UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Objective:The identification of biological markers in order to assess different aspects of COPD is an area of growing interest. The objective of this study was to investigate whether...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

PurposeTo assess the relationship between low-grade inflammation, measured as basal high sensitivity (hs)-CRP, and IVF outcome.MethodsWe recruited...Full Text Available

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

The objective of the present study was to test the hypothesis that circulating levels of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) are inversely associated with inflammatory processes in an elderly background population.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

ObjectiveLiterature data on the effects of CYP17 MspA1 polymorphism on age at menarche (AAM) are inconsistent. To reexamine this controversy, we...Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A high sensitivity, high bandwidth, two-color interferometer (1064 and 532 nm) has been tested on the Hawk pulsed power generator at the Naval Research Laboratory. The phase resolution is 10"-"5 waves with a rise time of 3 ns, a new capability for diagnosing plasmas, and neutrals in pulsed power experiments. The two-color feature is used to distinguish phase shifts from free (plasma) electrons and bound (neutral and ion) electrons. Simultaneous electron and neutral density measurements were demonstrated in a plasma opening switch (POS) experiment. The ability to measure small phase shifts with fast rise time were demonstrated in a plasma filled diode experiment. The high sensitivity and vibration isolation enable neutral gas distribution measurements from supersonic nozzles used in plasma radiation source experiments. Examples of these measurements and future applications are described. copyright 1997 ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Molybdopterin (MPT) is not produced by the Escherichia coli mutants chlA1, chlM, or chlN or by the Neurospora crassa mutant nit-1. Extracts of E. coli chlA1 contain an activity, the converting factor,...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

To analyse the binding of sugar chains to proteins, viruses and cells, the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technique is very convenient and effective because it is a real-time, non-destructive detection...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

1. An acid ninhydrin reagent was found to react specifically in forming a pink product (E_max. 560mμ) with cysteine. 2. The method was highly sensitive for the determination...Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The most abundant minor hemoglobin component of human hemolysate is Hb A1c, which has glucose bound to the N-terminus of the beta chain by a ketoamine linkage. Hb A1c is formed slowly and continuously throughout the 120 day lifespan of the red cell. It can be synthesized in vitro by incubating purified hemoglobin with 14C-glucose. Other minor components, Hb A1a1 and Hb A1a2 are adducts of sugar phosphates at the N-terminus of the beta chain. Hb A1b contains an unidentified nonphosphorylated sugar at the beta N-terminus. In addition, a significant portion of the major hemoglobin component (Hb Ao) is also glycosylated by a glucose ketoamine linkage at other sites on the molecule, including the N-terminus of the alpha chain and the ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Pyogenic sacroiliitis is a rare entity in children. Diagnosis is often delayed because of its variable clinical presentation, low suspicion by the examining physician, and rare findings on radiographs. Delayed diagnosis, however, results in complications such as iliopsoas abscess. We report the case of a 12-year-old girl hospitalized with a 21-day history of fever, pain in the left iliac fossa, and flexion contracture of the hip. On examination, she had fever (38.9 ^oC), psoitis, localized tenderness at the left sacroiliac joint, and pain elicited by lateral compression of the pelvis. The abdominal examination was normal. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate was 130mm in the first hour, C-reactive protein was 186mg/l, and the white blood cell count was 18,400/mm^3, with 79% neutrophils. Urin...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

TRPM7 is an unusual bifunctional protein consisting of an α-kinase...Full Text Available

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

In this work, a highly-sensitive polymeric membrane ion selective electrode for determination of tetracycline was constructed by using molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) particles as quasi-ionophore. The water-compatible MIP particles targeting tetracycline were synthesized with tetracycline as a template molecule, methacrylic acid as a functional monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as a cross-linker, 2,2?-azobisisobutyronitrile as an initiator and lanthanum ion as a mediator. Benefited from the distinctive performance of the quasi-ionophore and the optimized composition of the membrane and the inner filling solution, the lower detection limit of the electrode was decreased to about 1 ? 10?8 mol/l. It exhibited a good electrode slope 59.8 mV/decade near the theoretical Nernstian one, ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The authors have developed a high-sensitivity real-time neutron radiography (NR) system by the use of the low power reactor of Kinki University. The system was constructed with a high efficiency neutron-photon converter, an image intensifier and a SIT TELEVISION camera. Some digital image processing techniques were applied for improving the quality of the real-time neutron images. By the use of this system, dynamic neutron imaging was performed successfully under the condition of a weak neutron field that was about two orders of magnitude lower than that of the standard NR system. The neutron flux, calculated from the fluctuation of the neutron response of the images, was nearly equal to the value measured by the foil activation method. From this fact, the efficiency for the neutron detection of the imaging system was estimated to be almost 100%. For the purpose of developing a system with higher sensitivity, consideration of neutron statistics would be important. ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies are caused by defects of dystrophin, which forms a part of the membrane cytoskeleton of specialized cells such as muscle. It has been previously shown that the dystrophin-associated protein A1 (59-kDa DAP) is actually a heterogeneous group of phosphorylated proteins consisting of an acidic ({alpha}-A1) and a distinct basic ({beta}-A1) component. Partial peptide sequence of the A1 complex purified from rabbit muscle permitted the design of oligonucleotide probes that were used to isolate a cDNA for one human isoform of A1. This cDNA encodes a basic A1 isoform that is distinct from the recently described syntrophins in Torpedo and mouse and is expressed in many tissues with at least five distinct ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The effect of the polyamine oxidase (PAO)-polyamine system on some helminths was examined in vitro. Both Schistosoma mansoni schistosomula and Dirofilaria immitis microfilariae were highly sensitive...Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Using high resolution and high sensitivity IRAS data at 12 and 25 microns low mass stars were studied which have recently formed in the Ophiuchus, Corona Australis, and IC1396 dark clouds. The successful application of these techniques to the Rho Ophiuchi infrared cluster is briefly described. The status of research performed is also presented.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Medical imaging using single gamma-ray-emitting radionuclides typically makes use of parallel hole collimators or pinholes in order to achieve good spatial resolution. However, a tradeoff in sensitivity is inherent in the use of a collimator, and modern preclinical single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) systems detect a very small fraction of emitted gamma rays, often less than 0.1%. A system for small animal SPECT imaging which uses no collimators could potentially achieve very high sensitivity-several tens of percent-with reasonably sized detectors. This would allow two significant improvements in preclinical studies: images could be obtained more rapidly, allowing higher throughput for screening applications, or for dynamic processes to be observed with very good time resolution; and images could be obtained with less radioactive tracer, making possible the in vivo imaging of low-capacity receptor systems, aiding research into ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The environmental impact caused by local people (ecological footprint of consumption, EFc) and the actual environmental impact that the ecosystem burdens (ecological footprint of production, EFp) in West Jilin Province, Northeast China from 1986 to 2006 were evaluated by using ecological footprint (EF) method. And the major driving forces of EFc and EFp were analyzed by STIRPAT model. Both EFc and EFp showed increasing trends in 1986?2006, accompanied by decreasing ecological deficits but expanding ecological overshoots. Population (P), GDP per capita (A 1), quadratic term of GDP per capita (A 2), urbanization (T a1), and quadratic term of urbanization (T a2) were important influencing factors of EFc, among which T a2 and T a1 were the most dominate driving forces of EFc. A 1, A 2 and T a2...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BACKGROUND: Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a group of heritable diseases that manifest as blistering and erosions of the skin and mucous membranes. In the dystrophic forms of EB (DEB), the diagnostic...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Three homeologous genes encoding a sucrose (Suc) transporter (SUT) in hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum), TaSUT1A, 1B, and 1D, were...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

To gain insight into ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) function and its potential role in AD pathology, we analyzed the expression of the cholesterol transporter ABCA1...Full Text Available

Science.gov (United States)

To calibrate channels A1 to A4 for particles with Z >= 1, tests were done on the IBIS accelerator at AERE, Harwell, which gave protons up to 3 MeV. ...

Science.gov (United States)

...2010-04-01 false Sodium pentobarbital injection. 522.1704 Section...DRUGS § 522.1704 Sodium pentobarbital injection. (a)(1) Specifications. Sodium pentobarbital injection is sterile and...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A method based on path integral formulation is given for obtaining exact solution of the s states for the Bargmann potentialV(r)=1ka"2#beta#(#beta#-1)e"-"2"r"/"a1-e"-"r"/"a"2-Ae"-"r"/"a1-e"-"r"/"a,where #beta# and k are parameters. The exact energy spectrum and the normalised s-state eigenfunctions are obtained from the poles of the Green function and their residues, respectively. The results are compared with their of Schrodinger formalism, special cases are also discussed.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A method of patterning n-type GaAs, InP, InGaAs, and InGaAsP by photoelectrochemical (PEC) etching in conjunction with a submicron focused ion beam (FIB) at low dose is described. The ion beam is used to produce damage in a desired pattern in the material. Subsequent PEC etching of the material reveals the ion induced features in relief. The procedure is highly sensitive, requiring a dose of only 5 x 10/sup 9/ ions/cm/sup 2/ for the differential etch to become apparent. The sensitivity allows rapid pattern generation in our FIB system.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The proposed Sudbury Neutrino Observatory is based on a Cherenkov detector which has a total of 1000 tonne of heavy water and 1800 tonne of light water for its sensitive volume. The detector is optimized for the measurement of extra-terrestrial low energy electron neutrinos and electron antineutrinos spectra as well as the total neutrino flux independent of neutrino flavours. It will delineate the Standard Solar Model and neutrino propagation aspects of the solar neutrino problem, provide detailed information on the dynamics of stellar collapse and measure neutrino masses and oscillation parameters with high sensitivity.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A Si array neutron detector is proposed based on commercial CCD and CMOS sensor technology coupled with a thin film neutron conversion coating. System sensitivity is estimated for a baseline device containing a single array and various schemes to increase detection probability by simple area scaling and stacking are discussed. Some possible use scenarios are discussed involving static and moving sources. Likely neutron source fluxes for weapons grade and commercial grade nuclear material are estimated along with expected intensities of cosmic background neutrons which would establish a noise floor to detection limits.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A large scintillation chamber of 6.7 l volume for direct radon concentration measurements in gas is presented. With two 5 in. photomultipliers on opposite sides, working in coincidence, a concentration as low as about 0.5 mBq/l is detectable with 10% standard deviation after 1000 min measuring time. With the achieved background count rate of 0.42 counts/min and the counting efficiency of 0.607 for [sup 222]Rn and its progenies the absolute minimal detectable specific activity is reached with 0.17 mBq/l at about 12 000 min. The method to determine this minimum detectable activity is outlined. ((orig.))

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The Eph tyrosine kinase receptors and their ephrin ligands play a central role in several human cancers and their deregulated expression or function promotes tumorigenesis, inducing aggressive tumor phenotypes. Green tea extracts (GTE) have been recently found to inhibit Eph-kinase phosphorylation. In order to evaluate the potential contribution of edible and medicinal plants on EphA2-ephrinA1 modulation, 133 commercially available plant extracts used as food supplements, essential and fixed oils were screened with an ELISA-based binding assay. Nine plant extracts, rich of polyphenols, reversibly inhibited binding in a dose-dependent manner (IC"5"0 0.83-24@mg/ml). Functional studies on PC3 prostate adenocarcinoma cells revealed that active extracts antagonized ephrinA1-Fc-induced EphA2-pho...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

We report first-principles frozen-phonon calculations for the determination of the force-free geometry and the dynamical matrix of the five Raman-active A_1_g modes in YBa_2Cu_3O_7. To establish the shape of the phonon potentials atomic forces are calculated within the linearized-augmented-plane-wave method. Two different schemes emdash the local-density approximation (LDA) and a generalized gradient approximation (GGA)emdash are employed for the treatment of electronic exchange and correlation effects. We find that in the case of LDA the resulting phonon frequencies show a deviation from experimental values of approximately -10%. Invoking GGA the frequency values are significantly improved and also the eigenvectors are in very good agreement with experimental findings. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This report covers the progress made on the title project for the project period. Four major areas of inquiry are being pursued. Advanced solid state NMR methods are being developed to assay the distribution of the various important functional groups that determine the reactivity of coals. Special attention is being paid to methods that are compatible with the very high magic angle sample spinning rates needed for operation at the high magnetic field strengths available today. Polarization inversion methods utilizing the difference in heat capacities of small groups of spins are particularly promising. Methods combining proton-proton spin diffusion with [sup 13]C CPMAS readout are being developed to determine the connectivity of functional groups in coals in a high sensitivity relay type of experiment. Additional work is aimed at delineating the role of methyl group rotation in the proton NMR relaxation behavior of coals.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The effects of the heating rate from 0.6 up to 50{sup o}C.s{sup -1} on the thermoluminescence of {alpha}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}:C are very intensive. The material rapidly loses its high sensitivity as the heating rate increases. The peak shape characteristics, peak maximum and full width at half maximum agree only qualitatively with those theoretically predicted. The trapping parameters calculated by the curve fitting method, the peak shape method, the variable heating rate method and the initial rise method, were found to decrease as the heating rate increases. The validity of the results are discussed in the framework of the kinetic models. (author).

CERN Document Server

The auroras on Jupiter and Saturn can be studied with a high sensitivity and resolution by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) ultraviolet (UV) and far-ultraviolet (FUV) Space Telescope spectrograph (STIS) and Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) instruments. We present results of automatic detection and segmentation of Jupiter's auroral emissions as observed by HST ACS instrument with VOronoi Image SEgmentation (VOISE). VOISE is a dynamic algorithm for partitioning the underlying pixel grid of an image into regions according to a prescribed homogeneity criterion. The algorithm consists of an iterative procedure that dynamically constructs a tessellation of the image plane based on a Voronoi Diagram, until the intensity of the underlying image within each region is classified as homogeneous. The computed tessellations allow the extraction of quantitative information about the auroral features such as mean intensity, latitudinal and longitudinal ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

By measuring organ doses with TLD at an Alderson-Rando-phantom it was tested to evaluate the somatic risk for mammographies. Similarly as the genetic risk can be expressed by the genetic significant dose, the somatic risk can be expressed by the somatic significant dose index. The measurement results of the mammography show a large deviation of almost one power of ten with dependence of the chosen technique. In conventional xeroradiography and recording technique with foilless film the somatic radiation risk is the highest. By using amplifying foils in combination with high-sensitive films it is relatively small. Unfortunately the magnitude of the somatic risk in the different mammography techniques is in the ratio reciprocal to the corresponding image quality. At the time being the most favourable technique is mammography with a soft rastering method, although the xeromammography with additional high aluminium-filtering is a further alternative with respect to ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Even though the currently intensive research efforts on high- temperature superconducting materials have not yet converged on a well specified practical material, the indications are that such a material may be quite brittle, anisotropic, and may contain many flaws such as microcracks and voids at grain boundaries. Consequently, practical applications of high temperature superconducting materials will require a very careful strength analysis based on fracture mechanics considerations. Because of the high sensitivity of the strength of such materials to the presence of defects, methods of quantitative non-destructive evaluation may be expected to play an important role in strength determinations. This proposal is concerned with the use of ultrasonic methods to detect and characterize isolated cracks, clusters of microcracks and microcracks distributed throughout the material. Particular attention has been, and will continue to be devoted to ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

This study explores the use of photosensitizers and reactive oxygen species (ROS) to limit growth of cyanobacteria. We chose 12 phthalocyanines, tetraphenol porphyrine, and methylene blue as compounds producing singlet oxygen. Hydrogen peroxide was chosen as another source of ROS. These compounds were tested using algal toxicity tests in microplates on three cultures of green algae (Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, Scenedesmus quadricauda, and Chlorella kessleri) and on three cultures of cyanobacteria (Synechococcus nidulans, Microcystis incerta, and Anabaena sp.). Results indicate that photosensitizers and singlet oxygen could be highly toxic for some selected phytoplankton species. Green alga Scenedesmus quadricauda was highly sensitive (EC50 = 0.07 mg/L) to compounds producing singlet o...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A new surveillance system for Oil-Filled cable, which can provide continuous monitoring, using a newly developed optical gas sensor that can detect the concentration of the gas dissolved in the oil with extremely high sensitivity has been developed. It was proved that the degree of deterioration of the insulating oil can be detected by measuring C{sub 2}H{sub 2} and CH{sub 4} by investigating the relation between the degree of deterioration and amount of combustible gas generated. In order to detect extremely small amounts of gas, a new gas detecting method using absorption line of the gas using a frequency modulated technique has been developed. The gas detection ability was also confirmed by examination using a 66 kV of cable and the possibility of detection at an early stage is expected.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

We described the use of silica nanoparticles as building blocks for the immobilization of electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) reagent Ru(bpy){sub 3}{sup 2+} and the fabrication of layer-by-layer assembly film by alternating the deposition of the Ru(bpy){sub 3}{sup 2+}-doped silica nanoparticles and Au nanoparticles. UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), cyclic voltammetry and ECL were used to characterize the uniform growth of the multilayer film. Since Ru(bpy){sub 3}{sup 2+} could still maintain its ECL property when doped into the silica nanoparticles, the as-prepared multilayer film could be used as an effective ECL sensor, and the sensor showed high sensitivity and good stability.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

We described the use of silica nanoparticles as building blocks for the immobilization of electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) reagent Ru(bpy)32+ and the fabrication of layer-by-layer assembly film by alternating the deposition of the Ru(bpy)32+-doped silica nanoparticles and Au nanoparticles. UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), cyclic voltammetry and ECL were used to characterize the uniform growth of the multilayer film. Since Ru(bpy)32+ could still maintain its ECL property when doped into the silica nanoparticles, the as-prepared multilayer film could be used as an effective ECL sensor, and the sensor showed high sensitivity and good stability.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Methods for improving the sensitivity of scintillation cells for radon concentration measurements were studied with emphasis on improving light collection efficiency. This allows the length and hence the volume of the cell to be increased. Variables studied were choice of scintillator material, its method of application and thickness, length of cell, cell material, type and configuration of reflectors, choice of photomultipliers, and factors affecting background. Response from various areas of the cell surface was studied with an alphy source and with radon filling. Coating the window with phosphor was found to be counter-productive. The optimum results obtained were with the inside of the cell (other than the window) covered with a thick layer of ZnS(Ag), or with a thick layer of reflective material coated with a thin layer of phosphor. With it, a 10 cm diameter plexiglass cell can be extended to at least 50 cm length without difficulty from insufficient pulse height. (orig.).

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS) is a valuable method for the detection of somatostatin receptor-positive lesions. Most gastrinomas (over-)express the somatostatin receptor subtype 2 which can be targeted by In-111 labeled Octreotide. Different studies show a high sensitivity of SRS for the localization and staging of gastrinomas. SRS seems to be superior to other non-invasive imaging modalities and has been proven to significantly contribute to patient management. However, the sensitivity depends on the size and exact localization of the tumors. Smaller lesions and lesions located in the duodenum show a significantly lower sensitivity. In any case, SRS belongs to the routine imaging procedure for gastrinomas for localization and staging and can also be used for evaluation of the tumor progression. (author)

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Abstract Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB) is a serious but treatable disease. The diagnosis of LNB poses a challenge to clinicians, and improved tests are needed. The C6-peptide ELISA is frequently used on serum but not on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Data on the sensitivity of the C6-peptide ELISA in CSF in patients suffering from LNB have been conflicting. Serum-CSF pairs from 59 LNB patients, 36 Lyme non-neuroborreliosis cases, 69 infectious meningitis/encephalitis controls and 74 neurological controls were tested in a C6-peptide ELISA. With the optimal cut-off of 1.1, the sensitivity of the C6-peptide ELISA for LNB patients in CSF was 95%, and the specificity was 83% in the Lyme non-neuroborreliosis patients, 96% in the infectious controls, and 97% in the neurological controls. These results ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

A novel electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) sensor based on natural clay and ionic liquid was fabricated. Tris(2,2prime-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) (Ru(bpy)32+) was immobilized on natural clay surface through simple adsorption. An ECL sensor was prepared by mixing Ru(bpy)32+-incorporated clay, graphite powder and an ionic liquid (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate) as the binder. The electrochemical behavior and ECL of the immobilized Ru(bpy)32+ was investigated. It was observed that the ECL of immobilized Ru(bpy)32+ was activated by the ionic liquid. The proposed ECL sensor showed high sensitivity to tri-n-propylamine (TPrA) and the detection limit was found to be 20 pM. In addition, the ECL sensor displayed good stability for TPrA detection and long-term storage stability.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The detection and characterization of deeply buried fatigue damage in thick, multi-layer airframe components pose significant technical challenges to the aviation safety community. Currently, no nondestructive evaluation technique is available to reliably detect such potential damage from the exterior of the airframe, which is highly desirable in light of inspection cost as well as avoidance of structure damage. Recent technological advances in high-sensitivity magnetic sensors, i.e., spin-dependent tunneling (SDT) sensors, make it feasible to employ electromagnetic inspection techniques for deep fatigue crack inspection. In this work, we report on the development and fabrication of a low frequency eddy current probe based on a magnetically shielded SDT pickup sensor concentrically located...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Abstract The brain is highly sensitive to environmental hypoxia. Little is known, however, about the neuropsychological effects of high altitude residence in the developing brain. We recently described only minor changes in processing speed in native Bolivian children and adolescents living at approximately 3700-m. However, evidence for loss of cerebral autoregulation above this altitude (4000-m) suggests a potential threshold of hypoxia severity over which neuropsychological functioning may be compromised. We conducted physiological and neuropsychological assessments in 62 Bolivian children and adolescents living at La Paz (-3700-m) and El Alto (-4100-m) in order to address this issue. Groups were equivalent in terms of age, gender, social class, schooling, parental education and genetic ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The properties of a new commercial thermoluminescent dosimeter, CaSO4:Dy without a LiF binder (TLD-900) was studied for low-exposure measurements in diagnostic radiology. The former TLD-900 had a LiF binder (herein referred to as ''TLD-900/LiF''). The principle features of this dosimeter are its high sensitivity to low-energy radiation and its relatively low fading which permits measurements down to less than 2.6 X 10(-8) C kg (0.1 mR) with an accuracy better than 20%. The characteristics, annealing procedures, light sensitivity, energy response, reproducibility, and fading, of TLD-900 are discussed and compared with TLD-900/LiF. When the precautions presented in this paper are used, the dosimeters can be used for the measurement of x-ray exposures.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Luminescent materials are widely used for imaging and sensing owing to their high sensitivity, rapid response and facile detection by many optical technologies. Typically materials must be chemically tailored to achieve intense, photostable fluorescence, oxygen-sensitive phosphorescence or dual emission for ratiometric sensing, often by blending two dyes in a matrix. Dual-emissive materials combining all of these features in one easily tunable molecular platform are desirable, but when fluorescence and phosphorescence originate from the same dye, it can be challenging to vary relative fluorescence/phosphorescence intensities for practical sensing applications. Heavy-atom substitution alone increases phosphorescence by a given, not variable amount. Here, we report a strategy for modulating ...

Science.gov (United States)

The adipocytokine adiponectin is released by adipocytes upon activation of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR gamma). PPAR gamma has binding sites for thiazolidinediones and free fatty acids (FFAs). To evaluate if adiponectin serum concentrations are synergistically regulated by FFAs and thiazolidinediones IN VIVO plasma FFAs were acutely elevated in healthy subjects pre-treated with rosiglitazone or placebo. Sixteen healthy male subjects (23-37 years) were included in this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled parallel-group study. Rosiglitazone 8 mg or placebo was administered daily for 21 days. On the last day plasma FFA concentrations were increased by an intravenous triglyceride/heparin infusion. Blood for determination of adiponectin, C-reactive protein (CRP), leptin, resistin, FFAs, glucose, and insulin was drawn at baseline and on day 21 before and after 5 hours of triglyceride/heparin infusion. Adiponectin concentrations ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The addition of titanium to eutectic braze compositions causes these alloys to readily wet and bond to A1N ceramics. Electron microscopic characterizations of the metal-ceramic interfaces reveal the presence of TiN, along with other Ti- and Al-containing phases. The formation of such interfacial reaction products is an additional thermodynamic driving force for the creation of useful metal-ceramic bonds. 12 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

1. In order to determine the long-term influence of neonatal hypoxia on catecholaminergic activity in peripheral arterial chemoreceptors and brainstem noradrenergic cell groups (A1, A2, A5 and A6),...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Experimental studies have shown that two main estrogen metabolites hydroxylated by CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 in the breast differentially affect breast cell proliferation and carcinogenesis. Although 16α-hydroxyestrone...Full Text Available

Science.gov (United States)

Amyloid aggregation starts with the initial misfolding of peptide/protein precursors, with subsequent structural rearrangement into oligomers and protofibrils; the latter eventually organize into fibrils with shared basic structural features, found deposited in amyloid diseases. Mounting evidence indicates early oligomers as the most toxic amyloid species; accordingly, the search of inhibitors of their growth is considered a promising target to prevent amyloid toxicity. We recently showed that oleuropein aglycon, a polyphenol abundant in the extra virgin olive oil, interferes with the aggregation of amylin (involved in type-2 diabetes), eliminating its cytotoxicity. Here we report that oleuropein aglycon also hinders amyloid aggregation of A?(1-42) and its cytotoxicity, suggesting a general effect of such polyphenol. In particular, by using a wide panel of different spectroscopic, immunologic, cell viability and imaging techniques we provide a ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The {sup 252}Cf-source-driven noise analysis method has been used in measurements for subcritical configurations of fissile systems for a variety of applications. Measurements of 25 fissile systems have been performed with a wide variety of materials and configurations. This method has been applied to measurements for (1) initial fuel loading of reactors, (2) quality assurance of reactor fuel elements, (3) fuel preparation facilities, (4) fuel processing facilities, (5) fuel storage facilities, (6) zero-power testing of reactors, and (7) verification of calculational methods for assemblies with the neutron k < l. These previous measurements, performed with a wide variety of multiplying systems, demonstrated the usefulness of the method. The high sensitivity of noise-measured parameters to small changes in fissile systems has been observed in several measurements. This high sensitivity has been ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

There are two types of ionization chamber using magnetically levitated electrode: one is that by Tanaka et al. and the other, by authors'. The latter lacks the sensitivity relative to the former and thereby to solve the problem, authors made an improvement so that the electrode charge could be readout by noncontact after the leviated electrode was electrified by noncontact for an interval. This new type ionization chamber made it possible to measure the quite low dose radiation with stability and high sensitivity. Actually, the electrode was suspended by the teflon thread fixed on the steel cup levitated magnetically in the ionization chamber of which wall was covered by Al and equipped with an electrostatic charger for the electrode by noncontact. After measurement, the electrode was moved in the Faraday cage placed under the chamber to readout the voltage. For operation conditions of the apparatus, observation was done on the ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The purpose of this study was to assess experimentally and clinically the usefulness of Fuji Computed Radiography (FCR) in angiographic examinations. FCR had a spatial resolution with much lower X-ray exposure doses, although the resolution of FCR was generally inferior to conventional films. When a contrast medium of 1% iodine concentration was used, FCR pinpointed a mass 1.5 mm in diameter; and conventional film could detect a mass 2.2 mm in diameter. The contrast of iodine in FCR examinations was stable. A high sensitivity of imaging plate allowed a wide range of visualization. In 148 selective angiographic examinatinons for 138 patients, FCR-subtraction images were superior to conventional film angiography for contrast resolution; it had a high sensitivity in detecting areas, such as the mediastimun and left lobe of the liver, and tumor stains in capillary phase. The capability of FCR arteriogram ...

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(1) To determine the accuracy of computed tomography (CT) in the evaluation of ligament tear and avulsion in patients with tibial plateau fracture. (2) To evaluate whether the presence or severity of fracture gap and articular depression can predict meniscal injury. A fellowship-trained musculoskeletal radiologist retrospectively reviewed knee CT and MRI examinations of 41 consecutive patients presenting to a level 1 trauma center with tibial plateau fractures. Fracture gap, articular depression, ligament tear and footprint avulsions were assessed on CT examinations. The MRI studies were examined for osseous and soft tissue injuries, including meniscal tear, meniscal displacement, ligament tear, and ligament avulsion. CT demonstrated torn ligaments with 80% sensitivity and 98% specificity. Only 2% of ligaments deemed intact on careful CT evaluation had partial or complete tears on MRI. Although the degree of fracture gap and articular depression was significantly greater in patients ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

We examined whether or not BMD or bone markers were useful for assessing the risk of vertebral fractures in 248 Japanese men with type 2 diabetes. We analyzed the relationships between bone markers (osteocalcin [OC], bone-specific alkaline phosphatase [BAP], urinary N-terminal cross-linked telopeptide of type-I collagen) or BMD and HbA1c, urinary C-peptide, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), parathyroid hormone, 1,25(OH)2 vitamin D, and the presence of prevalent vertebral fractures. Multiple regression analysis adjusted for age, body height, weight, duration of diabetes, and serum creatinine showed that serum OC and OC/BAP ratio were correlated negatively with HbA1c (P?P?P?

Science.gov (United States)

OBJECTIVE To identify patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) who will need antenatal insulin treatment (AIT) by using a risk-prediction tool based on maternal clinical and biochemical characteristics at diagnosis. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Data from 3,009 women attending the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital GDM Clinic, Australia, between 1995 and 2010 were studied. A risk engine was developed from significant factors identified for AIT using a logistic regression model. RESULTS A total of 51% of GDM patients required AIT. Ethnicity, gestation at diagnosis, HbA(1c), fasting and 60-min glucose oral glucose tolerance test, BMI, and diabetes family history were significant independent determinants of AIT. Notably, only 9% of the attributable risk for AIT can be explained by the clinical factors studied. A modeled risk-scoring system was therefore a poor predictor of AIT. CONCLUSIONS Baseline maternal characteristics including ...

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Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility experiment E01-012 measured the 3He spin structure functions and virtual photon asymmetries in the resonance region in the momentum transfer range 1.0 < Q2 < 4.0 (GeV/c)2. Our date, when compared with existing deep inelastic scattering data, can be used to test quark-hadron duality in g1 and A1 for 3He and the neutron. Preliminary results for A{sub 1}{sup {sup 3}He} are presented, as well as some details about the experiment.

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Continuous wave lasing operation with the shortest wavelength for semiconductor lasers was obtained from AlGaInP double heterostructure lasers at 77 K. The structure was grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy. Lasing wavelength was 583.6 nm (yellow). Threshold current was 43 mA (1.9 kA/cm/sup 2/). Magnesium was adopted as a p-type dopant, and was proved to be preferable for a high aluminum composition AlGaInP cladding layer.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noninvasive and simplified methods for estimating regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) and regional partition coefficient (#lambda#) using the inhalation of stable xenon (Xe"s) and computed tomographic (CT) scanning are described. Thirty percent Xe"s in 70% oxygen was inhaled for 240 seconds and exhaled for 160 seconds during serial CT scanning without denitrogenation in 26 patients with cerebrovascular diseases and four volunteer controls. During the investigation, the end-tidal Xe"s concentration was continuously monitored with a thermoconductivity analyzer to determine the build-up range (A value) and build-up rate constant (K value) of the artery by the curve fitting method. Calculated A and K values were corrected by the following formulae reported previously: for patients aged 0-20 years, A_e = 0.75A_a + 2.15, K_e = 0.67K_a + 0.69; 21-40 years, A_e = 0.56A_a + 3.24, K_e = 0.38K_a + 1.12; 41-60 years, A_e = 0.91A_a + ...

CERN Document Server

Using 347.5 fb-1 of data recorded by the BABAR detector at the PEP-II electron-positron collider, 244*10^3 signal events for the D+ --> K- pi+ e+ nu_e decay channel are analyzed. This decay mode is dominated by the \\bar{K}^*(892)^0 contribution. We determine the \\bar{K}^*(892)^0 parameters: m_{K^*(892)^0}=(895.4 +- 0.2 +- 0.2) MeV/c^{2}, \\Gamma^0_{K^*(892)^0}=(46.5 +- 0.3 +- 0.2) MeV/c^{2} and the Blatt-Weisskopf parameter $r_{BW}=2.1 +- 0.5 +- 0.5 (GeV/c)^{-1} where the first uncertainty comes from statistics and the second from systematic uncertainties. We also measure the parameters defining the corresponding hadronic form factors at q^{2}=0 (r_{V} = V(0) / A_{1}(0)=1.463 +- 0.017 +- 0.031, r_{2} = A_{2}(0) / A_{1}(0) = 0.801 +- 0.020 +- 0.020) and the value of the axial-vector pole mass parameterizing the q^2 variation of A_{1} and A_{2}: m_{A}=(2.63 ...

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This report covers the progress made on the title project for the project period. Four major areas of inquiry are being pursued. Advanced solid state NMR methods are being developed to assay the distribution of the various important functional groups that determine the reactivity of coals. Special attention is being paid to methods that are compatible with the very high magic angle sample spinning rates needed for operation at the high magnetic field strengths available today. Polarization inversion methods utilizing the difference in heat capacities of small groups of spins are particularly promising. Methods combining proton-proton spin diffusion with {sup 13}C CPMAS readout are being developed to determine the connectivity of functional groups in coals in a high sensitivity relay type of experiment. Additional work is aimed at delineating the role of methyl group rotation in the proton NMR relaxation behavior of coals.

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Full text. Here we present a status report of the Schenberg antenna, which started commissioning runs in September 2006 under the full support of FAPESP. In its first commissioning runs we tested three preliminary parametric transducer systems, which did not achieve a high enough performance for placing the antenna sensitivity in the range of the calibrator capacitor. Instead of improving the calibrator, making it capable of introducing a larger input force, we decided to go to a radical upgrading operation: replacing the three transducers for a complete set of six transducers, with better sensitivity and arranged according to the truncated icosahedron configuration, plus two extra ones; starting to install the dilution refrigerator; installing wires, cables, and amplifiers for the complete set of transducer circuits; and a new suspension and vibration isolation system for the cabling and microstrip antennas. We also have been developing a new set of transducers, microwave oscillators, ...

Science.gov (United States)

Simple and low cost biosensor based on screen-printed electrode for sensitive detection of some alkylphenols was developed, by entrapment of HRP in a nanocomposite gel based on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([BMIM][PF(6)]) ionic liquid. Raman and FTIR spectroscopy, CV and EIS studies demonstrate the interaction between SWCNTs and ionic liquid. The nanocomposite gel, SWCNT-[BMIM][PF(6)] provides to the modified sensor a considerable enhanced electrocatalytic activity toward hydrogen peroxide reduction. The HRP based biosensor exhibits high sensitivity and good stability, allowing a detection of the alkylphenols at an applied potential of -0.2V vs. Ag/AgCl, in linear range from 5.5 to 97.7?M for 4-t-octylphenol and respectively, between 5.5 and 140?M for 4-n-nonylphenol, with a response time of about 5s. The detection limit was 1.1?M for 4-t-octylphenol, and respectively 0.4?M for ...

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Monitoring for xenon radionuclides which are produced in a nuclear detonation can provide a strong deterrent to the violation of a Comprehensive nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). There are 18 known radioactive xenon isotopes produced in nuclear fission with half-lives ranging from less than one second to 11.9 days. However, only four of these remain in significant amounts more than a day after a detonation. In order for radioxenon monitoring to be practical, it was necessary to develop an automated measurement system which could operate unattended for periods of months, measure the entire spectrum of radioxenons, and provide hundreds of times better sensitivities than current laboratory procedures. This capability was developed at the US Department of Energy`s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory based on rapid separation of atmospheric xenon coupled with a unique high sensitivity measurement device for the radioxenons. A fieldable prototype ...

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The present investigation deals with the fabrication of liquid petroleum gas (LPG) sensor based on semiconducting oxide SnO{sub 2}. The gas sensor elements have been prepared by conventional solid state route. Addition of noble metal sensitizer, palladium and grain growth inhibitor, aluminum silicate to the base material SnO{sub 2}, not only improved the sensitivity towards LPG but also the selectivity in the presence of CO and CH{sub 4} gases. Out of various sensor compositions, SnO{sub 2}:Al{sub 2}Si{sub 2}O{sub 7} (35 wt.%):Pd (1.5 wt.%) sintered at 800 C for 5 h has shown high sensitivity (0.97) towards LPG at an operating temperature of 350 C. Different characterization techniques have been employed, such as differential thermal analysis (DTA), surface area analyzer, X-ray diffraction (XRD), to study the formation of SnO{sub 2}, surface area and crystallite size, respectively. The results suggested the possibility of utilizing the sensor ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The optoelectronic compounds of GaAs and ZnSe are difficult to analyze by PIXE (particle-induced X-ray emission) due to the strong absorption of the As and Se K_#alpha# X-rays. As part of a program to investigate optoelectronic materials using ion beam techniques, we have explored the possibility of using the high sensitivity of PIXE to check these materials for stoichiometry and dopant concentrations. The K_#alpha# X-ray intensity ratios of Ga to As and Zn to Se have been investigated using H beams of 0.5 to 2.5 MeV and He beams of 1.0 to 2.5 MeV. The variation in the X-ray intensity ratio with beam energy and target thickness is modelled in terms of the cross section for X-ray production and the absorption coefficients of the X-rays in the target. The results of this model show the experimental conditions that must be satisfied in order that the X-ray intensity ratios are not strongly affected by X-ray absorption; and therefore, the ...

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Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has rapidly attained a major position among the examinations used in the diagnostic approach of multiple sclerosis because it is highly sensitive in demonstrating lesions. However, these lesional images may have several meanings, and there is the problem of distinguishing between oedema, which is said to reflect recent lesions, and gliosis which is thought to betray old lesions. The intrinsic MRI parameters studied (i.e. relaxation times) are unable to make this distinction, whereas it is provided by paramagnetic contrast media such as gadolinium. There is no correlation between the changes observed at MRI and the severity of the disease. Another problem is the accuracy of lesion localization, since visualization is predominantly macroscopic. This raises several questions about the demonstration of correlations between clinical signs and site of the lesion(s). At the moment, several teams of neuroradiologists ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A high sensitivity (titer 60-150,000) radioimmunoassay for arginine vasopressin (AVP) has been developed using synthetic AVP as antigen and standard. The specificity of the antiserum has been characterized in detail by measuring the relative binding affinities of 29 analogs and fragments of AVP. In general, single amino acid substitution or deletion in the AVP molecule caused a reduction in binding to the antiserum; binding was further impaired for analogs which had multiple substitutions. ''Ring'' and ''tail'' fragments of the neurohypophysial hormones did not bind to the antiserum, and the only analog which the antiserum could not differentiate from AVP was deamino-AVP. More specifically, the antiserum exhibited the following properties: position 1, no requirement for a position charge at "1/_2 Cys; positions 2 and 3, requirements for #pi#-#pi# interacting pair of aromatic side chains and for Tyr at position 2; position 4, requirement for Gln ...

Science.gov (United States)

Abnormal intracellular deposition of aggregated ?-synuclein is the characteristic feature of a number of neurological disorders, including Parkinson's disease (PD). Although ?-synuclein is typically known as a cytosolic protein, a small amount is secreted by exocytosis in both monomeric and aggregated forms. The extracellular forms of ?-synuclein in human body fluids, such as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood plasma, might be a diagnostic target for PD and related diseases. Here, we characterized a new set of monoclonal antibodies against ?-synuclein, and using different combinations of antibodies, we established ELISA systems to specifically detect human ?-synuclein, mouse and human ?-synuclein together, and multimeric forms of ?-synuclein in biological samples. By employing the Tyramide signal amplification method, the sensitivity of the assay was significantly improved to detect a concentration as low as ?12.5 pg/ml. These assays might be useful tools for quantitative analysis of ...

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Direct electrochemistry and electrocatalysis of catalase (Cat) was studied based on a nano-composite film consisting of amine functionalized graphene and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) modified glassy carbon electrode. Graphene was synthesized chemically by Hummers and Offeman method and then was functionalized with amino groups via chemical modification of carboxyl groups introduced on the graphene surface. The nano-composite film showed an obvious promotion of the direct electron transfer between Cat and the underlying electrode, which attributed to the synergistic effect of graphene-NH2 and AuNPs. The resultant bioelectrode retained its biocatalytic activity and offered fast and sensitive H2O2 quantification. Under the optimized experimental conditions, hydrogen peroxide was detected in the concentration range from 0.3 to 600 ?M with a detection limit of 50 nM at S/N = 3. The biosensor exhibited some advantages, such as short time respond (2 s), high ...

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Magnetic particles (MAG*SEP"S"M) coated with various absorbents were evaluated for the separation and recovery of low concentrations of cesium from nuclear waste solutions. The MAG*SEP"S"M particles were coated with (1) clinoptilolite, (2) transylvanian volcanic tuff, (3) resorcinol formaldehyde, and (4) crystalline silico-titanate, and then were contacted with a Hanford supernatant simulant. Particles coated with the crystalline silico-titanate were identified by Bradtec as having the highest capacity for cesium removal under the conditions tested (variation of pH, ionic strength, cesium concentration, and absorbent/solution ratio). The MAG*SEP"S"M particles coated with resorcinol formaldehyde had high distribution ratios values and could also be used to remove cesium from Hanford supernant simulant. Gamma irradiation studies were performed on the MAG*SEP"S"M particles with a gamma dose equivalent to 100 cycles of use. This irradiation decreased the loading capacity and distribution ...

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Electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) offers high sensitivity and high accuracy in quantitative measurements of chemical compositions and mass coverages. Owing to the low detection limits of the wavelength-dispersive technique, monolayers with mass coverages of about 0.05 pg cm z can be detected. Assuming a density of 5 g cm--3 this corresponds to a thickness of 0.1 nm. With these advantages in mind, EPMA was extended to depth profile analysis in the sub-micron range using a surface removal technique. The present paper shows how depth profile analysis can be improved by combining EPMA and the focused ion beam (FIB) technique. The focused ion beam system uses a Ga+ ion beam. The ion beam allows the milling of defined geometries on the nanometer scale, so that very shallow bevels with exactly defined angles in relation to the surface can be obtained. Low surface damage is expected due to low sputtering effects. Calibrated WDX measurements along the ...

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Radiation portal monitors used for interdiction of illicit materials at borders include highly sensitive neutron detection systems. The main reason for having neutron detection capability is to detect fission neutrons from plutonium. The currently deployed radiation portal monitors (RPMs) from Ludlum and Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) use neutron detectors based upon 3He-filled gas proportional counters, which are the most common large neutron detector. There is a declining supply of 3He in the world, and thus, methods to reduce the use of this gas in RPMs with minimal changes to the current system designs and sensitivity to cargo-borne neutrons are being investigated. Four technologies have been identified as being currently commercially available, potential alternative neutron detectors to replace the use of 3He in RPMs. Reported here are the results of tests of a newly designed boron-lined proportional counter option. ...

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This paper presents a comprehensive study of pesticide levels and bio-accumulation characteristics in human adipose tissues among residents of Southeast China. A large number of adipose samples (n=633) were selected for 58 pesticides and were analyzed by high sensitive Gas Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). The results showed that POPs pesticides were frequently detected, including 2,4prime-DDD, 2,4prime-DDE, 2,4prime-DDT, 4,4prime-DDD, 4,4prime-DDE, 4,4prime-DDT, a-HCH, b-HCH, g-HCH, d-HCH, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), and mirex. Other detected pesticide species were dicofol, methamidophos and chlordimeform, which have rarely been reported. Comparing to different countries, the concentrations of total DDT and HCH in these three Chinese southeastern sites were in the middle ra...

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X-ray irradiation-induced paramagnetic radicals in rare earth (Ln) ion-doped glaserite and Ln ion-doped langbeinite were studied by means of ESR technique, aiming at developing the highly sensitive sensor for an ESR dosimetry. The samples were prepared by two kinds of procedures as follows. In one process, the glaserite (K{sub 3}Na(SO{sub 4}){sub 2}) matrix or the langbeinite (K{sub 2}Mg{sub 2}(SO{sub 4}){sub 3}) matrix were synthesized by heating the mixture of K{sub 2}SO{sub 4} and Na{sub 2}SO{sub 4} or the mixture of K{sub 2}SO{sub 4} and MgSO{sub 4} at 1023 K for 1 hour in He flow. The matrices obtained were mixed well with a fixed amount of Ln{sub 2}(SO{sub 4}){sub 3} (Ln=La, Eu, Gd, Lu) powder and heated at 1023 K for 1 hour in He flow. In the other process, the homogeneous mixture of a fixed amount of K{sub 2}SO{sub 4}, Na{sub 2}SO{sub 4} and Ln{sub 2}(SO{sub 4}){sub 3} powders or a fixed amount of K{sub 2}SO{sub 4}, MgSO{sub 4} and ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

An analysis of the total photoabsorption cross section for nuclei ranging from "4He up to "2"3"8U has been performed in the energy range 0.2-1.0 GeV. Mean total photoabsorption cross sections have been obtained by summing up the contributions from partial photoreactions, and found to follow an A"1-dependence in the 0.2-1.0 GeV range. A review of the available total photoabsorption cross section data is also presented. Comparisons have been made with cross section values calculated by considering both the quasi-deuteron and #pi#-meson photoproduction mechanism of primary nuclear photointeraction. (orig.).

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The elastic behaviour of YBaCuO specimens has been studied by very low-frequency isothermal internal-friction measurements. A relaxation peak is observed which is attributed to oxygen atom jumps, between A(1/2 0 0) and B(0 1/2 0) sites, in the CuO planes of the orthorhombic phase. A limit relaxation time {tau}{sub 0}, 2.6 {center dot} 10{sup -15}s, and an activation energy, 1.3eV, have been obtained from the shift of the maximum damping frequency observed when the measurement temperature is changed. The proposed values for the limit relaxation time and the activation energy are in good agreement with those previously proposed in the literature.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Objective To evaluate the inhibitory property of de-glycyrrhizinated extract of Glycyrrhiza glabra root and its phytoconstituents (glabridin, isoliquiritigenin and glycyrrhizin) on LPS-induced production of pro-inflammatory mediators. Materials and methods Inhibitory effect of G. glabra extract and its phytoconstituents were studied on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in J774A.1 murine macrophages. Results G. glabra and isoliquiritigenin significantly inhibited LPS stimulated NO, IL-1 beta and IL-6 production. Glabridin showed significant inhibition of NO and IL-1 beta release, but failed to attenuate IL-6 levels at the tested concentrations. In addition, glycyrrhizin did not exhibit inhibitory response towar...

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Focussed ion beam (FIB) processing has been applied to the fabrication of novel InP-based cleaved coupled cavity (CCC) quantum cascade lasers (QCL). Gas assisted etching using XeF{sub 2} has been shown to significantly reduce the redeposition of sputtered material onto the mirror surfaces during final milling. For the unprocessed laser a broad spread of lasing peaks are observed between 9.72{mu}m to 9.78{mu}m at a current of 380mA (1kA/cm{sup -2}). After FIB processing, substantial side mode suppression is observed on applying a current of 20mA (100A/cm{sup -2}) to the short section and the main lasing peak is observed at 9.77{mu}m.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Abstract Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a highly prevalent condition, is independently associated with increased risks of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) and metabolic syndrome. It is unclear, however, if the severity of OSA has any impact on glycemic control among patients with T2D. We therefore aimed to determine the independent association between OSA severity and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in patients with T2D. Methods: This was an observational cross-sectional study of 52 consecutive patients attending the diabetes obesity clinic between January 2008 to February 2010 with risk factors for sleep apnea and who underwent polysomnography study. Clinical, demographic, and lifestyle data were recorded using a questionnaire. Results: Prevalence of OSA in this clini...

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The preliminary design of a far-infrared free-electron laser with a Coaxial Hybrid Iron (CHI) wiggler is presented. The CHI wiggler consists of a central rod and outer ring of alternating ferrite and dielectric spacers. A periodic wiggler field is produced when the CHI structure is immersed in an axial magnetic field. The design under investigation makes use of 1A, 1MV annular electron beam interacting with the TE{sub 01} coaxial waveguide mode at approximately 1 THz ({lambda} = 300 {mu}m). The nominal wiggler period is 0.5 cm and the inner and outer waveguide radii are 0.4 and 0.8 cm, respectively. An axial guide field of 5-10 kG is used. The device performance is modeled with slow-time-scale nonlinear code. Self fields and axial velocity spread are included in the model. Theoretical results will be presented.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Since the publication by the International Commission on Radiological Protection of revised recommendations which set out some general principles for intervention, some ideas have emerged which address interventions in the case of chronic exposure from contaminated lands. In the past there have been interventions proposed or carried out to rehabilitate land contaminated during the era of atmospheric nuclear weapon testing. Some of these interventions are reviewed in the context of these ideas and it is concluded that, by and large, reasonable outcomes have been achieved. The concept of a 'generic action level' (an effective dose of the order of 10 mSv#centre dot#a"-"1 to representative individuals in the critical group) may be useful in future to aid decision makers in determining whether intervention is appropriate. (author)

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Product-sum property states that an ordered pair (s"n,p"n) is unique for any ordered set a"1,a"2,...,a"n where a"i,n@?N, and s"n and p"n are the sum and product of the elements of the set, respectively. This fact has been exploited to develop an O(log(M)) time complexity algorithm for pattern searching in a large dataset, where M is the number of records in the dataset. Two potential applications (from databases and computational biology) of this property have been demonstrated to show the effectiveness and working of the proposed algorithm. The space complexity of the algorithm rises to the quadratic order.

Science.gov (United States)

AIMS: To clarify the levels of protein oxidation markers such as protein carbonyl (PCO), protein hydroperoxides (P-OOH), advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) and nitrotyrosine (NT), as well as antioxidative enzymes such as paraoxonase (PON-1) in women with and without gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). METHODS: The study was conducted on 23 women with GDM and 22 women without GDM. The levels of the P-OOH, AOPP, and PON-1 were determined by colorimetric methods; whereas NT and PCO levels were measured by ELISA. RESULTS: The concentrations of protein oxidation markers were significantly increased and PON1 activity was significantly decreased in GDM group compared to those of normal pregnant women. The control group showed a significant negative correlation between PON-1 and PCO (r=-0.451, p=0.027); whereas in GDM group, there was a significant positive correlation between P-OOH and HbA1c (r=0.89, p=0.001). There was no significant ...

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This fourteenth quarterly technical progress report of the MHD Integrated Topping Cycle Project presents the accomplishments during the period November 1, 1990 to January 31, 1991. Testing of the High Pressure Cooling Subsystem electrical isolator was completed. The PEEK material successfully passed the high temperature, high pressure duration tests (50 hours). The Combustion Subsystem drawings were CADAM released. The procurement process is in progress. An equipment specification and RFP were prepared for the new Low Pressure Cooling System (LPCS) and released for quotation. Work has been conducted on confirmation tests leading to final gas-side designs and studies to assist in channel fabrication.The final cathode gas-side design and the proposed gas-side designs of the anode and sidewall are presented. Anode confirmation tests and related analyses of anode wear mechanisms used in the selection of the proposed anode design are presented. Sidewall confirmation tests, which were used ...

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Due to the increasingly stricter regulations for deep reduction of fuel sulfur content, development of new deep desulfurization processes for liquid transport fuels has become one of the major challenges to the refining industry and to the production of hydrocarbon fuels for fuel cell applications. The sulfur compounds in the current transport fuels corresponding to the S level of 350-500 ppm account for only about 0.12-0.25 wt % of the fuel. The conventional hydrotreating approaches will need to increase catalyst bed volume at high-temperature and high-pressure conditions for treating 100 % of the whole fuel in order to convert the fuel mass of less than 0.25 wt %. In the present study, we are exploring a novel adsorption process for desulfurization at low temperatures, which can effectively reduce the sulfur content in gasoline, jet fuel and diesel fuel at low investment and operating cost to meet the needs for ultra-clean transportation fuels and for fuel cell applications. Some ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nitrogen oxides play a critical role in the chemistry of the atmosphere and indirectly influence global warming through the production of ozone. At Barrow, Alaska, the NOAA long-term surface ozone record indicates an increase of about 2% per year during the summer months. Since NO_x (NO+NO_2) concentrations above about 30 ppt (parts per trillion) result in net ozone production in the presence of sunlight, the authors propose that the observed Barrow surface ozone increase is related to anthropogenic nitrogen oxide emissions. A high-sensitivity chemiluminescent instrument for measurements of nitrogen oxides has been built to test this hypothesis. Measurement campaigns have been conducted during summer 1988 and spring 1989, and are continuing during spring and summer 1990. Periods during which the NOV concentrations measured at the GMCC site were unaffected by local (Barrow) emissions were selected from the data record. Observations during these periods suggest that ...

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A highly sensitive and stable tris(2,2'-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) (Ru(bpy){sub 3} {sup 2+}) electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) sensor was developed based on carbon nanotube (CNT) dispersed in mesoporous composite films of sol-gel titania and perfluorosulfonated ionomer (Nafion). Single-wall (SWCNT) and multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) can be easily dispersed in the titania-Nafion composite solution. The hydrophobic CNT in the titania-Nafion composite films coated on a glassy carbon electrode certainly increased the amount of Ru(bpy){sub 3} {sup 2+} immobilized in the ECL sensor by adsorption of Ru(bpy){sub 3} {sup 2+} onto CNT surface, the electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of hydrophobic analytes, and the electronic conductivity of the composite films. Therefore, the present ECL sensor based on the CNT-titania-Nafion showed improved ECL sensitivity for tripropylamine (TPA) compared to the ECL sensors based on both ...

Science.gov (United States)

Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) causes 25-30% of cases of antibiotic associated diarrhea and most cases of pseudomembranous colitis. Patients presenting with diarrhea after hospitalization for 3 or more days should be tested for C. difficile. There are many options available for testing, each of which has inherent advantages and disadvantages. Most laboratories perform toxin testing using an enzyme immunoassay method. In general these tests have sensitivities ranging from 60 to 70% and specificities of 98%. When using these methods, symptomatic patients with negative tests should be tested by another more sensitive method. Until recently, cell culture cytotoxicity neutralization assays (CCNAs) were considered the gold standard in the U.S. A two-step algorithm using an EIA for glutamate dehydrogenase detection followed by testing positives using CCNA, offered an improved alternative until the availability of molecular assays. Although early studies that compared the GDH assay to ...

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During earlier work rapid and highly sensitive Jet-REMPI (resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization) mass spectrometry was applied for monitoring the effluent from thermal treatment of a filter dust during a de novo test under laboratory conditions. The sample, from ESP-Field 2 of an iron ore sintering plant, was already loaded with dioxins ({sigma}PCDD/F = 132 ng/g), their precursors (PCBz, PCPh) and other products of incomplete combustion. Heating filter dust in a temperature window 200-350 C under a flow of air results in further formation of these pollutants. As described elsewhere, on-line detection was mostly carried out using a non-selective ionization mode, to measure a wide range of compounds simultaneously. The changes of output suggest that the reaction products increase in chlorination level with time. Another explanation is that higherchlorinated compounds appear later as a consequence of lower volatility and stronger adsorption. ...

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The high sensitivity of CaSO{sub 4}: Dy as a thermoluminescent material is a great advantage when dealing with low dose levels, as in diagnostic radiology procedures. However, these kinds of dosemeters present a high energy dependence that must be precisely determined in the energy range of interest. Dosimetric pellets of CaSO{sub 4}: Dy are produced at IPEN since the end of the 80 Th decade. These pellets are produced in three forms: conventional CaSO{sub 4}: Dy (50 mg); thin CaSO{sub 4}: Dy (20 mg) and CaSO{sub 4}: Dy + 10% C (20 mg). The main applications of these dosemeters are in personal and environmental dosimetry. In this study, CaSO{sub 4}: Dy pellets produced at IPEN were evaluated in diagnostic radiology standard beams. These qualities are based on the IEC 61267 standard, and they were established at an industrial X-ray system Pantak/Seifert, model ISOVOLT 160HS. Former studies evaluated CaSO{sub 4}: Dy of different origins in ...

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This report describes measurements performed with annular uranium metal castings of different enrichments to investigate the use of {sup 252}Cf-source-driven noise analysis measurements as a means to quantify the amount of special nuclear material (SNM) in the casting. This work in FY 97 was sponsored by the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant and the DOE Office of Technology Development Programs. Previous measurements and calculational studies have shown that many of the signatures obtained from the source-driven measurement are very sensitive to fissile mass. Measurements were performed to assess the applicability of this method to standard annular uranium metal castings at the Oak Ridge Y-12 plant under verification by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) using the Nuclear Weapons Identification System (NWIS) processor. Before the measurements with different enrichments, a limited study of source-detector-casting moderator configurations was performed to enhance the correlated ...

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The synthesis, characterization, and photophysical properties of several Pt(II) complexes of quinoxaline-2,3-dithiolate (qdt) and 6,7-dimethylquinoxaline-2,3-dithiolate (dmqdt) are described. Specifically, (TBA){sub 2}[Pt(qdt){sub 2}], where TBA = tetra-n-butylammonium, Pt(COD)(qdt), where COD = 1,5-cyclooctadiene, and Pt(phen)(qdt), where phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, and their dmqdt analogs have been prepared and examined with respect to their photophysical properties. Highly structured emission from Pt(COD)(qdt) in frozen glass solution at 77 K has been detected, having a major vibrational progression of 1370 cm{sup {minus}1} corresponding to a C=C stretching frequency of the quinoxalinedithiolate backbone. Solution luminescence from (TBA){sub 2}[Pt(qdt){sub 2}] and Pt(phen)(qdt) has been detected with quantum yields, {Phi}{sub em}, of 10{sup {minus}5} and 10{sup {minus}3}, respectively, although the latter is highly sensitive to solvent ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Full text: A Large Sample Neutron Activation Analysis (LSNAA) facility is under development at GRR-1 research reactor, NCSR 'Demokritos'. The LSNAA facility design incorporates sample irradiation in the reactor's graphite thermal neutron column and subsequent measurement of the activity induced at a gamma spectroscopy system with gamma ray transmission measurement options included. Monte Carlo neutron and photon transport code MCNP-4C was used to model the facility. Appropriate correction factors accounting for neutron field perturbation during sample irradiation, high purity germanium detector efficiency for the volume source and gamma ray self-absorption within the sample itself were derived. The results of the computations were experimentally verified by activation foil measurements for a set of known materials and a range of sample sizes extending up to 10 litters. Moreover, the special issue of large sample analysis of non-homogeneous samples is examined and the limits of the ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The detection and quantification of defined reaction products of chemical mutagens and carcinogens (and of many cancer chemotherapeutic agents) with DNA require highly sensitive analytical techniques. The exceptional capability of immunoglobulins to recognize subtle alterations of molecular structure (especially when monoclonal antibodies are used to maximize specificity), outstanding sensitivity of immunoanalysis by high-affinity antibodies, and the fact that radioactively-labelled agents are not required suggest the utility of a radioimmunoassay to recognize and quantitate alkylated DNA products. We have recently developed a set of high-affinity monoclonal antibodies (secreted by mouse x mouse as well as by rat x rat hybridomas; antibody affinity constants, 10"9 to > 10"1"0 lmol) specifically directed against several DNA alkylation products with possible relevance in relation to both mutagenesis and malignant transformation of mammalian ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The feasibility was evaluated using MCNP-DSP, an analog Monte Carlo transport cod to simulate source-driven measurements. Models of an isolated Westinghouse 17x17 PWR fuel assembly in a 1500-ppM borated water storage pool were used. In the models, the fuel burnup profile was represented using seven axial burnup zones, each with isotopics estimated by the PDQ code. Four different fuel assemblies with average burnups from fresh to 32 GWd/MTU were modeled and analyzed. Analysis of the fuel assemblies was simulated by inducing fission in the fuel using a {sup 252}Cf source adjacent to the assembly and correlating source fissions with the response of a bank of {sup 3}He detectors adjacent to the assembly opposite the source. This analysis was performed at 7 different axial positions on each of the 4 assemblies, and the source-detector cross-spectrum signature was calculated for each of these 28 simulated measurements. The magnitude of the cross-spectrum signature follows a smooth upward ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The accurate measurement of a stress level is one of the most important issues in a stress diagnosis and its measurement could be of great value in clinical medicine. Stress has a potent effect on the spirit and physical condition of an individual. There are various methods available for its measurement. Some of the commonly used techniques for the diagnosis of a stress level include analysis of the body fluids, questionnaire assessments, psychophysiological evaluations and by determining heart rate variability (HRV) of subjects. However, the existing diagnostic methods have several defects like, a low sensitivity, inaccuracy and long of operation time. In this report, we present a diagnostic technology to detect a stress level which is the origin of various diseases. This method can be of great help in providing an early diagnosis through a biosensor and might play a vital role in preventing diseases like hypochondria and hypertension. Majority of the human population is exposed to ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Objective. To compare turbo inversion recovery magnitude (TIRM) with standard T1-weighted (T1-W) and T2-weighted (T2-W) MR sequences in the very early detection of acute osteomyelitis in children. Materials and methods. In 15 children with osteomyelitis, 15 sets of T1-W spin-echo (SE) (TR/TE, 400-640/12-17), T2-W turbo spin-echo (TSE) (TR/TE/ETL, 3290-4465/112-120/11), and TIRM (TR/TE/TI, 4000-6120/60/160) images were acquired with a 1.0-T magnet. Contrast-to-noise (C/N) ratios and percentage of signal between lesion and normal bone marrow were analysed with a computer-assisted image analysing system in a region of interest (ROI). Results. In 13 of 15 patients, the absolute signal enhancement in a ROI on the TIRM images was better than on the T1-W SE and T2-W TSE images and in 14 of 15 cases, C/N ratios were also better on the TIRM images than on the other sequences. In the other cases, the TIRM signal was diagnostically equivalent. On the TIRM images, the signal difference between ...

Science.gov (United States)

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common problem in the female population. Women with diabetes mellitus are possibly at a higher risk. The usual medical therapy for UTI is antibiotic treatment. The aim of this study is to explore strategies employed by diabetic women for prevention and self-treatment of UTI. Forty-two women with diabetes mellitus who had experienced at least one episode of UTI in the last six months were included. Data collection included background information, questions about prevention and self-treatment strategies and a clinical examination to measure maximal urine flow, residual urine, a blood test evaluating diabetic control (HbA1c) and a urine test strip for determination of glucose, leucocytes, nitrite, blood, protein and pH. Thirty-five participants (83.3%) reported changes in daily routines like 'always keeping warm', 'increased fluid intake', 'good personal hygiene' as prevention strategies. Different herb and plant ...

CERN Document Server

We examine star clusters in the irregular, starburst galaxy NGC 1569 from HST images. In addition to the two known super star clusters, we identify 45 other clusters that are compact but resolved. Integrated UVI colors of the clusters span a large range, and suggest that ages range from 3 Myrs to 1 Gyr. However, most of the clusters were formed at the tail end of the recent starburst. Numerous clusters in addition to the know super star clusters are similar in luminosity to a small globular cluster. We examined the radial surface brightness of four of the clusters. Their half-light radii and core radii are in the range observed in present-day globular clusters. Therefore, conditions that produced the recent starburst have also been those necessary for producing compact, bright star clusters. We examine resolved stars in the outer parts of the two super star clusters. Cluster A is dominated by bright blue stars with a small population of red supergiants. Sub-components ...

Science.gov (United States)

The purpose of this project was to design, build, and characterize the performance of a volume breast ultrasound (VBUS) scanner that images the pendant breast. VBUS scanner design includes a: 1) clinical ultrasound scanner and transducer; 2) scanning table with a hole for the pendant breast; 3) rotational gantry; 4) probe mounting assembly; 5) compressionless breast stabilization device; 6) acquisition, control, reconstruction, and display software. Performance assessment characterized a variety of parameters including: spatial resolution, uniformity, and distortion using high and low contrast test objects in both horizontal and vertical scanning modes. The VBUS scanner modules have been constructed and initial performance evaluated. Approximately 300 scans are acquired over 360 degrees in 18 seconds. Reconstruction requires 25 ms per slice. Test object images depicted hyper- and hypo-echoic masses and demonstrated good resolution, soft tissue ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Metals for potential use in the dissociator and the synthesizer reactors of a distributed solar receiver thermochemical transport loop utilizing SO/sub 3//SO/sub 2//O/sub 2/ molecular chemistry includes stainless steels and iron-base, nickel-base and cobalt-base superalloys. We tested these alloys in SO/sub 2//O/sub 2/ mixtures and SO/sub 3/ gas at 500/sup 0/C and 900/sup 0/C, respectively, for times of up to four weeks. Weight gain measurements were used to determine the oxidation/sulfidation kinetics and electron microprobe analysis was used to measure penetration of oxygen and sulfur into the metal and to identify the formation of internal oxides and sulfides. Results of these tests showed that the most promising candidates are those containing sufficient quantities of both aluminum and chromium alloying additions to be alumina and chromia formers, such as Kanthal A-1, Nimonic 105 and Cabot 214.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

We have recently developed a high resolution quasielastic neutron scattering spectrometer LAM-80ET by applying mica crystals as analyzers and achieved a resolution of #DELTA##epsilon# = 1.3 #mu#eV using the 002 reflection. Single chain dynamics of polyethylene has been investigated below and above the melting temperature T_m (=135degC) to show the feasibility of the mica 002 reflection as the analyzer. It was found that elastic scattering intensity from polyethylene decreases very steeply around the T_m. Quasielastic broadening in the spectrum at Q = 0.082 A"-"1 is observed only above 210degC, which is 75degC higher than the T_m. From the analysis of the spectra by a curve-fitting method, the width of the quasielastic component was evaluated to be 1.8 #mu#eV at 250degC and the activation energy of the width to be 34 kJ/mol. (author).

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A new method is being developed to quickly screen for the human exposure potential to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and organochlorines (OCs). The development involves two key elements: identifying suitable signals that represent intracellular changes that are specific to PAH and OC exposure, and constructing a device to guide the biological cell growth so that signals from individual cells are consistent and reproducible. We are completing the identification of suitable signals by using synchrotron radiation-based (SR) Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectromicroscopy in the mid-infrared region (4000-400 cm-1). Distinct changes have been observed in the IR spectra after treatment of human cells in culture medium with PAHs and OCs. The potential use of this method for detecting exposure to PAHs and OCs has been tested and compared to a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay that quantifies increased expression of the ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Abstract Aims To determine the long-term health economic benefits associated with lispro vs. regular human insulin (RHI) in UK Type 1 diabetic (T1DM) patients using the previously published and validated CORE Diabetes Model. Methods A literature review designed to capture clinical benefits associated with lispro and T1DM cohort characteristics specific to UK was undertaken. Clinical benefits were derived from a Cochrane meta-analysis. The estimated difference (weighted mean) in glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) was -0.1% (95% confidence interval -0.2 to 0.0%) for lispro vs. RHI. Severe hypoglycaemia rates for lispro and RHI were 21.8 and 46.1 events per 100 patient years, respectively. Costs and disutilities were accounted for severe hypoglycaemia rates. All costs were accounted in 2007 UK from...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The quality of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of proteins depends critically on the biomolecular force field that is used. Such force fields are defined by force-field parameter sets, which are generally determined and improved through calibration of properties of small molecules against experimental or theoretical data. By application to large molecules such as proteins, a new force-field parameter set can be validated. We report two 3.5 ns molecular dynamics simulations of hen egg white lysozyme in water applying the widely used GROMOS force-field parameter set 43A1 and a new set 45A3. The two MD ensembles are evaluated against NMR spectroscopic data NOE atom-atom distance bounds, {sup 3}J{sub NH{alpha}} and {sup 3}J{sub {alpha}}{sub {beta}} coupling constants, and {sup 1}5N relaxation data. It is shown that the two sets reproduce structural properties about equally well. The 45A3 ensemble fulfills the atom-atom distance bounds derived ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

We investigated the efficacy of combined FDG-PET/CT imaging for the diagnosis of small-size uveal melanomas and the feasibility of combining separate, high-resolution (HR) FDG-PET with MRI for its improved localization and detection. Patients, methods: 3 patients with small-size uveal melanomas (0.2-1.5 ml) were imaged on a combined whole-body PET/CT, a HR brain-PET, and a 1.5 T MRI. Static, contrast-enhanced FDG-PET/CT imaging was performed of head and torso with CT contrast enhancement. HR PET imaging was performed in dynamic mode 0-180 min post-injection of FDG. MRI imaging was performed using a high-resolution small-loop-coil placed over the eye in question with T2-3D-TSE and T1-3D-SE with 18 ml Gd-contrast. Patients had their eyes shaded during the scans. Lesion visibility on high-resolution FDGPET images was graded for confidence: 1: none, 2: suggestive, 3: clear. Mean tumour activity was calculated for summed image frames that resulted in confidence grades 2 and 3. Whole-body ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The objectives of this research were to investigate the possibility of controlling the #alpha#'/#beta#' phase ratio and morphology in Sialon ceramics. These objectives have been sought by the control of the starting composition, and by post sintering heat treatment. The main emphasis has been on the production of a series of #alpha#' and (#alpha#'+#beta#') Sialon ceramics with a minimum amount of the glass phase by the pressureless sintering technique and using ytterbium (Yb) as an #alpha#' stabilising element. The Yb additions were made via the oxide or the alumino- silicate presynthesised glass; the latter was found to improve the density. The XRD analysis of the as sintered materials revealed #alpha#' to be the dominant phase with minor contributions from #beta#' sialon and/ or 12H A1N polytype. Additions of SiO_2 or #beta#-Si_3N_4 were made to various materials to assess potential mechanisms for obtaining control over the microstructural ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NO{sub x} compounds, specifically NO and NO{sub 2}, are pollutants and potent greenhouse gases. Compact and inexpensive NO{sub x} sensors are necessary in the next generation of diesel (CIDI) automobiles to meet government emission requirements and enable the more rapid introduction of more efficient, higher fuel economy CIDI vehicles. Because the need for a NO{sub x} sensor is recent and the performance requirements are extremely challenging, most are still in the development phase. Currently, there is only one type of NO{sub x} sensor that is sold commercially, and it seems unlikely to meet more stringent future emission requirements. Automotive exhaust sensor development has focused on solid-state electrochemical technology, which has proven to be robust for in-situ operation in harsh, high-temperature environments (e.g., the oxygen stoichiometric sensor). Solid-state sensors typically rely on yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) as the oxygen-ion conducting electrolyte and then target ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This SBIR Phase I developed neutron detectors made from gallium arsenide (GaAs) p-type/ intrinsic/n-type (P-I-N) diodes grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) onto semi-insulating (S1) bulk GaAs wafers. A layer of isotonically enriched boron-10 evaporated onto the front surface serves to convert incoming neutrons into lithium ions and a 1.47 MeV alpha particle which creates electron-hole pairs that are detected by the GaAs diode. Various thicknesses of ''intrinsic'' (I) undoped GaAs were tested, as was use of a back-surface field (BSF) formed from a layer of Al{sub x}Ga{sub 1-x}As. Schottky-barrier diodes formed from the same structures without the p+ GaAs top layer were tested as a comparison. After mesa etching and application of contacts, devices were tested in visible light before application of the boron coating. Internal quantum efficiency (IQE) of the best diode near the GaAs bandedge is over 90%. The lowest dark current ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A multielement apparatus for the removal of aerosols formed in the vitrification of simulated high-activity accident wastes from the decommissioned nuclear power plant A-1 has been designed, manufactured and tested. The apparatus consists of two cooling and condensing steps connected in series, and of five filtration steps also connected in series. The five filtration steps allowed to achieve a decontamination factor of 1x10"5 in the case of removal of a NaCl("2"4Na) testing model aerosol. The decontamination factor for removal of the cesium aerosol by the whole apparatus was 3.3x10"6. In the first filtration step the aerosols are removed by the cartridge with a filtration fabric made of polyethylene fibers, in the second step by the cartridge with a granulated natural material, in the third step by the cartridge with glass-fiber filtration paper, in the fourth and fifth steps by the cartridge with high-efficiency filtration paper made of glass ...

Science.gov (United States)

Antiquitin (ATQ) deficiency is the main cause of pyridoxine dependent epilepsy characterized by early onset epileptic encephalopathy responsive to large dosages of pyridoxine. Despite seizure control most patients have intellectual disability. Folinic acid responsive seizures (FARS) are genetically identical to ATQ deficiency. ATQ functions as an aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH7A1) in the lysine degradation pathway. Its deficiency results in accumulation of ?-aminoadipic semialdehyde (AASA), piperideine-6-carboxylate (P6C) and pipecolic acid, which serve as diagnostic markers in urine, plasma, and CSF. To interrupt seizures a dose of 100mg of pyridoxine-HCl is given intravenously, or orally/enterally with 30mg/kg/day. First administration may result in respiratory arrest in responders, and thus treatment should be performed with support of respiratory management. To make sure that late and masked response is not missed, treatment with oral/enteral ...

Science.gov (United States)

The steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1, also known as NR5A1) is a transcription factor belonging to the nuclear receptor superfamily. Whereas most of the members of this family have been extensively characterized, the therapeutic potential and pharmacology of SF-1 still remains elusive. Described here is the identification and characterization of selective inhibitory chemical probes of SF-1 by a rational ultra-high-throughput screening (uHTS) strategy. A set of 64,908 compounds from the National Institute of Health's Molecular Libraries Small Molecule Repository was screened in a transactivation cell-based assay employing a chimeric SF-1 construct. Two analogous isoquinolinones, ethyl 2-[2-[2-(2,3-dihydro-1,4-benzodioxin-7-ylamino)-2-oxoethyl]-1-oxoisoquinolin-5-yl]oxypropanoate (SID7969543) and ethyl 2-[2-[2-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-ylmethylamino)-2-oxoethyl]-1-oxoisoquinolin-5-yl]oxypropanoate and (SID7970631), were identified as potent submicromolar ...

Science.gov (United States)

An x-ray diffraction approach has been developed for determination of the kinetics of growth of Pd/sub 2/Si layers. Epitaxial Pd/sub 2/Si films were grown on Si(111) substrates over a temperature range of 160-222/sup 0/C by a solid-state reaction between the substrates and the Pd overlayers. The parabolic rate equation was verified and rate constants showed Arrhenius behavior with an activation energy E/sub a/ = 1.06 eV and prefactor k/sub 0/ = 7 x 10/sup -4/ cm/sup 2//s. The low value of E/sub a/ suggests a short-circuit diffusion mechanism. It is reasonable to expect that impurities and microstructure may play important roles in the growth process. Impurity levels in the specimens were evaluated by analytic techniques suited to thin-film study: Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, secondary ion mass spectrometry, and Auger electron spectrometry. No impurities were present at concentrations approaching 1 at. %. Some O, C, and F were ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Half-Heusler phases XYZ (Pearson symbol cF12) are chemically versatile and rich in physical properties. The half-Heusler phase in the Fe-Zn-Sb ternary system was reported in the year 2000. In this work, two new ternary phases are identified in the vicinity of the equiatomic composition FeZnSb in the same system: Fe1-xZnSb (tetragonal, space group P4/nmm, Pearson symbol tP6-?, Z=2: a=4.1113(6) A, c=6.0127(12) A for x=0.08 (1), and a=4.1274(6) A, c=6.0068(12) A for x=0.12 (2)); and Fe7.87Zn6.72Sb8 (Fe0.98Zn0.84Sb) (3) (cubic, space group Fm-3m, Pearson symbol cF96-?, Z=4, a=11.690(13) A). 1 and 2 crystallize in the PbFCl-type structure, and 3 adopts a unique 2x2x2 supercell of a normal half-Heusler structure. The structures of both the tetragonal and cubic phases can be described as assemblies of half-Heusler structure related subunits. Electrical resistivity measurement on the pure sample of 2 shows it has metallic-like behavior, and its thermal ...

Science.gov (United States)

Autoreactive cytotoxic CD8 T-cells (CTLs) play a key pathogenic role in the destruction of insulin-producing beta-cells resulting in type 1 diabetes. However, knowledge regarding their targets is limited, restricting the ability to monitor the course of the disease and immune interventions. In a multi-step discovery process to identify novel CTL epitopes in human preproinsulin (PPI), PPI was digested with purified human proteasomes, and resulting COOH-fragments aligned with algorithm-predicted HLA-binding peptides to yield nine potential HLA-A1, -A2, -A3 or -B7-restricted candidates. An UV-exchange method allowed the generation of a repertoire of multimers including low-affinity HLA-binding peptides. These were labeled with quantum dot-fluorochromes and encoded in a combinatorial fashion, allowing parallel and sensitive detection of specific, low-avidity T-cells. Significantly increased frequencies of T-cells against four novel PPI epitopes ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1-Furan-2-yl-3-pyridin-2-yl-propenone (FPP-3) is an anti-inflammatory agent with a propenone moiety and chemically synthesized recently. In this study, we examined the chemopreventive effect of FPP-3 on 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced genotoxicity in MCF-7 cells. FPP-3 reduced the formation of the DMBA-DNA adduct. DMBA-induced CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 gene expression and enzyme activity were inhibited by FPP-3. It inhibited DMBA-induced aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) transactivation and DMBA-inducible nuclear localization of the AhR. Induction of detoxifying phase II genes by chemopreventive agents represents a coordinated protective response against oxidative stress and neoplastic effects of carcinogens. Transcription factor NF-E2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) regulates antioxidant response element (ARE) of phase II detoxifying and antioxidant enzymes, such as glutathione S-transferase (GST) and NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase (QR). FPP-3 ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Toxic studies were conducted with rats, mice, and guinea pigs to determine acute effects from single exposures to M60A1-tank-generated DF2 and DF1 (diesel fuel) smoke and/or exhaust clouds under static airflow conditions. Emissions were disseminated with the Vehicle Engine Exhaust Smoke System (VEESS) and exposure periods ranged from 15 to 300 minutes. At attempted airborne concentrations of 10.0 to 12.0 mg/i (10,000 cu.m to 12,000 cu.m) of the DF2 and DF1 smoke/exhaust mixtures and 0.2 mg/1 (200 mg/cu.m) of the exhausts, toxic signs (excluding death) and lung compliance changes were observed after 15-minute exposures. Death and pathological abnormalities of the lung were seen after 16-minute exposures to DF2 smoke and/or exhaust. Exposures to DF1 smoke/exhaust showed lung pathology and death by 120 minutes while death and turbinate lesions were observed in animals exposed to DF1 exhaust for 60 minutes. Experimental evidence suggests that a ...

Science.gov (United States)

Snake envenomation employs three well integrated strategies: prey immobilization via hypotension, prey immobilization via paralysis, and prey digestion. Purines (adenosine, guanosine and inosine) evidently play a central role in the envenomation strategies of most advanced snakes. Purines constitute the perfect multifunctional toxins, participating simultaneously in all three envenomation strategies. Because they are endogenous regulatory compounds in all vertebrates, it is impossible for any prey organism to develop resistance to them. Purine generation from endogenous precursors in the prey explains the presence of many hitherto unexplained enzyme activities in snake venoms: 5'-nucleotidase, endonucleases (including ribonuclease), phosphodiesterase, ATPase, ADPase, phosphomonoesterase, and NADase. Phospholipases A(2), cytotoxins, myotoxins, and heparinase also participate in purine liberation, in addition to their better known functions. Adenosine contributes to prey immobilization ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The aim of this review is to evaluate the role of inflammatory spine disease in patients with chronic back pain. The contribution of imaging modalities for the diagnostic evaluation of back pain is discussed. A systematic literature search based on the classification of seronegative spondyloarthropathies and rheumatoid arthritis was performed. The results of this search and the experiences in a large collective of rheumatological patients are analyzed. The prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis (1-2%) is comparable to that of spondyloarthropathies (1.9%). The etiology of these entities is not fully elucidated. Magnetic resonance imaging is increasingly used for early detection and surveillance of therapy with TNF-{alpha} antagonists. Bone marrow edema, which is only detectable with MRI, represents an early sign of inflammation. Therapy with TNF-{alpha} antagonists is based on clinical and laboratory criteria, and signs of inflammation in MRI. MRI is useful for assessment of the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

One of the aims in the safety assessment of SFR-1 is to estimate the release to the environment. In order to make these calculations there is a need to describe the inventory in greater detail. The new computerised database of waste in SFR-1 gives a good possibility to achieve this. The aim for project SAFE is to make both conservative and realistic radionuclide transport calculations. To achieve this goal there must be two inventories. The conservative inventory is the inventory used in the design of the repository, which in most parts is identical with the limits in the licence for SFR-1. There is a great interest to have good estimates of the volumes of the different waste types. A thorough prognosis should be made in 1999, but until then the latest one from 1995 could be used in the calculations. The total (actual) inventory of nuclides is calculated from the measurements of the easy-to-measure nuclides since, in principle, all hard-to-measure nuclides are calculated by correlation ...

Science.gov (United States)

Phase relations in the ternary system Ce-Pd-Si have been established for the isothermal section at 800 deg. C based on X-ray powder diffraction and EMPA techniques on about 130 alloys, which were prepared by arc-melting under argon or powder reaction sintering. Eighteen ternary compounds have been observed to participate in the phase equilibria at 800 deg. C. Atom order was determined by direct methods from X-ray single-crystal counter data for the crystal structures of tau{sub 8}-Ce{sub 3}Pd{sub 4}Si{sub 4} (U{sub 3}Ni{sub 4}Si{sub 4}-type, Immm; a=0.41618(1), b=0.42640(1), c=2.45744(7) nm), tau{sub 16}-Ce{sub 2}Pd{sub 14}Si (own structure type, P4/nmm; a=0.88832(2), c=0.69600(2) nm) and also for tau{sub 18}-CePd{sub 1-x}Si{sub x} (x=0.07; FeB-type, Pnma; a=0.74422(5), b=0.45548(3), c=0.58569(4) nm). Rietveld refinements established the atom arrangement in the structures of tau{sub 5}-Ce{sub 3}PdSi{sub 3} (Ba{sub 3}Al{sub 2}Ge{sub 2}-type, Immm; a=0.41207(1), b=0.43026(1), ...