Search results

The purpose of this work is to perform an application study on experimental animals (dogs) to investigate the efficiency of using weft knitted mesh fabric as cardiac support mesh to support left ventricular hypertrophy.

In this work, weft-knitted mesh sample “Knitted Cardiac Support Mesh” manufactured using Nylon (6, 6) yarns, with count 20 Denier and medium mesh size, was placed around the two ventricles to prevent further dilatation, support and reduce left ventricular wall stress.

Medical textile is a rapidly expanding field in technical textiles that are widely used in a variety of medical applications. One of these medical textile applications is “Knitted Cardiac Support Mesh”, which is used in the treatment of Dilated Cardiomyopathy.

After the implantation of the manufactured Knitted Cardiac Support Mesh around the myocardium, all dogs survived for three months before being euthanized, and some clinical examinations were performed to investigate and evaluate the sample performance. It was demonstrated from the experimental application, that the nylon mesh sample performed the best during the surgical operation due to its good ability to stretch and recover at a moderate rate, as well as the textile mesh lightweight.

Diverticular disease of the colon is an acquired disorder of bowel muscle which hypertrophies, that is, it thickens. The hypertrophied muscle causes an increase in pressure in the bowel and the mucosal lining is pushed out (herniates) through the inherently weak points of the muscle to form pockets (diverticulae). The process is rather similar to the egg‐like distortions seen in the side wall of a defective tyre. In most cases, these diverticulae cause no trouble whatsoever, but in a few they may lead to complications of bleeding, infection, abscess formation and even perforation.

The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to analyze the phenomenon of urban tourism hypertrophy (UTH) in the context of the process of tourism-related social conflicts formation; and second, to discuss the extent to which destination management organizations (DMOs) are prepared to take responsibilities and actions undertaken in this process.

The paper adopts conflict management (CM) theory as a framework for discussing UTH within the city context. The paper then analyzes the empirical example of social conflict in Kraków (Poland) to assess the predispositions of key institutions engaged in destination governance to lead CM process triggered by UTH. The Circle of Conflict approach proposed by C. Moore (The Mediation Process: Practical Strategies for Resolving Conflict, Jossey Bass, San Francisco, CA, 2014) is utilized as the main application method.

The study shows that DMO is the most appropriate entity to deal with UTH as a conflict manager; however, it has insufficient resources to fulfill all requirements relating to that role. Therefore, the range of responsibilities and roles of the contemporary DMOs should be completed with CM as the permanent task during UTH crisis.

The example study was based on interviews carried out with a limited number of informants. Also, the contextual nature of the research as well as specific destination governance structure in Kraków blurred the picture of DMOs predispositions to leading the CM process.

The study supports urban DMO managers by suggesting a tool of diagnosis and intervention in UTH-induced conflicts. Thus, it makes fulfilling the mediator role a destination governance task.

CM brings agreement among parties as to the understanding of the nature of conflict, which forms the basis for quick and mutually agreed actions, according to sustainable development principles.

The paper proposes an alternative approach to mitigate UTH-related problems in cities by adopting the CM framework which emphasizes the universal nature of conflict causes and proposes adequate tools for undertaking actions by DMOs.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate interface characterization of CO₂ laser welded AISI 304 austenitic stainless steel and AISI 1010 low carbon steel couple. Laser welding experiments were carried under argon and helium atmospheres at 2000, 2250 and 2500 W heat inputs and 200‐300 cm/min welding speeds.

The microstructures of the welded joints and the heat affected zones (HAZ) were examined by optical microscopy, SEM, EDS and X‐Ray analysis. The tensile strength of the welded joints was measured.

The result of this study indicated that the width of welding zone and HAZ became much thinner depending on the increased welding speed. On the other hand, this width widened depending on the increased heat input. Tensile strength values also confirmed this result. The best properties were observed at the specimens welded under helium atmosphere, at 2500 W heat input and at 200 cm/min welding speed.

There are many reports which deal with the shape and solidification structure of the fusion zone of laser beam welds in relation to different laser parameters. However, the effect of all influencing factors of laser welding has up to now not been extensively researched. Much work is required for understanding the combined effect of laser parameters on the shape and microstructure of the fusion zone. This paper, therefore, is concerned with laser power, welding speed, defocusing distance and type of shielding gas and their effects on the fusion zone shape and final solidification structure of some stainless steels.

Michael Brown's remarkable book is a bold attempt to reunite the social sciences and humanities on the basis of a unitary concept, that of the social, which allows him to integrate the different dimensions of sociality and to question our research practices, in which we too often take for granted our ways of thinking about the collective. The book also helps to combat the increasing fragmentation of our knowledge, which the hypertrophy of the critical posture and the multiplication of specialized studies have fostered over the last half-century. Brown proposes a real refoundation of our knowledge in a time of great confusion about the legitimacy of discourses on the social and the drifts of “situated epistemologies” that tend to reduce our knowledge to a simple point of view. Certainly, the dream of a unified social science emerged long ago and has never been realized. Brown's essay escapes the criticisms that always threaten systemic thinking and conceptual generalization, for he consistently incorporates the critical perspective inherited from the Marxist foundation into his enterprise.

This chapter is an attempt to rethink the social from the point of view of intellectual history. In the first part, the question of the unity of the social sciences is reexamined in the light of the proliferation of specialized studies. We then move to the sociological analysis of concepts as they emerge in diverse social contexts. A special attention is paid to Bourdieu's grand theory endeavor in the third part. It can be compared to Bruno Latour's strategy to flatten the social, which is the object of a critical analysis in part four. Thus, it becomes possible to offer a renovated analytical frame to account to the sociality of intellectual contents, based on the “density of practices” (parts five and six).

Purpose – Intravenous leiomyomatosis (IVL) is a very rare subtype of leiomyoma, involving the right obstruction of the heart, and is an unusual cause of outflow tract obstruction. The IVL grows from the vessel’s smooth muscle, protruding into the vessel’s lumen, and can expand to the right atrium and even beyond causing death due to blood flow obstruction into the right atrium and even to pulmonary artery.

Design/Methodology/Approach – We present a 33-year-old Indonesian woman with cardiopulmonary symptoms predominantly, and marked by an intravascular leiomyoma extending from inferior vena cava (IVC) to right chamber atrium, with the chief complaint being easily fatigued since seven months.

Findings – Echocardiography observations found a mass in the right atrium and the IVC that caused dynamics obstructed in tricuspid valve, right atrium and ventricle were dilated, no left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy, normal LV and right ventricular (RV) functions, and no valve abnormality except the tricuspid valve gradient being 21 mmHg with mild regurgitation. Venography resulted in a mobile tumor mass in IVC mouth which partially flew into the right atrium, and partially blocked the IVC mouth. Tumor size was 6.4 cm × 4.8 cm. Abdominal multislice computed tomography resulted in a residual soft tissue mass (leiomyoma) along the IVC extended to the right atrium. The tumor mass size in the IVC and the right atrium was bigger compared to tumor mass on July 2008. The correct diagnosis was established during surgery; therefore a two-stage resection was done.

Originality/Value – Surgical resection is the best treatment for intracardiac extension of intravenous leiomyoma. To remove the ilio-caval portion, iliac venotomy was recommended for the tumor in both stages of the surgeries.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of olive cake (OC) on oxidant/antioxidant biomarkers, lipase activity and on the histological analysis of epididymal fat, in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese rats.

Male obese rats were divided into two groups and were fed an HFD supplemented (HFD-OC) or not (HFD) with OC for 28 days. A control group was fed a standard diet for the same experimental period.

HFD significantly increased body weight, which was reduced by OC in the HFD-OC compared to HFD (p = 0.038). Lipase activity was higher (52%; p = 0.009) in the HFD group than the control group. Administration of OC to the obese rats decreased significantly this activity (38%; p = 0.025) compared to the HFD group. Serum thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, lipid hydroperoxide and advanced oxidation protein products levels were significantly increased in the HFD group than the control group (p = 0.032, p = 0.023 and p = 0.017, respectively). These levels were significantly reduced in HFD-OC compared to the HFD group (p = 0.030, p = 0.021 and p = 0.010, respectively). Superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase activities were decreased (53%; p = 0.04), (61%; p = 0.03) and (32%; p = 0.002), in the HFD group than the control group. OC restored these activities (46%; p = 0.01), (58%; p = 0.003) and (30%; p = 0.0003) in the HFD-OC rats than the HFD rats. Consumption of the HFD resulted in adipocyte hypertrophy. Indeed, epididymal adipocyte size was significantly larger in the HFD group than the control group (p = 0.0001), whereas it was reduced in the HFD-OC compared to the HFD group (p = 0.012).

OC possesses an anti-obesity effect. This effect might be mediated by lipase inhibition, reduced oxidative stress and increased antioxidant activities. In addition, the reduction of fat accumulation in adipose tissue by OC consumption is reflected by reducing adipocyte size.

The purpose of this paper is to present a process, grounded in Buddhist practical wisdom, which trains managers to negotiate effectively.

After comparing Western notions of phronesis/prudentia with insights from Buddhist tradition, it reports on the author's 20+years’ work in cross-cultural communication-skills training and examines sample training exercises.

Even experienced business-people rarely register the detail of what happens in their meetings. Simple behavioural routines, using checklists, can help here. The self-image of a problem-solver, reinforced by corporate culture, produces an urge to prove oneself right. So people get locked in to abstract, analytical thinking, and interpersonal relations are inhibited. A good way to overcome this constraint is to practise applying certain heuristics, or rules-of-thumb, for addressing contentious points in a negotiation.

An impractical ideology of analytical perfection dominates much of corporate cultures; much management education suffers from a hypertrophy of theory. A different, more practical approach seems overdue. A good way to catalyse a paradigm shift is indirectly, by focusing on specific behaviours. There are some important goals which we cannot attain by an instrumental process.

Unethical business behaviour, which is also ineffective, is often rooted in mistrust of direct experience. To improve ethics and effectiveness, businesses and managers need to recognise non-instrumental goals. Important as they are, efficiency and profitability are subordinate to the need for people to stay sane, to continue learning and to grow as humans, in the course of doing business.

Buddhist speech ethics and the culture of skill-in-means have much to offer management education.

The purpose of this paper is to trace the cultural roots of the presently ongoing crisis.

The approach is to collect rankings of perceived goals of business leaders in 17 countries, from their employees who are attending evening MBA courses.

There are marked differences in goal ranking between countries; overall ranking across countries follows the US model, but with exceptions.

Data collection was between 1995 and 2002 and analysis is based on judgment of evening MBA students with day jobs.

This paper explains the present financial crisis from a hypertrophy of US cultural goals: growth, greed, and short‐term gains.

The paper illustrates the unusual but credible data source from which the crisis could have been predicted.