Bone grafts to the nose in Binder's syndrome (maxillonasal dysplasia): a follow-up of eleven patients with the use of profile roentgenograms

Bone grafts are used to lengthen the dorsum and elevate the tip of the nose in patients with Binder's syndrome. Disappointing long-term results in some patients generally have been assumed to be a result of resorption and/or displacement of the grafts. Treatment outcome was studied in 11 patients with the use of serial profile roentgenograms. At 40 months, the mean values after surgery were reduction of the initial transplant length by 28 percent and reduction of the transplant angle by 4 degrees. The initial nose length was increased by 1 mm, and nose tip projection was increased by 2 mm. Although the mean changes of nose length and nose tip projection seemed small, treatment outcome varied considerably between patients. In contrast with earlier assumptions, no correlation could be found between the degree of transplant resorption and/or displacement and the effect of surgery on nose length and nose tip projection.     

Comparison of a contactor catalytic membrane reactor with a conventional reactor: example of wet air oxidation

A wet air oxidation reaction was carried out in a gas/liquid catalytic membrane reactor of the contactor type. The oxidation of formic acid was used as a model reaction. The mesoporous top-layer of a ceramic tubular membrane was used as catalyst (Pt) support, and was placed at the interface of the gas (air) and liquid (HCOOH solution) phases.

A similar reaction was carried out in a conventional batch reactor, using a steering rate high enough to avoid gas-diffusion limitations, and exactly identical conditions than for the CMR (amount of catalyst, pressure, etc.). At room temperature, the CMR showed an initial activity three to six times higher than the conventional reactor. This activity increase was attributed to an easier oxygen access to the catalytic sites. Nevertheless, the catalytic membrane gradually deactivated after a few hours of operation. Different deactivation mechanisms are presented.     

洗油组分的提取、应用及前景

介绍了目前提取洗油组分的主要工艺过程及洗油中各组分的应用情况,指出我国应加强洗油加工利用的研究和其产品的开发应用:首先必需建设大型洗油加工装置,采用多种加工工艺,提取煤焦油特有的组分;其次提高洗油加工产品的纯度,获得高附加值的产品。     

Automated extraction of DNA from blood and PCR setup using a Tecan Freedom EVO liquid handler for forensic genetic STR typing of reference samples

We have implemented and validated automated protocols for DNA extraction and PCR setup using a Tecan Freedom EVO liquid handler mounted with the Te-MagS magnetic separation device (Tecan, M?nnedorf, Switzerland). The protocols were validated for accredited forensic genetic work according to ISO 17025 using the Qiagen MagAttract DNA Mini M48 kit (Qiagen GmbH, Hilden, Germany) from fresh whole blood and blood from deceased individuals. The workflow was simplified by returning the DNA extracts to the original tubes minimizing the risk of misplacing samples. The tubes that originally contained the samples were washed with MilliQ water before the return of the DNA extracts. The PCR was setup in 96-well microtiter plates. The methods were validated for the kits: AmpF?STR Identifiler, SGM Plus and Yfiler (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA), GenePrint FFFL and PowerPlex Y (Promega, Madison, WI). The automated protocols allowed for extraction and addition of PCR master mix of 96 samples within 3.5h. In conclusion, we demonstrated that (1) DNA extraction with magnetic beads and (2) PCR setup for accredited, forensic genetic short tandem repeat typing can be implemented on a simple automated liquid handler leading to the reduction of manual work, and increased quality and throughput.     

Spacecraft formation reconfiguration with collision avoidance

In this paper we present a behavioral control solution for reconfiguration of a spacecraft formation using the Null-Space Based (NSB) concept. The solution is task based, and aims to reconfigure and maintain a rigid formation while avoiding collisions between spacecraft. A model of relative translation is derived, together with a passivity-based sliding surface controller which globally stabilizes the equilibrium point of the closed-loop system. The NSB control method is implemented by giving each task different priorities and then calculating desired velocity and a Jacobian matrix for each spacecraft and each task. The velocity vector for each task is then projected into the null-space for higher prioritized tasks to remove conflicting velocity components. Simulation results are presented, showing that each spacecraft moves into the predefined formation without breaking any rules for the higher priority tasks, and all collisions are avoided.     

Risk of road accident associated with the use of drugs: A systematic review and meta-analysis of evidence from epidemiological studies

This paper is a corrigendum to a previously published paper where errors were detected. The errors have been corrected in this paper. The paper is otherwise identical to the previously published paper. A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that have assessed the risk of accident associated with the use of drugs when driving is presented. The meta-analysis included 66 studies containing a total of 264 estimates of the effects on accident risk of using illicit or prescribed drugs when driving. Summary estimates of the odds ratio of accident involvement are presented for amphetamines, analgesics, anti-asthmatics, anti-depressives, anti-histamines, benzodiazepines, cannabis, cocaine, opiates, penicillin and zopiclone (a sleeping pill). For most of the drugs, small or moderate increases in accident risk associated with the use of the drugs were found. Information about whether the drugs were actually used while driving and about the doses used was often imprecise. Most studies that have evaluated the presence of a dose-response relationship between the dose of drugs taken and the effects on accident risk confirm the existence of a dose-response relationship. Use of drugs while driving tends to have a larger effect on the risk of fatal and serious injury accidents than on the risk of less serious accidents (usually property-damage-only accidents). The quality of the studies that have assessed risk varied greatly. There was a tendency for the estimated effects of drug use on accident risk to be smaller in well-controlled studies than in poorly controlled studies. Evidence of publication bias was found for some drugs. The associations found cannot be interpreted as causal relationships, principally because most studies do not control very well for potentially confounding factors.     

Trace Elements in the Si Furnace-Part II: Analysis of Condensate in Carbothermal Reduction of Quartz

Silicon feedstock for production of solar-grade silicon should be as pure as possible to decrease the cost of manufacturing of solar cells. Impurities in quartz, carbonaceous materials, electrodes, and refractories are mostly present in the form of oxides. These oxides can be reduced to volatile gaseous compounds in presence of SiO(g) and CO(g) atmosphere and potentially leave the furnace or stay in the condensed reaction products, metal, and slag. This work investigates the conditions under which volatile impurities report to the gas phase in laboratory experiments with lumpy and pelletized mixtures of SiO₂, SiC, and Si at 1923 K and 2123 K (1650 °C and 1850 °C), respectively, were carried out. The volatile compounds were generated by the reduction of quartz and collected in the form of condensate. The effects of the reaction temperature, quartz type, charge composition, pellets, and lumps on the composition of the condensate were studied. The trace elements in the charge input, reacting charge, and condensate were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma (ICP)-mass spectroscopy (MS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). CO(g) and SiO(g), which are the major components in reduction reactions, formed four types of condensate: white, brown, green, and orange. The condensate constituents were amorphous SiO₂, 3C:SiC, Si, and α-quartz. Each impurity present in the quartz charge entered the gas phase during quartz reduction and was detected in the condensate. Al and Fe show limited volatility. The volatility of Mn, P, and B depends on the charge mix: a higher P_CO enhances the concentration of these elements in the gas phase. Fluid inclusions, common in hydrothermal quartz, enhance the distribution of the contaminants to the gas phase. Industrial campaigns on Si and Fe-Si production confirm the experimental results.     

Enhanced O2 Flux of CaTi0.85Fe0.15O3−δ Based Membranes by Mn Doping

Dense symmetric membranes of CaTi_0.85?xFe_0.15Mn_xO_3?δ (x = 0.1, 0.15, 0.25, 0.4) are investigated in order to determine the optimal Mn dopant content with respect to highest O₂ flux. O₂ permeation measurements are performed as function of temperature between 700°C–1000°C and as function of the feed side ranging between 0.01 and 1 bar. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy is utilized to elucidate the charge state of Mn, and synchrotron radiation X‐ray powder diffraction (SR‐XPD) is employed to investigate the structure symmetry and cell volume of the perovskite phase at temperatures up to 800°C. The highest O₂ permeability is found for x = 0.25 over the whole temperature and ranges, followed by x = 0.4 above 850°C. The O₂ permeability for x = 0.25 reaches 0.01 mL(STP) min^?1 cm^?1 at 925°C with 0.21 bar feed side and Ar sweep gas. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicates that the charge state of Mn changes from approx. +3 to +4 when x > 0.1, which implies that Mn mainly improves electronic conductivity for x > 0.1. The cell volume is found to decrease linearly with Mn content, which coincides with an increase in the activation energy of O₂ permeability. These results are consistent with the interpretation of the temperature and dependency of O₂ permeation. The sintering behavior and thermal expansion properties are investigated by dilatometry, which show improved sinterability with increasing Mn content and that the thermal expansion coefficient decreases from 12.4 to 11.9 × 10^?6 K^?1 for x = 0 and x = 0.25, respectively.     

Coffee and cancer risk,epidemiological evidence,and molecular mechanisms

Although early studies suggested that coffee consumption might increase risk of some cancers, more comprehensive epidemiological and experimental data now generally indicate either neutral or beneficial effects. In this review, we summarize the current evidence for associations between breast, prostate, colorectal, and liver cancers and the consumption of coffee, and discuss the experimental evidence for potential chemopreventive mechanisms of coffee and coffee constituents. The epidemiological evidence consistently indicates that coffee protects against liver cancer, and also point toward protective effects for risk of colorectal cancers (with relative risks of 0.50 (95% CI: 0.42–0.59) and 0.83 (95% CI: 0.75–0.92), respectively, in the most recent meta‐analyses). There seems to be no association between the overall risk of breast and prostate cancer and coffee intake. However, for subgroups such as postmenopausal breast cancers, advanced prostate cancers, and breast and prostate cancer survivors, an inverse association with coffee intake is indicated. Potential mechanisms for chemopreventive effects of coffee phytochemicals includes inhibition of oxidative stress and oxidative damage, regulation of DNA repair, phase II enzymatic activity, apoptosis, inflammation, as well as having antiproliferative, antiangiogenetic effects and antimetastatic effects. The experimental evidence for effects of coffee and coffee constituents on each of these processes is discussed.     

Assessing the validity of road safety evaluation studies by analysing causal chains

This paper discusses how the validity of road safety evaluation studies can be assessed by analysing causal chains. A causal chain denotes the path through which a road safety measure influences the number of accidents. Two cases are examined. One involves chemical de-icing of roads (salting). The intended causal chain of this measure is: spread of salt --> removal of snow and ice from the road surface --> improved friction --> shorter stopping distance --> fewer accidents. A Norwegian study that evaluated the effects of salting on accident rate provides information that describes this causal chain. This information indicates that the study overestimated the effect of salting on accident rate, and suggests that this estimate is influenced by confounding variables the study did not control for. The other case involves a traffic club for children. The intended causal chain in this study was: join the club --> improve knowledge --> improve behaviour --> reduce accident rate. In this case, results are rather messy, which suggests that the observed difference in accident rate between members and non-members of the traffic club is not primarily attributable to membership in the club. The two cases show that by analysing causal chains, one may uncover confounding factors that were not adequately controlled in a study. Lack of control for confounding factors remains the most serious threat to the validity of road safety evaluation studies.