Changes in Hip and Knee Muscle Strength in Patients Following Total Hip Arthroplasty

Objective: To investigate changes in hip and knee muscle strength in patients before and after total hip arthroplasty (THA) in comparison with that in healthy adults. Methods: The study included 21 women who underwent unilateral THA (THA group) and 21 age-matched healthy women (healthy group). Maximal isometric strengths of hip flexors, extensors, and abductors, and knee extensors and flexors were measured before surgery and at 4 weeks and 6 months after surgery. Results: Before surgery, muscle strength on both sides, except for hip flexors on the uninvolved side, was significantly lower in the THA group than the corresponding muscle strength in the healthy group. Up to 6 months after THA, strength of all muscle groups on both sides was significantly improved compared with their preoperative status, although the knee extensor strength on the involved side temporarily worsened at 4 weeks. However, the strength of hip extensors and knee extensors on the involved side, and hip abductors on both sides in the THA group remained below that in the healthy group. Conclusions: Our results suggest that rehabilitation specialists should consider increasing the focus on the uninvolved side and encourage patients to continue strength training beyond 6 months after surgery.     

减少二氧化碳对LIBS检测飞灰中未燃碳含量影响的研究

通常热力发电厂将飞灰中未燃碳的含量作为评价锅炉燃烧效率的重要指标,通过测量飞灰中未燃碳的含量来评价煤粉燃烧的充分程度,进而实现优化燃烧、提高机组效率。基于激光诱导击穿光谱技术(LIBS)无接触、快速响应、高灵敏度、可以在线测量等特点,备用来测量飞灰中未燃碳的含量。由于烟气中CO₂气体的存在,碳谱线强度会随CO₂浓度的变化而改变。为了减少CO₂气体对飞灰未燃碳测量结果的影响,提出并设计了具有二级旋风分离器的LIBS测量飞灰未燃碳含量实验系统,飞灰从给粉机流出后通过二级旋风分离器进入测量腔体,脉冲激光经过透镜作用于飞灰样品进而产生等离子体。LIBS系统采用双中心波长光谱仪,可测得飞灰中C,Si,Mg,Fe,Ca和Al等主要元素谱线,同时高分辨率通道可分辨出相邻C和Fe的元素谱线,可以在获得充分的飞灰光谱信息的同时保证了测量的精度。实验结果表明该系统可有效分离和收集飞灰颗粒,减少CO₂气体对测量结果的干扰,为LIBS技术的工程应用提供了更准确的依据。     

Analysis of the nuclear quadrupole interaction of Disulfur Dichloride, S2Cl2

Pure rotational spectra of S₂³⁵Cl₂ and S₂³⁵Cl³⁷Cl have been observed using a Fourier-transform microwave spectrometer. An analysis of the hyperfine structure made by considering the nuclear spin statistics showed that S₂Cl₂ has C₂symmetry, where the hyperfine splittings due to the two Cl nuclei were analyzed precisely. The nuclear quadrupole coupling constants including the off-diagonal (χ_ab, χ_ac, χ_bc) components and the nuclear spin–rotation interaction constants associated with the two Cl nuclei have been determined for the first time. We have shown that the nuclear quadrupole interaction plays an important role in the ortho–para mixing.     

Two-dimensional structures of pyrimido[5,4-d]pyrimidine derivatives at solid/liquid interface

Two-dimensional structures of pyrimido[5,4-d]pyrimidine derivatives (PD) were studied by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) at solid/liquid interface. In order to tune the intervals of functional unit (hydrogen bonding site) in the molecule, the PD with different numbers and length of alkyl chain were designed and synthesized. STM observation at highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG)/1-phenyloctane interface revealed that the PD with four alkyl chains formed a columnar structure, and the alkyl chains were not interdigitated. By contrast, the PD with two alkyl chains formed similar columnar structure, whereas the alkyl chains were interdigitated. These structural features of the PD indicates that the intervals of the functional unit, i.e., hydrogen bonding sites in the PD can be controlled by changing not only the length but also the number of alkyl chains.     

Influence of head shape of solid body plunging into water on splash formation

Abstract  

We experimentally investigated the influence of a head shape of a solid body plunging into water on splash formation. Three different head shapes were tested: a hemisphere, cone, and circular cylinder. A hemisphere as a tail shape is common to all three head shapes. We captured images of splash formation using a high-speed CMOS camera. We found that a film flow generated at an early stage when a body impacts the water surface influences subsequent events until the splash sequence is completed. We explain the origin of the film flow according to the principle of conservation of momentum. The film flow as the primary splash originates from water displaced by the head. The meridian line, which connects the head to the tail of the body, affects separation of the film flow and causes the secondary splash. The air cavity generated when the body plunges into the water is also influenced by the head shape. The tertiary splash is formed by a reaction of the air cavity, which is detached from the body. We found that the secondary dome-type splash obstructs growth of the tertiary splash. Thus, we conclude that the head shape affects all events of the splash.     

Monitoring the brain metabolites of children with acute encephalopathy caused by the H1N1 virus responsible for the 2009 influenza pandemic: a quantitative in vivo H MR spectroscopy study

Background and Purpose

Influenza viral infection, which results in central nervous system dysfunction, is a major cause of acute encephalopathy (AE). The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in the concentrations of brain metabolites in children with AE using single-voxel magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and to provide diagnostic information about the relationship between the symptoms of AE and metabolite concentrations.

Materials and Methods

The subjects were 10 children (mean age: 6.2 years; range: 1–13) with AE caused by the novel influenza A virus responsible for the 2009 influenza pandemic. The serial MRS data (TE/TR=30/5000 ms, 3 T) acquired from the basal ganglia (BG) and centrum semiovale (CS) of each patient were categorized into three periods: (1) initial neurological symptom presentation and the start of treatment (n= 10), (2) short-term follow-up (n= 9) and (3) long-term follow-up (n= 3). As controls, the magnetic resonance (MR) spectra of eight age-matched children were also investigated.

Results

In both regions, the concentrations of the major metabolites (N-acetylaspartate, creatine, choline, myo-inositol, glutamate/glutamine complex and glutamate) only showed minor fluctuations between the three periods. On the other hand, higher levels of taurine (Tau) were observed in the BG during the second period (P=.005), and increased levels of glucose were observed in the CS during the first (P=.005) and second (P=.036) periods.

Conclusions

Serial monitoring of brain metabolite changes was carried out with a clinical MR system. The concentrations of major metabolites only displayed very minor fluctuations in response to mild H1N1-related AE. However, a higher Tau concentration was found to be associated with neurological symptoms. Further studies are required to improve our understanding of the detailed activity of Tau in AE.     

Design of a widely tunable laser with a chirped ladder filter

We theoretically investigated a digitally tunable laser with a chirped ladder filter and a ring resonator to obtain a wide wavelength tuning range covering the whole C- or L- band. The clear relation between the tuning range and laser structure, especially the ladder filter, is described analytically. The introduction of a chirped structure into a ladder filter is effective in achieving both wide tunability and a stable lasing mode. A numerical simulation based on multimode rate equations shows that a tuning range of over 40 nm and a mode suppression ratio over 40 dB can be achieved by introducing a chirped ladder filter.