A 60-year-old male, who was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) at 33 years of age and was on maintenance hemodialysis for the last 10 years due to lupus nephritis, was admitted to our hospital due to bacterial meningitis. After the remission of meningitis following antibacterial therapy, the patient developed lumbar vertebral osteomyelitis (VO) followed by iliopsoas abscess (IPA) caused by methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus; both conditions went into remission with antibacterial therapy and subsequent surgical drainage. Although patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing hemodialysis and those with SLE are susceptible to bacterial infections, this is the first case of a patient on hemodialysis due to lupus nephritis who developed meningitis and VO followed by IPA.
Pearl millet (Pennisetum typhoides) is an annual summer forage crop that exhibits high dry matter (DM) production in the mid-summer season (July-September), but its seasonal productivity is not accurately known in southern Kyushu. Therefore, we examined the seasonal productivity of pearl millet by sowing four times at five-week intervals in mid-May, late June, late July, and early September to clarify whether the crop is a suitable substitute for harvesting maize early in maturity and would stabilize annual total forage yields before the winter crop is sown. With increasing effective cumulative temperature (base temperature at 10°C), plant height and crop growth rate increased linearly to 220 cm and above 40 g m-2 day-1, respectively, and plant dry weight had a quadratic response to cumulative solar radiation across sowing dates. These relationships were similar in different growing seasons and at different sites. As a result, the dry weight of the crop at 8-11 weeks after sowing was around 1200 g DM m-2, as much as the maize yield. The most optimal date for sowing was late July, suggesting that the present pearl millet cultivar can be used as a substitute for early-harvested maize over the whole summer cropping season in this region.
This study analysed the comparative status of soil physico-chemical properties in monoculture exotic tree plantations of Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Robinia pseudoacacia and indigenous tree plantations of Pinus roxburghii and Acacia modesta. In many developing countries, introduction of exotic species has shown to have ecological impacts ranging from soil nutrients depletion to lowering water tables, to allelopathic effects. In this study, we collected soil samples from indigenous plantations and adjacent exotic plantations to examine how exotic plantations might impact soil quality relative to indigenous species plantations. Soil properties, including organic matter, organic carbon, pH, total nitrogen, phosphorus, Potassium, Soil electric conductivity and calcium carbonate were measured in samples collected from 12 research plots in the study area. Soil pH, soil OM, OC, pH, N, P, K and calcium carbonate of the soil of plantations of Acacia modesta, Pinus roxburghii, Robinia pseudoacacia and Eucalyptus camaldulensis were found to be significantly different. Findings of these results shows that, the monoculture of exotic plantations might have significant impacts on soil physico-chemical properties. For maintaining soil fertility and providing natural habitat conditions to the understorey plants, the monoculture of exotic species should be avoided and plantations of indigenous species must be promoted.
Objectives: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a chronic degenerative disease that affects motor neurons, thereby promoting functional changes in the human body. The study evaluated the electromyographic fatigue threshold of the masseter and temporalis muscles of subjects with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Methods: A total of eighteen subjects were divided into two groups: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (n = 9) and disease-free control (n = 9). The groups were equally divided according to gender (7 male, 2 female). The fatigue threshold was analyzed using median frequencies obtained during the 5-second window (initial (IP), mid (MP), and final (FP) periods) of electromyographic signaling of the masseter and temporalis muscles bilaterally, with reduction in muscle force during maximal voluntary dental clenching. Results: A significant difference (p ≤ .05) in the left temporal muscle: IP (p = .05) and MP (p = .05) periods was demonstrated. The amyotrophic lateral sclerosis group showed a decrease in median frequency of the electromyographic signal of the masseter and temporalis muscles compared to the control group. Conclusion: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis promotes functional impairment of the stomatognathic system, especially at the electromyographic fatigue threshold of the masticatory muscles.\nKeywords. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, electromyographic fatigue, median frequency, masseter muscle, temporal muscle
We studied local bifurcation and verified its occurrence after choosing the delay as a parameter of control in Zhou’s dynamical system with delayed feedback control. We investigated the normal form theory and the center manifold theorem in order to obtain explicit formulas to determine the stability of periodic solutions to the new\nsystem and study the extent of the stability of those periodic solutions and the direction of bifurcated periodic solutions. More than that, we did a numerical simulation to confirm the results that we obtained and presented through numerical analysis the periodic solution and stable solutions, and when the system returns again\nto the state of out of control
Democracy and its setbacks have become nowadays a central topic of insights and discussions among scholars and not only. Recent measurements of the specific indicators that democracy as a regime encompasses are witnessing an overall decline among countries be them semi-democratic regimes or full democracies. An important region where these democratic trends need to be further evaluated and explored by an in depth analysis is Southeastern Europe. It is a region which has dealt with a difficult communist past and is now striving for democratic consolidation. What is more, its integration prospects along with the strategic geopolitical position have gained the attention of other political actors aiming to have an influence such as Russia. \nBy trying to identify if democracy is at risk in Southeastern Europe, this paper tries to shed light on the path that democracy has had along with obstacles and the opportunities for it to succeed. What is more, such recent developments and possible presence of authoritarianism are important to be further addressed in order for the right measures (in terms of policies and actions) to be taken. In order for this to be achieved, methodologically the paper focuses on two approaches: first, focusing and analyzing the states themselves with regard to political and economic developments as well as quantitatively focusing on important indicators; second, it provides a macro analysis on the integration prospects along with other European developments and beyond
The existence of two important type of the global bifurcation are discussed and verified specifically; homoclinic and heteroclinic bifurcation in a new three order dynamical system by using the undetermined coefficient method. Moreover, we have been proved that this new dynamical system has both Smale horseshoes and the horseshoe chaos. In addition to the previous, the geometric structure of attractors for the new chaotic system is clarifying by the heteroclinic and homoclinic orbits together.