Ore deposits are becoming more complex to mine as a result of the exhaustion of surface and other easily mined deposits. There is also increasing socio-political pressure to design more environmentally sound, sustainable, and safe mining practices. Wang and Ma designed a mining method for coal, similar to a modified drift and fill using a continuous miner to take sequential cuts (rooms) that are subsequently backfilled. The authors have modified the concept to make it more autonomous, safer, and less costly using highwall coal mining techniques, modified and adapted for underground applications. The method is more flexible than longwall mining and the percentage extraction would seem to be in the same range. In addition because of the backfilling, surface subsidence would not be a major issue and could be more effectively managed.

Abstract Introduction: Multi-frequency bio-impedance analysis (BIA) accurately evaluates body composition. Objective: To assess nutritional status and its relationship with body mass index (BMI) or with BIA-obtained phase angle in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on hemodialysis. Method: BMI, BIA and dialysis malnutrition score (DMS) were assessed in 99 patients on hemodialysis (43.6 ± 17.2 years of age, 58.8% males). Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to determine BMI and phase angle independent associations with DMS. Results: Malnutrition risk (DMS > 13) showed a gradual increase among patients with normal BMI and phase angle (44.4%), low BMI (45.8%), low phase angle (64.0%), and in those with both parameters at abnormal ranges (68.0%). The phase angle was the only variable that was independently associated with patient nutritional status (standardized coefficient beta −0.372, p < 0.001), accounting for 13.8% of DMS variation. Conclusion: Phase angle is inversely and independently associated with malnutrition risk in patients with ESRD, which suggests that BIA-assessed body composition might be better than BMI in the clinical assessment of patients with ESRD.

Resumen Introducción: La bioimpedancia eléctrica multifrecuencia (BIE) evalúa con precisión la composición corporal. Objetivo: Investigar el estado nutricional y su relación con el índice de masa corporal (IMC) o el ángulo fase obtenido por BIE en pacientes con enfermedad renal terminal (ERT) en hemodiálisis. Método: En 99 pacientes en hemodiálisis (43.6 ± 17.2 años, 58.8 % varones) se evaluó IMC, BIE y puntuación de desnutrición (DMS, Dialysis Malnutrition Score). La independencia de las asociaciones del IMC y el ángulo fase con el DMS se determinó con regresión lineal múltiple. Resultados: El riesgo de desnutrición (DMS > 13) se incrementó gradualmente entre los sujetos con IMC y ángulo fase normales (44.4 %), IMC bajo (45.8 %), ángulo fase bajo (64.0 %) y en aquellos con ambos parámetros anormales (68.0 %). El ángulo fase fue la única variable asociada independientemente con el estado nutricional de los pacientes (coeficiente beta estandarizado −0.372, p < 0.001), lo que explicó 13.8 % de la variación en el DMS. Conclusiones: El ángulo fase se asocia inversa e independientemente con el riesgo de desnutrición en pacientes con ERT, lo que sugiere que la composición corporal evaluada por BIE pudiera ser mejor que el IMC en la valoración clínica de pacientes con esta enfermedad.

To eliminate nozzle clogging during continuous casting of ship plate steel and reduce the calcium addition required, the composition of CaO-MgO-Al2O3 inclusions in the liquid phase region must be controlled. Thermodynamic calculations using FactSage show that when the balanced Al content is 0.03 mass %, aCa in the liquid steel is 1-10 ppm, and aMg is 0.01-0.3 ppm; and when the balanced Al content is 0.06 mass %, aCa in the liquid steel is 1-30 ppm, and aMg is 0.05-0.9 ppm. The CaO-Al2O3-CaS inclusions can be controlled in the liquid region below 1600°C at aCa values of 5 ppm, 15 ppm, and 30 ppm, and the balanced Al content should be controlled in the range of 0.001-0.050, 0.005-0.250, and 0.010-0.50 mass %, respectively. Based on theoretical analysis, the refining slag composition should be controlled to 45-53 mass % CaO, 30-37 mass % Al2O3, 6-12 mass % SiO2, and 6-8 mass % MgO. Optimization of the slag system and steel composition can reduce, or even eliminate, the requirement for calcium treatment. The total oxygen content in the slab can be controlled to 15-21 ppm, with typical micro-inclusions < 10 μm in size, with compositions in the CaO-Al2O3-MgO and CaO-Al2O3-CaS systems.

Abstract Background: Appropriate cold chain management is the foundation of safety and quality of vaccines. Objectives: This cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the cold chain management of the rural health units of Consolacion and Liloan, Cebu, Philippines on August to September 2017. Methods: Data was collected using a structured questionnaire, which was developed based on previous studies of cold chain survey. The questionnaire was administered to one personnel who is responsible for the storage and maintenance of vaccines in each public health center (PHC). Results: Of 42 targeted PHCs, only 52.4% (n=22) agreed to join in the study. The results of the study indicated that storage units and equipments were available in all 22 PHCs, even though only five of them (22.7%) stored vaccines. The majority of PHCs (90.9%, n=20) did not have access to a generator and only 9% (n=2) had a voltage stabilizer connected to the refrigerator. Refrigerators that were equipped with thermometer were only found in 68.2% (n=15) PHCs. No statistically significant relationship was found (p=0.159) between the statuses of PHCs to store vaccine and the level of knowledge of health professionals assigned to manage the vaccine. Conclusions: Primary health centers that store vaccines have at least one functional refrigerator and freezer and alternative power sources. Contingency plans in the event of mechanical and power failure as well as proper temperature monitoring are needed. Personnel handling vaccines must be updated on proper storage and transport of such like the use of cold boxes and ice packs to maintain cold chain. Improvement of cold-chain management for vaccines in Cebu City’s PHCs was necessary.

The effect of two refining slags (A: 1.0-1.8 CaO/Al2O3 ratio, 11-20 wt% SiO2; and B: 1.0-1.2 CaO/SiO2 ratio, 25-35 wt% Al2O3) on the inclusion morphology of a carbon structural steel (Q235B) was studied by controlling the balance between the steel and the refining slag at 1600°C in a Si-Mo resistance laboratory furnace. The results showed that most of the inclusions in the molten steel balanced with slag A were formed by a low-melting CaO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 system with a total oxygen content (T[O]) being fixed at 6-13 ppm. The inclusions in liquid steel balanced with the slag B were mostly formed by the CaO-MnO-Al2O3-SiO2 system, with T[O] controlled to 19-26 ppm. The overall size of the inclusions under balance conditions was higher in the steel reacted with the slag B than that reacted with slag A, with the latter showing more inclusions smaller than 3 μΐη. In order to generate a large number of spherical CaO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 inclusions smaller than 3 μηι while decreasing the T[O] in the resulting steel, the composition of slag A should be used. This composition allowed improving the cleanliness of the slab, and is also advantageous for the castability of the molten steel.

Ovarian cancer is one of the most common malignancies in women. Semaphorin 4D (sema 4D) is involved in the progress of multiple cancers. In the presence of estrogen-like ligands, estrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ) participate in the progress of breast and ovarian cancers by transcriptional regulation. The aim of the study was to investigate the role of sema 4D and elucidate the regulatory pattern of ERα and ERβ on sema 4D expression in ovarian cancers. Sema 4D levels were up-regulated in ovarian cancer SKOV-3 cells. Patients with malignant ovarian cancers had significantly higher sema 4D levels than controls, suggesting an oncogene role of sema 4D in ovarian cancer. ERα expressions were up-regulated in SKOV-3 cells compared with normal ovarian IOSE80 epithelial cells. Conversely, down-regulation of ERβ was observed in SKOV-3 cells. Forced over-expression of ERα and ERβ in SKOV-3 cells was manipulated to establish ERα+ and ERβ+ SKOV-3 cell lines. Incubation of ERα+ SKOV-3 cells with ERs agonist 17β-estradiol (E2) significantly enhanced sema 4D expression and rate of cell proliferation. Incubated with E2, ERβ+ SKOV-3 cells showed lower sema 4D expression and cell proliferation. Blocking ERα and ERβ activities with ICI182-780 inhibitor, sema 4D expressions and cell proliferation of ERα+ and ERβ+ SKOV-3 cells were recovered to control levels. Taken together, the data showed that sema 4D expression was positively correlated with the progress of ovarian cancer. ERα positively regulated sema 4D expression and accelerated cell proliferation. ERβ negatively regulated sema 4D expression and inhibited cell multiplication.

The microbial residues, due to their closely connection with humic substances (HS), aroused our considerable interest. The method of shake-flask in liquid culture was adopt to accumulate them, in which the cellulose served as the sole C source. The microbial suspensions including Trichoderma viride (Tv), Aspergillus niger (An), Penicillium (P) and mixed strains (Ms) were inoculated into the cellulose culture fluid respectively. The incubation was performed for 70 days at a constant temperature of 28 °C. The results showed that different microbial treatments had different effects on the C turnover in the cellulose fluid, among which Ms performed the most effective role in accumulating microbial residue and consuming organic C of cell metabolic product, Tv followed. As compared to cellulose, large amounts of inorganic N in the fluid could be transferred into the organic N components of residue. In the mean time, the proportion of aromatic rings could be increased at the cost of losing O-containing groups. Specifically, the degrees of condensation were enhanced by Tv and An, however their degrees of oxidation were inhibited. On the contrary, the P and Ms treatments had a significant advantage in the oxydative degradation of cellulose. Although some intermediate products (polysaccharides, phenolic compounds, carboxylic groups and syringyl units etc.) of HS could be detected in the microbial residues treated by Tv and An, their organic molecules did not still achieve the polymerization degree of real HS.

The analysis of job satisfaction is a poorly studied variable in the construction industry. This paper aims to fill this gap, and to understand the different variables considered as risk originators of psychosocial origin that influence on job satisfaction of the Architects in the construction sector of the Basque Country (Spain). The methodology has been to develop a nonrandom sample of Basque Architects who were interviewed using a semistructured questionnaire. Results are that workers that develop a job that matches with their level of education and work experience have a greater job satisfaction. Moreover, the level of satisfaction seems to be directly related to the level of influence over working hours, role clarity, social support at work and a better quality of leadership. It can be concluded. in order to achieve job satisfaction of workers, companies in the construction sector should adapt, from the standpoint of gender, work environments and provide ongoing training to promote the development of people at work.

El análisis de la satisfacción laboral es una variable escasamente estudiada en el sector de la construcción. Este trabajo pretende suplir dicha carencia y conocer en qué medida la satisfacción laboral de los Arquitectos Técnicos pertenecientes al citado sector está caracterizada y determinada por diferentes variables consideradas como originadoras de riesgos de origen psicosocial. La metodología empleada ha consistido en una muestra no probabilística de Arquitectos Técnicos del País Vasco a los que se ha entrevistado mediante el uso de un cuestionario semiestructurado. Los resultados muestran que los Arquitectos Técnicos más satisfechos laboralmente son aquellos que desarrollan un trabajo que se corresponde con su categoría profesional. Por otra parte, el nivel de satisfacción parece estar directamente relacionado con el nivel de influencia sobre el tiempo de trabajo, la claridad de rol, el apoyo social en el trabajo y la mejor calidad del liderazgo. Puede concluirse que es necesario adecuar, desde el punto de vista de género, los entornos de trabajo de las empresas del sector de la construcción y dar una formación continua para promover el desarrollo de las personas en el trabajo serían dos de las actuaciones a desarrollar por parte de las empresas en aras a la consecución de una mejora de la satisfacción laboral de los trabajadores.

The seismic moment cycle at plate boundaries may be imaged by the Moment-Ratio Method (MRM). In this exploratory technique the fluctuation of cumulative moment deficiency is used as an indicator of the cycle of degradation and recovery of free energy along an active tectonic region. A 20-year half-life is assumed for the healing process of earthquake ruptures along the Pacific plate boundary. Using the Pacheco-Sykes Catalog of large shallow earthquakes (M>7), we estimate the moment ratio for Japan and Mexico at 20-year intervals during the 20th century. Moment-ratio peaks for 1980 correlate with subsequent earthquakes of magnitude M>7 during the following 20-year period in Mexico and Japan.

El Método de Momentos Residuales (MRM) puede servir para monitorear en forma gráfica el ciclo del momento sísmico en un borde de placa. Es una técnica exploratoria que permite observar las deficiencias del valor acumulado de los momentos sísmicos para evaluar el ciclo de degradación y recuperación de la energía libre en una región sísmica activa. Se adopta una vida media de 20 años en el proceso de cicatrización de las rupturas sísmicas en el borde de la Placa del Pacífico. Se estima el momento residual para las regiones de Japón y México a intervalos de veinte años con el Catálogo de Pacheco y Sykes de sismos someros de magnitud M>7 en el siglo 20. Los picos de MRM tienden a mostrar alguna correlación con sismos de magnitud mayor que 7 que ocurrieron en el intervalo siguiente de 20 años.