Hemodialysis is widely used for kidney failure patients, it is well known that oxidative stress is induced during hemodialysis process. To figure out what kind of proteins may adhere to the hemodialysis tube, and were those proteins oxidized during dialysis process. In this study, proteins adhere to hemodialysis membrane are eluted and examined by protein two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and MALDI-TOF technique. The two-dimensional gel electrophoresis results demonstrate 153 proteins binding to hemodialysis tube including Vsm-Rho GEF, Fibroblast growth factor 23, Prothrombin, Glomulin and Nucleobindin-1. The oxidation detection shows that some tube binding proteins are oxidized including MAP4K3 protein and Sulfiredoxin-1, and the oxidation level of hemodialysis tube binding proteins are higher then serum proteins. In conclusion, we find out 20 novel proteins which bind to hemodialysis tube and 5 novel proteins which oxidized during hemodialysis. And protein oxidation level was related to inflammation where high CRP levels were detected.

No description available.

Ολοκληρώνοντας αυτή τη διπλωματική εργασία, συμπεραίνεται η σημασία του σωστού σχεδιασμού ενός μονωτήρα για την όσο το δυνατόν καλύτερη λειτουργία του. Επιβεβαιώθηκε πως η παρουσία των δίσκων επιδρούν θετικά σε αυτήν, ενώ, παράλληλα, επισημαίνεται η αρνητική επίδραση της επικάθισης, στην επιφάνεια του μονωτήρα, ενός αγώγιμου στρώματος ρύπανσης και γίνεται αντιληπτή η σημασία του σωστού και τακτικού καθαρισμού των μονωτήρων, ειδικά σε περιόδους όπου δεν εμφανίζονται έντονες βροχοπτώσεις. Τέλος, μελετώντας προσεκτικά την κατανομή της έντασης και του δυναμικού κατά το μήκος ερπυσμού των μονωτήρων, επισημαίνεται η προσοχή στις περιοχές της επιφάνειάς τους που αναμένεται να επιφέρουν δυσμενή αποτελέσματα στη λειτουργία τους. Από την ενδελεχή ανάλυση του διαγράμματος, καταλήγουμε στο συμπέρασμα ότι η παρουσία των πτυχώσεων στο κάτω μέρος ενός cap and pin μονωτήρα, βοηθά στη μείωση της έντασης κατά το μήκος ερπυσμού. Πραγματικά, λειτουργούν ανασχετικά στην ανάπτυξη ανεπιθύμητων μεγάλων τιμών της έντασης στο υπόλοιπο τμήμα του μονωτήρα. Διαπιστώθηκε ακόμη, ότι το άκρο του δίσκου είναι ένα σημείο ιδιαίτερα κρίσιμο, καθώς η ένταση εμφανίζει ασυνήθιστα υψηλή τιμή, σε σχέση, πάντα, με την απόσταση του άκρου από το φορτισμένο ηλεκτρόδιο. Επίσης, επισημαίνεται πώς ο προσεκτικός σχεδιασμός ενός cap and pin μονωτήρα συμβάλλει στην αποφυγή ιδιαίτερα υψηλών τιμών της έντασης. Σε αυτό, σημαντικό ρόλο διαδραματίζουν οι πτυχώσεις στην κάτω επιφάνεια του μονωτήρα, αλλά και ο σωστός σχεδιασμός της μεταλλικής θήκης, καθώς πρόκειται για ένα αγώγιμο τμήμα που βρίσκεται εντός της αλυσίδας και ενδεχομένως να επηρεάσει αρνητικά τη συνολική διάταξη. Η εκτενής ενασχόλησή με το πρόγραμμα προσομοίωσης PC OPERA, ανέδειξε την αξιοπιστία και την ικανοποιητική λειτουργία του. Παράλληλα, όμως, επισημαίνονται ορισμένες ιδιαιτερότητες που παρατηρήθηκαν κατά το χειρισμό του. Αν και πρόκειται για δευτερεύουσας σημασίας παρατηρήσεις, πρέπει ωστόσο, να ληφθούν υπόψη από τους μελλοντικούς χρήστες του προγράμματος, με σκοπό να ελαχιστοποιηθεί ο χρόνος προσαρμογής τους στο περιβάλλον του. 1. Ο αριθμός των πεπερασμένων τριγωνικών στοιχείων στα οποία το πρόγραμμα υποδιαιρεί την υπό ανάλυση επιφάνεια ανέρχεται σε 20.000. Αν και ο αριθμός φαίνεται ικανοποιητικός, στην πραγματικότητα, ειδικά αν πρόκειται για πολύπλοκες διατάξεις, όπως, για παράδειγμα, η αλυσίδα των πέντε cap and pin μονωτήρων που σχεδιάστηκε και αναλύθηκε, δεν είναι πάντοτε επαρκής. Για αυτό και η σχεδίαση πρέπει να πραγματοποιείται με ιδιαίτερη προσοχή, ώστε να είναι λεπτομερής στις περιοχές αυξημένης σημασίας για το εκάστοτε μοντέλο και λιγότερο ακριβής σε περιοχές μικρότερης σημασίας. 2. Η εξωτερική περιοχή, που συνιστά τον ατμοσφαιρικό αέρα, πρέπει να είναι ικανοποιητικά μεγάλη. Σε διαφορετική περίπτωση, το δυναμικό της εξωτερικής επιφάνειας, που ορίζεται ίσο με μηδέν εκφράζοντας το άπειρο, θα επηρεάσει τη διάταξη, παρέχοντας ανακριβείς τιμές για τα υπό μελέτη χαρακτηριστικά μεγέθη της διάταξης. Επίσης, εφόσον η περιοχή του ατμοσφαιρικού αέρα που βρίσκεται αρκετά μακριά από τη διάταξη δεν είναι απαραίτητο να έχει μεγάλη ακρίβεια, θα ήταν ορθό να σχεδιαστούν επιπλέον περιοχές του αέρα κοντά στη διάταξη, που να παρέχουν αυξημένη ακρίβεια. 3. Ιδιαίτερα προσεκτικός οφείλει να είναι ο καθορισμός των διαφορετικών υλικών σε μια διάταξη. Εκτός από τον ορισμό ρεαλιστικής τιμής της αγωγιμότητάς τους (σ), είναι απαραίτητος και ο ανάλογος προσδιορισμός της σχετικής διηλεκτρικής σταθεράς (εr). Ορίζοντας μόνο το πρώτο μέγεθος, το πρόγραμμα δεν αντιλαμβάνεται το υλικό που θέλουμε να παραστήσει μία περιοχή. / Simulation of different types of insulators with Opera-2d.

Vart står vi och vårat förhållande till trovärdighet i en medial värld i ständig utveckling? Hur är det med det digitala inflytandet i en analog värld? Vad händer med upplevelsen och trovärdigheten i dokumentära filmsammanhang när bilden är animerad? Med hjälp utav två informationsmässigt likvärdiga filmer undersöks hur graden av trovärdighet upplevs i en animerad dokumentär kortfilm, i förhållande till en version med fotografisk bild. Ett antal respondenter får se filmerna och svara på tillhörande frågor i en enkätundersökning vars resultat redovisas och diskuteras i en större analys. Med hjälp av undersökningens resultat avgörs huruvida frågeställningen går att besvara samt vad dess slutsats föreslås ha för betydelse i framtida forskning inom ämnet.

Santrauka Darbe apžvelgiami Darbo kodekso 235 straipsnio 2dalies 8, 9, 10 punktuose numatyti darbuotojų atleidimo be įspėjimo pagrindai, kai darbuotojas šiurkščiai pažeidžia darbo pareigas. Minėti 235 str. punktai apžvelgti ne tik teisiniu aspektu, bet ir istoriniu bei palyginami su kitais teisės aktais bei kaimyninių valstybių teisės aktais reglamentuojančiais darbo santykius. Panagrinėta Lietuvos Aukščiausiame Teisme nagrinėtos civilinės bylos susijusios su šiurkščiais darbo drausmės pažeidimais pagal punktuose numatytus pažeidimus, iškeltos problemos ir trūkumai susiję su atleidimu iš darbo remiantis šiais aspektais.Taip pat paliesta kolektyvinių ( grupinių) ir individualių atleidimo iš darbo atvejų sąsajumas remiantis 1998 07 20 ES direktyva Nr 98/59, o taip pat panagrinėta specialių darbuotojų kategorijų atleidimo iš darbo už šiurkščius darbo pažeidimus specifika ir palyginta su Darbo kodekso reglamentojamomis šiuos aspektus normomis. Darbe akcentuoti pagrindiniai kriterijai kuriais remiantis galima atleisti darbuotoją be įspėjimo, kai jis šiurkščiai pažeidžia pagal DK 235 straipsnio 2 dalies 8,9,10 punktuose numatytą darbo drausmę : 1. DK 235 str. 2dalies 8 punktas – kai darbuotojas darbo metu darbe yra neblaivus, apsvaigęs nuo narkotinių ar toksinių medžiagų, išskyrus atvejus, kai apsvaigimą sukėlė įmonėje vykstantis gamybos procesai: - konstatuotas darbuotojo neblaivumo faktas; - darbuotojas yra neblaivus darbo metu; - jis yra neblaivus darbo vietoje ( t.y... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Summary The Termination of Employment Contracts Due to Gross Breach of Labour Duties whereas Encroaching on the Labour Treatment (Pursuant to Item 8, 9, 10, part 2, art. 235 of Labour Code of the Republic of Lithuania) The Paper presents review of the grounds for termination of an employment contract without notice in case of gross breach by an employee of work duties as provided for in Paragraphs 2(8), (9), and (10) of Article 235 of the Labor Code. The indicated paragraphs have been reviewed from the legal as well as historical point of view, and compared with other labor relations-regulating national legal acts as well as legal acts of neighboring countries. The Paper also contains analysis of the gross breach associated civil cases which were subject to hearing at the Supreme Court of Lithuania, and indicates the problems and drawbacks associated with termination based on the indicated grounds. In addition, the Paper considers correlation of the cases of collective redundancies and individual termination under the 20th July 1988 EU Directive No. 98/59, as well as the specifics of termination of employees of certain categories for gross breaches of labor discipline in comparison with norms regulated by the Labor Code. The Paper underlines the main criteria based on which an employee may be terminated without notice in case of gross breach of labor discipline as provided for in Paragraphs 2 (8), (9), and (10) of Article 235 of the Labor Code: 1. Paragraph 2(8) of Article 23... [to full text]

2D-3D registration is one of the underpinning technologies that enables image-guided intervention in computer-assisted orthopaedic surgery (CAOS). Preoperative 3D images and surgical plans need to be mapped to the patient in the operating room before they can be used to augment the surgical intervention, and this task is generally fulfilled by using 2D-3D registration which spatially aligns a preoperative 3D image to a set of intraoperative fluoroscopic images. The key problem in 2D-3D registration is to define an accurate similarity metric between the 2D and 3D data, and choose an appropriate optimization algorithm. Various similarity metrics and optimization algorithms have been proposed for 2D-3D registration; however, current techniques have several critical limitations. First, a good initial guess - usually within a few millimetres from the true solution - is required, and such capture range is often not wide enough for clinical use. Second, for currently used optimization algorithms, it is difficult to achieve a good balance between the computation efficiency and registration accuracy. Third, most current techniques register a 3D image of a single bone to a set of fluoroscopic images, but in many CAOS procedures, such as a multi-fragment fracture treatment, multiple bone pieces are involved. In this thesis, research has been conducted to investigate the above problems: 1) two new registration techniques are proposed that use recently developed optimization techniques, i.e. Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF) and Covariance Matrix Adaptation Evolution Strategy (CMA-ES), to improve the capture range for the 2D-3D registration problem; 2) a multiple-object 2D-3D registration technique is proposed that simultaneously aligns multiple 3D images of fracture fragments to a set of fluoroscopic images of fracture ensemble; 3) a new method is developed for fast and efficient construction of anatomical atlases; and 4) a new atlas-based multiple-object 2D-3D registration technique is proposed to aid fracture reduction in the absence of preoperative 3D images. Experimental results showed that: 1) by using the new optimization algorithms, the robustness against noise and outliers was improved, and the registrations could be performed more efficiently; 2) the simultaneous registration of multiple bone fragments could achieve a clinically acceptable global alignment among all objects with reasonable computation cost; and 3) the new atlas construction method could construct and update intensity atlases accurately and efficiently; and 4) the use of atlas in multiple-object 2D-3D registration is feasible. / Thesis (Ph.D, Computing) -- Queen's University, 2011-09-28 10:58:04.406

This thesis is concerned with modelling rockfall parameters associated with cliff collapse debris and the resultant “ramp” that formed following the high peak ground acceleration (PGA) events of 22 February 2011 and 13 June 2011. The Christchurch suburb of Redcliffs, located at the base of the Port Hills on the northern side of Banks Peninsula, New Zealand, is comprised of Miocene-age volcanics with valley-floor infilling marine sediments. The area is dominated by basaltic lava flows of the Mt Pleasant Formation, which is a suite of rocks forming part of the Lyttelton Volcanic Group that were erupted 11.0-10.0Ma. Fresh exposure enabled the identification of a basaltic ignimbrite unit at the study site overlying an orange tuff unit that forms a marker horizon spanning the length of the field area. Prior to this thesis, basaltic ignimbrite on Banks Peninsula has not been recorded, so descriptions and interpretations of this unit are the first presented. Mapping of the cliff face by remote observation, and analysis of hand samples collected from the base of the debris slopes, has identified a very strong (>200MPa), columnar-jointed, welded unit, and a very weak (<5MPa), massive, so-called brecciated unit that together represent the end-member components of the basaltic ignimbrite. Geochemical analysis shows the welded unit is picrite basalt, and the brecciated unit is hawaiite, making both clearly distinguishable from the underlying trachyandesite tuff. RocFall™ 4.0 was used to model future rockfalls at Redcliffs. RocFall™ is a two-dimensional (2D), hybrid, probabilistic modelling programme for which topographical profile data is used to generate slope profiles. GNS Science collected the data used for slope profile input in March 2011. An initial sensitivity analysis proved the Terrestrial Laser Scan (TLS)-derived slope to be too detailed to show any results when the slope roughness parameter was tested. A simplified slope profile enabled slope roughness to be varied, however the resulting model did not correlate with field observations as well. By using slope profile data from March 2011, modelled rockfall behaviour has been calibrated with observed rockfall runout at Redcliffs in the 13 June 2011 event to create a more accurate rockfall model. The rockfall model was developed on a single slope profile (Section E), with the chosen model then applied to four other section lines (A-D) to test the accuracy of the model, and to assess future rockfall runout across a wider area. Results from Section Lines A, B, and E correlate very well with field observations, with <=5% runout exceeding the modelled slope, and maximum bounce height at the toe of the slope <=1m. This is considered to lie within observed limits given the expectation that talus slopes will act as a ramp on which modelled rocks travel further downslope. Section Lines C and D produced higher runout percentage values than the other three section lines (23% and 85% exceeding the base of the slope, respectively). Section D also has a much higher maximum bounce height at the toe of the slope (~8.0m above the slope compared to <=1.0m for the other four sections). Results from modelling of all sections shows the significance of the ratio between total cliff height (H) and horizontal slope distance (x), and of maximum drop height to the top of the talus (H*) and horizontal slope distance (x). H/x can be applied to the horizontal to vertical ratio (H:V) as used commonly to identify potential slope instability. Using the maximum value from modelling at Redcliffs, the future runout limit can be identified by applying a 1.4H:1V ratio to the remainder of the cliff face. Additionally, the H*/x parameter shows that when H*/x >=0.6, the percentage of rock runout passing the toe of the slope will exceed 5%. When H*/x >=0.75, the maximum bounce height at the toe of the slope can be far greater than when H*/x is below this threshold. Both of these parameters can be easily obtained, and can contribute valuable guideline data to inform future land-use planning decisions. This thesis project has demonstrated the applicability of a 2D probabilistic-based model (RocFall™ 4.0) to evaluate rockfall runout on the talus slope (or ramp) at the base of ~35-70m high cliff with a basaltic ignimbrite source. Limitations of the modelling programme have been identified, in particular difficulties with adjusting modelled roughness of the slope profile and the inability to consider fragmentation. The runout profile using RocFall™ has been successfully calibrated against actual profiles and some anomalous results have been identified.

The evolution of technology in the textile industry reached the design of embroidery patterns for machine embroidery. In order to create quality designs the shapes to be embroidered need to be segmented into regions that define different parts. One of the objectives of our research is to develop a method to automatically segment the shapes and by doing so making the process faster and easier. Shape analysis is necessary to find a suitable method for this purpose. It includes the study of different ways to represent shapes. In this thesis we focus on shape representation through its skeleton. We make use of a shape's skeleton and the shape's boundary through the so-called feature transform to decide how to segment a shape and where to place the segment boundaries. The direction of stitches is another important specification in an embroidery design. We develop a technique to select the stitch orientation by defining direction lines using the skeleton curves and information from the boundary. We compute the intersections of segment boundaries and direction lines with the shape boundary for the final definition of the direction line segments. We demonstrate that our shape segmentation technique and the automatic placement of direction lines produce sufficient constrains for automated embroidery designs. We show examples for lettering, basic shapes, as well as simple and complex logos.

No description available.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1968. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.