STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective matched cohort study. OBJECTIVE: To comprehensively compare the 2-year postoperative results of posterior correction and fusion with segmental pedicle screw instrumentation versus those with hook constructs in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) treated at a single institution. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Despite the reports of satisfactory correction and maintenance of scoliotic curves by pedicle screw instrumentation compared to hook constructs, few reports on the comprehensive comparison of segmental pedicle screw instrumentation versus hook instrumentation exist. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 52 patients with AIS at a single institution who underwent a posterior spinal fusion with segmental pedicle screw (26) or hook (26) instrumentation were sorted and matched according to four criteria: similar age at surgery (14.8 years in pedicle screw group and 14.2 years in hook group), identical Lenke curve types, same number of fused vertebrae (11.7 in each group), and identical operative methods (18 posterior spinal fusions with thoracoplasty, 4 posterior spinal fusions with iliac crest bone graft, and 4 anterior and posterior spinal fusions in each group). Patients were evaluated before surgery, immediate after surgery, and at the 2-year follow-up according to radiographic changes in curve correction, pulmonary function tests, operative time, intraoperative blood loss, implant costs, and SRS-24 scores. RESULTS: After surgery, the average major curve correction was 76% in the screw group and 50% in the hook group (P < 0.001). At the 2-year follow-up, loss of the major curve correction was less in the screw group (5.4%) compared with the hook group (8.0%) (P = 0.35). Postoperative global coronal and sagittal balance was similar in both groups. An average of 0.8 levels from the distal end vertebra was saved using pedicle screws compared with hook constructs (P = 0.002). Postoperative 2-year proximal junctional change in the sagittal plane (angle between uppermost instrumented vertebra and two vertebral bodies above the uppermost-instrumented vertebra) was 9 degrees in the screw group and 6 degrees in the hook group (P = 0.19). Postoperative 2-year distal junctional change in the sagittal plane was similar in both groups. Operative time averaged 341 minutes in the screw group and 338 minutes in the hook group (P = 0.86), and intraoperative blood loss was similar in both groups (879 mL in screw group vs. 896 mL in hook group) (P = 0.12). Average implant cost in the hook group (11.8 fixation points; 5,816 U.S. dollars) was significantly lower than that of the screw group (17.1 fixation points; 11,508 U.S. dollars) (P < 0.001). Two years following surgery, the screw group demonstrated improved percent predicted pulmonary function values compared with that of the hook group (FVC, 80%--> 79% in screw group vs. 82%--> 74% in hook group, P = 0.0056; FEV-1, 73%--> 76% in screw group vs. 80%--> 79% in hook group, P = 0.017). Postoperative 2-year SRS-24 scores were similar in both groups (screw group [97] vs. hook group [101]) (P = 0.15). There were no neurologic or visceral complications related to hook or pedicle screw instrumentation. CONCLUSION: Pedicle screw instrumentation, although more expensive, offers a significantly better major and minor curve correction without neurologic problems and improved pulmonary function values in the operative treatment of AIS and enables a slightly shorter fusion length than segmental hook instrumentation.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the extent of bacterial reduction with nickel-titanium rotary instrumentation and 1.25% NaOCl irrigation. Also, the additional antibacterial effect of calcium hydroxide for >1 wk was tested. Forty-two subjects with radiographic and clinical signs of chronic apical periodontitis were recruited. The canals were sampled before treatment, during and after instrumentation, and after treatment with calcium hydroxide and the samples incubated anaerobically for 7 days at 37°C. The bacteria from each sample were quantified and the log10 values were used for calculations and comparisons. The initial sample confirmed infection of the canals. There was a significantly greater pattern of reduction of bacteria when NaOCl was used as an irrigant, compared with sterile saline (p < 0.05). After instrumentation with NaOCl irrigation, 61.9% of canals were rendered bacteria-free. The placement of calcium hydroxide for at least 1 wk rendered 92.5% of the canals bacteria free. This was a significant reduction, compared with NaOCl irrigation alone (p = 0.0001). The results of this study indicate that NaOCl irrigation with rotary instrumentation is an important step in the reduction of canal bacteria during endodontic treatment. However this method could not consistently render canals bacteria-free. The addition of calcium hydroxide intracanal medication should be used to more predictably attain this goal. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the extent of bacterial reduction with nickel-titanium rotary instrumentation and 1.25% NaOCl irrigation. Also, the additional antibacterial effect of calcium hydroxide for >1 wk was tested. Forty-two subjects with radiographic and clinical signs of chronic apical periodontitis were recruited. The canals were sampled before treatment, during and after instrumentation, and after treatment with calcium hydroxide and the samples incubated anaerobically for 7 days at 37°C. The bacteria from each sample were quantified and the log10 values were used for calculations and comparisons. The initial sample confirmed infection of the canals. There was a significantly greater pattern of reduction of bacteria when NaOCl was used as an irrigant, compared with sterile saline (p < 0.05). After instrumentation with NaOCl irrigation, 61.9% of canals were rendered bacteria-free. The placement of calcium hydroxide for at least 1 wk rendered 92.5% of the canals bacteria free. This was a significant reduction, compared with NaOCl irrigation alone (p = 0.0001). The results of this study indicate that NaOCl irrigation with rotary instrumentation is an important step in the reduction of canal bacteria during endodontic treatment. However this method could not consistently render canals bacteria-free. The addition of calcium hydroxide intracanal medication should be used to more predictably attain this goal.
Debridement of the root canal by instrumentation and irrigation is considered the most important single factor in the prevention and treatment of endodontic diseases. In clinical practice, instrumentation of the root canal(s) within the affected tooth is usually the most time consuming and technically demanding element of the treatment. The technical success of the treatment, as judged by the post‐operative radiograph after the root filling, is based on optimized root canal instrumentation. Mounting evidence from epidemiological research is also indicating that the combination of high‐quality coronal restoration and technically satisfactory root canal treatment is associated with the greatest long‐term prognosis. Therefore, it is not surprising that for several decades of endodontic research, a substantial number of articles on instruments and instrumentation have been published in the scientific literature. Although interest in the effects of instrumentation on intracanal infection is not new, it is obvious that during the last few years a renewed focus of interest has appeared on the relationship between instrumentation and infection control in the root canal. The ongoing discussion in international endodontics about one‐appointment therapy in the treatment of apical periodontitis has naturally further motivated the newly emerged research activities. The goal of this review is to gather the relevant and most recent literature and provide an updated analysis of the effect of preparation (instrumentation and irrigation) on the microbial infection in the necrotic root canal.
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy of subgingival instrumentation (PICOS-1), sonic/ultrasonic/hand instruments (PICOS-2) and different subgingival instrumentation delivery protocols (PICOS-3) to treat periodontitis. METHODS: Systematic electronic search (CENTRAL/MEDLINE/EMBASE/SCOPUS/LILACS) to March 2019 was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials (RCT) reporting on subgingival instrumentation. Duplicate screening and data extraction were performed to formulate evidence tables and meta-analysis as appropriate. RESULTS: As only one RCT addressed the efficacy of subgingival instrumentation compared with supragingival cleaning alone (PICOS-1), baseline and final measures from 9 studies were considered. The weighted pocket depth (PD) reduction was 1.4 mm (95%CI: 1.0 1.7) at 6/8 months, and the proportion of pocket closure was estimated at 74% (95%CI: 64-85). Six RCTs compared hand and sonic/ultrasonic instruments for subgingival instrumentation (PICOS-2). No significant differences were observed between groups by follow-up time point or category of initial PD. Thirteen RCTs evaluated quadrant-wise versus full-mouth approaches (PICOS-3). No significant differences were observed between groups irrespective of time-points or initial PD. Five studies reported patient-reported outcomes, reporting no differences between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Nonsurgical periodontal therapy by mechanical subgingival instrumentation is an efficacious means to achieve infection control in periodontitis patients irrespective of the type of instrument or mode of delivery. Prospero ID: CRD42019124887.
The results after treatment of fifty-two lumbar and thoracolumbar fractures with Cotrel-Dubousset instrumentation were reviewed as part of an ongoing study. Nineteen patients (average duration of follow-up, fifteen months) had been managed with short-segment pedicle-screw instrumentation. This preliminary report outlines the complications and pitfalls identified during the initial healing phase in this subgroup of patients. There were no neurological or vascular injuries due to placement of the pedicle screws, but ten patients had some form of failure of the fixation during the early period of healing. Failure of the fixation was manifested in three ways: progressive kyphosis secondary to the bending of screws (six patients), kyphosis secondary to osseous collapse or vertebral translation without bending of the hardware (three patients), and segmental kyphosis after a caudad screw in the lumbar construct broke (one patient, who had had a combined instrumentation for multiple fractures). Untreated anterior instability, and pre-stressing of the screws when the rods were contoured in situ, resulted in a high rate of failure. The high rate of failure of the hardware associated with this fixation construct suggests that posterior screw fixation alone may not be adequate when Cotrel-Dubousset instrumentation is used for short-segment lumbar arthrodeses. Bent screws or measurable kyphosis did not always herald a clinical failure, but patients who had progressive kyphosis of more than 10 degrees had substantially more pain than did those who had little or no progression. The results reported here are preliminary, and speculation as to the importance of these findings and as to the long-term outcome in these patients would be premature.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
STUDY DESIGN: A prospective study of the accuracy of thoracic pedicle screw placement in patients with idiopathic scoliosis. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the accuracy of thoracic pedicle screw placement in the surgical management of idiopathic scoliosis and to establish its risks and benefits. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Lumbar pedicle screw instrumentation has proven to be reliable and effective in the surgical management of scoliosis. No reports exist on the accuracy and benefits of pedicle screw instrumentation of the thoracic spine in scoliosis surgery. METHODS: One hundred and twenty thoracic pedicle screws in 32 consecutively treated patients with idiopathic scoliosis were investigated immediately after surgery by computed tomography scans that were analyzed by three examiners. RESULTS: Thirty (25%) of the screws penetrated the pedicle cortex or the vertebral body anterior cortex. Ten screws (8.3%) penetrated the medial cortex of the pedicle by an average of 1.5 mm and a maximum of 3.0 mm. Seventeen screws (14.2%) penetrated laterally by an average of 2.1 mm. There were two cases of caudad penetration. Three screws penetrated the anterior vertebral cortex, of which two also penetrated the pedicle cortex. Also, one of these three screws was replaced because of its direct proximity to the thoracic aorta. There were no neurologic complications. The correlation between the pedicle cortical penetration rate and the preoperative Cobb angle, vertebral rotation or level, or site of screw insertion was statistically insignificant (P > 0.05). Curve correction in the cases of mainly hook instrumentation averaged 52.5% versus 59.2% in the cases of mainly screw instrumentation. This difference was statistically insignificant (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Pedicle or vertebral body cortical penetration occurred with 25% of the screws but with no neurologic compromise. Curve correction was slightly greater than with hooks, but not to a statistically significant extent.
Abstract The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) embarked on an ambitious 5 yr survey in 2021 May to explore the nature of dark energy with spectroscopic measurements of 40 million galaxies and quasars. DESI will determine precise redshifts and employ the baryon acoustic oscillation method to measure distances from the nearby universe to beyond redshift z > 3.5, and employ redshift space distortions to measure the growth of structure and probe potential modifications to general relativity. We describe the significant instrumentation we developed to conduct the DESI survey. This includes: a wide-field, 3.°2 diameter prime-focus corrector; a focal plane system with 5020 fiber positioners on the 0.812 m diameter, aspheric focal surface; 10 continuous, high-efficiency fiber cable bundles that connect the focal plane to the spectrographs; and 10 identical spectrographs. Each spectrograph employs a pair of dichroics to split the light into three channels that together record the light from 360–980 nm with a spectral resolution that ranges from 2000–5000. We describe the science requirements, their connection to the technical requirements, the management of the project, and interfaces between subsystems. DESI was installed at the 4 m Mayall Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory and has achieved all of its performance goals. Some performance highlights include an rms positioner accuracy of better than 0.″1 and a median signal-to-noise ratio of 7 of the [O ii ] doublet at 8 × 10 −17 erg s −1 cm −2 in 1000 s for galaxies at z = 1.4–1.6. We conclude with additional highlights from the on-sky validation and commissioning, key successes, and lessons learned.
Basic Concepts of Medical Instrumentation Basic Sensors and Principles Amplifiers and Signal Processing The Origin of Biopotentials Biopotential Electrodes Biopotential Amplifiers Blood Pressure and Sound Measurement of Flow and Volume of Blood Measurements of the Respiratory System Chemical Biosensors Clinical Laboratory Instrumentation Medical Imaging Systems Therapeutic and Prosthetic Devices Electrical Safety.
Abstract The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) is a very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) array that comprises millimeter- and submillimeter-wavelength telescopes separated by distances comparable to the diameter of the Earth. At a nominal operating wavelength of ∼1.3 mm, EHT angular resolution ( λ / D ) is ∼25 μ as, which is sufficient to resolve nearby supermassive black hole candidates on spatial and temporal scales that correspond to their event horizons. With this capability, the EHT scientific goals are to probe general relativistic effects in the strong-field regime and to study accretion and relativistic jet formation near the black hole boundary. In this Letter we describe the system design of the EHT, detail the technology and instrumentation that enable observations, and provide measures of its performance. Meeting the EHT science objectives has required several key developments that have facilitated the robust extension of the VLBI technique to EHT observing wavelengths and the production of instrumentation that can be deployed on a heterogeneous array of existing telescopes and facilities. To meet sensitivity requirements, high-bandwidth digital systems were developed that process data at rates of 64 gigabit s −1 , exceeding those of currently operating cm-wavelength VLBI arrays by more than an order of magnitude. Associated improvements include the development of phasing systems at array facilities, new receiver installation at several sites, and the deployment of hydrogen maser frequency standards to ensure coherent data capture across the array. These efforts led to the coordination and execution of the first Global EHT observations in 2017 April, and to event-horizon-scale imaging of the supermassive black hole candidate in M87.
The presence of bacteria in 17 single-rooted teeth, with periapical lesions, was studied throughout a whole period of treatment. The root canals were irrigated with physiologic saline solution during instrumentation. No antibacterial solutions or dressings were used. Bacteria were found in all initial specimens from the teeth (median number of bacterial cells 4 x 10(5), range 10(2) - 10(7)) and the number of strains in the specimens ranged from 1 to 10.88% of the strains were anaerobic. The most commonly isolated species were: Peptostreptococcus micros, Peptostreptococcus anaerobius, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Bacteroides oralis, Bacteroides melaninogenicus subsp intermedius and Eubacterium alactolyticum. Mechanical instrumentation reduced the number of bacteria considerably. Specimens taken at the beginning of each appointment usually contained 10(4) - 10(6) bacterial cells and at the end 10(2) - 10(3) fewer. Bacteria were eliminated from the root canals of eight teeth during the treatment. In seven root canals bacteria persisted despite treatment on five successive occasions. There was no evidence that specific microorganisms were implicated in these persistent infections. Teeth where the infection persisted despite being treated five times were those with a high number of bacteria in the initial sample.
Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a noninvasive technique for investigating neuronal activity in the living human brain. The time resolution of the method is better than 1 ms and the spatial discrimination is, under favorable circumstances, 2-3 mm for sources in the cerebral cortex. In MEG studies, the weak 10 fT-1 pT magnetic fields produced by electric currents flowing in neurons are measured with multichannel SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device) gradiometers. The sites in the cerebral cortex that are activated by a stimulus can be found from the detected magnetic-field distribution, provided that appropriate assumptions about the source render the solution of the inverse problem unique. Many interesting properties of the working human brain can be studied, including spontaneous activity and signal processing following external stimuli. For clinical purposes, determination of the locations of epileptic foci is of interest. The authors begin with a general introduction and a short discussion of the neural basis of MEG. The mathematical theory of the method is then explained in detail, followed by a thorough description of MEG instrumentation, data analysis, and practical construction of multi-SQUID devices. Finally, several MEG experiments performed in the authors' laboratory are described, covering studies of evoked responses and of spontaneous activity in both healthy and diseased brains. Many MEG studies by other groups are discussed briefly as well.
SIGNIFICANCE: Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) is a powerful technique to distinguish the unique molecular environment of fluorophores. FLIM measures the time a fluorophore remains in an excited state before emitting a photon, and detects molecular variations of fluorophores that are not apparent with spectral techniques alone. FLIM is sensitive to multiple biomedical processes including disease progression and drug efficacy. AIM: We provide an overview of FLIM principles, instrumentation, and analysis while highlighting the latest developments and biological applications. APPROACH: This review covers FLIM principles and theory, including advantages over intensity-based fluorescence measurements. Fundamentals of FLIM instrumentation in time- and frequency-domains are summarized, along with recent developments. Image segmentation and analysis strategies that quantify spatial and molecular features of cellular heterogeneity are reviewed. Finally, representative applications are provided including high-resolution FLIM of cell- and organelle-level molecular changes, use of exogenous and endogenous fluorophores, and imaging protein-protein interactions with Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). Advantages and limitations of FLIM are also discussed. CONCLUSIONS: FLIM is advantageous for probing molecular environments of fluorophores to inform on fluorophore behavior that cannot be elucidated with intensity measurements alone. Development of FLIM technologies, analysis, and applications will further advance biological research and clinical assessments.
The temperature-dependent characteristics of fluorescence of several rare-earth-doped ceramic phosphors has made these materials the focus of a major effort in the field of noncontact thermometry over the past few decades. These “thermographic phosphors,” e.g., Y2O3:Eu, have been used for remote measurements of the temperatures of both static and moving surfaces, and have performed many other tasks that standard sensors (thermocouples, thermistors, etc.) cannot. The range of usefulness of this class of materials extends from cryogenic temperatures to those approaching 2000 °C. The instrumentation needed for this type of thermometry has followed many different lines of development, and this evolution has produced a wide variety of both field- and laboratory-grade systems that are now described in the literature. In general, the technique offers high sensitivity (≈0.05 °C), robustness (e.g., stability of the sensor sample in harsh environments), and NIST traceability. In addition, such systems have been successfully adapted to make remotely sensed measurements of pressure, heat flux, shear stress, and strain. In this review, we summarize the physical mechanisms that form the basis for the technique, and then catalog and discuss the instrumentation-related aspects of several different remote thermometry systems that employ thermographic phosphors as the sensors.
Between February 1985 and March 1990 44 patients with degenerative spondylolisthesis underwent primary surgery for spinal stenosis (in all cases the decompression preserved the facets bilaterally without discectomy) and were studied prospectively. Forty-three patients have been followed for > or = 2 years and are the basis of this study. There were three treatment groups: group I, no fusion (nine patients); group II, transverse process fusion with autogenous iliac bone graft without instrumentation (11 initial patients, with one lost to follow-up for a total of 10); and group III, transverse process fusion with autogenous iliac crest bone graft and instrumentation (24 patients, 18 with one-level pedicle fixation and six with two-level fixation). A higher proportion of group III subjects had a successful fusion compared with group II (p = 0.002). There was significantly more spondylolisthesis progression in groups I and II than in group III (p = 0.001). A higher proportion of "spondylolisthesis unchanged subjects" reported they were helped by the surgery than those whose spondylolisthesis progressed postoperatively (p < 0.01).
A new instrumentation for posterior spinal surgery consists of metallic rods carved with diamond-shaped asperities on which vertebral hooks or screws can be screwed in any position, level, or degree of rotation. The rods are interlocked by means of devices for transverse traction (DTTs), rectangular constructs with multiple vertebral grips, the stability of which allows suppression of any postoperative external support. Initially designed to treat scoliosis, this instrumentation design allows mobilization of the vertebrae located at the apex of the curve and obtains a three-dimensional correction. Correction of the areas of the most important structural deformation can also be obtained at the level of the end vertebrae, without any need to resort to an important distraction force. The technique varies according to the various types of curvatures. Approximately 250 patients were operated upon from 1983 to 1985. In idiopathic scoliotic curvatures, the mean percentage of correction was 66%. An important improvement of the associated sagittal deformations and of the apical derotation was observed in flexible curves. In paralytic curves, particularly with a pelvic obliquity, the percentage of correction of the frontal deformation is 77%. All of the spine patients were ambulatory in the first postoperative week, without any external support, and returned to their school or family activities. In 43 patients with follow-up periods longer than two years, there were no technical errors in 38. The final angular loss of correction was less than 2 degrees in the error-free group.
Ion Mobility Spectrometry (IMS) is a widely used and 'well-known' technique of ion separation in the gaseous phase based on the differences in ion mobilities under an electric field. All IMS instruments operate with an electric field that provides space separation, but some IMS instruments also operate with a drift gas flow that provides also a temporal separation. In this review we will summarize the current IMS instrumentation. IMS techniques have received an increased interest as new instrumentation and have become available to be coupled with mass spectrometry (MS). For each of the eight types of IMS instruments reviewed it is mentioned whether they can be hyphenated with MS and whether they are commercially available. Finally, out of the described devices, the six most-consolidated ones are compared. The current review article is followed by a companion review article which details the IMS hyphenated techniques (mainly gas chromatography and mass spectrometry) and the factors that make the data from an IMS device change as a function of device parameters and sampling conditions. These reviews will provide the reader with an insightful view of the main characteristics and aspects of the IMS technique.
THEORY AND INSTRUMENTATION. Imaging. The Tapered Optical Fiber and Other Sensing Elements. NSOM Theory. NSOM Instrumentation. Optical Tunneling Microscopes. PRACTICE. Contrast. Intensity. Polarization. Wavelength. Amplitude and Phase. Time. Plasmons. APPLICATIONS. Surface Chemistry. Biology. Materials Science. Information Storage. Non-Visible Wavelength Instruments. RELATED TECHNIQUES AND CONCLUSION. Related Techniques and Unusual Configurations. Conclusions and Future Directions. Index.
This review describes recent instrumentation developments of the thermal lens techniques. It will begin with a brief discussion of the theory of the techniques. Its main focus is, however, on the detail description of various instruments. Specifically, the discussion will begin with the description of single beam instruments which were initially developed following by dual beam instruments. Elaboration will be focused on some of the most sophisticated instruments which were developed recently. These include differential thermal lens instruments, multiwavelength and spectral tunable instruments, circular dichroism spectropolarimeters, rotoreflecting instruments, and miniaturized thermal lens instruments. Selection of lasers, focusing, modulation, sample position, sample cells, data acquisition, noise reduction, and applications of acousto-optic tunable filters will also be discussed. The future of the techniques in terms of instrumentation will be finally forecasted.
Analytical characteristics of DESI are summarized. Examples of applications to small and large molecules, to in situ analysis, and to high-throughput analyses are presented. Evidence is provided for both a heterogeneous charge-transfer mechanism and a droplet pick-up mechanism of ionization. The speed, lack of the need for sample preparation, selectivity, and sensitivity of DESI are all demonstrated and discussed. Instrumentation is also discussed. Forensic applications as well as emerging areas of application including tissue imaging are given emphasis.
APPLICATIONS OF INSTRUMENTAL METHODS. Biomedical Spectroscopy. Biomolecules Analysis. Carbohydrate Analysis. Chemical Weapons Chemicals Analysis. Clinical Chemistry. Coatings. Environment: Trace Gas Monitoring. Environment: Water and Waste. Field Portable and Transportable Air and Vapor Measurement. Food. Forensic Science. Industrial Hygiene. Nucleic Acids Structure and Mapping. Particle Size Analysis. Peptides and Proteins. Pesticides. Petroleum and Liquid Fossil Fuels Analysis. Pharmaceuticals and Drugs. Polymers and Rubbers. Process Instrumental Methods. Pulp and Paper. Remote Sensing. Steel and Related Materials. Surfaces. THEORY AND INSTRUMENTATION. Atomic Spectroscopy. Chemometrics. Electroanalytical Methods. Electronic Absorption and Luminescence Spectroscopy. Gas Chromatography. Infrared Spectroscopy. Kinetic Determinations. Liquid Chromatography. Mass Spectrometry. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy. Nuclear Methods. Radiochemical Methods. Raman Spectroscopy. Thermal Analysis. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Auger Electron Spectroscopy. X-ray Spectrometry. GENERAL ARTICLES.