BACKGROUND/AIM The aim of this study was to quantify the changes in middle ear pressure (MEP) during robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty patients undergoing RARP were included in this study. MEP was obtained at the following time points: awake (T1), postintubation (T2), pneumoperitoneum + 1 h of Trendelenburg position (T3), pneumoperitoneum + 2 h of Trend...

National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, Colorado 80303 Valid comparison of impact test energies reported by various organizations and over time depends on consistent performance of impact test machines. This paper investigates the influence of various specimen and test parameters on impact energies in the 1 J to 2 J range for both Charpy V-notch and Izod procedures, leading tow...

The aim of this study was to examine the degree in which measurements of trait experiential avoidance (EA) are affected by current emotional disorder and whether EA is a causal factor in the course of emotional disorders (anxiety and depressive disorders) and the development of comorbidity among emotional disorders. In a sample of 2,316 adults aged 18 to 65, consisting of healthy controls, pers...

During T-cell maturation, thymocytes interact with thymic stromal major histocompatibility complex (MHC) determinants and thymic hormones, and proliferate, apparently in response to MHC gene products, in the absence of antigen. The maturing thymocytes also express a series of cell surface molecules, at one stage coexpressing T4, T6, and T8. Mature T cells express either T4 or T8, lack T6, bear ...

Fibers are dietary indigestible carbohydrates supplements which play an important role in avian digestive physiology and thus in production performances. In this study, we examined effects of diets on intestinal and cecal microflora and on production of SCFA in 21-day-old broilers. Diets differed in fibrous content (3, 4.5 or 6% of crude fiber, e.g. T1, T3, and T5, respectively) or in nature of...

This paper aims to characterize the surface damage as a consequence of fretting fatigue in aluminum alloy 7075-T6 plates in double-lap bolted joints through XRD, surface profilometry, and SEM analyses. The main focus was on the surface roughness and chemical phase composition of the damaged zone along with the identification of fretting fatigue crack initiations over the surface of the material...

In this study, we present the first comprehensive analyses of the diversity and distribution of marine protist (micro-, nano-, and picoeukaryotes) in the Western Fram Strait, using 454-pyrosequencing and high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) at five stations in summer 2010. Three stations (T1; T5; T7) were influenced by Polar Water, characterized by cold water with lower salinity (<33) and...

While studying the gene expression of the Sulfolobus spindle-shaped virus 1 (SSV1) in Sulfolobus solfataricus lysogenic cells, a novel viral transcript (T(lys)) was identified. Transcriptional analysis revealed that T(lys) is expressed only in the absence of UV irradiation and is downregulated during the growth of the lysogenic host. The correponding gene f55 lies between two transcriptional un...

Annona squamosa L. (Annoneceae) is a medicinal plant widely distributed in all eco-zones of Tanzania. The plant has a wide use as medicine, food and insecticide. A qualitative study of ethanolic extracts of A. squamosa collected from different eco-zones was done using HPTLC. Furthermore, each leaf ethanolic extract and leaf powders were screened for mosquito larvicidal activity against larvae o...

Liver fibrosis is a risk factor for hepatoma. Activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) play a critical role in progression of hepatoma. Resected hepatoma patients with high α-SMA+HSCs infiltration had worse survival, OR: 2.2 and p=0.0434. We hypothesized that HSCs could increase the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) ability of hepatoma cells. In murine model of liver fibrosis with injectio...