Algies après cure de hernie inguinale: que faire [Pain after inguinal hernia repair: what to do?]

Hernia repair one of the most frequently performed operations in general surgery. With the introduction of tension-free mesh repair, recurrence rates dropped well below 5% for open and laparoscopic procedures. However, chronic postoperative pain remains a widely neglected complication with a high socio-economic impact. It occurs in about 10-20% of patients after hernia repair. We review the different types of post-herniorrhaphy pain with the typical diagnostic features and we conclude with a pragmatic algorithm based on our clinical experience.

Constraining 3-D electrical resistance tomography with GPR reflection data forimproved aquifer characterization

Surface-based ground penetrating radar (GPR) and electrical resistance tomography (ERT) are common tools for aquifer characterization, because both methods provide data that are sensitive to hydrogeologically relevant quantities. To retrieve bulk subsurface properties at high resolution, we suggest incorporating structural information derived from GPR reflection data when inverting surface ERT data. This reduces resolution limitations, which might hinder quantitative interpretations. Surface-based GPR reflection and ERT data have been recorded on an exposed gravel bar within a restored section of a previously channelized river in northeastern Switzerland to characterize an underlying gravel aquifer. The GPR reflection data acquired over an area of 240×40 m map the aquifer's thickness and two internal sub-horizontal regions with different depositional patterns. The interface between these two regions and the boundary of the aquifer with then underlying clay are incorporated in an unstructured ERT mesh. Subsequent inversions are performed without applying smoothness constraints across these boundaries. Inversion models obtained by using these structural constraints contain subtle resistivity variations within the aquifer that are hardly visible in standard inversion models as a result of strong vertical smearing in the latter. In the upper aquifer region, with high GPR coherency and horizontal layering, the resistivity is moderately high (N300 Ωm). We suggest that this region consists of sediments that were rearranged during more than a century of channelized flow. In the lower low coherency region, the GPR image reveals fluvial features (e.g., foresets) and generally more heterogeneous deposits. In this region, the resistivity is lower (~200 Ωm), which we attribute to increased amounts of fines in some of the well-sorted fluvial deposits. We also find elongated conductive anomalies that correspond to the location of river embankments that were removed in 2002.

Performance of Various Thicknesses of Portland Cement Concrete, HR-9, 30 Year Report, 1981

If adequately designed and high quality material and good construction practices are used, portland cement concrete is very durable. This is demonstrated by the oldest pavement in Iowa (second oldest in the U.S.) paved in 1904, which performed well for 70 years without resurfacing. The design thickness is an important factor in both the performance and cost of pavement. The objective of this paper is to provide a 30-year performance evaluation of a pavement constructed to determine the required design thickness for low volume secondary roadways. In 1951 Greene County and the Iowa Highway Research Board of the Iowa Department of Transportation initiated a four-mile (6.4 km) demonstration project to evaluate thicknesses ranging from 4-1/2" (11.4 cm) to 6" (15.2 cm). The project, consisting of 10 research sections, was formed pavement placed on a gravel roadbed with very little preparation except for redistribution of the loose aggregate. Eight sections were non-reinforced except for centerline tie bars and no contraction joints were used. Mesh reinforcing and contraction joints spaced at 29' 7" (9.02 m) intervals were used in two 4-1/2" (11.4 cm) thick sections. The only air entrained section was non-reinforced. The pavement performed well over its 30-year life carrying a light volume of traffic and did not require major maintenance. There was substantial cracking with average slab length varying directly with thickness. The 4-1/2" (11.4 cm) thick non-air entrained, mesh-reinforced pavement with contraction joints has performed the best.

A Fifteen Year Performance Summary of Fibrous PC Concrete Overlay Research in Greene County, Iowa, HR-165, 1989

The Greene County, Iowa, overlay project, completed in October 1973, was evaluated in October 1978, after five years in October 1983, after ten years and most recently in October 1988 after fifteen years of service. The 33 fibrous concrete sections, four CRCP sections, two mesh reinforced and two plain concrete sections with doweled reinforcement were rated relative to each other on a scale of 0 to 100. The rating was conducted by original members of the Project Planning Committee, Iowa DOT, Iowa County, Federal Highway Administration and industry representatives. In all, there were 23, 25 and 17 representatives who rated the project in 1978, 1983 and 1988 respectively. The 23, 25 or 17 values were then averaged to provide a final rating number for each section or variable. All experimental overlay sections had performed quite well in the period from five through 15 years, experiencing only limited additional deterioration.

A Ten Year Performance Summary of Fibrous PC Concrete Overlay Research in Greene County, Iowa, HR-165, 1984

The Greene County, Iowa, overlay project, completed in October, 1973, was evaluated in October, 1978, after five years of service and most recently in October, 1983, after ten years of service. The 33 fibrous concrete sections, four CRCP sections, two mesh reinforced and two plain concrete sections with doweled reinforcement were rated relative to each other on a scale of 0 to 100. The rating was conducted by original members of the Project Planning Committee, Iowa DOT, Iowa County, Federal Highway Administration, University of Illinois and industry representatives. In all, there were 23 and 24 representatives who rated the project in 1978 and 1983 respectively. The 23 or 24 values were then averaged to provide a final rating number for each section or variable. All experimental overlay sections had performed quite well in the period from five through 10 years, experiencing only limited additional deterioration. Based upon this relatively good performance through 10 years, the sections will be maintained for further research with another evaluation at 15 years. The 4" thick nonfibrous mesh reinforced continuous reinforced concrete pavement overlay sections provided the best performance in this research project. Another nonfibrous 5" thick bar reinforced overlay section performed almost as well. The best performance of a fibrous reinforced concrete section was obtained with 160 pounds of fiber per cubic yard.

Elgard Cathodic Protection System, HR-553, 1995

Following is the Operations Manual for the Pennsylvania Ave Bridge over I-235 located in Des Moines, Iowa, which was installed from July 1992 to October 1992. The project uses ELGARD™ 210 Anode Mesh and is divided into 3 zones. Periodic data collection and/or inspection of the cathodic protection system is required to insure proper operation and a long life. This Operation Manual contains a schedule, operation procedures, operation log forms, a rectifier panel drawing, and pertinent reference matenal. Operation procedures and operating records are contained in the body of the manual, while blank operation forms, as built drawings, and pertinent reference material are contained in the appendices.

Cathodic Protection for a Continuous Box Girder Bridge Deck, HR-553, 1993

Bridge deck deterioration due to corrosive effect of deicers on reinforcing steel is a major problem facing many agencies. Cathodic protection is one method used to prevent reinforcing steel corrosion. The application of a direct current to the embedded reinforcing steel and a sacrificial anode protects the steel from corrosion. This 1992 project involved placing an Elgard Titanium Anode Mesh Cathodic Protection System on a bridge deck. The anode was fastened to the deck after the Class A repair-work and the overlay was placed using the Iowa Low Slump Dense Concrete System. The system was set up initially at 1 mA/sq ft.

Laboratory Study of the Leachate from Crushed Portland Cement Concrete Base Material, MLR-96-04, 1999

Since the 1980s, the Iowa Department of Transportation has increased its use of recycled Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) as drainable base material below some new pavements. Water flowing out of the longitudinal drains on projects having recycled PCC drainable bases was found to have a high pH value. The high pH water impedes vegetation growth and becomes a contributing factor to soil erosion at the drain outlet. In addition, the high pH water contributes to the growth of crystalline deposits on the drain outlet wire mesh rodent guard and in some cases caused it to become completely blocked. This research determined which of three choices of recycled PCC drainable base material, gradation, and design would give the lowest pH value in the drain discharge water. The drainable base material having its fines separated out and placed as a 2-in. (5.1-mm) bottom layer, below the remaining coarse material, generally gave pH values around 11.2 while other designs tested gave pH values around 11.5.

Iowa System of Bridge Deck Rehabilitation with Cathodic Protection, HR-1044, 1986

Bridge deck and substructure deterioration due to the corrosive effects of deicing chemicals on reinforcing steel is a problem facing many transportation agencies. The main concern is protection of older bridges with uncoated reinforcing steel. Many different methods have been tried over the past years to repair bridge decks. The Iowa system of bridge deck rehabilitation has proven to be very effective. It consists of scarifying the deck surface, removing any deteriorated concrete, and overlaying with low slump dense concrete. Another rehabilitation method that has emerged is cathodic protection. It has been used for many years in the protection of underground pipelines and in 1973 was first installed on a bridge deck. Cathodic protection works by applying an external source of direct current to the embedded reinforcing steel, thereby changing the electrochemical process of corrosion. The corroding steel, which is anodic, is protected by changing it to a cathodic state. The technology involved in cathodic protection as applied to bridge decks has improved over the last 12 years. One company marketing new technology in cathodic protection systems is Raychem Corporation of Menlo Park, California. Their system utilizes a Ferex anode mesh that distributes the impressed direct current over the deck surface. Ferex mesh was selected because it seemed readily adaptable to the Iowa system of bridge deck rehabilitation. The bridge deck would be scarified, deteriorated concrete removed, Ferex anode mesh installed, and overlaid with low slump dense concrete. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) promotes cathodic protection under Demonstration Project No. 34, "Cathodic Protection for Reinforced Concrete Bridge Decks."

1228-013 Center Lake Watershed Final Report

A targeted approach is being used in the Iowa Great Lakes Watershed with a keystone project featured within this project application in the heavily urbanized Center Lake Watershed. As identified in the Iowa Great Lakes Watershed Management Plan, urban runoff is the only remaining watershed concern in the Center Lake Watershed as the map in the attachments clearly shows. Fully one third of the watershed concerns of Center Lake will be treated through the installation of 7 keystone urban practices and will remove 63 pounds of phosphorous from entering the lake annually. Due to the interconnectedness of the Iowa Great Lakes (IGL), the watershed has been broken down into sub units called Resource Management Areas (RMA's) for priority practice implementation. This project will mesh with the existing Iowa Great Lakes Watershed Management Plan by reducing pollutant loads from the highest priority RMA's which are resulting in impaired water bodies. The majority of the funding needed for the specific practices specified in this proposal has already been secured through the Iowa DNR Section 319 and Lake Restoration Programs, The Water Quality Commission and the City of Spirit Lake. This funding request will simply bring the overall cost of these keystone practices into the range of affordability for the committed funders and the City of Spirit Lake

An Adaptive Remeshing Procedure for Proximity Maneuvering Spacecraft Formations

We consider a methodology to optimally obtain reconfigurations of spacecraft formations. It is based on the discretization of the time interval in subintervals (called the mesh) and the obtainment of local solutions on them as a result of a variational method. Applied to a libration point orbit scenario, in this work we focus on how to find optimal meshes using an adaptive remeshing procedure and on the determination of the parameter that governs it

A numeric model to simulate solar individual ultraviolet exposure.

Exposure to solar ultraviolet (UV) light is the main causative factor for skin cancer. UV exposure depends on environmental and individual factors. Individual exposure data remain scarce and development of alternative assessment methods is greatly needed. We developed a model simulating human exposure to solar UV. The model predicts the dose and distribution of UV exposure received on the basis of ground irradiation and morphological data. Standard 3D computer graphics techniques were adapted to develop a rendering engine that estimates the solar exposure of a virtual manikin depicted as a triangle mesh surface. The amount of solar energy received by each triangle was calculated, taking into account reflected, direct and diffuse radiation, and shading from other body parts. Dosimetric measurements (n = 54) were conducted in field conditions using a foam manikin as surrogate for an exposed individual. Dosimetric results were compared to the model predictions. The model predicted exposure to solar UV adequately. The symmetric mean absolute percentage error was 13%. Half of the predictions were within 17% range of the measurements. This model provides a tool to assess outdoor occupational and recreational UV exposures, without necessitating time-consuming individual dosimetry, with numerous potential uses in skin cancer prevention and research.

Capacidade antioxidante e composição química de grãos integrais de gergelim creme e preto

O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar a composição química, estimar o conteúdo de compostos fenólicos solúveis totais e de fitatos, e avaliar a capacidade antioxidante de grãos integrais de gergelim (Sesamum indicum) creme e preto. Amostras de ambos os tipos de grão foram submetidas a tratamento térmico em estufa de circulação de ar a 150ºC por 10 min e trituradas até granulometria de 20 mesh. O gergelim creme apresentou maior teor de lipídios, carboidratos, fibra alimentar solúvel e valor calórico, enquanto o gergelim preto apresentou maior teor de fibras alimentares insolúvel e total. O gergelim preto apresentou teor de compostos fenólicos solúveis totais de 261,9±7,5 mg em equivalente de ácido gálico (EAG) por 100 g de farinha, aproximadamente duas vezes superior ao do gergelim creme (147,5±31,7 mg por 100 g de EAG). O teor de fitatos do gergelim creme foi duas vezes inferior ao do gergelim preto (0,66±0,06 e 1,36±0,04 g por 100 g de ácido fítico, respectivamente). O gergelim preto apresenta maior potencial funcional relacionado à atividade antioxidante. Contudo, ambos os tipos de gergelim analisados podem ser considerados fontes de compostos antioxidantes naturais.

Enterocystoplasty using modified pedicled, detubularized, de-epithelialized sigmoid patches in the mini-pig model.

Enterocystoplasty and gastrocystoplasty have been developed to restore adequate bladder capacity but they still result in the undesired harmful contact of urine with the intestinal mucosa. In an attempt to prevent this nonphysiological interface we performed several modified enterocystoplasties in the mini-pig model using a pedicled, detubularized, de-epithelialized sigmoid patch. Five techniques of patch coverage were used to evaluate urothelial growth or survival on the sigmoid patch. All but 1 patch had intestinal mucosa remnants with mucocele formation. When no coverage was applied or a biodegradable polyglactin mesh was temporarily covering the pedicled, detubularized, de-epithelialized sigmoid patch, severe shrinkage occurred. Partial cover with autologous urothelium islets seemed to decrease shrinkage. Adequate urothelium survival and satisfactory elastic properties of the patch were observed when total cover of the sigmoid patch was achieved with a sheet of homologous urothelium recovering autologous urothelial islets or when the patch was applied to protruding urothelium obtained following sagittal posterior detrusor myotomy.

Inferring ultraviolet anatomical exposure patterns while distinguishing the relative contribution of radiation components

Exposure to solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation is the main causative factor for skin cancer. UV exposure depends on environmental and individual factors, but individual exposure data remain scarce. UV irradiance is monitored via different techniques including ground measurements and satellite observations. However it is difficult to translate such observations into human UV exposure or dose because of confounding factors (shape of the exposed surface, shading, behavior, etc.) A collaboration between public health institutions, a meteorological office and an institute specialized in computing techniques developed a model predicting the dose and distribution of UV exposure on the basis of ground irradiation and morphological data. Standard 3D computer graphics techniques were adapted to develop this tool, which estimates solar exposure of a virtual manikin depicted as a triangle mesh surface. The amount of solar energy received by various body locations is computed for direct, diffuse and reflected radiation separately. The radiation components are deduced from corresponding measurements of UV irradiance, and the related UV dose received by each triangle of the virtual manikin is computed accounting for shading by other body parts and eventual protection measures. The model was verified with dosimetric measurements (n=54) in field conditions using a foam manikin as surrogate for an exposed individual. Dosimetric results were compared to the model predictions. The model predicted exposure to solar UV adequately. The symmetric mean absolute percentage error was 13%. Half of the predictions were within 17% range of the measurements. This model allows assessing outdoor occupational and recreational UV exposures, without necessitating time-consuming individual dosimetry, with numerous potential uses in skin cancer prevention and research. Using this tool, we investigated solar UV exposure patterns with respect to the relative contribution of the direct, diffuse and reflected radiation. We assessed exposure doses for various body parts and exposure scenarios of a standing individual (static and dynamic postures). As input, the model used erythemally-weighted ground irradiance data measured in 2009 at Payerne, Switzerland. A year-round daily exposure (8 am to 5 pm) without protection was assumed. For most anatomical sites, mean daily doses were high (typically 6.2-14.6 SED) and exceeded recommended exposure values. Direct exposure was important during specific periods (e.g. midday during summer), but contributed moderately to the annual dose, ranging from 15 to 24% for vertical and horizontal body parts, respectively. Diffuse irradiation explained about 80% of the cumulative annual exposure dose. Acute diffuse exposures were also obtained for cloudy summer days. The importance of diffuse UV radiation should not be underestimated when advocating preventive measures. Messages focused on avoiding acute direct exposures may be of limited efficiency to prevent skin cancers associated with chronic exposure (e.g., squamous cell carcinomas).