Half Times Research Articles

Ineffective overweight self-management: A study of diagnostic accuracy and etiological relationships.

To evaluate the accuracy of clinical indicators and etiological factors associated with the nursing diagnosis of ineffective overweight self-management among university students. A diagnostic accuracy study with a cross-sectional design was conducted with 108 university students. A latent class analysis model with random effects was used to establish sensitivity and specificity measures of clinical indicators, estimate the prevalence of the diagnosis, and calculate posterior probabilities for the diagnosis. Odds ratios for etiological factors were calculated using univariate logistic regression. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the responsible institution. The nursing diagnosis of ineffective overweight self-management had an estimated prevalence of 38.1% in the sample. Sensitive clinical indicators included excessive calorie consumption (0.9514) and dissatisfaction with body image (0.8834). Specific indicators included negative self-perception of health (0.9999), inadequate eating behavior (0.9990), and impaired emotional health (0.8273). A personal history of overweight (OR=2.78; p-value=0.018) increased the likelihood of developing ineffective overweight self-management by approximately two and a half times. Ineffective overweight self-management is prevalent among university students and is characterized by two sensitive clinical indicators, three specific indicators, and a population at risk that increases the likelihood of this diagnosis. Accurate clinical indicators and the identification of etiological factors for the diagnosis of ineffective overweight self-management support nurses' clinical reasoning in practice. Moreover, verifying accurate components for diagnosing ineffective overweight self-management contributes to the development of interventions aimed at promoting the health of university students.

Microdroplet pull-out testing: Significance of fiber fracture results

Fiber reinforced composites are used in structural materials that required light weight and stiffness. The properties of the fibers or matrix are important, but the interfacial properties have a significant impact on the properties of fiber reinforced composite. In this study, the interfacial shear strength (IFSS) was measured using acrylic resin and epoxy resin as base materials. The chemical composition of acrylic and epoxy matrix materials was analyzed to predict the effects on IFSS. Additionally, IFSS was measured through a microdroplet pull-out test. The reliability of the experimental results was enhanced by applying a statistical analysis to IFSS results. In the case of epoxy, GF/epoxy exhibited higher IFSS to twice and half times than CF/epoxy specimens. It means that the surface treatment of the fibers has a significant impact on the interface. In the case of acrylic, IFSS could be measured for GF. But in the case of CF, IFSS was too low to get accurate results of IFSS. Through this research, methods to improve the accuracy of composite interfacial strength measurement experiments were examined, and the study suggested the need for standardized criteria to evaluate composite interfacial adhesion.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF TEMPORAL PROSODIC PARAMETERS IN THE SPEECH OF FOREIGN STUDENTS LEARNING THE BULGARIAN LANGUAGE

The work examines the prosodic realization of the Bulgarian word stress in the speech of Chinese Mandarin speakers, with the aim of outlining the parameters that make the comprehensibility of their speech difficult. Instrumental phonetics methods are used and recordings of read speech are analyzed with the speech signal processing program Praat. The research is focused on the duration of the vowels as one of the acoustic ques of the word stress. To minimize the "inconsistency" of the binary division of stressed and unstressed units in connected speech (discussed in the literature), taking into account the fact that the acoustic keys of stress are subject to intonational shaping by tonal accents and boundary tones, we separately compare the duration of stressed vowels, the unstressed non-final and the unstressed final. The results show that the characteristic ratio of stressed and unstressed non-final vowels for Bulgarian language, in which the former outweigh the latter by about one and a half times, is not reached among Chinese speakers. Therefore, it is difficult to determine which vowel/syllable is stressed in their speech. The unstressed final vowels are longer than the stressed ones in both groups, which is an expected result due to the final lengthening before pause.

Consumption and expenditure of antidepressants and anxiolitycs in 14 European countries

Abstract Background Since the burden of depressive and anxiety disorders, assessing the use and spending of drugs commonly prescribed for treating such conditions is a valuable barometer of mental health assistance and healthcare services. The current research aims to evaluate the consumption of antidepressants and anxiolytics and the relative expenditure among 14 European countries (Austria, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden). Methods A retrospective longitudinal study was assessed based on pooled time series analysis of secondary data over ten years (2012-2021). Defined Daily Doses (DDD) per 1,000 inhabitants and health expenditure per capita (current US$, computed on purchasing power parity) were considered. Linear and quadratic trends were calculated for defining relationships between the variables of interest. Results Prevailing patterns of consumption and spending show an increase in antidepressants and a decrease in anxiolytics. Noteworthy is the growth slope of antidepressant consumption in three selected countries, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden, by over two and a half times from 2012 to 2021. In addition, for a few countries, there is a pattern contrary to most countries for anxiolytics (Latvia, Spain) and discordant between consumption and expenditure for antidepressants (Austria, Hungary). Conclusions The widespread growth of antidepressant use deserves attention. As a public health issue, the prescription and use of antidepressants should be addressed by targeted policies for integrating multifaceted strategies. Key messages • Monitoring consumption and expenditure of antidepressant and anxiolytic drugs represents a valid tool for assessing the efficacy and availability of mental healthcare services among the population. • The growth in the consumption of antidepressants represents a relevant public health issue and deserves attention for the evaluation of an integrated approach of assistance.

Multi-stage gaze-controlled virtual keyboard using eye tracking.

This study presents a novel multi-stage hierarchical approach to optimize key selection on virtual keyboards using eye gaze. Existing single-stage selection algorithms have difficulty with distant keys on large interfaces. The proposed technique divides the standard QWERTY keyboard into progressively smaller regions guided by eye movements, with boundary fixations first selecting halves and quarters to sequentially narrow the search area. Within each region, keys are highlighted one by one for selection. An experiment compared the multi-stage approach to single-step techniques, having participants copy text using eye gaze alone under both conditions. Metrics on selection speed, words per minute, and usability ratings were significantly improved with the hierarchical technique. Half and quarter selection times decreased over 30% on average while maintaining accuracy, with overall task completion 20% faster. Users also rated the multi-stage approach as more comfortable and easier to use. The multi-level refinement of the selection area optimized interaction efficiency for gaze-based text entry.

Effect of The Water Origin on The Biological Properties of Sage (Salvia officinalis L.) Aqueous Extracts

Plant extracts, due to the high content of various biologically active compounds, have found their wide application in the foods, pharmaceutical industries, and agricultures, for the production of valuable and useful bioproducts. The aqueous plant extracts are most often used. The effect of the water origin used in their preparation on the extract’s composition has not been studied enough, which limits their use. The study was aimed to compare the biological effect of sage (Salvia officinalis L.) extracts prepared using water of different origins (distilled, tap, spring, bottled). The preparation of aqueous extracts was carried out in two ways, differing in the extraction temperature. In the first method, boiling water was used to prepare the extract; in the second, cooled boiled water was used. The sage leaves mass for extract preparation was 1.65 and 3.30 g. The biological activity of the extracts was assessed by testing them for radish germination. It was shown the sage leaves extracts prepared using various waters origin can differ by one and half times in their allelopathic effect on radish seeds. It was proved the qualitative composition and mass of the substance extracted from the plant depend on the water origin used for extracts preparation. Thus, using the same amount of plant material to prepare extracts, you can increase their biological activity by fifty percent with the right choice of water.

Risk Perception and Prevalence of Risky Behaviours Among In-School Adolescents in Ijesa-Land, South Western Nigeria

Background Risky behaviours contribute to adolescents’ morbidity and mortality and constitute a leading public health concern. Therefore, this study sets out to determine the prevalence of risky behaviours and the perceived susceptibility to these behaviours. Methods A total of 465 in-school adolescents were sampled for a descriptive cross-sectional study using a multistage sampling technique. Data were collected via a facilitated self-administered semi-structured questionnaire adapted from the Youth Risk Behaviour Survey and analysed using IBM SPSS v23.0 Results Of the 465 recruited for this study, 63% were females and 37% were males and the larger percentage was in the age group 14-16 years. Over a fifth of the respondents perceived they were at moderate to great risk regarding partaking in risky sexual behaviour (23.7%), violence and unsafe practices (23%), suicidal ideation, plans or attempts (21.5). The most prevalent risky behaviour was however risky dietary behaviours (69.2%), followed by unsafe practices and violence (25.2%) and risky sexual behaviour (18.9%).. Respondents who did not have friends and family members involved in at least one risky behaviour are about one and a half times less likely to be at moderate/great risk of getting involved in risky behaviours. Conclusions Risky behaviours are prevalent among in-school adolescents with those having friends and family members involved in at least one risky behaviour at greater risk of involvement. The pattern of risky behaviour shows that there is a need to pay attention to hitherto unfancied risky behaviours. A double-edged educational intervention for adolescents and parents/family members is needed to curb risky behaviours among adolescents.

Comparative Bioequivalence Studies of doxysam and doxycycline (Pfizer) by reversed phase HPLC.

Isocratic high performance liquid chromatography on reversed phase a (150x 4.6 mm I.D), 5 ?m ?-Bondapak RP-8 column (with acidic mobile phase allow the separation of doxcycycline hydrochloride with low detection limit of 0.2 µg/ml detected by UV set at 226 nm. The method was validated for Doxycycline between 0.156- to 5 µg/ml. The concentration of doxycycline was assessed in two single dose randomized crossover studies with intervals of one week between two period. In sera of 20 adults healthy male volunteers with average age of (42 + 10) year, body weight 48-85 kg, body height of (160-185cm) after a single dose of doxycycline hydrochoride 100 mg in form of capsules were orally administrated for both formulations. The blood samples (2ml) were drawn concomitantly from 0.5 – 24 hours. µg The pharmacokinetics parameter were obtained from the mean serum concentration measured at various sampling times for both formulations. The maximum peak concentration (Cmax) of doxycycline reference drug from Pfizer In serum was (3.1 +0.094 µg /ml) attained in 2 hrs. While the maximum concentration (Cmax) of test drug doxysam (2.8 +0.098 µg /ml) attained in about 2 hrs, both drug have long elimination time with half time of approximately (13 hrs.) Both test and reference drug were show no significant difference in pharmacokinetics parameters, so they were considered to be bioequivalent.

КИНЕТИКА РОСТА ДИФФУЗИОННЫХ ПРОСЛОЕК В СКМ 20880+АД1+ВТ1-0

It is shown that the diffusion zone at the interlayer boundary of steel 20880 + aluminum AD1 consists of two layers: the Fe2Al5 intermetallic compound located on the steel side and constituting the main part of the diffusion zone, and a thin (up to 10 μm) layer of the FeAl3 intermetallic compound on the aluminum side. Microhardness of the diffusion zone ~ 12 GPa. It has been established that the intensity of growth of the diffusion zone at the interlayer boundary of aluminum AD1 + titanium VT1-0 with the phase composition TiAl3 is almost one and a half times lower than at the interlayer boundary of steel 20880 + aluminum AD1. Its microhardness is ~5 GPa.

Effects of coffee intake on skeletal muscle microvascular reactivity at rest and oxygen extraction during exercise: a randomized cross-over trial.

The effects of coffee ingestion on skeletal muscle microvascular function are not well understood. This study aimed to investigate the acute effects of coffee intake with varying levels of caffeine on skeletal muscle microvascular reactivity at rest and oxygen extraction during maximal incremental exercise in physically active individuals. Twenty healthy young male participants were administered coffee with low caffeine (3 mg/kg body weight; LC), high caffeine (6 mg/kg body weight; HC), and placebo (decaf) in different sessions. Skeletal muscle reactivity indexes, including tissue saturation index 10s slope (TSI10) and TSI half time recovery (TSI ½) following 5-minute ischemia were measured at rest and were measured at baseline and post-coffee consumption using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Post-coffee intake, NIRS was also used to measure microvascular oxygen extraction during exercise via maximal incremental exercise. Peak oxygen consumption and peak power output (Wpeak) were simultaneously evaluated. Post-coffee consumption, TSI10 was significantly higher in the LC condition compared to placebo (p = 0.001) and significantly higher in the HC condition compared to placebo (p < 0.001). However, no difference was detected between LC and HC conditions (p = 0.527). HC condition also showed significant less TSI ½ compared to placebo (p = 0.005). However, no difference was detected for microvascular oxygen extraction during exercise, despite the greater Wpeak found for HC condition (p < 0.001) compared to placebo. Coffee ingestion with high caffeine level (6 mg/kg body weight) significantly enhanced skeletal muscle reactivity at rest. However, the improvement of exercise performance with coffee intake is not accompanied by alterations in muscle oxygen extraction.

The Fire-ViT Model for Tunnel Fire Detection with Vision Transformer Improvement

Smoke detection in tunnels presents unique challenges, including low light conditions, visual obstructions like smoke and headlights, and the need to analyze ultrahigh-resolution images. To address these challenges, this study introduces an innovative model named Fire-ViT, leveraging the vision transformer (ViT) architecture. Unlike traditional convolutional neural networks that often struggle with false positives under these complex conditions, Fire-ViT incorporates an attention mechanism and multiperceptron layer, significantly enhancing its capability to discern details in high-resolution images specific to tunnel environments. The model’s performance is outstanding, achieving an accuracy rate of 99.87% on a high-resolution tunnel image dataset, markedly surpassing that of conventional models. Notably, Fire-ViT not only elevates detection accuracy and robustness but also cuts training time in half. This efficiency, coupled with its adaptability to the intricate tunnel environment, makes Fire-ViT an ideal solution for early warning systems against fires in tunnels, fulfilling the demand for high-standard, fine-grained fire detection.

Prevalence of schistosomiasis and its association with anemia in Ethiopia, 2024: a systematic review and meta‑analysis

BackgroundSchistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease that affects over 250 million people, predominantly in impoverished communities, including those in Ethiopia. However, there is currently no available national data regarding its prevalence in Ethiopia or its potential association with anemia.MethodsThe Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA-2020) guideline was followed in our study. A comprehensive search strategy was conducted using international databases (PUB Med, Embase, Scopus, and Science Direct) and websites (Google Scholar and Google) from their date of inception to April 22, 2024. The quality of the retrieved studies was assessed using an adapted version of the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Publication bias and statistical heterogeneity were statistically assessed. A random effects model was applied, and all analysis was performed with STATA 17 statistical software.ResultThe prevalence of schistosomiasis was assessed in twelve studies with 5747 participants. S. mansoni was studied in 11 research papers, while S. hematobium was assessed in one study. Using a random effect model due to high heterogeneity (I2 = 98.46%; P < 0.001), the overall pooled prevalence of schistosomiasis in Ethiopia was 22% (95% CI: 14.3, 29.6). The prevalence of schistosomiasis was about two and a half times higher in rural settings (23%) (95% CI: 15, 31) than in urban areas (10%) (95% CI: 3, 17). The burden of schistosomiasis was 23% between 2020 and 2024, compared to 16% from 2015–2019, with a higher prevalence among pediatric age groups (22%) versus 14% in mixed pediatric and adult age groups. The magnitude of schistosomiasis for good and very good-quality papers was 22% and 17%, respectively. In all the subgroup analyses, there was considerable statistically significant heterogeneity. No study was found to evaluate the association of schistosomiasis with anemia.ConclusionThe study reveals Ethiopia's higher schistosomiasis prevalence. Rural areas have a high burden of schistosomiasis. No eligible study was found to evaluate the association of schistosomiasis with anemia. Therefore, prevention and control measures should focus on rural settings.Trial registrationThe registration number at PROSPERO is CRD42024538522.

Diagnosis of Congenital Heart Disease in Adulthood: How Often, How Relevant?

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is typically detected during fetal life, infancy, or early childhood. However, there is no published data regarding the proportion of congenital heart defects that are diagnosed in adulthood or the impact of these defects. Retrospective analyses of all consecutive patients (n = 1,010) referred to an adult CHD unit between 2018 and 2023. We analyzed the proportion of cases diagnosed in adulthood, defining the type of defect, reasons for diagnosis, complications, and need for intervention. In total, 26.5% of patients were diagnosed in adulthood (mean age 47 ± 16 years). Overall, 75% were in New York Heart Association class I/IV. Most were mild complexity lesions (57.5%). The most common diagnoses were pre-tricuspid shunts, including ostium secundum atrial septal defect (ASD, 23.9%), partial anomalous pulmonary vein drainage (18.3%), and other types of ASD (5.9%). Bicuspid aortic valve (16.8%) and aortic coarctation (8.2%) were common. Other diagnoses included Ebstein's anomaly (5.6%), ventricular septal defect (4.5%), patent ductus arteriosus (2.6%), or congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (2.6%). The main reason for diagnostic work-up was cardiac symptoms (28.4%) such as dyspnea (19%) and palpitations (7.1%), followed by incidental findings on imaging (25.4%). A total of 47.4% had some complications, the most common being pulmonary hypertension (24.3%). Surgical repair was required in 27.2% and 25.4% underwent percutaneous intervention. About one-fourth of patients with CHD were diagnosed in adulthood, and up to 42.5% had moderate or severe complexity lesions. A significant proportion had developed complications at the time of diagnosis and half of them required intervention.

Inertial Confinement Fusion Propulsion for the Massive Ra World Ship Model – Part 2

A strategy for sending humans around other stars will be to acquire the ability to construct large World Ships which are of order ~1011-1012 tons in mass, ~100 km in length and host large populations of millions of people over many generations of lifetime. This paper presents such a concept but driven by inertial confinement fusion engines utilising very large pellets of order 230 g in mass augmented with 4.85 kg/pellet of expellant propellant for increased mass flow rate and thrust generation. A mission architecture is constructed for a 1 million population carrying capacity growing to 10 million, based on an original 1984 published model which achieved a cruise speed of 1,500 km/s or 0.5% for a 1,000 year trip time. Calculations show that propulsion of such a vast construction will require hundreds of engines operating in parallel thrust mode and at moderately high pulse frequency for an elongated burn time of order half a century. The purpose of this study was to examine whether it was possible to drive an interstellar world ship using ICF engines using similar assumptions to a 1984 study for a Mk2A design. The conclusion of this study is that although an architecture does appear to be possible, there are practical reasons why it may be better to pursue alternative propulsion methods for this specific application such as via external nuclear pulse propulsion as adopted for the original studies. This paper is a follow-up to an earlier one which discussed some of the assumptions of the study. Keywords: World Ships, Interstellar Studies, Fusion Propulsion

Requirements for upgrading trusted nodes to a repeater chain over 900 km of optical fiber

Abstract We perform a numerical study of the distribution of entanglement on a real-world fiber grid connecting the German cities of Bonn and Berlin. The connection is realized using a chain of processing-node quantum repeaters spanning roughly 900 kilometers. Their placement is constrained by the fiber grid we consider, resulting in asymmetric links. We investigate how minimal hardware requirements depend on the target application, as well as on the number of repeaters in the chain. We find that requirements for blind quantum computing are markedly different than those for quantum key distribution, with the required coherence time being around two and a half times larger for the former. Further, we observe a trade-off regarding how target secret-key rates are achieved when using different numbers of repeaters: comparatively low-quality entangled states generated at a high rate are preferred for higher numbers of repeaters, whereas comparatively high-quality states generated at a lower rate are favored for lower numbers of repeaters. To obtain our results we employ an extensive simulation framework implemented using NetSquid, a discrete-event simulator for quantum networks. These are combined with an optimization methodology based on genetic algorithms to determine minimal hardware requirements.

Eastern Mediterranean Maritime Boundary Delimitation: The Claims of the State of Palestine under UNCLOS

The 2015 accession of Palestine to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) has implications for the rights and obligations of Eastern Mediterranean States. Palestine’s maritime entitlements under UNCLOS are almost two and a half times the land area of Gaza in the form of a territorial sea. Palestine’s maritime sovereign rights may extend up to 200 NM offshore Gaza within the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf with tremendous economic potential. This article examines Palestine maritime claims under UNCLOS and the corresponding delimitation process. It argues that the application of UNCLOS in the East Mediterranean region may contribute to an equitable settlement of the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

Traditional female cervical cauterization and risk of preterm birth in Somalia: a single-center prospective observational study

Numerous traditional practices are both beneficial and harmful. Traditional harmful practices, such as female genital mutilation and traditional cervical cauterization, are carried out for a number of reasons but can have negative health and social effects. In addition to deeply held beliefs, a lack of knowledge and awareness of the consequences of these practices contributes to the persistence of these issues. The objective of this study is to examine whether traditional cervical cauterizations were associated with preterm births in Somalia. This prospective cohort study was conducted at our hospital over a one-year period. Seven hundred and two patients were included in this study; these patients were divided into two groups, cauterized and non-cauterized groups, and the two groups were compared on pregnancy outcomes. We examined whether traditional cervical cauterizations were associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, including preterm births. According to the findings of this study, traditional cervical cauterization was prevalent among patients visiting MSTREH (n = 328, 46.7%). Infections of the uterine cervix and infertility were the two main indications for cauterization, 44.8%, and 34.8%, respectively.Being older, uneducated, and poverty were significantly associated with traditional cauterization (P < 0.001). There was a significant correlation between prior traditional cervical cauterization and the risk of preterm births. Women with prior cauterization were two and half times more likely to deliver a preterm fetus (OR: 2.64, 95% CI 2.15–3.33) compared to non-cauterized mothers. Our findings show that women who have previously undergone traditional cervical cauterization have a significantly higher risk of preterm birth and negative pregnancy outcomes than non-cauterized women. Health professionals, particularly those who are close to the community, are crucial in developing and putting into practice plans to end harmful traditions in Somalia.

Analysis of the Playing Technique Skills of the English Manchester City Football Club in Winning the UEFA Champions League Title For the 2022-2023 Season

Football is a popular sport that appeals to the public. The purpose of the study was to determine the most dominant playing technique skills and quality of playing techniques from the Manchester City Team. The type of research used is quantitative descriptive research with a descriptive method approach. The subjects used in the study were all players who played in the match between Manchester City against Sevilla in the group, RB Leipzig in the last 16, Bayern München in the last 8, Real Madrid in the last 4, and Inter Milan in the final. While the object of this research concerns playing technique skills such as: passing, shooting, dribbling, ball control, and heading.It can be concluded from the results of the analysis of the Manchester City team in five matches in the UEFA Champions League season 2022-2023, namely: The average percentage of the most dominant and best techniques used by the Manchester City team is passing 564 times (88%%), shooting 17 times (54%), dribbling 26 times (62%), ball control 427 times (96%) and heading 21 times (53%), The most dominant technique used by the Manchester City team in the five matches was the passing technique 2,818 times and the ball control technique was the technique that had the highest quality (96%) compared to other techniques, The average percentage of Manchester City team techniques against all opponents, seen from the percentage of playing technique skills, the Manchester City Team excels in all playing techniques such as passing (by 6%), shooting (by 20%), dribbling (by 16%), ball control (by 2%) and heading (by 6%). Based on statistical data on all playing technique skills of the Manchester City team and their opponents, overall (first half, second half and full time) the percentage of Manchester City team playing techniques only lost in one aspect of the technique, namely heading techniques (by 1% in the second half) the rest were able to excel, both in the first half, second half, and in full time, this proves that the percentage of successful passing, shooting, dribbling, ball possession and heading techniques can have an influence on the final result of the match. But in addition to the techniques possessed by players, there are other factors that affect the outcome of the match, such as: game tactics, understanding of game strategy, formation and mental factors.

410. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GASTRIC CONDUIT EMPTYING, FUNCTIONAL ANATOMY AND PERISTALSIS: A DETAILED ANALYSIS USING DYNAMIC MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING

Abstract Background Gastric conduit peristalsis post oesophagectomy is an important mediator of conduit emptying and consequently gastrointestinal symptoms and quality of life. The relationship between anatomical variations of the conduit, peristaltic function and transpyloric flow are incompletely defined. We aimed to analyse gastric conduit function using dynamic MRI to evaluate functional anatomy, quantify peristaltic function and measure emptying. Methods Eighteen patients with gastric conduit reconstruction post oesophagectomy and 12 controls with normal gastric anatomy were recruited. Dynamic and static sequences of MRI following ingestion of a semi solid meal were obtained. Peristalsis variables including Gastric Motor Index (GMI - Velocity x Amplitude) were measured at 4 time points throughout the MRI, and volume scans were taken at the beginning and end of the 20-minute scanning period. Nuclear Scintigraphy conduit emptying studies were obtained from 17/18 (94%) of patients. Quality of Life questionnaire data was collected. Results Nine (50%) conduits demonstrated coordinated peristalsis, 3(16.7%) had no measurable peristalsis and 6 (33.3%) had incoordinate peristalsis. Regarding conduits vs controls, there was no difference in peristaltic wave frequency (5 vs 5/90 seconds) or GMI (35.45 vs 36.5, p=0.61), but emptying was decreased (0.10% vs 15% p=0.01). Acute angulation of the conduit was associated with a slower emptying half time (444 vs 127 min, p=0.025). Conduit width and location of the pylorus relative to the hiatus made no significant difference to peristalsis or emptying. Quality of life scores were significantly better in controls compared with conduits. Conclusion Although coordinate peristalsis was present in many conduits, it did not appear to be a key mediator of conduit emptying. Conduit shape and location within the mediastinum significantly affected emptying. These data demonstrate that construction of the conduit at the index operation may be a key factor in long term function and reducing gastrointestinal symptoms. Dynamic MRI is a promising research and diagnostic tool to assess conduit function due to its capacity to accurately delineate the key elements of conduit function.

Comparative theoretical analysis of thermal stability of vinylheptafulvenes with fused cycles

A systematic TD-DFT/DFT study of dihydroazulenes (DHA) and vinylheptafulvenes (VHF) fused by cyclopentane (CP) and cyclohexane (CH) rings has been performed. The main result of the work is a theoretical explanation for the strikingly high stability of CP-VHF compared to CH-VHF. We showed that the reason for this is the greater bending rigidity of the CP ring than the CH ring, which prevents the recovery of the C1C8a bond. The potential barrier separating CP-DHA and CP-VHF turned out to be one and a half times higher than that between CH-DHA and CH-VHF. The corresponding lifetimes of VHF structures calculated using transition state theory are in good agreement with experimental data.