Application of multi-sensor advanced DInSAR analysis to severe land subsidence recognition: Alto Guadalentín Basin (Spain)

Multi-sensor advanced DInSAR analyses have been performed and compared with two GPS station measurements, in order to evaluate the land subsidence evolution in a 20-year period, in the Alto Guadalentín Basin where the highest rate of man-induced subsidence (> 10 cm yr−1) of Europe had been detected. The control mechanisms have been examined comparing the advanced DInSAR data with conditioning and triggering factors (i.e. isobaths of Plio-Quaternary deposits, soft soil thickness and piezometric level).

Effect of cyclic pneumatic soft tissue compression on simulated distal radius fractures

We investigated the effect of pneumatic pressure applied to the proximal musculature of the sheep foreleg on load at the site of a transverse osteotomy of the distal radius. The distal radii of 10 fresh sheep foreleg specimens were osteotomized and a pressure sensor was inserted between the two bone fragments. An inflatable cuff, connected to a second pressure sensor, was positioned around the proximal forelimb musculature and the leg then was immobilized in a plaster cast. The inflatable cuff was inflated and deflated repeatedly to various pressures. Measurements of the cuff pressure and corresponding change in pressure at the osteotomy site were recorded. The results indicated that application of pneumatic pressure to the proximal foreleg musculature produced a corresponding increase in load at the osteotomy site. For the cuff pressures tested (109.8-238.4 mm Hg), there was a linear correlation with the load at the osteotomy site with a gradient of 12 mm Hg/N. It is conceivable, based on the results of this study, that a technique could be developed to provide dynamic loading to accelerate fracture healing in the upper limb of humans.

Soft computing based parameter identification in pavements and geomechanical systems

Accurate estimation of road pavement geometry and layer material properties through the use of proper nondestructive testing and sensor technologies is essential for evaluating pavement’s structural condition and determining options for maintenance and rehabilitation. For these purposes, pavement deflection basins produced by the nondestructive Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) test data are commonly used. The nondestructive FWD test drops weights on the pavement to simulate traffic loads and measures the created pavement deflection basins. Backcalculation of pavement geometry and layer properties using FWD deflections is a difficult inverse problem, and the solution with conventional mathematical methods is often challenging due to the ill-posed nature of the problem. In this dissertation, a hybrid algorithm was developed to seek robust and fast solutions to this inverse problem. The algorithm is based on soft computing techniques, mainly Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) and Genetic Algorithms (GAs) as well as the use of numerical analysis techniques to properly simulate the geomechanical system. A widely used pavement layered analysis program ILLI-PAVE was employed in the analyses of flexible pavements of various pavement types; including full-depth asphalt and conventional flexible pavements, were built on either lime stabilized soils or untreated subgrade. Nonlinear properties of the subgrade soil and the base course aggregate as transportation geomaterials were also considered. A computer program, Soft Computing Based System Identifier or SOFTSYS, was developed. In SOFTSYS, ANNs were used as surrogate models to provide faster solutions of the nonlinear finite element program ILLI-PAVE. The deflections obtained from FWD tests in the field were matched with the predictions obtained from the numerical simulations to develop SOFTSYS models. The solution to the inverse problem for multi-layered pavements is computationally hard to achieve and is often not feasible due to field variability and quality of the collected data. The primary difficulty in the analysis arises from the substantial increase in the degree of non-uniqueness of the mapping from the pavement layer parameters to the FWD deflections. The insensitivity of some layer properties lowered SOFTSYS model performances. Still, SOFTSYS models were shown to work effectively with the synthetic data obtained from ILLI-PAVE finite element solutions. In general, SOFTSYS solutions very closely matched the ILLI-PAVE mechanistic pavement analysis results. For SOFTSYS validation, field collected FWD data were successfully used to predict pavement layer thicknesses and layer moduli of in-service flexible pavements. Some of the very promising SOFTSYS results indicated average absolute errors on the order of 2%, 7%, and 4% for the Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) thickness estimation of full-depth asphalt pavements, full-depth pavements on lime stabilized soils and conventional flexible pavements, respectively. The field validations of SOFTSYS data also produced meaningful results. The thickness data obtained from Ground Penetrating Radar testing matched reasonably well with predictions from SOFTSYS models. The differences observed in the HMA and lime stabilized soil layer thicknesses observed were attributed to deflection data variability from FWD tests. The backcalculated asphalt concrete layer thickness results matched better in the case of full-depth asphalt flexible pavements built on lime stabilized soils compared to conventional flexible pavements. Overall, SOFTSYS was capable of producing reliable thickness estimates despite the variability of field constructed asphalt layer thicknesses.

Ihwg-μnir: A Miniaturised Near-infrared Gas Sensor Based On Substrate-integrated Hollow Waveguides Coupled To A Micro-nir-spectrophotometer.

A miniaturised gas analyser is described and evaluated based on the use of a substrate-integrated hollow waveguide (iHWG) coupled to a microsized near-infrared spectrophotometer comprising a linear variable filter and an array of InGaAs detectors. This gas sensing system was applied to analyse surrogate samples of natural fuel gas containing methane, ethane, propane and butane, quantified by using multivariate regression models based on partial least square (PLS) algorithms and Savitzky-Golay 1(st) derivative data preprocessing. The external validation of the obtained models reveals root mean square errors of prediction of 0.37, 0.36, 0.67 and 0.37% (v/v), for methane, ethane, propane and butane, respectively. The developed sensing system provides particularly rapid response times upon composition changes of the gaseous sample (approximately 2 s) due the minute volume of the iHWG-based measurement cell. The sensing system developed in this study is fully portable with a hand-held sized analyser footprint, and thus ideally suited for field analysis. Last but not least, the obtained results corroborate the potential of NIR-iHWG analysers for monitoring the quality of natural gas and petrochemical gaseous products.

Comparative Study Of Planned And Unplanned Excisions For The Treatment Of Soft Tissue Sarcoma Of The Extremities.

Unplanned excision of soft tissue sarcomas is common because benign soft tissue lesions are very frequent. This study evaluated the impact of unplanned resections on overall survival, local recurrence and distant metastasis in patients with soft tissue sarcomas of the extremities. In total, 52 patients who were diagnosed with soft tissue sarcomas between May 2001 and March 2011 were analyzed in a retrospective study. Of these patients, 29 (55.8%) had not undergone previous treatment and the remaining 23 (44.2%) patients had undergone prior resection of the tumor without oncological planning. All subsequent surgical procedures were performed at the same cancer referral center. The follow-up ranged from 6 to 122 months, with a mean of 39.89 months. Age, lesion size and depth, histological grade, surgical margins, overall survival, local and distant recurrence and adjuvant therapies were compared. Residual disease was observed in 91.3% of the re-resected specimens in the unplanned excision group, which exhibited greater numbers of superficial lesions, low histological grades and contaminated surgical margins compared with the re-resected specimens in the planned excision group. No differences were observed in local recurrence and 5-year overall survival between the groups, but distant metastases were significantly associated with planned excision after adjustment for the variables. There was no difference between patients undergoing unplanned excision and planned excision regarding local recurrence and overall survival. The planned excision group had a higher risk of distant metastasis, whereas there was a high rate of residual cancer in the unplanned excision group.

Evaluation Of Soft-tissue Lesions With (18)f-fdg Pet/ct: Initial Results Of A Prospective Trial.

Although MRI is utilized for planning the resection of soft-tissue tumors, it is not always capable of differentiating benign from malignant lesions. The risk of local recurrence of soft-tissue sarcomas is increased when biopsies are performed before resection and by inadequate resections. PET associated with computed tomography using fluorodeoxyglucose labeled with fluorine-18 ((18)F-FDG PET/CT) may help differentiate between benign and malignant tumors, thus avoiding inadequate resections and making prior biopsies unnecessary. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of (18)F-FDG PET/CT in differentiating benign from malignant solid soft-tissue lesions. Patients with solid lesions of the limbs or abdominal wall detected by MRI were submitted to (18)F-FDG PET/CT. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) cutoff was determined to differentiate malignant from benign tumors. Regardless of the (18)F-FDG PET/CT results all patients underwent biopsy and surgery. MRI was performed in 54 patients, and 10 patients were excluded because of purely lipomatose or cystic lesions. (18)F-FDG PET/CT was performed in the remaining 44 patients. Histopathology revealed 26 (59%) benign and 18 (41%) malignant soft-tissue lesions. A significant difference in SUVmax was observed between benign and malignant soft-tissue lesions. The SUVmax cutoff of 3.0 differentiated malignant from benign lesions with 100% sensitivity, 83.3% specificity, 89.6% accuracy, 78.3% positive predictive value, and 100% negative predictive value. (18)F-FDG PET/CT seems to be able to differentiate benign from malignant soft-tissue lesions with good accuracy and very high negative predictive value. Incorporating (18)F-FDG PET/CT into the diagnostic algorithm of these patients may prevent inadequate resections and unnecessary biopsies.

A comparison of skeletal, dentoalveolar and soft tissue characteristics in white and black Brazilian subjects

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare skeletal, dentoalveolar and soft tissue characteristics in white and black Brazilian subjects presenting normal occlusions. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The sample comprised the lateral cephalograms of 106 untreated Brazilian subjects with normal occlusion, divided into two groups: Group 1- 50 white subjects (25 of each gender), at a mean age of 13.17 years (standard deviation 1.07); and Group 2- 56 black subjects (28 of each gender), at a mean age of 13.24 years (standard deviation 0.56). Variables studied were obtained from several cephalometric analyses. Independent t tests were used for intergroup comparison and to determine sexual dimorphism. RESULTS: black subjects presented a more protruded maxilla and mandible, a smaller chin prominence and a greater maxillomandibular discrepancy than white subjects. Blacks presented a more horizontal craniofacial growth pattern than whites. Maxillary and mandibular incisors presented more protruded and proclined in black subjects. The nasolabial angle was larger in whites. Upper and lower lips were more protruded in blacks than in whites. CONCLUSIONS: The present study found a bimaxillary skeletal, dentoalveolar and soft tissue protrusion in black Brazilian subjects compared to white Brazilian subjects, both groups with normal occlusion. Upper and lower lips showed to be more protruded in blacks, but lip thickness was similar in both groups.

Sensitivity to halothane and its relationship to the development of PSE (Pale, Soft, Exudative) meat in female lineage broilers

This work aimed to evaluate female lineage broilers for halothane sensitivity and for their susceptibility to the subsequent development of PSE meat. The halothane test was carried out in an anesthetic chamber with 3.0% halothane. The unconscious birds were examined for leg muscle rigidity. If one or both legs became extended and rigid, the birds were classified as halothane sensitive (HAL+), while unresponsive birds were classified as halothane negative (HAL-). The results showed that of 298 birds aged 42 days old, 95.6% were HAL- and 4.4% were HAL+. A sample of pectoralis major muscle was collected from HAL- (n=105) and HAL+ (n=13) birds. The pH and breast fillet color were determined at 4ºC, 24 hours post-mortem. Interestingly, only 2.5% of HAL+ birds displayed PSE meat characteristics compared to 12.7% of HAL- individuals. The halothane test demonstrated that female lineage broilers displayed very little sensitivity towards halothane, indicating that the development of PSE meat is related to other environmental factors.

Resultados preliminares de um algoritmo para ablação de lente de contato personalizada

OBJETIVO: Desenvolver simulação computadorizada de ablação para produzir lentes de contato personalizadas a fim de corrigir aberrações de alta ordem. MÉTODOS: Usando dados reais de um paciente com ceratocone, mensurados em um aberrômetro ("wavefront") com sensor Hartmann-Shack, foram determinados as espessuras de lentes de contato que compensam essas aberrações assim como os números de pulsos necessários para fazer ablação as lentes especificamente para este paciente. RESULTADOS: Os mapas de correção são apresentados e os números dos pulsos foram calculados, usando feixes com a largura de 0,5 mm e profundidade de ablação de 0,3 µm. CONCLUSÕES: Os resultados simulados foram promissores, mas ainda precisam ser aprimorados para que o sistema de ablação "real" possa alcançar a precisão desejada.

Measuring air pressure with a polymeric gas sensor

In this communication we describe the application of a conductive polymer gas sensor as an air pressure sensor. The device consists of a thin doped poly(4'-hexyloxy-2,5-biphenylene ethylene) (PHBPE) film deposited on an interdigitated metallic electrode. The sensor is cheap, easy to fabricate, lasts for several months, and is suitable for measuring air pressures in the range between 100 and 700 mmHg.

Template-based fluoroethylenepropylene piezoelectrets with tubular channels for transducer applications

We describe the concept, the fabrication, and the most relevant properties of a piezoelectric-polymer system: Two fluoroethylenepropylene (FEP) films with good electret properties are laminated around a specifically designed and prepared polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) template at 300 degrees C. After removing the PTFE template, a two-layer FEP film with open tubular channels is obtained. For electric charging, the two-layer FEP system is subjected to a high electric field. The resulting dielectric barrier discharges inside the tubular channels yield a ferroelectret with high piezoelectricity. d(33) coefficients of up to 160 pC/N have already been achieved on the ferroelectret films. After charging at suitable elevated temperatures, the piezoelectricity is stable at temperatures of at least 130 degrees C. Advantages of the transducer films include ease of fabrication at laboratory or industrial scales, a wide range of possible geometrical and processing parameters, straightforward control of the uniformity of the polymer system, flexibility, and versatility of the soft ferroelectrets, and a large potential for device applications e.g., in the areas of biomedicine, communications, production engineering, sensor systems, environmental monitoring, etc.

Vascular endothelial growth factor expression and microvascular density in soft tissue sarcomas in dogs

The aim of the current study was to evaluate the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and the microvascular density in canine soft-tissue sarcomas. Immunohistochemistry for VEGF expression was performed on 20 canine neoplasms by the streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase method using an anti-VEGF mouse monoclonal antibody (ab-119). The Volume fraction of microvessels in the sarcomas was quantified in hematoxylin and eosin-stained tissue sections. At least 10 fields of view (40x magnification) per neoplasm were analyzed by positioning a grid with 100 points and counting the microvessels that fell into the intersection points. This percentage was considered the volume fraction of these microvessels in the tumor section. VEGF expression was detected in 65% of the neoplasms. In 92.3% of the neoplasms, the expression occurred in the peritumor region; in 46.15%, in the intratumor region; and in 38.46%, the expression was present in both regions. The cells responsible for VEGF expression were fibroblasts and macrophages in the peritumor region or in the pseudocapsule and neoplastic cells in the intratumor region. Greater intratumoral VEGF was expressed in hemangiopericytomas (P = 0.04). No difference was present in the volume fraction of tumor microvessels between VEGF-positive and VEGF-negative neoplasms (P = 0.3416) or for the different types of neoplasms (P = 0.5). The results of this study suggest that VEGF participates in the angiogenesis of soft-tissue sat-coma in dogs. Additional research will be necessary to elucidate the contribution of VEGF to the progression of malignancy.

Soft tissue profile in white Brazilian adults with normal occlusions and well-balanced faces

Objective: To analyze anteroposterior soft tissue facial parameters for a sample of white Brazilian adults and to compare these measurements with the values proposed for white North American adults. Materials and Methods: Facial profile photographs were taken of 59 white Brazilians (30 men and 29 women) with normal occlusions and balanced faces with ages ranging from 18 to 30 years. The independent Student's t-test (P < .05) was used to compare the soft tissue parameters of the Brazilians with those of the North Americans. Results: White Brazilian women presented a less protruded face compared with white American women except for the glabella region. White Brazilian women showed a smaller nasal projection, less protruded upper and lower lips, a more obtuse nasolabial angle, and a smaller projection of the B' point and chin than white American women. Conversely, the two male groups demonstrated less evident soft tissue profile differences, with the exception of the nose projection, which was smaller in white Brazilian men than in white American men. Conclusions: A universal standard of facial esthetic is not applicable to diverse white populations. Differences regarding the soft tissue profile features were found between white Brazilians and white Americans. These differences should be considered in the orthodontic/orthognathic surgery diagnosis and treatment plan for white Brazilians together with the patient's individual opinion and perception of beauty.

SOFT TISSUE INTEGRATION IN THE NECK AREA OF TITANIUM IMPLANTS - AN ANIMAL TRIAL

Dental implant materials are required to enable good apposition of bone and soft tissues. They must show sufficient resistance to chemical, physical and biological stress in the oral cavity to achieve good long-term outcomes. A critical issue is the apposition of the soft tissues, as they have provided a quasi-physiological closure of oral cavity. The present experiment was performed to study the peri-implant tissue response to non-submerged (1-stage) implant installation procedures. Two different implants types (NobelBiocare, NobelReplace (R) Tapered Groovy 4.3 x 10 mm and Replace (R) Select Tapered TiU RP 4.3 x 10 mm) were inserted into the right and left sides of 8 domestic pigs (Sus scrofa domestica) mandibles, between canines and premolars and immediately provided with a ceramic crown. Primary implant stability was determined using ressonance frequency analysis. Soft tissue parameters were assessed: sulcus depth (SDI) and junctional epithelium (JE). Following 70 days of healing, jaw sections were processed for histology and histomorphometric examination. Undecalcified histological sections demonstrated osseointegration with direct bone contact. The soft tissue parameters revealed no significant differences between the two implant types. The peri-implant soft tissues appear to behave similarly in both implant types.

Active waveguide effects from porous anodic alumina: An optical sensor proposition

We present in this paper an active waveguide effect observed in porous anodic alumina (PA), which can be applied in optical sensors. The spectral position, shape, and polarization effect of the narrow waveguide modes is described. An analytical test with a commercial pesticide was performed. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3447375]