Haulage networks are vital to underground mining operations as they constitute the arteries through which blasted ore is transported to surface. In the sublevel stoping method and its variations, haulage drifts are ex...Haulage networks are vital to underground mining operations as they constitute the arteries through which blasted ore is transported to surface. In the sublevel stoping method and its variations, haulage drifts are excavated in advance near the ore block that will be mined out. Numerical modeling is a technique that is frequently employed to assess the redistribution of mining-induced stresses, and to compare the impact of different stope sequence scenarios on haulage network stability. In this study,typical geological settings in the Canadian Shield were replicated in a numerical model with a steeplydipping tabular orebody striking EW. All other formations trended in the same direction except for two dykes on either side of the orebody with a WNW-ESE strike. Rock mass properties and in situ stress measurements from a case study mine were used to calibrate the model. Drifts and crosscuts were excavated in the footwall and two stope sequence scenarios-a diminishing pillar and a center-out one-were implemented in 24 mining stages. A combined volumetric-numerical analysis was conducted for two active levels by comparing the extent of unstable rock mass at each stage using shear,compressive, and tensile instability criteria. Comparisons were made between the orebody and the host rock, between the footwall and hanging wall, and between the two stope sequence scenarios. It was determined that in general, the center-out option provided a larger volume of instability with the shear criterion when compared to the diminishing pillar one(625,477 m~3 compared to 586,774 m~3 in the orebody; 588 m~3 compared to 403 m~3 in the host rock). However, the reverse was true for tensile(134,298 m~3 compared to 128,834 m~3 in the orebody; 91,347 m~3 compared to 67,655 m~3 in the host rock)instability where the diminishing pillar option had the more voluminous share.展开更多
To attain the volumetric information of the optic radiation in normal human brains, we per- formed diffusion tensor imaging examination in 13 healthy volunteers. Simultaneously, we used a brain normalization method to...To attain the volumetric information of the optic radiation in normal human brains, we per- formed diffusion tensor imaging examination in 13 healthy volunteers. Simultaneously, we used a brain normalization method to reduce individual brain variation and increase the accuracy of volumetric information analysis. In addition, tractography-based group mapping method was also used to investigate the probability and distribution of the optic radiation pathways. Our results showed that the measured optic radiation fiber tract volume was a range of about 0.16% and that the fractional anisotropy value was about 0.53. Moreover, the optic radiation probability fiber pathway that was determined with diffusion tensor tractography-based group mapping was able to detect the location relatively accurately. We believe that our methods and results are help- ful in the study of optic radiation fiber tract information.展开更多
·AIM:To evaluate visual outcomes and changes in fluid after administering monthly anti-vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)injections to treat neovascular agerelated macular degeneration(n AMD)with subretinal...·AIM:To evaluate visual outcomes and changes in fluid after administering monthly anti-vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)injections to treat neovascular agerelated macular degeneration(n AMD)with subretinal fluid(SRF)and pigment epithelial detachment(PED).·METHODS:This prospective study included eyes with n AMD previously treated with as-needed anti-VEGF injections.The patients were treated with six monthly intravitreal injections of ranibizumab.Quantitative volumetric segmentation analyses of the SRF and PED were performed.The main outcome measures included best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA),and SRF and PED volumes.·RESULTS:Twenty eyes of 20 patients were included in this study.At the 6-month follow-up,BCVA and PED volume did not change significantly(P=0.110 and 0.999,respectively)but the mean SRF volume decreased from 0.53±0.82 mm3 at baseline to 0.08±0.23 mm3(P=0.002).The absorption rate of the SRF volume was negatively correlated with the duration of previous antiVEGF treatment(P=0.029).Seven of the 20 eyes(35%)showed a fluid-free macula and significant improvement in BCVA(P=0.036)by month 6.·CONCLUSION:Quantifying the SRF can precisely determine the patient’s responsiveness to anti-VEGF treatment of n AMD.展开更多
BACKGROUND Gastrointestinal bleeding(GIB)is a severe and potentially life-threatening condition,especially in cases of delayed treatment.Computed tomography angiography(CTA)plays a pivotal role in the early identifica...BACKGROUND Gastrointestinal bleeding(GIB)is a severe and potentially life-threatening condition,especially in cases of delayed treatment.Computed tomography angiography(CTA)plays a pivotal role in the early identification of upper and lower GIB and in the prompt treatment of the haemorrhage.AIM To determine whether a volumetric estimation of the extravasated contrast at CTA in GIB may be a predictor of subsequent positive angiographic findings.METHODS In this retrospective single-centre study,35 patients(22 men;median age 69 years;range 16-92 years)admitted to our institution for active GIB detected at CTA and further submitted to catheter angiography between January 2018 and February 2022 were enrolled.Twenty-three(65.7%)patients underwent endoscopy before CTA.Bleeding volumetry was evaluated in both arterial and venous phases via a semi-automated dedicated software.Bleeding rate was obtained from volume change between the two phases and standardised for unit time.Patients were divided into two groups,according to the angiographic signs and their concordance with CTA.RESULTS Upper bleeding accounted for 42.9%and lower GIB for 57.1%.Mean haemoglobin value at the admission was 7.7 g/dL.A concordance between positive CTA and direct angiographic bleeding signs was found in 19(54.3%)cases.Despite no significant differences in terms of bleeding volume in the arterial phase(0.55 mL vs 0.33 mL,P=0.35),a statistically significant volume increase in the venous phase was identified in the group of patients with positive angiography(2.06 mL vs 0.9 mL,P=0.02).In the latter patient group,a significant increase in bleeding rate was also detected(2.18 mL/min vs 0.19 mL/min,P=0.02).CONCLUSION In GIB of any origin,extravasated contrast volumetric analysis at CTA could be a predictor of positive angiography and may help in avoiding further unnecessary procedures.展开更多
Detecting microplastics(MPs)under 20μm has been challenging,yet these tiny particles may pose significant threats to human health and the environment.They can be inhaled or ingested,potentially leading to respiratory...Detecting microplastics(MPs)under 20μm has been challenging,yet these tiny particles may pose significant threats to human health and the environment.They can be inhaled or ingested,potentially leading to respiratory diseases and gastrointestinal problems.This research proposed confocal laser scanning microscopy(CLSM)for identifying MPs smaller than 20μm and to support its validity by comparing results to a typical gravimetric analysis for these small MPs in road dust samples using pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry(Pyr-GC/MS).A total of 30 road dust samples were collected from urban areas in Seoul and 15 samples from rural regions throughout South Korea.A strong agreement was observed between the results obtained from CLSM and Pyr-GC/MS,confirming the effectiveness of both methods in measuring MPs under 20μm especially when polyolefins are dominating MPs.CLSM,coupled with BiofilmQ software,enabled precise volumetric analysis,while Pyr-GC/MS provided rapid identification of chemical compositions,suggesting that they are complementary.Mass concentrations of MPs in rural road dust(14.2±6.4μg g^(−1))were greater than those in urban road dust(7.8±4.6μg g^(−1)),likely due to less stringent plastic waste management and increased agricultural plastic use in rural areas.This study builds upon prior volumetric imaging methods by enabling mass quantification of MPs under 20μm using CLSM and validating the results against Pyr-GC/MS in realworld road dust samples.展开更多
基金financially supported by the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada(NSERC) with grant No.223079
文摘Haulage networks are vital to underground mining operations as they constitute the arteries through which blasted ore is transported to surface. In the sublevel stoping method and its variations, haulage drifts are excavated in advance near the ore block that will be mined out. Numerical modeling is a technique that is frequently employed to assess the redistribution of mining-induced stresses, and to compare the impact of different stope sequence scenarios on haulage network stability. In this study,typical geological settings in the Canadian Shield were replicated in a numerical model with a steeplydipping tabular orebody striking EW. All other formations trended in the same direction except for two dykes on either side of the orebody with a WNW-ESE strike. Rock mass properties and in situ stress measurements from a case study mine were used to calibrate the model. Drifts and crosscuts were excavated in the footwall and two stope sequence scenarios-a diminishing pillar and a center-out one-were implemented in 24 mining stages. A combined volumetric-numerical analysis was conducted for two active levels by comparing the extent of unstable rock mass at each stage using shear,compressive, and tensile instability criteria. Comparisons were made between the orebody and the host rock, between the footwall and hanging wall, and between the two stope sequence scenarios. It was determined that in general, the center-out option provided a larger volume of instability with the shear criterion when compared to the diminishing pillar one(625,477 m~3 compared to 586,774 m~3 in the orebody; 588 m~3 compared to 403 m~3 in the host rock). However, the reverse was true for tensile(134,298 m~3 compared to 128,834 m~3 in the orebody; 91,347 m~3 compared to 67,655 m~3 in the host rock)instability where the diminishing pillar option had the more voluminous share.
文摘To attain the volumetric information of the optic radiation in normal human brains, we per- formed diffusion tensor imaging examination in 13 healthy volunteers. Simultaneously, we used a brain normalization method to reduce individual brain variation and increase the accuracy of volumetric information analysis. In addition, tractography-based group mapping method was also used to investigate the probability and distribution of the optic radiation pathways. Our results showed that the measured optic radiation fiber tract volume was a range of about 0.16% and that the fractional anisotropy value was about 0.53. Moreover, the optic radiation probability fiber pathway that was determined with diffusion tensor tractography-based group mapping was able to detect the location relatively accurately. We believe that our methods and results are help- ful in the study of optic radiation fiber tract information.
文摘·AIM:To evaluate visual outcomes and changes in fluid after administering monthly anti-vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)injections to treat neovascular agerelated macular degeneration(n AMD)with subretinal fluid(SRF)and pigment epithelial detachment(PED).·METHODS:This prospective study included eyes with n AMD previously treated with as-needed anti-VEGF injections.The patients were treated with six monthly intravitreal injections of ranibizumab.Quantitative volumetric segmentation analyses of the SRF and PED were performed.The main outcome measures included best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA),and SRF and PED volumes.·RESULTS:Twenty eyes of 20 patients were included in this study.At the 6-month follow-up,BCVA and PED volume did not change significantly(P=0.110 and 0.999,respectively)but the mean SRF volume decreased from 0.53±0.82 mm3 at baseline to 0.08±0.23 mm3(P=0.002).The absorption rate of the SRF volume was negatively correlated with the duration of previous antiVEGF treatment(P=0.029).Seven of the 20 eyes(35%)showed a fluid-free macula and significant improvement in BCVA(P=0.036)by month 6.·CONCLUSION:Quantifying the SRF can precisely determine the patient’s responsiveness to anti-VEGF treatment of n AMD.
文摘BACKGROUND Gastrointestinal bleeding(GIB)is a severe and potentially life-threatening condition,especially in cases of delayed treatment.Computed tomography angiography(CTA)plays a pivotal role in the early identification of upper and lower GIB and in the prompt treatment of the haemorrhage.AIM To determine whether a volumetric estimation of the extravasated contrast at CTA in GIB may be a predictor of subsequent positive angiographic findings.METHODS In this retrospective single-centre study,35 patients(22 men;median age 69 years;range 16-92 years)admitted to our institution for active GIB detected at CTA and further submitted to catheter angiography between January 2018 and February 2022 were enrolled.Twenty-three(65.7%)patients underwent endoscopy before CTA.Bleeding volumetry was evaluated in both arterial and venous phases via a semi-automated dedicated software.Bleeding rate was obtained from volume change between the two phases and standardised for unit time.Patients were divided into two groups,according to the angiographic signs and their concordance with CTA.RESULTS Upper bleeding accounted for 42.9%and lower GIB for 57.1%.Mean haemoglobin value at the admission was 7.7 g/dL.A concordance between positive CTA and direct angiographic bleeding signs was found in 19(54.3%)cases.Despite no significant differences in terms of bleeding volume in the arterial phase(0.55 mL vs 0.33 mL,P=0.35),a statistically significant volume increase in the venous phase was identified in the group of patients with positive angiography(2.06 mL vs 0.9 mL,P=0.02).In the latter patient group,a significant increase in bleeding rate was also detected(2.18 mL/min vs 0.19 mL/min,P=0.02).CONCLUSION In GIB of any origin,extravasated contrast volumetric analysis at CTA could be a predictor of positive angiography and may help in avoiding further unnecessary procedures.
基金supported by a National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF)grant funded by the Korean Government(Ministry of Science and ICT)(No.RS-2023-00209242).
文摘Detecting microplastics(MPs)under 20μm has been challenging,yet these tiny particles may pose significant threats to human health and the environment.They can be inhaled or ingested,potentially leading to respiratory diseases and gastrointestinal problems.This research proposed confocal laser scanning microscopy(CLSM)for identifying MPs smaller than 20μm and to support its validity by comparing results to a typical gravimetric analysis for these small MPs in road dust samples using pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry(Pyr-GC/MS).A total of 30 road dust samples were collected from urban areas in Seoul and 15 samples from rural regions throughout South Korea.A strong agreement was observed between the results obtained from CLSM and Pyr-GC/MS,confirming the effectiveness of both methods in measuring MPs under 20μm especially when polyolefins are dominating MPs.CLSM,coupled with BiofilmQ software,enabled precise volumetric analysis,while Pyr-GC/MS provided rapid identification of chemical compositions,suggesting that they are complementary.Mass concentrations of MPs in rural road dust(14.2±6.4μg g^(−1))were greater than those in urban road dust(7.8±4.6μg g^(−1)),likely due to less stringent plastic waste management and increased agricultural plastic use in rural areas.This study builds upon prior volumetric imaging methods by enabling mass quantification of MPs under 20μm using CLSM and validating the results against Pyr-GC/MS in realworld road dust samples.
