A conventional biplane cerebral angiogram available for central review was required for enrollment resulting in a large database. Data on aneurysms that ruptured during follow-up of the 1,692 untreated subjects provides an opportunity to investigate the anatomic features that may be predictive of future

rupture. The objective of the study is to develop and test a method for three-dimensional (3D) shape reconstruction of aneurysms using biplane angiographic data in the ISUIA for retrospective morphometric assessment. Beginning with the two boundaries of the biplane views, curve morphing techniques were employed to estimate a number of intermediate boundaries around the aneurysm sac resulting in the creation of a 3D sac surface. The method was tested using simulated Selleck NVP-AUY922 BTSA1 solubility dmso biplane “”angiograms”" of pre-reconstructed 3D models of patient-specific aneurysms. An algorithm to perform the image analysis was developed, and the morphometric indices of 150 intracranial aneurysms in the ISUIA database were estimated. Simultaneously, experienced neuroradiologists made manual measurements

of key dimensions in the sac from the biplane angiograms for all cases. 3D reconstructions using our proposed method matched well with the original pre-reconstructed 3D geometries and were consistent with manual measurements of the neuroradiologists for the ISUIA aneurysms. A method for reconstructing the 3D geometry of the intracranial aneurysm sac from biplane angiograms in the ISUIA database with reasonable fidelity has been developed.”
“Objective.

There are contrasting results obtained in migraineurs concerning the levels and the role of both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. In this study, the association of the occurrence and clinical characteristics of

migraine with the polymorphisms of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) -308 G/A (rs1800629), interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha) +4845 G/T (rs17561), IL-1 beta +3953 C/T (rs1143634) and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist variable number tandem repeat (IL-1RA VNTR) genes were studied. We also investigated the genetic linkage between these genes.

Design, Setting, Patients.

Sixty-seven patients with migraine without aura (MwoA) and 96 unrelated, age- and sex-matched migraine-free, healthy SBC-115076 control subjects from the same geographic area were investigated.

Results.

We observed significant differences in the genotypic distribution of the TNF-alpha -308 G/A and IL-1 beta +3953 C/T polymorphism for migraineurs compared with controls (P = 0.004). Frequency of the TNF-alpha -308 GG genotype was higher in the control group than MwoA group (82.1% vs 55.2%). Differences in the distribution of the allele frequencies were also observed, being the TNF-alpha -308 G allele overrepresented in control group and TNF-alpha -308 A allele in MwoA group.

0001), previous history of acute otitis media (P < 0.001) and of recurrent URTIs (P < 0.0001), mother’s no schooling (P = 0.01) and no breastfeed (P = 0.05). No significance Elafibranor cost was found for school type, economic status of the family, family size, family history of presence

of allergy and of ear disease, mother’s work status, smoking parents and birth history. Moreover on multivariate logistic regression analysis it resulted that age, positive URTI’s history and smoking exposure were found to be significant (P < 0.0001).

Conclusions: OME during infancy is a common and multifactorial disease; as most of the risk factors associated with its etiology and pathogenesis, are modifiable, their modification should represent the reasonable primary care intervention leading to a decrease in OME prevalence. (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.”
“Essential oils of aromatic plants have numerous applications in fields like medicine, cosmetic and food industry. Nevertheless, the average yield of essential oil distilled from aromatic plants is below 5% (w/w) and consequently a considerable amount of solid residues is generated.

These residues are especially rich in polyphenols that can be exploited as health-promoting compounds in food and feed or as anti-aging ingredients in cosmetic products, and thus to enhance the overall profitability Rigosertib supplier of the aromatic plants. In this work, we have tentatively identified the polyphenols present in solid residues from the steam distillation of Cistus ladanifer, Lavandula x intermedia, Santolina rosmarinifolia and Thymus mastichina, and evaluated their antioxidant and chelating activities by means of several in vitro methods, such as the beta-carotene/linoleate model system, reducing power, DPPH radical scavenging, and iron and copper ion chelation. A Soxhlet extraction and an ultrasound-assisted extraction have

been used in terms of comparison. Most of the extracts whether they were obtained by Soxhlet system or by ultrasonic method showed good antioxidant activities. Soxhlet ethanolic extract of T. mastichina showed an antioxidant activity comparable to the standard red grape pomace. The influence of the total polyphenol content on the chelating Selleckchem LXH254 activities was not as important as on the antioxidant activities and the predominant role of certain polyphenols and/or the presence in the extracts of other compounds with a favourable chemical structure to metal complexation can be assumed. This was the case of the ultrasound ethanolic extract of C. ladanifer, which was the most effective in iron chelating activity despite its medium-to-low content of total polyphenols. All these data point to profit from these aromatic plant solid residues as a valuable source of bioactive compounds. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.”
“OBJECTIVES: Spray cryotherapy (SCT) delivers a liquid nitrogen spray via a catheter to produce cellular death.

The majority of the late-onset adverse effects are inflammatory and immune-mediated

in nature. Edema, granulomas, sarcoid-like disorders, and panniculitis are the findings most commonly seen. Rarely, systemic granulomatous and autoimmune diseases, and to lesser extent acute hypersensitivity reactions can be seen.

Conclusions: All implanted, injected, and blood-contact biomaterials trigger a wide variety of adverse reactions that may appear early or late and range from Wnt inhibitor local to systemic. Most fillers act more as adjuvants than as direct T-cell activators, on a background of genetic predisposition. Their treatment has not been the subject of well-designed studies. Management of both acute and systemic reactions is often difficult and requires anti-inflammatory and occasionally immunosuppressive therapy. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.”
“We study magnetic properties of epitaxial Fe3Si layers grown on Ge(111) with atomically flat interfaces. An unexpected uniaxial magnetic anisotropy is observed in the film plane for all as-grown samples, and the direction of the uniaxial easy axis is different for each of these samples. By postgrowth annealing, surprisingly, the random orientation of the uniaxial easy axis is aligned to a direction

along about [0 (1) over bar1], together with a reduction in the saturation magnetization. We discuss a possible selleck chemicals mechanism of the variation in the magnetic properties after the annealing. (c) 2009 American Institute of Physics. [DOI: 10.1063/1.3065985]“
“Cathepsin B from the gut of sea cucumber (Stichopus japonicas) was purified 81-fold with a 3% recovery by ammonium

sulfate fractionation and a series chromatography on DEAE Sepharose CL-6B, Sephadex G-75, and TSK-Gel 3000 SWxl. The purified protein appeared as a single band on Native-PAGE but showed 2 bands of 23 and 26 kDa on SDS-PAGE. The optimum activity was found at pH 5.5 and 45 degrees C. The enzyme was stable at pH click here 4.5-6.0 and the thermal stability was up to 50 degrees C. The enzyme was strongly inhibited by E-64, iodoacetic acid, and antipain, demonstrating it is a cysteine protease containing sulfhydryl groups. Cu2+, Ni2+, and Zn2+ could strongly inhibit the enzyme activity. The amino acid sequences of the purified enzyme were acquired by mass spectrometer, which did not show any homology with previously described cathepsins, suggesting it may be a novel member.”
“Objectives: To report an unusual case of lipoma aborescens (LA) presented in a patient with treatment-responsive juvenile spondyloarthropathy (JSPA) and to summarize the clinical manifestations, therapy and prognosis of LA by literature review.

Methods: We report an atypical case of a 17-year-old patient with an initial presentation of juvenile spondyloarthropathy, whose inflammatory condition was improved successfully by traditional antirheumatic drugs and an anti-TNF alpha agent but developed progressive swelling of bilateral knees.

Here, we report a case of a 30-year-old woman admitted to our Unit for increasing pelvic pain. In the suspect of a corpus luteum hemorrhage, we performed a laparoscopy identifying the rare anomaly.

Together with the predisposing genetic and/or environmental factor not yet discovered, two are the hypotheses explaining the absence of one or both the adnexes, the mechanical hypothesis, i.e., the asymptomatic torsion of both Fallopian tube and ovary with consequent organs’ ischemia and atresia and the embryological hypothesis, i.e., the congenital absence of the adnexes.”
“Study Design. Prospective cohort study.

Objective.

To study the effect of surgical retraction on paraspinal muscle function and investigate the effect of intermittent muscle GANT61 retraction.

Summary of Background Data. Paraspinal muscle retraction leads to increased intramuscular pressure with a reduction Natural Product Library solubility dmso in local blood flow resulting in ischemic damage. This may lead to muscle dysfunction and increased back pain after surgery.

Methods. Two groups of 20 patients underwent one-level decompressive lumbar surgery. Group A underwent continuous muscle retraction, group B underwent intermittent muscle retraction.

All patients completed pain questionnaires and underwent spinal strength assessment, paraspinal needle electromyography (EMG) before and after surgery, and had intraoperative muscle biopsy analysis using the technique of birefringence.

Results. Pain questionnaires revealed a reduction in back pain in all patients following surgery; patients with shorter retraction times had less pain (P < 0.05). Paraspinal muscle histochemistry revealed patients with shorter muscle retraction times and patients who underwent intermittent muscle retraction has less damage (P < 0.05). Isometric JPH203 clinical trial strength testing revealed patients in the intermittent retraction group had a less profound reduction in strength after surgery (P < 0.05). Needle EMG data

and pain questionnaires showed no differences between the continuous and intermittent groups, although EMG data did show that muscle shows evidence of reinnervation after surgery.

Conclusion. Although histologically there was a reduction in muscle damage in patients that underwent intermittent retraction, there was no benefit on clinical outcome. Paraspinal muscle shows evidence of reinnervation after surgery.”
“Styrene maleic anhydride copolymer (SMA) with higher MA content (21.8 wt %) than reported SMA (mostly 8 wt %) was used as a compatibilizer for poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (PPO)/polyamide 6 (PA6) blends by in situ formed PA-g-SMA during melt processing. The tensile strength and flexural strength of PPO/PA blends were greatly increased by the addition of SMA. The morphology of PPO/PA/SMA (30/70/variable) was investigated by scanning electron microscopy, and the addition of SMA led to a significant decrease in the particle size of the dispersed PPO phase.

The aim of this literature review was to evaluate the efficacy of different methods of implant surface decontamination. A search was conducted using the PubMed (Medline) database, which identified 36 articles including in vivo and in vitro studies, and reviews of different decontamination

systems (chemical, mechanical, laser and photodynamic therapies). There is sufficient consensus that, for the treatment of peri-implant infections, the mechanical removal of Z-IETD-FMK chemical structure biofilm from the implant surface should be supplemented by chemical decontamination with surgical access. However, more long-term research is needed to confirm this and to establish treatment protocols responding to different implant characterics.”
“Kawasaki disease (KD) is the most common cause of acquired

heart disease in children. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is the standard therapy for KD, click here but more than 10% of KD patients do not respond to IVIG and are at high risk for the development of coronary artery lesions (CALs). To identify clinical and genetic risk factors associated with CAL development and IVIG nonresponsiveness, this study analyzed the clinical data for 478 Korean KD patients. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that incomplete KD, IVIG nonresponse, fever duration of 7 days or longer, and the CC/AC genotypes of the rs7604693 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the PELI1 gene were significantly associated with

the development of CALs, with odds ratios (ORs) ranging from 2.06 to 3.04. The risk of CAL formation was synergistically increased by the addition of individual risk factors, particularly the genetic variant in the PELI1 gene. Multivariate analysis also showed that a serum albumin level of 3.6 g/dl or lower was significantly associated with nonresponsiveness to IVIG [OR, 2.76; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.34-5.68; P = 0.006]. Conclusively, incomplete KD, IVIG nonresponsiveness, Ulixertinib long febrile days, and the rs7604693 genetic variant in the PELI1 gene are major risk factors for the development of CALs, whereas low serum albumin concentration is an independent risk factor for IVIG nonresponsiveness.”
“A cohort of low income, city dwelling, pregnant African American Women (delivered from 1994-1999) was assembled to identify factors related to organochlorine exposure through consumption of Great Lakes resources. The cohort is known as the Great Lakes Cohort of Pregnant African American Women (GLCPAAW). Pregnant women from metropolitan Chicago, IL area clinics were administered a questionnaire on diet, demographics, and health history. Weight, height, and serum lipids were measured at delivery along with serum organochlorines such as PCBs and DDE. Congener specific concentrations of PCBs and pp’-DDE found in the maternal serum are reported.

Methods: Patients who started TLTBI in New York City (NYC) Health Department chest clinics during January 2002 – August 2004 were studied. TLTBI completion rate were described and compared according to patient demographic and clinical characteristics selleckchem by regimen using univariate analysis and log-binomial regression.

Results: A total of 15 035 patients started and 6788 (45.2%) completed TLTBI. Treatment completers were more likely than

non-completers to be >= 35 years old (52.5%, adjusted relative risk (aRR) = 1.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.1, 1.2), contacts to pulmonary TB patients (57.4%, aRR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.4, 1.7), treated by directly observed preventive therapy (DOPT) (71.4%, aRR

= 1.3, 95% CI = 1.2, 1.3), and to have received the rifamycin-based regimen (60.0%, aRR = 1.2, 95% CI = 1.1, 1.3). The completion rate with an isoniazid regimen did not differ between HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected persons. Among those who failed to complete, 3748 (47.8%) failed to return for isoniazid and 59 (14.7%) for rifamycin after the. first month of medication dispensing.

Conclusions: Shorter regimen and DOPT increased completion rates for LTBI. Though efforts to improve TLTBI completion need to address all groups, greater focus is needed for persons who are contacts and HIV-infected, as they have higher risk of developing TB. (C) 2009 International Society for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Objective The purpose was to assess the SNDX-275 validity and reliability of Selleck SN-38 health belief model variables (perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and self-efficacy beliefs) that are often the target of mammography screening interventions.

Methods Based on Champion’s

health belief model scales, questionnaire data were obtained from a nationally representative sample of 408 Greek women, 40 years of age or older and with no personal history of cancer.

Results Using confirmatory factor analysis, we found all items to load significantly on their respective factors. Standardized factor loadings ranged from 0.55 to 0.88. An analysis of localized areas of respecification of a three-factor model revealed that measurement error correlations between a few items existed. Known-groups and criterion-related validity was supported for all scales, while internal consistency reliability of the scales was satisfactory, with Cronbach’s alpha ranging from 0.71 to 0.88.

Conclusions The Greek version of the scales measuring perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and self-efficacy beliefs is a reliable and valid tool when used to assess health beliefs for mammography screening among women. Implications for intervention strategies aimed at increasing the likelihood of mammography utilization are considered. Copyright (c) 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The expression of procollagen type I, III, IV, transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), Smad2, 3, 4, and phosphorylated-Smad2, 3 in the rat skin was analyzed 24 h after completing all laser treatments by using RT-PCR and Western blot. Immunohistochemistry was performed to evaluate the content of type I collagen in the skin at

day 30 after laser irradiation. The 800-nm diode laser NU7441 molecular weight treatments markedly improved the histological structure and increased dermal thickness compared to the non-irradiated controls. Laser irradiation at 40 J/cm(2) significantly up-regulated the expression of procollagen type I and IV, TGF-beta and Smad2, 3, 4. The p-Smad2 and p-Smad3 levels were also enhanced in the laser-irradiated skin. The 800-nm laser is effective in improving skin structure and inducing

skin new collagen expression. New collagen synthesis induced by the 800-nm laser was mediated by TGF-beta/Smad signaling pathway. Thus, it seemed that the 800-nm laser could be used for non-ablative rejuvenation in the future.”
“Background: The proposed introduction of the CAB (circulation, airway, breathing) sequence for cardiopulmonary resuscitation has raised some perplexity within the pediatric community. We designed a randomized trial intended to verify if and how much timing of intervention in pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation is affected by the use of the CAB vs. the ABC (airway, breathing, circulation) sequence.

Patients and methods: 340 volunteers, paired into 170 two-person teams, performed VS-6063 2-rescuer healthcare provider BLS with both a CAB and ABC sequence. Their performances were audio-video

recorded and times of intervention in the two scenarios, cardiac and respiratory arrest, were monitored.

Results: The CAB sequence compared to ABC prompts quicker INCB018424 purchase recognition of respiratory (CAB vs. ABC = 17.48 +/- 2.19 vs. 19.17 +/- 2.38 s; p < 0.05) or cardiac arrest (CAB vs. ABC = 17.48 +/- 2.19 vs. 41.67 +/- 4.95; p < 0.05) and faster start of ventilatory maneuvers (CAB vs. ABC = 19.13 +/- 1.47 s vs. 22.66 +/- 3.07; p < 0.05) or chest compressions (CAB vs. ABC = 19.27 +/- 2.64 vs. 43.40 +/- 5.036; p < 0.05).

Conclusions: Compared to ABC the CAB sequence prompts shorter time of intervention both in diagnosing respiratory or cardiac arrest and in starting ventilation or chest compression. However, this does not necessarily entail prompter resumption of spontaneous circulation and significant reduction of neurological sequelae, an issue that requires further studies. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Contents

Medical and surgical management of a foetopelvic dystocia in an African lioness (Panthera leo) and the post-operative complications are reported. A caesarean section was performed to extract an oversize foetus blocked at the cervical canal; the lioness died 36 h after surgery.

In addition, HP-748 induced contraction of the isolated urethra with a pEC(50) of 5.89 and an E(max) of 37%. Conclusions: These data support the potential of besipirdine as a new drug for LUT dysfunctions such as stress and mixed urinary incontinence. Copyright (c) 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel”
“The present study evaluates the antimicrobial activity of fractionated extracts of Ageratum conyzoides in a bid to isolate the active constituents of the plant with anti-Helicobacter pylori activity. Helicobacter pylori was isolated from the specimens following standard microbiology procedures and isolates

subjected to pure Nocodazole in vitro fractions of plant extracts for antimicrobial assays. Extracts of A. conyzoides was fractionated by silica gel and thin layer chromatography to learn more obtain pure fractions (17). Fractions 23 – 30 and 31 – 36 were so close and had crystals; it was assumed that they had the same active components, so they were combined and considered as one (fractions 23 – 36). The disk diffusion method was used to determine the susceptibility of 15 strains of H. pylori to the fractions. The minimum inhibitory concentration

(MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) for the most active fraction was also determined by the broth dilution method. Results were analyzed by the Fisher’s exact test. All the fractions tested demonstrated antimicrobial activity with zone diameters of inhibition between 0 – 30 mm. However, two of the 17 fractions [23 - 36(100%Hex-Hex/EA20%) and 69 - 83(Hex/EA80%)] demonstrated very potent activities. The lowest MIC and MBC recorded were 0.002 and 0.016 mg/ml respectively. However the MIC of the fractions ranged from 0.016 – 0.500 mg/ml for fractions 23 – 36 and 0.002 – 0.500 mg/ml for fractions 69 – 83. The MBC

of the fractions ranged from 0.063 – 0.500 mg/ml for fractions 23 – 36; 0.016 – 1.000 mg/ml for fractions 69 – 83. There was a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05) in the potency of the fractions on the different bacterial strains tested, both for the MIC and MBC but comparing the activities of the most potent fractions against the different bacterial strains, they possessed no significant differences (P > 0.05) in their activities both for the MIC and MBC. It is concluded that this plant see more may contain compounds with therapeutic activity, which may be found in fractions 23 – 36 (100%Hex-Hex/EA20%) and 69 – 83(Hex/EA80%).”
“Piezoceramic materials have attracted much attention for sensing, actuation, structural health monitoring, and energy harvesting applications in the past two decades due to their excellent coupling between energy in the mechanical and electrical domains. Among all piezoceramic materials, lead zirconate titanate (PZT) has been the most broadly studied and implemented, in industrial applications due to its high piezoelectric coupling coefficients. Piezoceramic materials are most often employed as thin films or monolithic wafers.

The main principle of the method is the following. Irradiation

of the metal film by a nanosecond laser pulse leads to transient heating and expansion of the film that in turn results in the generation of an acoustic signal. The waveform of the signal results from two contributions: the “”primary”" signal from the thermal expansion of the metal film, which repeats the temporal profile of the laser pulse envelope, and the “”secondary”" signal, which originates from the thermal expansion this website of the adjacent liquid layer. Due to low thermal conductivity of liquid compared to metal, the liquid accumulates heat that is released in metal and produces that secondary contribution into the OA conversion. This contribution is very sensitive to the properties of the film. The influence of the film thickness and its thermophysical parameters on the frequency-dependent efficiency of OA conversion and on the temporal profile of

excited OA signals is discussed in detail. Based on these results, the method for nondestructive evaluation of submicron metal coatings properties is proposed.”
“The objective of this study was to identify and compare the volatile LY333531 inhibitor compounds of liquid essential oils and volatiles of headspace-solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) of the hallabong blossom. SPME is a sampling technique based on sorption of analytes into a polymeric material that coats a silica fiber. Two different fiber coatings GSK1838705A clinical trial tested to evaluate the extraction efficiencies of volatiles. The hallabong blossom exhibited 5 major volatile compounds: linalool (28.89-43.24%), limonene (0.39-23.06%), P-myrcene (0.38-16.67%), sabinene (1.37-11.42%),

and 4-terpineol (1.26-6.12%). The amounts of identified compounds in the hallabong blossom were more abundant in carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane (CAR/PDMS) fiber than in PDMS fiber.”
“The objective of this work was to characterize the Moisture sorption and water vapor permeation behavior of edible films made from sodium caseinate and chitosan for future applications as protective layers on foods. Glycerol was used as a plasticizer, and the films were obtained by a casting/solvent-evaporation method. The moisture sorption kinetics and water vapor permeability (WVP) were investigated. The effect of the addition of glycerol on the WVP characteristics of the films was determined at 25 degrees C with a relative humidity (RH) gradient of 0-64.5% (internal to external). Experimental data were fitted with an exponential function with two fitting parameters. WVP increased with increasing glycerol content in both films, chitosan samples being much more permeable than caseinate ones at any glycerol content. WVPs of sodium caseinate, chitosan, and chitosan/caseinate films with 28 wt % glycerol were also determined for two RH gradients, 0 to 64.5% and 100 to 64.5%, higher WVPs being measured at higher RHs.

(J Am Vet Med Assoc 2011;238:353-355)”
“MgB2 wires and tapes were prepared www.selleckchem.com/products/Gefitinib.html by the powder in tube method using different processing technologies and thoroughly characterized for their superconducting properties. Either prereacted MgB2 (ex situ) or a mixture of Mg+2B (in situ) was used as the precursor powder. In some wires the precursor

powder was mixed with SiC. The critical current density (J(c)) of these wires was found to differ by orders of magnitude, the highest J(c) being 10(4) A cm(-2) at 10.5 T and 4.2 K. The microstructure of these wires was investigated using quantitative electron microscopy and spectroscopy methods [B. Birajdar, N. Peranio, and O. Eibl, Supercond. Sci. Technol. 21, 073001 (2008)]: combined scanning electron microscopy, electron probe microanalysis, and transmission

electron microscopy analysis with artifact-free sample preparation, elemental mapping, and advanced chemical quantification. Wires with prereacted MgB2 (ex situ) show oxygen-poor MgB2 colonies (a colony is a dense arrangement of several MgB2 grains) embedded in a porous oxygen-rich matrix introducing structural granularity. Wires with CBL0137 mouse elemental precursors (in situ) are generally more dense but show inhibited MgB2 phase formation with significantly higher fraction of B-rich secondary phases in comparison to the ex situ wires. SiC in the in situ wires results in the formation of Mg2Si secondary phases. In situ and mechanically alloyed samples show smaller (20-100 nm) MgB2 grains, the grain size being slightly larger than the coherence length. All samples show Mg oxide. SiC added samples annealed beyond 950 degrees C yield formation of Si oxide compounds, whereas Mg2Si is found for annealing temperatures of less than 650 degrees C. The critical current is limited due to the anisotropy but also due to structural granularity. A microstructure-critical current density model is given to explain the large, orders of magnitude, differences in the J(c) of MgB2 wires and tapes. The model contains the following microstructure

parameters: (1) MgB2 grain size, (2) colony size, (3) volume fraction of B-rich secondary 3-MA order phases, and (4) oxygen mole fraction. The logarithmic critical current densities as a function of magnetic field were parametrized and the decay field and the critical current density at zero field (J(c0)) was quantitatively correlated with the parameters of the microstructure. The MgB2 grain size is negatively correlated with the decay field and the three other microstructure parameters show correlation with J(c0). Sample preparation influencing the microstructure parameters is discussed. A detailed analysis is given to correlate the microstructural data with respect to fundamental parameters of a flux-line pinning model established for anisotropic superconductors.”
“Objective-To evaluate health indicators for a population of bottlenose dolphins in the US Navy Marine Mammal Program (MMP) by use of data acquired from 1988 through 2007.