode are further fabricated and demonstrate excellent mechanical and electrochemical properties with little capacity decay under folded state, highlighting the practical application of our deliberately designed electrode in a flexible power system.

A novel compact and flexible film with sandwich structure integrated with graphene, nanosulfur, and poly(3,4-ethylene-dioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) is synthesized simply by vacuum filtration. The free-standing film can be used directly as cathodes for lithium–sulfur coin cell batteries with a highest volumetric capacity and long-term cycling stability, and high-performance soft-packaged batteries.

from # All Medicine by Alexandros G. Sfakianakis via alkiviadis.1961 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2vDKSwJ from OtoRhinoLaryngology - Alexandros G. Sfakianakis via Alexandros G.Sfakianakis on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2x3YMft