Thesis advisor: John E. Ebel / Drilling operations and extraction of oil and gas (O&G) may lead to subsurface slumping or compression of sediments due to reduced vertical principal stress which may lead to small earthquakes at the drilling site. O&G extraction is common in the northern Gulf of Mexico (NGM) and only thirty-five earthquakes of magnitudes between 2.3 and 6.0 have been recorded in the area from 1974 to the present. The purpose of this research is to detect more earthquakes using stacks of seismic data from the Transportable USArray (TA) from 2011 to 2013, and determine the spatiotemporal relationship between the detected earthquakes and O&G extraction. Five new small offshore earthquakes, that may be associated with the offshore O&G production, have been detected in the data. Spatial correlation of the epicenters with offshore drilling sites shows that the earthquakes may be due to the O&G extraction. / Thesis (MS) — Boston College, 2015. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Earth and Environmental Sciences.

MSc., Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, 2011 / Wild animals are captured for management, health, translocation and research purposes. Capture is an unnaturally stressful event, which may result in morbidity or mortality. An attributing cause of the morbidity and mortality is capture-induced hyperthermia; the larger the magnitude and the longer the duration of this captured-induced hyperthermia, the greater the likely risk to the animal. The most common practice currently used in the field to lower body temperature is to douse hyperthermic animals with water. However, the water used is often at ambient temperatures and its efficacy is not known. We investigated whether this method and alternative methods are effective at lowering the body temperature of hyperthermic animals. To achieve these aims we implanted 19 blesbok with miniature temperature-sensitive data loggers in their abdomens and into their subcutaneous layers (at the sites of the flank, groin, lower neck and upper neck). The loggers continuously recorded core body temperatures of the blesbok throughout the study period at an interval of six minutes. We successfully retrieved complete data sets from 12 blesbok. The animals were captured on six separate occasions using a technique which elicited hyperthermia. Five animals were cooled by dousing with water of different temperatures (4°C, 17°C, 28°C) and fanning after dousing with 28°C water, in random order. Seven animals were cooled by ice packs, spraying a fine mist spray, intravenous (IV) infusion of one litre of 4°C water and 28°C water-dousing. Through the use of our continuous logging of body temperature we established the normal body temperature of the blesbok, which displayed a regular 24 hour body temperature pattern. The average daily body temperature of the blesbok was 38.8°C ± 0.4°C, with a minimum body temperature of 37.9°C ± 0.1°C and a maximum body temperature of 39.4°C ± 0.1°C. The body temperature after capture was as high as 41°C-42°C, which was significantly higher than the normal body temperature (Student’s t-test, P < 0.05). The animals were cooled once they were immobilised and the start of cooling was denoted as time zero. In the control (no active cooling) intervention the body temperature decreased to only about 40°C. Dousing animals with water, irrespective of its temperature, resulted in significant cooling (P < 0.05) of the animals, as indicated by their minimum body temperature reached, change in body temperature and rate of cooling. The water-dousing interventions decreased the body temperature to about 38°C after an hour, which was significantly lower than the control (RM-ANOVA, P < 0.05) but there was no significant difference in the minimum body temperature reached between the different water temperatures or by the addition of fanning (RM-ANOVA, P > 0.05). The water-dousing interventions cooled the animals more quickly than did the control (RM-ANOVA, P < 0.05), and the coldest water (4°) cooled the animals quicker than did the 28°C water-dousing (RM-ANOVA, P < 0.05). The core body temperature minus the subcutaneous temperature was calculated, and revealed a peak difference of about 3.5°C after the 4°C water-dousing. Ice-packs also resulted in significant cooling (P < 0.05) of the animals, as depicted by their minimum body temperature reached, change in body temperature and rate of cooling. The ice-packs lowered the body temperature to a minimum of about 38°C, which was significantly lower than the control (RM-ANOVA, P < 0.05). The ice-packs also cooled the animals significantly faster than did the control, intravenous infusion and mist spray (RM-ANOVA, P < 0.05) but cooled as quickly as the 28°C water-dousing (RM-ANOVA, P > 0.05). The core body temperature minus the subcutaneous temperature for the ice-packs peaked at a difference of about 3°C. The IV infusion and mist spray were ineffective cooling methods and did not significantly (P > 0.05) alter the minimum body temperature or rate of cooling. Even though the IV infusion caused a significant reduction in body temperature by 1°C, the cooling effect from the IV infusion was short-lived because the minimum body temperature reached after the intravenous infusion and mist spray was ultimately similar to the body temperature seen in animals receiving the control (RM-ANOVA P > 0.05). Also, the intravenous infusion and mist-spray cooled as slowly as did the control (RM-ANOVA P > 0.05). Therefore, water-dousing in this study was the most effective and practical method to cool hyperthermic blesbok. Although all the water temperatures (4°C, 17°C and 28°C) that we tested were effective, the coldest water (4°C) cooled the animals quickest. The addition of fanning to the 28°C water-dousing did not increase cooling. Ice-packs were also effective but may be not as easy to use as the water-dousing method as ice-packs are large and need to be kept frozen, and therefore are cumbersome for use in the field.

A Dissertation that is being submitted for an MMed in Obstetrics and Gynaecology in partial fulfilment of the FCOG (SA) Part II 07 April 2015 / Objectives: The main objective of this study was to characterise women who presented at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital (CHBAH) between 12 and 20 weeks for termination of pregnancy (TOP). Secondary objectives were to determine time to abortion, compare sonar gestational age to gestational age by dates and reasons for late presentation. Method: This was a prospective cohort study of women over the age of 18 who were referred to CHBAH for second trimester TOP between August 2012 and May 2013. The exclusion criteria were pregnancies more advanced than 20 weeks gestation. Data was collected from the medical file and by interview. Demographics and reasons to terminate were extracted from the files. Outcome variables included bleeding, pain, and time to abortion. Results: One hundred and ninety one women (91.39%) aborted. The median age of women was 25.00 (IQR=21.00-31.00), range (18-43). Women older than 25 years were 33% less likely to abort than women less than 25 years of age. Ninety nine women (47.14%) bled severely. One woman had a uterine perforation following evacuation of the uterus. The median gestational age by sonar was14.71 (IQR=13.86-16.14), range (13.00-20.00). The median gestational age by dates was13.57 (IQR=12.29-15.00), range (4.14-26.28). One hundred and thirty five women (63.98%) had an MVA for RPOC using analgesia following medical induction. Two women (0.95%) needed hysterotomy following failed TOP. The median time to abortion was 11.50(IQR=8.67-17.92), range (3.50-69.33) and incidence rate of 0.5 per hour or 1 per 2hours. Conclusion: The majority of women (91%) aborted within 72 hours following medical induction with less complication rate and short induction to abortion time. This affirm misoprostol efficacy as the suitable drug for conducting second trimester medical TOP. / MT2016

ABSTRACT It is well documented that repetitive exposures to high intensity sound can cause acoustic trauma to the ear resulting in hearing loss, and that occupational noise is a significant cause of adult-onset hearing loss. Research world wide has indicated a significant number of workers with hearing loss attributed to noise exposure. Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) claims are responsible for the majority of occupational disease payouts. The study was undertaken in order to determine the extent of hearing loss due to noise exposure that could be ascribed to excessive exposure to noise, and to describe the noise-induced hearing loss by severity, type of work, and area of work and duration of service. The cross-sectional study included 466 workers employed in a pulp and paper mill in KwaZulu Natal (KZN) South Africa. It involved the assessment of 932 individual audiograms to diagnose noise-induced hearing loss and the calculation of the percentage loss of hearing from pre placement to the year 2005. Audiometry results were presented for noise-induced hearing loss in relation to area of work, duration of service, categories of severity and age group. The prevalence of noise-induced hearing loss in the pulp and paper mill was 21% (98/466) and with 79% (368/466) of workers whose audiograms returned results not indicating NIHL. 75 workers were excluded due to workplace transfers. Type of work, area of work and years of service correlated significantly with a diagnosis of noise-induced hearing loss. As a department, the wood yard (which included the wood chipping facility, maintenance workers and workers with 10 – 20 years of service) showed the most significant association. In categories of severity 16.7% of workers suffering from NIHL fall in the ≤ 5 Percentage Loss of Hearing PLH category. This study has confirmed the findings of others that noise exposure is a significant hazard in industry and an effective noise control programme is the only way to reduce the risk of NIHL. _____________________________________________________________________

No description available.

Kan Ka-wing. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (p. [161]-[184]). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese.

Wong Suk-kwan, Amy. / Thesis (M.Ph.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1988. / Bibliography: leaves 184-206.

The hearing process involves a series of physical events in which acoustic waves in the outer ear are transduced into acousto-mechanical motions of the middle ear, and then into chemo-electro-mechanical reactions of the inner ear sensors that are interpreted by the brain. Air in the ear canal has low mechanical impedance, whereas the mechanical impedance at the center of the eardrum, the umbo, is high. The eardrum or Tympanic Membrane (TM) must act as a transformer between these two impedances; otherwise, most of the energy will be reflected rather than transmitted. The acousto-mechanical transformer behavior of the TM is determined by its geometry, internal fibrous structure, and mechanical properties. Therefore, full-field-of-view techniques are required to quantify shape, sound-induced displacements, and mechanical properties of the TM. Shapes of the mammalian TMs are in millimeter ranges, whereas their acoustically-induced motions are in nanometer ranges, therefore, a clinically-applicable system with a measuring range spanning six orders of magnitude needs to be realized. In this Dissertation, several full-field measuring modalities are developed, to incrementally address the questions regarding the geometry, kinematics, and dynamics of the sound-induced energy transfer through the mammalian TMs. First, a digital holographic system with a measuring range spanning several orders of magnitude is developed and shape and 1D sound-induced motions of the TM are measured with dual-wavelength holographic contouring and single sensitivity vector holographic interferometry, respectively. The sound-induced motions of the TMs are hypothesized to be similar to those of thin-shells (with negligible tangential motions) and therefore, 3D sound-induced motions of the TM are estimated by combining measurements of shape and 1D motions. In order to test the applicability of the thin-shell hypothesis, and to obtain further details of complex spatio-temporal response of the TMs, holographic systems with multiple illumination directions are developed and shape and acoustically-induced vibrational patterns of the TMs are quantified in full 3D. Furthermore, to move toward clinical applications and in-vivo measurements, high-speed single-shot multiplexing holographic system are developed and 3D sound-induced motions of the TM are measured simultaneously in one single frame of the camera. Finally, MEMS-based high-resolution force sensing capabilities are integrated with holographic measurements to relate the kinematics and dynamics of the acousto-mechanical energy transfer in the hearing processes. The accuracy and repeatability of the measuring systems are tested and verified using artificial samples with geometries similar to those of human TMs. The systems are then used to measure shape, 3D sound-induced motions, and forces of chinchilla and human cadaveric TM samples at different tonal frequencies (ranging from 400 Hz to 15 kHz) simultaneously at more than 1 million points on its surface. A general conclusion is that the tangential motions are significantly (8-20 dB) smaller than the motions perpendicular to the TM plane, which is consistent with the thin-shell hypothesis of the TM. Force measurements reveal that frequency-dependent forces of the TM, are also spatially dependent so that the maximum magnitudes of the force transfer function of the umbo occurs at frequencies between 1.6 to 2.3 kHz, whereas the maximum values for other points on the TM surface occurs at higher frequency ranges (4.8 to 6.5 kHz). The Dissertation is divided into two Parts, each contains several Chapters. In the first Part, general overviews of the physiology of the human middle ear, along with brief summaries of previous studies are given, and basics of holographic interferometry are described. In the second Part, developments and implementations achieved in completion of this work are described in the form of a series of manuscripts. Finally, conclusions and recommendations for future work are provided.

by Chiu Pui Yu. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 86-118). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Title Page --- p.i / Abstract --- p.ii-iv / Acknowledgement --- p.v / Table of Contents --- p.vi-viii / List of Tables --- p.ix / List of Figures --- p.x-xii / List of Abbreviations --- p.xiii / Chapter Section I: --- Introduction / Chapter Chapter 1: --- Overview --- p.1-2 / Chapter Chapter 2: --- Teratogenic Effects of Hyperglycemia / Chapter 2.1 --- What is Hyperglycemia --- p.3 / Chapter 2.2 --- Teratogenic Effects of Hyperglycemia --- p.4-6 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Human Studies / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Animal Studies / Chapter 2.3 --- Timetables for Embryogenesis: Rats versus Humans --- p.7 / Chapter 2.4 --- Mechanisms of Hyperglycemia Induced Teratogenesis --- p.8-12 / Chapter 2.4.1 --- What are Free Radicals? / Chapter 2.4.2 --- Major Free Radical Species Involvedin Hyperglycemic Teratogenesis / Chapter 2.4.3 --- Molecular Damage Induced by Reactive Oxygen Species / Chapter 2.4.4 --- Supporting Evidence of Reactive Oxygen Species Causing Anomalies / Chapter 2.4.5. --- Hyperglycemia and Formation of Free Radicals / Chapter Chapter 3: --- Caffeine as Teratogen and Antioxidant / Chapter 3.1 --- Popularity of Caffeine --- p.13 / Chapter 3.2 --- Basic Metabolism of Caffeine --- p.14 / Chapter 3.3 --- Biological Actions of Caffeine --- p.15 / Chapter 3.4 --- Teratogenicity of Caffeine --- p.16-20 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- Animal Studies / Chapter 3.4.1.1 --- Teratogenic Effects of Caffeine in Animals / Chapter 3.4.1.2 --- Teratogenic Dose of Caffeine / Chapter 3.4.1.3 --- Interspecies Sensitivity / Chapter 3.4.2 --- Human Studies / Chapter 3.5 --- Possible Mechanisms for the Teratogenic Actions of Caffeine --- p.21 / Chapter 3.6 --- Caffeine as an Antioxidant --- p.22 / Chapter 3.7 --- Combined Effects of Caffeine with Other Substances --- p.23 / Chapter Chapter 4: --- Combined Effects of Hyperglycemia and Caffeine on Early Embryogenesis- A Question to be Answered / Chapter 4.1 --- Possible Links between Hyperglycemia and Caffeine --- p.24 / Chapter 4.2 --- Objectives of the Present Study --- p.25 / Chapter 4.3 --- Hypothesis --- p.26 / Chapter Section II: --- Research Designs and Methods / Chapter Chapter 5: --- Materials and Methods / Chapter 5.1 --- Licenses --- p.27 / Chapter 5.2 --- Overall Study Design --- p.28-40 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- Whole Embryo Culture Model / Chapter 5.2.1.1 --- Animals / Chapter 5.2.1.2 --- Explantation of Embryos and Serum Collection / Chapter 5.2.1.3 --- Preparation of Serum / Chapter 5.2.1.4 --- Culture Media / Chapter 5.2.1.5 --- Embryo Culture / Chapter 5.2.2 --- Experimental Groups / Chapter 5.2.3 --- Morphological Assessment / Chapter 5.2.4 --- Quantitation of Oxidative Stress / Chapter 5.2.5 --- Protein Assay / Chapter 5.3 --- Statistical Evaluation --- p.41 / Chapter Chapter 6: --- Laboratory Considerations / Chapter 6.1 --- Whole Embryo Culture Model --- p.42-43 / Chapter 6.1.1 --- Subjects / Chapter 6.1.2 --- Time Mating / Chapter 6.1.3 --- Culture Medium / Chapter 6.1.4 --- Gas Phase and Rotating Bottle Culture Method / Chapter 6.2 --- Quantification of Oxidative Stress --- p.47-49 / Chapter 6.2.1 --- 8-Isoprostaglandins F2a as a Marker / Chapter 6.2.2 --- Assay for 8-Isoprostaglandins F2a / Chapter 6.2.2.1 --- Enzyme Immunoassay versus Gas Chromatography/ Mass Spectrometry / Chapter Section III: --- Results / Chapter Chapter 7: --- Results / Chapter 7.1 --- Justifications of Methods of Statistical Analysis --- p.50 / Chapter 7.2 --- Effects of Hyperglycemia on Early Embryogenesis --- p.51-56 / Chapter 7.2.1 --- Effects of Hyperglycemia on Morphological Development / Chapter 7.2.2 --- Effects of Hyperglycemia on Production of 8-isoprostaglandins F2a / Chapter 7.2.3 --- Effects of Hyperglycemia on Total Protein Content / Chapter 7.3 --- Effects of Caffeine on Early Embryogenesis --- p.57-61 / Chapter 7.3.1 --- Effects of Caffeine on Morphological Development / Chapter 7.3.2 --- Effects of Caffeine on Total Protein Content / Chapter 7.4 --- Combined Effects of Hyperglycemia and Caffeine on Early Embryogenesis --- p.62-66 / Chapter 7.4.1 --- Combined Effects of Hyperglycemia and Caffeine on Morphological Development / Chapter 7.4.2 --- Combined Effects of Hyperglycemia and Caffeine on Production of 8-isoprostaglandins F2a / Chapter 7.4.3 --- Combined Effects of Hyperglycemia and Caffeine on Total Protein Content / Chapter Section IV: --- Discussion and Conclusions / Chapter Chapter 8: --- Discussion --- p.67-83 / Chapter Chapter 9: --- Conclusions and Future Directions --- p.84 / Appendices --- p.85 / References --- p.86-118

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:30:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2001Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:41:02Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 gobbo_cam_dr_botfm.pdf: 2237852 bytes, checksum: 36f747b0a3fe9bd7241127f2671ab158 (MD5) / Nos últimos anos, foram desenvolvidas diversas modalidades alternativas para o tratamento da HPB. Entre elas, incluem-se terapêuticas medicamentosas e aquelas que se convencionou denominar de minimamente invasivas. Estas últimas fundamentam-se na aplicação de calor (hipertermia e termoterapia), de laser, de radiofreqüência, de ultrasom, na dilatação uretral com balões, na colocação de endopróteses uretrais e na incisão transuretral da próstata. Entre os métodos que utilizam o calor para tratamento da HPB, encontra-se a termoterapia induzida pela água ou WIT (water induced thermotherapy). Com o objetivo de se estudar os efeitos do calor sobre a próstata, foi realizado este trabalho experimental, que utilizou o equipamento ThermoflexTM (Argomed Ltda.), o qual, de modo controlado, produz aquecimento da água que circula de um reservatório até a extremidade de uma sonda tipo Foley, onde existe um balão insuflável termotransmissor, que deve ser posicionado na uretra prostática. Utilizou-se, no experimento, 27 cães, sem raça definida, com peso variando de 11,5 a 32,0kg, distribuídos em três subgrupos controles (n=9) e três experimentais (n=18). Os animais foram sacrificados 12, 72 horas e duas semanas (momentos M1, M2 e M3) após o procedimento. Nessa ocasião, as próstatas foram removidas e seus volumes foram aferidos por gravimetria, volume de água deslocado em bureta, peso do volume de água deslocado e, indiretamente, pelas medidas dos eixos cranio-caudal, dorsoventral e latero-lateral, com um paquímetro. Durante todo o período de experimentação, foram realizados exames ultra-sonográficos... / Over the past years, several alternative treatments for Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH) have been developed including drug therapies and the so called “minimally invasive” therapies. These latter are based on the application of heat (hyperthermia and thermotherapy), laser, radiofrequency, ultrasound; balloon urethral dilation; placement of urethral endoprotheses and transurethral incision of the prostate. One of the methods that use heat to treat BPH is water-induced thermotherapy (WIT). The present experimental work was undertaken with the purpose of studying the effects of heat on the prostate using ThermoflexTM (Argomed Ltda.), a device that heats the water that circulates from a reservoir to the tip of a Foley-like catheter, which has an inflatable thermotransmitting balloon that is placed in the prostatic urethra. Twenty-seven mongrel dogs, weighing 11.5-32.0 kg, were divided into three control (N=9) and three experimental (N=18) subgroups. The animals were sacrificed 12 hrs., 72 hrs. and two weeks (moments M1, M2 and M3, respectively) after heat application. Their prostates were removed and prostatic volume was estimated by gravimetry, the amount of water displaced from a burette, weight of the displaced water volume and, indirectly, by measuring the cranio-caudal, dorso-ventral and latero-lateral axes with a pachymeter. Throughout the experiment, transabdominal ultrasonographic examinations were performed to determine prostatic volume, considering prostatic shape... (Complete abstract click electronic address below)