To determine the mechanism of the cardiac dilatation and reduced contractility of obese Zucker Diabetic Fatty rats, myocardial triacylglycerol (TG) was assayed chemically and morphologically. TG was...Full Text Available
All treatments for obesity, including dietary restriction of carbohydrates, have a goal of reducing the storage of fat in adipocytes. The chief enzyme responsible for the mobilization of FFA from adipose...Full Text Available
Hypothalamic systems which regulate appetite may be permanently modified during early development. We have previously reported hyperphagia and increased adiposity in the adult offspring of rodents fed...Full Text Available
In recent years, Obesity (defined as Body Mass Index > 30 kg/m2) has increased its prevalence reaching epidemic levels in countries such as The United States where it has became a national health issue. In Colombia the Obesity prevalence is figured around 14%. Treatment options for Obesity include life style modifications, pharmacologist management and surgical approach (Bariatric Surgery). This article describes a patient with previous bariatric surgery, who presents abdominal pain and melena owed to isquemic process of the alimentary limb caused by an internal hernia which is a potentially lethal condition if it is not highly suspected allowing its early diagnosis and treatment
Growing evidences indicate that proteases are implicated in adipogenesis and in the onset of obesity. We previously reported that the cysteine protease cathepsin K (ctsk) is overexpressed in the white...Full Text Available
Sida rhomboidea. Roxb leaf extract (SRLE) is being used by the populace of North-East India to alleviate symptoms of diabetes and obesity. We have previously reported its hypolipidemic and anti-diabetic properties. In this study, we report the effect of SRLE on (i) in vivo modulation of genes controlling high fat diet (HFD) induced obesity and (ii) in vitro 3T3L1 pre-adipocyte differentiation and leptin release. Supplementation with SRLE significantly prevented HFD induced increment in bodyweight, plasma lipids and leptin, visceral adiposity and adipocyte hypertrophy. Also, SRLE supplementation reduced food intake, down regulated PPAR?2, SREBP1c, FAS and LEP expressions and up-regulated CPT-1 in epididymal adipose tissue compared to obese mice. In vitro adipogenesis of 3T3L1 pre-adipocytes was significantly retarded in the presence of SRLE extract. Also decreased triglyceride accumulation, leptin ...
The prevalence of obesity among children, adolescents and adults has been dramatically increasing worldwide during the last several decades. The obesity epidemic has been recognized as one of...Full Text Available
Background:Childhood obesity is increasingly being observed with changing lifestyles of families. The magnitude of overweight ranges from 9% to 27.5% and obesity ranges...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe increasing prevalence of obesity in young women is a major public health concern. Few data are available concerning the epidemiology of malnutrition especially obesity...Full Text Available
Uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) maps to a region on distal mouse chromosome 7 that has been linked to the phenotypes of obesity and type II diabetes. We recently reported that UCP2 expression is increased...Full Text Available
Adipocyte death has been reported in both obese humans and rodents. However, its role in metabolic disorders, including insulin resistance, hepatic steatosis, and inflammation associated with obesity...Full Text Available
Four low activation alloy classes, two austenitic and two ferritic, have been incorporated into the MOTA-1B experiment in the FFTF reactor to provide an early assessment of the suitability of such alloys for reactor service.
Obesity is characterized by the abnormal or excessive deposition of fat in the adipose tissue. Its consequences go far beyond adverse metabolic effects on health, causing an increase in oxidative stress,...Full Text Available
Obesity is associated with increased susceptibility to dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and hypertension, a combination of traits that comprise the traditional definition of the metabolic syndrome. Recent evidence suggests that obesity is also associated with the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Despite the high prevalence of obesity and its related conditions, their etiologies and pathophysiology remains unknown. Both genetic and environmental factors contribute to the development of obesity and NAFLD. Previous genetic analysis of high-fat, diet-induced obesity in C57BL/6J (B6) and A/J male mice using a panel of B6-ChrA/J/NaJ chromosome substitution strains (CSSs) demonstrated that 17 CSSs conferred resistance to high-fat, diet-induced obesity. One of these CSS st...
Menopause is characterized by the progressive reduction of estrogens resulting to cessation of menses. It is associated with an increase of cardiovascular risk factors such as hyperglycemia, hypertension, dyslipidemia and of abdominal and/or selective visceral fat mass deposition. Obesity, a modern day epidemic, is promoted by an obesogenic environment that interacts with the genetic background. The result is a positive energy balance materialized by the accumulation of the adipose tissue. This process is marked by great individual variation. Obesity is also associated with the presence of cardiovascular risk factors. In this review, the main pathophysiologic processes for the increase of obesity in menopause and the possible effects of pre-menopausal obesity regarding the cessation of ova...
The non-invasiveness of autofluorescence technology may reduce sampling error and time delay for histopathology diagnosis. We establish biophotonic methods and guidelines to visualize and interpret early epithelial tissue changes that signify disease. Flexible and rigid fiber endomicroscopy instrumentation design parameters feasible for translation towards clinical use are in development.
A clinical trial was conducted to determine whether prepartum intramammary pirlimycin reduces the proportion of nulliparous heifers with intramammary infection (IMI) during early lactation and improves...Full Text Available
OBJECTIVEPrevious studies showed that genetic deletion or pharmacological blockade of the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) prevents the early structural changes...Full Text Available
No research has compared expressions of weight bias across different subgroups of obese individuals. This study compared attitudes toward and beliefs about obesity in women with and without binge eating disorder (BED) and examined whether these attitudes are related to psychological factors. Fifty obese women with BED were compared with an age- and body mass index (BMI)-matched group of 50 obese women without BED on a battery of established measures of anti-fat attitudes and beliefs about weight controllability and psychological factors (self-esteem, depression, and eating disorder features). The ageand BMI-matched groups did not differ with respect to beliefs about obesity or attitudes toward obese persons, or in self-esteem or depression. Correlational analyses conducted separately within each group revealed that women with BED who reported more favorable ...
Exercise promotes weight loss and improves insulin sensitivity. However, the molecular mechanisms mediating its beneficial effects are not fully understood. Obesity correlates with increased production...Full Text Available
In a "nutrition transition", the consumption of foods high in fats and sweeteners is increasing throughout the developing world. The transition, implicated in the rapid rise of obesity and diet-related...Full Text Available
Serum protein and lipid concentrations as well as the serum protein binding of propranolol, diazepam and phenytoin were measured in normal weight and obese volunteers. Concentrations of alpha 1-acid...Full Text Available
The current obesity pandemic is expected to result in considerable downstream morbidity, mortality and incremental costs to health care systems around the world. The major metabolic complications of...Full Text Available
ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of maternal obesity on mode of delivery following induction of labour (IOL) for prolonged pregnancy and subsequent intrapartum and neonatal complications.DesignRetrospective...Full Text Available
Obesity and metabolic syndrome result from excess calorie intake and genetic predisposition and are mechanistically linked to type II diabetes and accelerated body aging; abnormal nutrient and insulin...Full Text Available
The influence of obesity on the metabolism of apolipoprotein B (apo B) in very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), intermediate density lipoprotein (IDL), and low density lipoprotein (LDL) was investigated...Full Text Available
Understanding the pathogenesis of obesity is now more important than ever, given the remarkable world-wide epidemic. This paper explores the potential role of core temperature in energy balance, and...Full Text Available
BackgroundAdipose tissue lipid storage and processing capacity can be a key factor for obesity-related metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance and diabetes. Lipid uptake is...Full Text Available
Acquired resistance to the action of insulin to stimulate glucose transport in skeletal muscle is associated with obesity and promotes the development of type 2 diabetes. In skeletal muscle,...Full Text Available
BackgroundObesity is one of the principal causative factors involved in the development of metabolic syndrome. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an energy sensor that regulates...Full Text Available
Early effects of boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) on malignant glioma are characterized by reduction of the enhancement area and regression of the peritumoral edema radiologically. The aim of this study was to investigate the early histological changes of tumors and inflammatory cells after BNCT in the rat brain. Rats were treated with BNCT using boronophenylalanine (BPA) 7 days after implantation of C6 glioma cells. The tumors were assessed with magnetic resonance imaging and histopathological examination at 4 days after BNCT. The mean tumor volumes were 39#+-#2 mm"3 in the BNCT group and 134#+-#18 mm"3 in the control group. In the BNCT group, tumor cells showed a less pleomorphic appearance with atypical nuclei and mitotic figures. The Ki-67 labeling index was 6.5%#+-#4.7% in the BNCT and 35%#+-#3.8% in the control group. The reactions of the inflammatory cells were examined with ED-1 as macrophage marker and OX42 as microglia marker. ...
The growing epidemic of juvenile obesity has prompted pediatricians to investigate obesity-related conditions in obese teenagers. We report a clinical case of severe hepatic fibrosis in an adolescent with severe and recent obesity. Because of elevated serum aminotransferase levels, abnormal hepatic ultrasonography and insulin resistance (impaired glucose tolerance), we suspected nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Disease activity and fibrosis were confirmed on liver biopsy. Considering the risk of progression toward cirrhosis and its complications, and the pathological liver lesions, we started long-term medical monitoring and drug therapy to control weight loss. At present, although biopsy is the only validated way to establish the diagnosis of NASH, there is no consensus on its indicat...
Male infertility, characterized by hypogonadism, decreased semen quality or ejaculatory dysfunction, accounts for approximately 20% of infertility cases. Obesity and metabolic dysfunction have been identified, among other causal factors, to contribute to male infertility. In the context of the Western world's `obesity epidemic', this article discusses three main biological mechanisms linking obesity to impaired male reproductive function: hypogonadism, testicular heat stress/hypoxia-induced apoptosis and endocrine disruption by `obesogens'. Among these, obesity-induced hypogonadism is undoubtedly the most clinically significant and is easily assessed. Rapidly expanding areas of research in this area include leptin modulation of kisspeptins and hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular hormone path...
Abstract This study examines the relationship between emotional/behavioral difficulties and obesity among US adolescents aged 12-17 using parent-reported data for 11,042 adolescents in the National Health Interview Survey. Obesity was defined as body mass index (BMI) ?sex/age-specific 95th percentile BMI cut-points from the 2000 CDC Growth Charts. Types of emotional/behavioral difficulties were identified using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Among females, emotional/behavioral difficulties were associated with obesity among non-Hispanic (NH) white and Hispanic adolescents (both those with interviews in English and interviews in Spanish). Among males, emotional/behavioral difficulties were associated with obesity among NH white adolescents and Hispanic males with interview...
Elevated fatty acid levels have been thought to contribute to insulin resistance. Repression of the glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) gene as well as impaired GLUT4 translocation may be a mediator for fatty acid-induced insulin resistance. This study was initiated to determine whether palmitate treatment repressed GLUT4 expression, whether glucose/fatty acid metabolism influenced palmitate-induced GLUT4 gene repression (PIGR), and whether attempts to prevent PIGR restored palmitate-induced impairment of glucose uptake (PIIGU) in C2 myotubes. Not only stimulators of fatty acid oxidation, such as bezafibrate, AICAR, and TOFA, but also TCA cycle substrates, such as pyruvate, leucine/glutamine, and ?-ketoisocaproate/monomethyl succinate, significantly prevented PIGR. In particular, supplementing with pyruvate through methyl pyruvate resulted in nearly complete prevention of PIIGU, whereas palmitate treatment reduced the intracellular pyruvate level. These results suggest ...
Endocrine disrupting chemicals can induce malformations and impairment of reproductive function in experimental animals and may have similar effects in humans. Recently, the environmental obesogen hypothesis was proposed, suggesting that environmental chemicals contribute to the development of obesity and insulin resistance. These effects could be related to chemical interaction with nuclear receptors such as the peroxisome proliferator activated receptors (PPARs). As several testosterone-reducing drugs are PPAR activators, we aimed to examine whether four PPAR agonists were able to affect fetal testosterone production and masculinization of rats. Additionally, we wished to examine whether these chemicals affected fetal plasma levels of insulin and leptin, which play important roles in the developmental programming of the metabolic system. Pregnant Wistar rats were exposed from gestation day (GD) 7-21 to diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP), ...
Objective: To study the changes of serum leptin, insulin and adiponectin levels and their relationship with BMI in females with simple obesity. Methods: Serum leptin, adiponectin and insulin levels were measured with RIA in 48 pre-obese females (BMI=23-24.9 kg/m"2), 40 females with simple obesity, (BMI#>=#25 kg/m"2) and 42 female controls (BMI 18-22.9 kg/m"2). Correlations among these variables were studied. Results: Serum leptin, insulin levels were significantly higher and serum adiponectin levels were significantly lower in both the pre-obese and obese females than those in controls. Serum leptin, insulin levels were positively correlated to BMI; Serum adiponectin levels were negatively correlated to BMI. Conclusion: Within normal range of BMI, the leptin-insulin feedback mechanism provided satisfactory self-regulation. However, with excessive BMI, this dynamic equilibrium ...
The central nervous system (CNS), generally accepted to regulate energy homeostasis, has been implicated in the metabolic perturbations that either cause or are associated with obesity. Normally, the CNS receives hormonal, metabolic, and neuronal input to assure adequate energy levels and maintain stable energy homeostasis. Recent evidence also supports that the CNS uses these same inputs to regulate glucose homeostasis and this aspect of CNS regulation also becomes impaired in the face of dietary-induced obesity. This review focuses on the literature surrounding hypothalamic regulation of energy and glucose homeostasis and discusses how dysregulation of this system may contribute to obesity and T2DM.
BACKGROUNDLifestyle modifications are successfully employed to treat obese and overweight women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The aims of the current pilot study were (i) to compare the efficacy on reproductive functions of a structured exercise training (SET) programme with a diet programme in obese PCOS patients and (ii) to study their clinical, hormonal and metabolic effects to elucidate potentially different mechanisms of action.METHODSForty obese PCOS patients with anovulatory infertility underwent a SET programme (SET group, n = 20) and a hypocaloric hyperproteic diet (diet group, n = 20). Clinical, hormonal and metabolic data were assessed at baseline, and at 12- and 24-week follow-ups. Primary endpoint was cumulative pregnancy rate.RESULTSThe two groups had similar demogra...
Bariatric surgical procedures have become important therapeutic options for treatment of morbid obesity in both adults and adolescents co-morbidities of obesity such as glucose intolerance, type 2 diabetes (T2DM), metabolic syndrome, steatohepatitis, hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular disease. These co-morbidities of obesity have significant impacts on the overall quality of life of the individual and our society at large. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and the relatively newer procedures of gastric banding (GB) and vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) have proven to be efficacious in achieving rapid weight loss and reversing the comorbidities of obesity. Unfortunately, bariatric procedures are not without risks including micronutrient deficiency, failure to maintain lost weight, and mortalit...
... for a stapling or division of tissue the creation of a small gastric pouch which then assists ... follow up. Laparoscopic gastric bypass entails the surgical creation of a small gastric pouch, typically about an ...
Adipose tissue plays an essential role in energy homeostasis as a metabolic and endocrine organ. Accordingly, adipocytes are emerging as a major drug target for obesity and obesity-mediated metabolic syndrome. Dysfunction of enlarged adipocytes in obesity is involved in obesity-mediated metabolic syndrome. Adipocytokines, such as adiponectin released from small adipocytes, are able to prevent these disorders. In this study, we found that honokiol, an ingredient of Magnolia officinalis used in traditional Chinese and Japanese medicines, enhanced adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Oil Red O staining showed that treatment with honokiol in the presence of insulin dose-dependently increased lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 preadipoyctes although its activity was weak compared with r...
Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery (RYGB) remains to be the most effective long-term treatment for obesity and its associated comorbidities, but the specific mechanisms involved remain elusive. Because RYGB patients appear to no longer be preoccupied with thoughts about food and are satisfied with much smaller meals and calorically dilute foods, brain reward mechanisms could be involved. Just as obesity can produce maladaptive alterations in reward functions, reversal of obesity by RYGB could normalize these changes or even further reset the food reward system through changes in gut hormone secretion, aversive conditioning and/or secondary effects of weight loss. Future studies with longitudinal assessments of reward behaviors and their underlying neural circuits before and after surgery wil...
diet and genetic obesity metabolic defects and inflammation. To determine the role of adipocyte death in promoting adipose tissue inflammation and insulin resistance in animal...
RationaleProcedures for studying the effects of medications on satiation will assist the development of obesity medications.ObjectivesFull Text Available
Insulitis is considered the histopathological hallmark of type I diabetes. In the non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse, diabetes has never been observed in the absence of insulitis. The in vivo detection of insulitis could be of relevance for early prediction of diabetes. As approximately 15% of islet-infiltrating lymphocytes express interleukin 2 receptors, the authors have labelled recombinant inter-leukin 2 with "1"2"3I and used this radiopharmaceutical to detect insulitis by gamma camera imaging. The authors studied 71 prediabetic NOD and 27 normal Balb/c mice. Labelled #alpha#-lactalbumin was used as the control protein. In the first set of experiments the tissue distribution of radiolabelled interleukin 2 in isolated organs from animals sacrificed at different time points was studied. Higher radioactivity was detected in the pancreas of NOD mice injected with labelled interleukin 2, as compared to NOD mice receiving labelled ...
Stable strange quark matter produced in the QCD phase transition in the early universe will trap neutrons and repel protons, thus reducing primordial helium production, Ysub(p). For reasonable values of Ysub(p), the radius of strange droplets must exceed 10/sup -6/ cm if strange matter shall solve the dark-matter problem without spoiling Big Bang helium synthesis. (orig.).
Stable strange quark matter produced in the QCD phase transition in the early universe will trap neutrons and repel protons, thus reducing primordial helium production, Ysub(p). For reasonable values of Ysub(p), the radius of strange droplets must exceed 10/sup 6/ cm if strange matter shall solve the dark-matter problem without spoiling Big Bang helium synthesis. (orig.).
Today's building industry is promoting the use of renewable sources of energy to heat, cool, and illuminate commercial buildings. Societies such as the International Solar Energy Society sponsor conferences such as this one to share knowledge and experience in the area of solar energy. However, the technologies presented here assume a need for heating, cooling or illumination. A simple technique is presented for determining the actual heating, cooling, and lighting requirements for commercial buildings, and for reducing those requirements through proper building design before applying solar technologies. The energy nomographs are a graphic energy design tool developed to aid designers in making cost effective decisions about energy alternatives early in the design process. Reducing loads at this point can help reduce the expense of a passive or active solar system which is usually sized to meet ...
The increase in world oil prices since 2003 has prompted renewed interest in producing and using liquid fuels from unconventional resources, such as biomass, oil shale, and coal. This book focuses on issues and options associated with establishing a commercial coal-to-liquids (CTL) industry within the United States. It describes the technical status, costs, and performance of methods that are available for producing liquids from coal; the key energy and environmental policy issues associated with CTL development; the impediments to early commercial experience; and the efficacy of alternative federal incentives in promoting early commercial experience. Because coal is not the only near-term option for meeting liquid-fuel needs, this book also briefly reviews the benefits and limitations of other approaches, including the development of oil shale resources, the further development of biomass resources, and increasing dependence on imported ...
Total potassium was assayed in 150 normal weight and obese females (cervical carcinoma-52, endometrial carcinoma-25 and breast cancer-73) by measurements of 40K spontaneous radiation in a low-background chamber. Control group included 30 healthy and 25 obese females. Computations of body cell and extracellular mass and fat were carried out on the basis of the said measurements. Extracellular fluid volume was measured in 38 patients by X-ray fluorescence method using sodium bromide. The results pointed to a body cell mass deficit matched by increased extracellular mass due to a higher fat level in patients with breast, endometrial and cervical carcinoma. The said correlation was particularly pronounced in obese patients. The beneficial effect of treatment was more often observed in patients with normal body weight. PMID:3739295
Previous research demonstrates that we tend to derogate individuals who are perceived to be in a social relationship with stigmatized persons. Two experiments examined whether this phenomenon also occurs for individuals seen in the presence of an obese person and whether a social relationship is necessary for stigmatization to spread. The results from both experiments revealed that a male job applicant was rated more negatively when seen with an overweight compared to a normal weight female and that just being in the mere proximity of an overweight woman was enough to trigger stigmatization toward the male applicant. Experiment 2 examined possible moderating effects of the proximity finding. Applicants seated next to heavy (vs. average weight) individuals were denigrated consistently regardless of the perceived depth of the relationship, the participant's anti-fat attitudes or gender, and whether or not positive information was presented concerning the woman. The ...
Objectives: Evaluate the effect of diet, physical exercise, and a daily oral intake of a soy isoflavones extract (Fisiogen) contained 200mg of Glycine max, which corresponded to 80mg of isoflavone (60.8mg of genistein, 16mg of daidzein and 3.2mg of glicitein) on leptin and other adipokines plasma levels in healthy obese postmenopausal women. Methods: A multicentric randomized longitudinal prospective cohort study was conducted in a sample of 87 healthy obese postmenopausal women. Patients were randomly assigned to a 1200kcal diet and exercise group (control group) or a group of 1200kcal diet, exercise, and daily oral intake of daily oral intake of a soy isoflavones extract (Fisiogen) contained 200mg of Glycine max, which corresponded to 80mg of isoflavone (60.8mg of genistein, 16mg of daid...
Johnson & Johnson has had a formal energy program since the early 1970`s. A corporate energy department was formed as a result of the disruption of energy supplies and rising energy costs. Johnson & Johnson is a decentralized company with many independent operating companies throughout the world. The corporate energy department cuts across the different levels of management to delivery energy related information to the actual implementers at all of our locations worldwide. Like many other energy programs, Johnson & Johnson`s program had highs and lows depending on worldwide energy activities. Unlike many other corporate programs that were disbanded in the late 1980`s, our program remained in place, although there was not a high level of interest or attention. In the early 1990`s, the link was made between electricity generation and greenhouse gas emissions, initially by the Green Lights program and strongly reinforced by the United ...
Acute agitation is a frequent reason for emergency psychiatric intervention. It is important to intervene early to avoid escalation of agitation to aggression. Reducing risk by using effective treatments will result in fewer instances of seclusion and restraint, and fewer injuries to staff and patients. This paper will first review the epidemiology of aggressive behavior and mental disorders, followed by a discussion of assessment and diagnostic considerations. The pathophysiology of safety risk is discussed within the context of the model of the "triune brain." Pharmacological treatment strategies for acute episodes of agitated behavior will be discussed in detail. This includes newer formulations of novel antipsychotics such as liquids and rapidly disintegrating tablets, as well as intramuscular preparations. PMID:15335224
In the early 1970s Yang and Menichelli demonstrated that direct laser illumination of low-density secondary explosive prr:ssings through a transparent window could produce detonation. 'The energy requirement for threshold initiation of detonation was reduced when a thin metal coating of metal covered the side of the window against which the low-density explosive was pressed. We have obtained experimental results that are in general agreement with the results of Renllund, Stanton and Trott (1 989) and recent: work by Nagayama, hou and Nakahara (2001). We report exploration of the effects of laser beam diameter, PEiTN density and specific surface area, and thickness of a titanium coating on the window.
The purpose of this study was to determine whether resistance exercise training-induced reductions in inflammation are mediated via melanocortin 3 receptor expression in obese (BMI 32.7 ± 3.7)...Full Text Available
Syndrome X is a combination or co-occurrence of several known cardiovascular risk factors (including central obesity, dyslipidemias, fatty liver disease, hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance,...Full Text Available
Vitamin D deficiency is a well-known comorbidity of obesity that can be exacerbated after bariatric surgery and can predispose the patient for hypocalcemia. Vitamin D and calcium doses to prevent and...Full Text Available
BackgroundLarge population growth surveys of children and adolescents aged 6 to 18 y were undertaken in Hong Kong in 1963 and 1993. The global epidemic of obesity is a major public...Full Text Available
Adipocyte differentiation is a complex developmental process that involves the coordinated interplay of numerous transcription factors. PPARγ has emerged as a master regulator of adipogenesis...Full Text Available
Percutaneous tracheostomy is a routine procedure in intensive care units. In cases of very low position of the larynx, cervical spine deformation, morbid obesity, or neck tumor, performance of the classic...Full Text Available
Brown fat is a specialized tissue that can dissipate energy and counteract obesity through a pattern of gene expression that greatly increases mitochondrial content and uncoupled respiration. PRDM16...Full Text Available
Abnormal fat metabolism plays an important role in the pathogenesis of obesity-related type 2 diabetes mellitus. This study examined whether free fatty acid levels (FFAs), like insulin levels, oscillate...Full Text Available
Some pathological conditions with feeding pattern alterations, including obesity and Huntington disease (HD) are associated with hypothalamic dysfunction and neuronal cell death. Additionally, the hypothalamus...Full Text Available
BackgroundHealthcare professionals can play a crucial role in optimizing the health status of patients with cardiovascular risk factors (abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, low...Full Text Available
Insulin resistance plays a central role in type 2 diabetes and obesity, which develop as a consequence of genetic and environmental factors. Dietary changes including high fat diet (HFD) feeding promotes...Full Text Available
OBJECTIVENicotinamide adenine dinucleotides (NAD+ and NADH) play a crucial role in cellular energy metabolism, and a dysregulated NAD+-to-NADH ratio is implicated...Full Text Available
Objective:We examine the extent to which body weight affects three types of perceived interpersonal mistreatment, and evaluate whether these patterns vary by race,...Full Text Available
OBJECTIVE—Identification of arterial genes and pathways altered in obesity and diabetes.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—Aortic gene expression profiles of...Full Text Available
Gestational exposure to maternal overweight (OW) influences the risk of obesity in adult life. Male offspring from OW dams gain greater body weight and fat mass and develop insulin resistance when fed...Full Text Available
The mammalian circadian system consists of a central oscillator in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus, which coordinates peripheral clocks in organs throughout the body. Although circadian...Full Text Available
While levels of weight bias vary among individuals, it is not clear why one person possesses stronger anti-fat attitudes than another person. This investigation examined whether individual differences commonly associated with greater anti-fat bias are also associated with a greater preference for thinness among people of varying levels of weight. Young adults (62% women; 84% Caucasian) recruited from psychology classes (N=308) rated four male and female figures with approximate BMIs of 18.5, 25, 30, and 40, on measures of dislike and personality characteristics and completed measures assessing weight controllability, attitudes toward the obese, and perceptual reliance. Greater negative attitudes, weight controllability beliefs, and perceptual reliance were positively associated with greater dislike and negative personality attributes among obese/severely obese figures, but inversely related among low normal weight figures. ...
Cellular hypertrophy is regulated by coordinated pro- and antigrowth machineries. Foxo transcription factors initiate an atrophy-related gene program to counter hypertrophic growth. This study was designed...Full Text Available
Physical activity and sedentary behavior are central components of lifetime weight control; however, our understanding of dimensions of these behaviors in childhood is limited. This study investigated...Full Text Available
Obesity is a risk factor for stroke and neurodegenerative disease. Excess body fat has been linked to impaired glucose metabolism, insulin resistance, and impulsivity and may be a precursor to decline...Full Text Available
BackgroundObesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. It is implicated in the development of a variety of chronic disease states and is associated with increased...Full Text Available
Social stress is prevalent in many facets of modern society. Epidemiological data suggest that stress is linked to the development of overweight, obesity and metabolic disease. Although there...Full Text Available
The prevalent surge in childhood and adolescent obesity within the past 3 decades poses a significant challenge for many pediatric clinicians who are charged with treating this condition. The...Full Text Available
OBJECTIVEPhosphoinositide 3-kinase enhancer A (PIKE-A) is a proto-oncogene that promotes tumor growth and transformation by enhancing Akt activity. However, the physiological functions...Full Text Available
BackgroundObesity is a major public health threat and policies aimed at curbing this epidemic are emerging. National calorie labeling legislation is forthcoming and requires rigorous...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe occurrence of diabetes has greatly increased in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in Asia, as has the prevalence of overweight and obesity; in European-derived...Full Text Available
BackgroundHigh intake of sugar-sweetened beverages in childhood is linked to increased risk of obesity and type II diabetes later in life. Using three nationally representative surveys...Full Text Available
BackgroundWith rates of childhood obesity increasing, physical activity (PA) promotion especially in young children has assumed greater importance. Given the limited effectiveness...Full Text Available
ObjectiveMaintaining weight loss is a major challenge in obesity treatment. Individuals often indicate that waning motivation prompts cessation of effective weight...Full Text Available
Background and RationaleAtypical antipsychotics exhibit metabolic side effects including diabetes mellitus and obesity. The adverse events are preceded by acute worsening of oral...Full Text Available
This study tried to reduce NO{sub x} and particulate emissions simultaneously in a high speed direct-injection diesel engine. Fuel-rich combustion was used to reduce NO{sub x} emission at initial combustion stage and high turbulence combustion was used to reduce particulate emission at diffusion combustion stage. Experiments were carried out to investigate the effects of high squish combustion chambers with small throat on combustion process and exhaust emissions. Results showed that in the high squish combustion chamber, both NO{sub x} and particulate emissions reduced with retarded injection timing. Endoscopic high speed photography was employed to analyze experimental results. In the original combustion chamber at the early combustion stage, the high luminosity flame tended to spread out of the cavity. Fuel-rich mixture burned slowly over the piston crown. In the high squish ...
Twenty-four patients were studied with both /sup 201/Tl-thallus chloride and /sup 99m/Tc-TBI scintigraphy following exercise. Comparison of the two agents in detecting segmental myocardial ischemia and scar was made in 18 patients with evidence of coronary artery disease on /sup 201/Tl-thallous chloride scintigraphy. Agreement between the two studies was observed in 77% (125 of 162) of left ventricular segments, suggesting that /sup 99m/Tc-TBI can be used as a myocardial perfusion agent. Limitations were related to early high background activity from lungs and liver. The high lung activity and early myocardial redistribution within the 1st hour contributed to the failure of /sup 99m/Tc-TBI to detect 16 segmental defects seen in the immediate post-exercise thallous chloride scan. Persistently high liver activity additionally affected accurate interpretation in the left ventricular segments close to the diaphragm. Improvement in the accuracy of ...
The fault detection and diagnosis system for gas engines was developed to improve the reliability of cogeneration systems (CGS). Most of existing fault detection systems monitor the trend of each part condition of engines and diagnose faults based on trend change, resulting in slow detection. Although early detection systems are available, those are complex, expensive and poor in flexibility and applicability. Since CGSs combined with gas engines increased to 1/3 of the whole CGS, engine troubles cause possible serious faults. The fault diagnosis system was thus developed to prevent serious faults which can early detect, in particular, abnormal conditions of parts around a combustion chamber such as ignition plug, intake valve and exhaust valve by monitoring exhaust pressure waveforms in an exhaust collector. Since this system can detect progressive occurrence frequency of abnormal conditions and degradation of engine parts, it can transfer ...
Abstract Polycystic kidney diseases (PKD) are inherited disorders characterized by fluid-filled cysts primarily in the kidneys. We previously reported differences between the expression of Cux1, p21, and p27 in the cpk and Pkd1 null mouse models of PKD. Embryonic lethality of Pkd1 null mice limits its study to early stages of kidney development. Therefore, we examined mice with a collecting duct specific deletion in the Pkd1 gene. Cux1 was ectopically expressed in the cyst lining epithelial cells of newborn, P7 and P15 Pkd1CD mice. Cux1 expression correlated with cell proliferation in early stages of cystogenesis, however, as the disease progressed, fewer cyst lining cells showed increased cell proliferation. Rather, Cux1 expression in late stage cystogenesis was associated with increased ...
A factor produced by plerocercoids of the tapeworm Spirometra mansonoides is similar to human growth hormone (hGH) in that it stimulates body growth, binds to hGH receptors, cross-reacts with anti-hGH antibodies, and has lactogenic and insulin-like activities. The purpose of this study was to determine whether plerocercoid growth factor (PGF) is similar to hGH in expressing diabetogenic activity in the genetically obese (ob/ob) mouse. To determine an effective dose for use in the obese mice, the ability of daily injections of PGF to stimulate growth of phenotypically normal mice of the same strain was assessed in a 10-day weight gain assay. Injections of PGF stimulated a dose-dependent weight gain (r = 0.83) and 25 ng eq/day of PGF stimulated a response not significantly different from that produced by 100 micrograms of bovine growth hormone/day. Diabetogenicity was assessed using fasting blood glucose and glucose tolerance tests in ...
Bariatric surgical procedures have become important therapeutic options for treatment of morbid obesity in both adults and adolescents co-morbidities of obesity such as glucose intolerance, type 2 diabetes (T2DM), metabolic syndrome, steatohepatitis, hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular disease. These co-morbidities of obesity have significant impacts on the overall quality of life of the individual and our society at large. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and the relatively newer procedures of gastric banding (GB) and vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) have proven to be efficacious in achieving rapid weight loss and reversing the comorbidities of obesity. Unfortunately, bariatric procedures are not without risks including micronutrient deficiency, failure to maintain lost weight, and mortality. Further, the resolution of T2DM has long been understood to precede weight loss, and this finding provides ...
Transcription for a hybrid SV40 promoter-beta globin coding sequence recombinant initiates from both early-early (EE) and late-early (LE) SV40 start sites (EES and LES) in the absence of DNA replication....Full Text Available
The Savannah River Site (SRS) is a key installation for the production and research of nuclear materials for national defense and peace time applications and has been operating a full nuclear fuel cycle since the early 1950s. Wastes generated include high level radioactive, transuranic, low level radioactive, hazardous, mixed, sanitary, and aqueous wastes. Much progress has been made during the last several years to reduce these wastes including management systems, characterization, and technology programs. The reduction of wastes generated and the proper handling of the wastes have always been a part of the Site's operation. This paper summarizes the current status and future plans with respect to waste reduction to waste reduction and reviews some specific examples of successful activities.
The Savannah River Site (SRS) is a key installation for the production and research of nuclear materials for national defense and peace time applications and has been operating a full nuclear fuel cycle since the early 1950s. Wastes generated include high level radioactive, transuranic, low level radioactive, hazardous, mixed, sanitary, and aqueous wastes. Much progress has been made during the last several years to reduce these wastes including management systems, characterization, and technology programs. The reduction of wastes generated and the proper handling of the wastes have always been a part of the Site`s operation. This paper summarizes the current status and future plans with respect to waste reduction to waste reduction and reviews some specific examples of successful activities.
According to the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis, environmental degradation increases in the early stages of growth, but it eventually decreases as income exceeds a threshold level. It is thus often argued that if international trade increases incomes then it can also have a positive impact on environmental quality. So far, these hypotheses have been widely empirically tested for the developed countries. However, it is still uncertain whether positive effects of international trade on growth and on the environment may also hold in developing countries. One of the major difficulties in testing these relations in developing countries is the poor quality of environment related data. In this analysis this problem is reduced by constructing a structural equation model (SEM) with three la...
Patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and diabetes mellitus, as well as patients admitted with elevated blood glucose without known diabetes, have impaired outcome. Therefore intensive glucose-lowering therapy with insulin (IGL) has been proposed in diabetic or hyperglycaemic patients and has been shown to improve survival and reduce incidence of adverse events. The current manuscript provides an overview of randomised controlled trials investigating the effect of IGL. Furthermore, systematic glucose?insulin?potassium infusion (GIK) has been studied to improve outcome after AMI. In spite of positive findings in some early studies, GIK did not show any beneficial effects in recent clinical trials and thus this concept has been abandoned. While IGL targeted to achieve normoglycaemi...
We present modeling, simulation, and characterization for the dynamic response of clamped-clamped microbeams under mechanical shock. A Galerkin-based reduced-order model is utilized and its results are verified by comparing to finite-element results. The results indicate that the response of a microbeam to mechanical shock is inherently non-linear because of the dominating effect of mid-plane stretching. The effect of the shock pulse shape is investigated. It is concluded that the shape of the shock pulse can result in significant dynamic amplification in the response of the microbeam even in cases where the shock load is considered quasi-static.The combined effect of the electrostatic force and mechanical shock is investigated. The results show that this combined effect can lead to early ...
This report describes operations at SunLine Transit Agency for their newest prototype fuel cell bus and five compressed natural gas (CNG) buses. In May 2010, SunLine began operating its sixth-generation hydrogen fueled bus, an Advanced Technology (AT) fuel cell bus that incorporates the latest design improvements to reduce weight and increase reliability and performance. The agency is collaborating with the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to evaluate the bus in revenue service. This report provides the early data results and implementation experience of the AT fuel cell bus since it was placed in service.
Bisphenol-A (BPA) is one of the most common environmental endocrine disrupters and has a wide range of effects on central nervous system. Adolescence is another important developmental period besides the early critical prenatal and neonatal periods. In the present study, we exposed mice to BPA (40, 400 mg/kg/d) between adolescence and young adulthood for 8 weeks and investigated its effects on the non-reproductive behaviors. In open field tests, rearing and grooming sex differences were abolished by BPA exposure. In the elevated plus maze test, the number of open arm entries, the time spent in open arms, and the number of unprotected head dips in the center area were reduced in males but increased in females by BPA at 40 or 400 mg/kg/d, thus eliminating or reversing sex differences in thes...
Modern tubular type pumps commonly have lubricated radial bearings which require no compressed water supply and reduce the servicing requirements. Problems that may possibly result from entrained sand in the pumped fluid were solved with the development of ceramic Residur {sup trademark} bearngs in the early eighties. (orig.) [German] In zunehmendem Masse werden Rohrgehaeusepumpen mit foerdermediumgeschmierten Radiallagern ausgestattet, da dies z.B. neben dem Wegfall einer ansonsten notwendigen Druckwasserversorgung auch einen deutlichen reduzierten Wartungsaufwand nach sich zieht. Den Problemen durch eine moegliche Sandbeladung des Foerdermedium wurde bereits durch die Entwicklung der keramischen Residur {sup trademark} -Lager Anfang der 80er Jahre Rechnung getragen. (orig.)
Fault symptoms of running gearboxes must be detected as early as possible to avoid serious accidents. Diverse advanced methods are developed for this challenging task. However, for multiwavelet transforms, the fixed basis functions independent of the input dynamic response signals will possibly reduce the accuracy of fault diagnosis. Meanwhile, for multiwavelet denoising technique, the universal threshold denoising tends to overkill important but weak features in gear fault diagnosis. To overcome the shortcoming, a novel method incorporating customized (i.e., signal-based) multiwavelet lifting schemes with sliding window denoising is proposed in this paper. On the basis of Hermite spline interpolation, various vector prediction and update operators with the desirable properties of biorthog...
White seabream (Diplodus sargus) is today recognized as a potential species for Mediterranean aquaculture. Still, scarce information exists on weaning practices in order to reduce the live food period. This study aims to evaluate the effect of an early weaning on fish larvae digestive enzymes activities. In order to accomplish this, larvae were weaned with an inert diet at 20days after hatching (DAH) (feeding regime W20) and a control group was weaned at 27DAH (feeding regime W27). Before weaning, the onset and development of the main digestive enzymes were studied. The pattern of variation of digestive enzymes activities were analyzed at 0, 2, 9, 13 and 20DAH, and from then on at 0, 1 and 3weeks after diet introduction; that is, at 20, 27 and 41days for feeding regime W20, and days 27, 34...
The carbonate rocks of the Lower Ordovician Majiagou Formation represent important hydrocarbon reservoirs in the Ordos basin in the western part of the North China plate. Cores and thin sections from more than 60 wells were examined. The main reservoir in the Majiagou Formation consists of fine crystalline dolomite, which was altered by meteoric water during an extended subaerial exposure. Three phreatic zones have been identified in the Majiagou Formation in the northern part of the basin. Oxygen isotopes and fluid inclusion microthermometry data indicates that the porosity developed during the early karst event was considerably reduced by the late-stage, coarse crystalline calcite cements that appear to be related to hydrothermal fluids during deep burial. It was concluded that the main factors that determine the porosity and permeability of these carbonate reservoirs are dolomitization, karstification, and calcite cementation.
Possible accident scenarios for a fusion reactor include breaches in the vacuum or cooling system. Intruding air or steam could react with structural or plasma facing materials, possibly mobilizing radioactive isotopes. Safety assessments must consider the early dose at the site boundary from the release of these activated materials. Previous calculations have indicated that cobalt isotopes dominate dose calculations for designs using stainless steel. Values used in these calculations, however, had been largely determined by the measurement limits of the chemical analysis methodology instead of measured releases. The purpose of the current study was to refine the analytical method to reduce the limit for detecting cobalt, and then test PCA steel in air and steam between 973 and 1473 K. Goals were to obtain more accurate measurements of cobalt mobilization in terms of g/m{sup 2}{center_dot}h and insight into the mobilization mechanisms.
In case of a severe nuclear accident at a PWR plant, countermeasures will be initiated in the short term by authorities to reduce the consequences of the atmospheric radioactive releases on the neighbouring population. Various factors influence the level of protection afforded by countermeasures. For instance, a too late intervention would lead to a Jack of efficiency in terms of dose reduction if the actual evolution of the accident is not considered. Thus, implementation of countermeasures should be optimized. In general, the projected doses (those without countermeasure) are compared with those expected when a particular countermeasure or strategy is implemented. In this paper, an in-depth analysis associates the kinetics of the release with the corresponding evolution of the dosimetric efficiency of countermeasures. This is done at different times in the short term of the accident and for various distances from the plant. Results are presented for different ...
Abstract Aims: The aim of this study was to examine whether metabolic syndrome (MS) is associated with periodontitis in a representative sample of Korean adults, who were involved in the Fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Materials and Methods: A total of 7178 subjects over the age of 19 years who participated in KNHANES were examined. MS was defined as the definition proposed by the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III and the abdominal obesity cut-off line based on Korean Society for the Study of Obesity. The periodontal status was assessed by the Community Periodontal Index. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was carried out adjusting for the sociodemographics, oral health behaviours and status, and health behaviou...
Inhibition of adipogenesis and lipid accumulation has a very crucial role to prevent obesity. Low molecular weight (LMW) chitosan is known to inhibit fat accumulation and adipogenesis. (N,O)-sulfated chitosan is a sulfation derivative of chitosan oligomers, and its anti-obesity effect is not yet reported. In this study, it has been reported that (N,O)-sulfated chitosan significantly decreased lipid accumulation, an indicator for adipogenesis, in differentiating 3T3-L1 preadipocyte cells. Furthermore, mRNA expressions and protein levels of key adipogenic markers such as peroxisome prolifetor-activated receptor (PPAR)-@c and CCAAT-enhancer binding protein (C/EBP)-@a were considerably decreased by (N,O)-sulfated chitosan treatment. As a consequence, sulfation of LMWC remarkably increased its ...
Objectives Our purpose was to evaluate interaction of green tea consumption and abdominal obesity as related factors for lacunar infarction in Korean women. Designs A hospital-based, incident case-control study. Settings The Prevention and Managements of Stroke in Women study. Participants Cases (n=233) of first incident lacunar infarction were enrolled and matched by age to stroke-free hospital controls (n=204). Measurements The data were collected through face-to-face interviews by well trained research assistants to assess demographic, medical, lifestyle, marital status, religions status, green tea consumptions, family history of stroke, smoking status, alcohol consumption, meat and vegetable intake frequency, and past history of hypertension. Biochemical analysis, fasting blood specime...
Apelin is a peptide known as the ligand of the G-protein-coupled receptor APJ. Several active apelin forms exist such as apelin-36, apelin-17, apelin-13, and the pyroglutamated form of apelin-13. Apelin and APJ are expressed in the central nervous system, particularly in the hypothalamus and in many peripheral tissues. Apelin has been shown to be involved in the regulation of cardiovascular and fluid homeostasis, food intake, cell proliferation, and angiogenesis. In addition to be an ubiquitous peptide, apelin is also produced and secreted by adipocytes and thus considered as an adipokine. This has opened a new field of investigation establishing a link between apelin and metabolic disorders (obesity, type 2 diabetes, etc.) which is the focus of the present review. Several studies, but not...
We revisit our original papers on the burst mode of accretion by incorporating a detailed energy balance equation into a thin-disk model for the formation and evolution of circumstellar disks around low-mass protostars. Our model includes the effect of radiative cooling, viscous and shock heating, and heating due to stellar and background irradiation. Following the collapse from the prestellar phase allows us to model the early embedded phase of disk formation and evolution. During this time, the disk is susceptible to fragmentation, depending upon the properties of the initial prestellar core. Globally, we find that higher initial core angular momentum and mass content favors more fragmentation, but higher levels of background radiation can moderate the tendency to fragment. A higher rate of mass infall onto the disk than that onto the star is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for disk fragmentation. More locally, both the Toomre Q-parameter needs to be ...
Discussions regarding the use of wood fuels for commercial energy production in the Netherlands began in the 1990's. The main reasons for using wood fuel are: the political demand for using renewable energy, the need to reduce CO_2 emissions, and the lack of markets for surplus timber. Only 10 % of the area of Holland is forested. Therefore, early thinning and cleaning are important management tools for improving growth and producing better quality timber. The energy potential from early thinning and plantation cleaning could be between 400 000 and 570 000 dry tons annually. The Netherlands has not experience in harvesting energy wood. However, through the International Energy Agency/Bioenergy Agreement, knowledge gained in other countries, especially Denmark, Sweden and Finland, is being transferred to Holland. In 1996, there have been made field tests with Danish equipment. Although there are few technical barriers to ...
Complications of non-union and avascular necrosis during fracture healing process are the most important problems. Early detection of the evidence of non-union and avascular necrosis and follow-up study of fracture healing process will reduce complications and sequellae in fracture patients. Femoral neck and tibial shaft are the most important fracture sites where non-union and/or avascular necorsis are frequently developed. Osteomedullography was performed in 30 cases of fracture, 21 femoral neck, 8 tibial shafts and 1 talar neck, in the Department of Radiology of national Medical Center during the period form August 1977 to March 1981. The following results were obtained: 1. 16 patients of femoral neck fracture were performed osteomedullography one. Non-union showing no crossing vein through the fracture site was noted in 12 cases from 16 patients. 4 cases from the 12 patients of non-union showed decreased viability but 2 case revealed good ...
Preliminary results are presented from a field study to evaluate the relative hydrologic performance of various landfill capping technologies installed by the Los Alamos National Laboratory at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. Four cover designs (two Los Alamos capillary barrier designs, one modified EPA RCRA design, and one conventional design) were installed in large lysimeters instrumented to monitor the fate of natural precipitation between 01 January 1990 and 20 September 1993. After 45 months of study, results showed that the cover designs containing barrier layers were effective in reducing deep percolation as compared to a simple soil cap design. The RCRA cover, incorporating a clay hydraulic barrier, was the most effective of all cover designs in controlling percolation but was not 100% effective. Over 90% of all percolation and barrier lateral flow occurred during the months of February through May of each year, primarily as a result of snow melt, ...
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the most common neurodegenerative movement disorder. Mutations in PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) are a frequent cause of recessive PD. Autophagy, a pathway for clearance of protein aggregates or impaired organelles, is a newly identified mechanism for PD development. However, it is still unclear what molecules regulate autophagy in PINK1-silenced cells. Here we report that autophagosome formation is promoted in the early phase in response to PINK1 gene silencing by lentivirus transfer vectors expressed in mouse striatum. Reduced PP2A activity and increased phosphorylation of PP2A at Y307 (inactive form of PP2A) were observed in PINK1-knockdown dopaminergic cells and striatum tissues. Treatment with C2-ceramide (an agonist of PP2A) reduced autophagy levels in PINK...
There is increasing concern among the dental community regarding the damage caused to teeth by the acids in soft drinks. Enamel dissolution in acidic solution can be reduced by addition of calcium and/or phosphate salts to increase the degree of saturation with respect to hydroxyapatite (DS sub H sub A), or by an increase in pH. In soft drinks, however, both of these approaches are associated with a reduced taste quality. The separate effects of each parameter are not known. In the work presented here, enamel dissolution was studied in citric acid solutions with compositions typical of soft drinks. Nanoindentation and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to investigate very early stages of enamel dissolution, with typical exposure times of 30-600 s. Preliminary investigations of the application of SIMS, ESEM and XPS to enamel dissolution studies are also reported. The individual effects of DS sub H sub A , pH and calcium ...
Endothelial dysfunction and increased platelet aggregation may be involved in the pathogenesis of normal tissue radiation toxicity. This study assessed clopidogrel, an inhibitor of ADP-induced platelet aggregation, as a modulator of intestinal radiation injury (radiation enteropathy). Rat small intestine was exposed to 21 Gy X-radiation. Clopidogrel (20 mg/kg/day) or vehicle was administered from 2 days before to 10 days after irradiation. Structural radiation injury, neutrophil infiltration, smooth muscle cell proliferation, collagen content, and TGF-beta1 expression were assessed 2 weeks (early phase) and 26 weeks (delayed phase) after irradiation, using quantitative histology and immunohistochemistry, morphometry, and real-time fluorogenic probe RT-PCR. Irradiated intestine exhibited significant histopathologic injury, reduced mucosal surface area, vascular sclerosis, intestinal wall fibrosis, increased collagen content, and increased ...
Previous studies have documented dissimilatory growth of bacteria on solid Mn{sup 4+} oxide, but Mn{sup 3+} oxides have not been previously studied; here the authors have demonstrated for the first time the bacterial reduction of manganite. Strain MR-4 of Shewanella putrefaciens was able to grow on and rapidly reduce insoluble needle-shaped crystals of synthetic manganite (MnOOH), converting them to soluble Mn{sup 2+} in the process. The rate of Mn{sup 3+} reduction was optimal at pH of 7.0 and 26 C consistent with an enzymatic reaction. In addition the rates of reduction were in proportion to the amount of manganite added, but nearly independent of the cell concentration present (e.g., cell number had only a small effect on the rate of Mn{sup 3+} reduction at early stages of growth) suggesting that surface properties were dictating the rates of metal reduction. This thesis was supported by major differences in reduction rates when Mn oxides of ...
BackgroundAdipokines, e.g. TNFα, IL-6 and leptin increase insulin resistance, and consequent hyperinsulinaemia influences breast cancer progression. Beside its mitogenic...Full Text Available
Increased oxidative stress is a known cause of cardiac dysfunction in animals and patients with diabetes, but the sources of reactive oxygen species [e.g., superoxide anion (O2−)]...Full Text Available
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a serious health problem linked to obesity and type 2 diabetes. To investigate the biological outcome and therapeutic potential of hepatic fatty acid uptake inhibition,...Full Text Available
The CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein β (C/EBPβ) is required for adipocyte differentiation and maturation. We have studied the role of the transcription factor, C/EBPβ,...Full Text Available
Tea catechin is one of the compounds that are closely related to obesity and insulin sensitivity. In order to determine the effect of catechin on adipocyte differentiation, we treated 3T3-L1 preadipocytes...Full Text Available
BackgroundDue to the high morbidity and mortality of fulminant hepatitis, early diagnosis followed by early effective treatment is the key for prognosis improvement. So far, little...Full Text Available
Full text: Pink bollworm (PBW), Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), an introduced pest from Mexico, first occurred in United States cotton production in Texas in 1917. Unacceptable economic losses have occurred. The development of PBW sterile moth release technology, gossyplure sex pheromone behavioral control, cotton plant cultural control to reduce overwintered PBW populations, and the transfer of the insect toxin protein gene into cotton from Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (Berliner) have provided an effective integrated pest management (IPM) system with PBW eradication potential. Sterile insect release was considered a potential option for PBW population suppression in the early 1960s. Research on the isolated island of St. Croix, (US Virgin Islands) demonstrated its validity. Reductions of larval infestations in bolls following sterile moth releases began when ratios of released PBW sterile male to native male moths averaged 70:1 in ...
Recessive mutations of the early phase change (epc) gene in maize affect several aspects of plant development. These mutations were identified initially because of...Full Text Available
Looking at some of the national and international developments in hydrogen technology it becomes clear which important contributions the hydrogen technology oriented activities of the EU have helped to prepare and trigger: (a) Transport Energy Strategy (TES): This initiative of 7 major German automobile and mineral oilcompanies is aimed at an industrial consensus on one or two gasoline alternative fuels, which are to be presented to the German Ministry of Transport. An intermediate trend is that hydrogen may become the fuel of choice. (b) BMW: The Bayerischen Motorenwerke have already very early exposed themselves to the vehicle and component development of hydrogen as a vehicle fuel, focussing on a strategy from CNG to LNG and LH{sub 2}. (c) Opel and GM: Opel has recently announced they have chosen hydrogen as the primary long term fuel for their fuel cell vehicles to be commercialized starting in 2004. (d) CFCP: The California Fuel Cell Partnership with partners ...
Early in the Cold War, the United States adopted a policy of ''extended nuclear deterrence'' to protect its allies by threatening a nuclear strike against any state that attacks these allies. This threat can (in principle) be used to try to deter an enemy attack using conventional weapons or one using nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons. The credibility of a nuclear threat has long been subject to debate and is dependent on many complex geopolitical factors, not the least of which is the military capabilities of the opposing sides. The ending of the Cold War has led to a significant decrease in the number of strategic nuclear weapons deployed by the United States and Russia. START II, which was recently ratified by the Russian Duma, will (if implemented) reduce the number deployed strategic nuclear weapons on each side to 3500, compared to a level of over 11,000 at the end of the Cold War in 1991. The ...
An extensive study of the effects of correlations on both charged and neutral current weak interaction rates in dense matter is performed. Both strong and electromagnetic correlations are considered. The propagation of particle-hole interactions in the medium plays an important role in determining the neutrino mean free paths. The effects due to Pauli blocking and density, spin, and isospin correlations in the medium significantly reduce the neutrino cross sections. As a result of the lack of experimental information at high density, these correlations are necessarily model dependent. For example, spin correlations in nonrelativistic models are found to lead to larger suppressions of neutrino cross sections compared to those of relativistic models. This is due to the tendency of the nonrelativistic models to develop spin instabilities. Notwithstanding the above caveats, and the differences between nonrelativistic and relativistic approaches such as the spin- and ...
In the past, Condition Monitoring Systems (CMS) still showed weaknesses during the employment in the damage diagnosis and/or early failure detection of damages of roller bearings in transmissions of wind power plants. This is not only due to the insufficient consideration of the variable frequency of the wind power plants during the internal processing. The presently used methods of analysis result from the communication technology and are used successfully for years at frequency solid systems. Usually, only too few information are at the disposal to the supplier of CMS in order to parametrize their systems on the respective application particularly. An exact knowledge of the internal structure of the object to be diagnosed is compellingly necessary for a successful diagnosis so that a loadable statement based on the acquired measuring data base becomes possible. Furthermore, one must clarify the borders of the presently used systems. The theory of these systems is ...
Cadmium is a non-essential heavy metal found abundantly in the environment. Children of women exposed to cadmium during pregnancy display lower motor and perceptual abilities. High cadmium body burden in children is also related to impaired intelligence and lowered school achievement. However, little is known about the molecular and cellular basis of developmental neurotoxicity in the sensitive early life stages of animals. In this study, we explore neurological deficits caused by cadmium during early embryonic stages in zebrafish by examining regionalization of the neural tube, pattern formation and cell fate determination, commitment of proneural genes and induction of neurogenesis. We show that cadmium-treated embryos developed a smaller head with unclear boundaries between the brain subdivisions, particularly in the mid-hindbrain region. Embryos display normal anterior to posterior regionalization; however, the commitment of neural ...
Our group is interested in evaluating early effects of dietary interventions on bone loss. Postmenopausal women lose bone following reduction in estrogen which leads to increased risk of fracture. Traditional means of monitoring bone loss and effectiveness of treatments include changes in bone density, which takes 6 months to years to observe effects, and changes in biochemical markers of bone turnover, which are highly variable and lack specificity. Prelabeling bone with {sup 41}Ca and measuring urinary {sup 41}Ca excretion with accelerator mass spectrometry provides a sensitive, specific, and rapid approach to evaluating effectiveness of treatment. To better understand {sup 41}Ca technology as a tool for measuring effective treatments on reducing bone resorption, we perturbed bone resorption by manipulating dietary calcium in rats. We used {sup 3}H-tetracycline ({sup 3}H-TC) as a proxy for {sup 41}Ca and found that a single dose is feasible ...
The crystallite size and orientation in molybdenum films prepared by magnetron sputtering at a low rate of typical 1 (angstrom)s and a pressure of 0.45 Pa was investigated by X-ray diffraction and texture analysis. The surface topography was studied using atomic force microscopy. Increasing the film thickness from 20 nm to 3 microm, the films show a turnover from a (110) fiber texture to a (211) mosaic-like texture. In the early state of growth (20 nm thickness) the development of dome-like structures on the surface is observed. The number of these structures increases with film thickness, whereas their size is weakly influenced. The effect of texture turnover is reduced by increasing the deposition rate by a factor of six, and it is absent for samples mounted above the center of the magnetron source. The effect of texture turnover is related to the bombardment of the films with high energetic argon neutrals resulting from backscattering at the ...
In 1998 the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) formed the Committee on Nuclear Risk Management (CNRM) and a Project Team to develop a standard on PRAs for use in risk informed applications. This ASME standard is being developed to help provide an adequate level of quality in PRAs that are being used to support ASME initiatives to risk informed in-service inspection (ISI) and in-service testing (IST) of nuclear power plant components. A related need supported by the industry and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is to reduce the level of effort that is being expended in pilot applications of risk informed initiatives to address questions about the sufficiency of quality in the supporting PRA models. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the authors' views on some of the technical issues that were encountered in the effort to develop the ASME PRA standard. Draft 12 of this standard has been issued for comment, and is currently being ...
In 1998 the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) formed the Committee on Nuclear Risk Management (CNRM) and a Project Team to develop a standard on PRAs for use in risk informed applications. This ASME standard is being developed to help provide an adequate level of quality in PRAs that are being used to support ASME initiatives to risk informed in-service inspection (ISI) and in-service testing (IST) of nuclear power plant components. A related need supported by the industry and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is to reduce the level of effort that is being expended in pilot applications of risk informed initiatives to address questions about the sufficiency of quality in the supporting PRA models. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the authors' views on some of the technical issues that were encountered in the effort to develop the ASME PRA standard. Draft 12 of this standard has been issued for comment, and is currently being finalized with ...
Structural and functional responses of a benthic macroinvertebrate assemblage to pulses of the insecticide imidacloprid were assessed in outdoor stream mesocosms. Imidacloprid pulses reduced invertebrate abundance and community diversity in imidacloprid-dosed streams compared to control streams. These results correlated well with effects of imidacloprid on leaf litter decomposition and feeding rates of Pteronarcys comstocki, a stonefly, in artificial streams. Reductions in oxygen consumption of stoneflies exposed to imidacloprid were also observed in laboratory experiments. Our findings suggest that leaf litter degradation and single species responses can be sensitive ecotoxicological endpoints that can be used as early warning indicators and biomonitoring tools for pesticide contamination. The data generated illustrates the value of mesocosm experiments in environmental assessment and how the consideration of functional and structural ...
A diesel engine having staged injection for using lower cetane number fuels than No. 2 diesel fuel. The engine includes a main fuel injector and a pilot fuel injector. Pilot and main fuel may be the same fuel. The pilot injector injects from five to fifteen percent of the total fuel at timings from 20.degree. to 180.degree. BTDC depending upon the quantity of pilot fuel injected, the fuel cetane number and speed and load. The pilot fuel injector is directed toward the centerline of the diesel cylinder and at an angle toward the top of the piston, avoiding the walls of the cylinder. Stratification of the early injected pilot fuel is needed to reduce the fuel-air mixing rate, prevent loss of pilot fuel to quench zones, and keep the fuel-air mixture from becoming too fuel lean to become effective. In one embodiment, the pilot fuel injector includes a single hole for injection of the fuel and is directed at approximately 48.degree. below the head ...
Research and development activities sponsored by countries within the International Energy Agency`s solar thermal working group. SolarPACES, have helped reduce the cost of solar thermal systems to one-fifth that of the early pilot plants. Continued technological improvements are currently being proven in next-generation demonstration plants. These advances, along with cost reductions made possible by scale-up to larger production and construction of a succession of power plants, have made solar thermal systems the lowest-cost solar energy in the world and promise cost-competitiveness with fossil-fuel plants in the future. Solar thermal technologies are appropriate for a wide range of applications, including dispatchable central-station power plants where they can meet peak-load to near-base-load needs of a utility, and distributed, modular power plants for both remote and grid-connected applications. In this paper, the authors present the ...
The introduction of positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance (MR) systems into medical practice in the foreseeable future may not only lead to a gain in clinical diagnosis compared to PET/computed tomography (CT) imaging due to the superior soft-tissue contrast of the MR technology but can also substantially reduce exposure of patients to ionizing radiation. On the other hand, there are also risks and health effects associated with the use of diagnostic MR devices that have to be considered carefully. This review article summarizes biophysical and biological aspects, which are of relevance for the assessment of health effects related to the exposure of patients to both ionizing radiation in PET and magnetic and electromagnetic fields in MR. On this basis, some considerations concerning the justification and optimization of PET/MR examinations are presented - as far as this is possible at this very early stage. Current safety ...
To determine if barbiturates would protect brain at high doses of radiation, survival rates in rats that received whole-brain x-irradiation during pentobarbital- or lidocaine-induced anesthesia were compared with those of control animals that received no medication and of animals anesthetized with ketamine. The animals were shielded so that respiratory and digestive tissues would not be damaged by the radiation. Survival rates in rats that received whole-brain irradiation as a single 7500-rad dose under pentobarbital- or lidocaine-induced anesthesia was increased from between from 0% and 20% to between 45% and 69% over the 40 days of observation compared with the other two groups (p less than 0.007). Ketamine anesthesia provided no protection. There were no notable differential effects upon non-neural tissues, suggesting that pentobarbital afforded protection through modulation of ambient neural activity during radiation exposure. Neural suppression during high-dose cranial irradiation ...
Our goal was a process to convert methane to higher hydrocarbons oxidatively, since this circumvents thermodynamic yield limits of a strictly degydrogenative process. Keller and Bhasin converted thermodynamic yield limits of a strictly dehydrogenative process. Keller and Bhasin converted methane to higher hydrocarbons by using metal oxides as oxidants, without co-fed oxygen. They stated that selectivity is necessarily poor if gaseous oxygen is present. Jones and Sofranko have also used reducible metal oxides as oxidants in a group of their parents, but later used some of those materials with continuous O{sub 2} feed without much loss of selectivity. Baerns, Lunsford and Otsuka have shown that high selectivity could be possible with co-fed O{sub 2} at least for low O{sub 2} partial pressures, over PbO-A1{sub 2}O{sub 3}, Li-MgO and rare earths. The performance of a group of multicomponent oxide catalysts, containing lead and magnesium oxides, for oxidative conversion ...
Nuclear energy provides a third of Europe's electricity with nearly no greenhouse-gas emissions. Sustained efforts are now being conducted to harmonize regulations all over Europe through WENRA and to converge on technical nuclear safety practices within the TSO network ETSON (European Technical Safety Organizations Network). In CANDU type NPP the tritiated water occurs by the neutron bombardment of deuterium. The tritiated water vapors imply health hazard (in the critical organs of the body the water presents a 10 day average biological half-life) and the early detection in nuclear plants of tritium emissions is important because the tritiated water vapors have the same characteristics as of atmospheric water vapors. By detecting tritiated vapors, the monitoring system ensures the following objectives: (a) indicates levels of tritium generally due to heavy water leakage, (b) reduces the possibility of health hazard. In order to attain this ...
It is well known that composite armors, consisting of glass elements confined with metallic tampers, are extraordinarily effective against shaped charge attack. Early experiments showed that jets fired against glass targets appeared to be bombarded by tiny fragments that destroyed alignment and reduced residual jet penetration. This result was attributed to an elastic rebound effect in which the outward radial motion of the target around the jet periphery was supposed to be arrested by tensile hoop stresses which developed behind the divergent shock front. Glass fragments were then accelerated radially inward and these destabilized the jet. To sustain the large tensile hoop stresses required, the glass must not have been fractured by the initial shock, behind which the stress state is typically well above the Hugoniot elastic limit. Modeling the penetration of a jet into glass requires not only determining the spall strength, i.e., the tensile ...
Pacific Gas & Electric Co.`s (PG&E`s) Delta district, approximately 45 miles northeast of the San Francisco Bay Area, is a fast growing residential community with peak demand occurring between 6 and 7 PM in hot summer weekdays. In the early 1990s, PG&E`s system planners projected a need to build a new substation in 1996 to meet the local peak electricity demand. In 1991, as part of a new distribution planning and capital investment process, PG&E launched its innovative Model Energy Community (MEC or Delta) program to test whether the inclusion of new, experimental rates and geographically-targeted cost-effective energy-efficiency measures could reduce the local peak demand and therefore defer major substation and T&D capital investment. Two new residential TOU rates were designed and implemented in PG&E`s Delta area between 1991 and 1993. This paper discusses the market assessment activities and results for these rates, ...
Westinghouse is currently conducting the pre-application licensing of the International Reactor Innovative and Secure (IRIS). One of the key aspects of the IRIS design is its safety-by-designTM philosophy and within this framework the PRA is being used as an integral part of the design process. The most ambitious risk-related goal for IRIS is to reduce the Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ) to within the exclusion area by demonstrating that the off-site doses are consistent with the US Protective Action Guidelines (PAGs) for initiation of emergency response so that the required protective actions would be limited to the exclusion area. As a first step, a model has been developed to provide a first order approximation of the Large Early Release Frequency (LERF) as a surrogate predictor of the off-site doses. A key-aspect of the LERF model development is the characterization of the possible paths of release. Four main categories have been historically ...
Fault symptoms of running gearboxes must be detected as early as possible to avoid serious accidents. Diverse advanced methods are developed for this challenging task. However, for multiwavelet transforms, the fixed basis functions independent of the input dynamic response signals will possibly reduce the accuracy of fault diagnosis. Meanwhile, for multiwavelet denoising technique, the universal threshold denoising tends to overkill important but weak features in gear fault diagnosis. To overcome the shortcoming, a novel method incorporating customized (i.e., signal-based) multiwavelet lifting schemes with sliding window denoising is proposed in this paper. On the basis of Hermite spline interpolation, various vector prediction and update operators with the desirable properties of biorthogonality, symmetry, short support and vanishing moments are constructed. The customized lifting-based multiwavelets for feature matching are chosen by the ...
Electrofuel Inc. develops, manufactures and sells a lithium ion superpolymer rechargeable battery technology. This unique and breakthrough technology provides the highest energy density and longest lasting portable power source on the market today. The company's goal is to become the leading provider of portable power for the portable computer and wireless sectors and to apply its technology to a wide range of alternative energy applications. The market for this technology is large and growing rapidly. Sales have increased from 190 million devices in 1998 to a projected 600 million in 2003. The increased sales are driven by better affordability, reduced size and functionality of the battery. This annual report highlights some of the major milestones the company achieved in 2000 which helped advance the corporate strategy and which marked its transformation from a late stage development company to an early stage commercial manufacturer. The ...
LiFePO{sub 4} cathode materials with distinct particle sizes were prepared by a planetary ball-milling method. The effects of particle size on the morphology, thermal stability and electrochemical performance of LiFePO{sub 4} cathode materials were investigated. The ball-milling method decreased particle size, thereby reducing the length of diffusion and improving the reversibility of the lithium ion intercalation/deintercalation. It is worth noting that the small particle sample prepared using malonic acid as a carbon source achieved a high capacity of 161 mAh g{sup -1} at a 0.1 C rate and had a very flat capacity curve during the early 50 cycles. However, the big particle samples ({proportional_to}400 nm) decayed more dramatically in capacity than the small particle size samples ({proportional_to}200 nm) at high current densities. The improvement in electrode performance was mainly due to the fine particles, the small size distribution, and ...
In the course of observing by means of Auger spectroscopy graphite gasification reactions catalyzed by metals, it has been found that in the presence of hydrogen, nickel appears to diffuse from the surface into the bulk of the graphite. When potassium is deposited on graphite, it is volatilized above 400/sup 0/C. Surprisingly the production of methane and carbon dioxide from the reaction of graphite and steam was catalyzed by potassium at as low a temperature as 250/sup 0/C. It has been shown that literature on the alkylation of benzene with synthesis gas is erroneous and that the products reported are due to Lewis acid catalyzed cracking of benzene. A novel cobalt mediated, reversible cleavage of a vinyl-hydrogen bond has been discovered. All products from the thermal decomposition of tetralin have been identified. The stereochemistry of cis-1, 2 dihydrotetralin was determined. In the utilization of the water gas shift reaction as a reducing agent for model coal ...
Radiation necrosis of normal CNS tissue represents one of the main risk factors of brain irradiation, occurring more frequently and earlier at higher total doses and higher doses per fraction. At present, it is believed that the necrosis results due to increasing capillary permeability caused by cytokine release leading to extracellular edema. This process is sustained by endothelial dysfunction, tissue hypoxia, and subsequent necrosis. Consequently, blocking the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) at an early stage could be an option to reduce the development of radiation necrosis by decreasing the vascular permeability. This might help to reverse the pathological mechanisms, improve the symptoms and prevent further progression. A patient with radiation-induced necrosis was treated with an anti-VEGF antibody (bevacizumab), in whom neurologic signs and symptoms improved in accordance with a decrease in T1-weighted fluid-attenuated ...
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common behavioral disorders in children. Symptoms of ADHD include hyperactivity, low frustration tolerance, impulsivity, and inattention. While the biological pathways leading to ADHD are not clearly delineated, a number of genetic and environmental risk factors for the disorder are recognized. In the early 1970s, research conducted by Dr. Benjamin Feingold found that when hyperactive children were given a diet free of artificial food additives and dyes, symptoms of hyperactivity were reduced. While some clinical studies supported these findings, more rigorous empirical studies conducted over the next 20 years were less positive. As a result, research on the role of food additives in contributing to ADHD waned. In recent years, however, interest in this area has revived. In response to more recent research and public petitions, in December 2009 the British government requested ...
The Fuel Handling(F/H) System in existing CANDU 6 nuclear power plants was designed in the early 1960`s, utilizing the technology available at that time. The design for the F/H control system has been proven to be excellent in meeting the functional requirements through more than 20 CANDU units in service or under construction. The significant advance in electrical and electronic engineering area in a few decades motivates the design changes to reduce costs for engineering, construction and operation as well as to improve performance, reliability and safety based on the latest technology. This report outlines the current design of the F/H system, especially for the F/H control system, introduces some topics in research and development projects being carried out by AECL or other institutes, and presents several potential design improvement items for the better CANDU system with brief explanation about implementation. 29 figs., 2 tabs., 27 refs. ...
Objective: To study the correlation of the bone mineral density (BMD) and the body composition components of body mass index (BMI), FAT and LEAN in Chinese obesity. Methods: There were 150 cases in obesity group diagnosed by BMI, including 75 males [ median age 46 years, mean weight (89.64 #+-# 8.33) kg] and 75 females [median age 45 years, mean weight (77.23 #+-# 6.85) kg]. There were 150 persons with normal BMI in the control group, including 75 males [(median age 47 years, mean weight (62.34 #+-# 5.72) kg] and 75 females [ median age 45 years, mean weight (50.16 #+-# 5.06) kg]. The body height and weight of 300 persons in two groups were measured respectively and ,simultaneously calculated the BMI. These data and the body composition parameters measured by the dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) in these two groups were compared and analyzed. The data obtained used two-sample t-test analysis, bi-variable correlation used Pearson linear ...
A combination of sustained release (SR) naltrexone (32mg/day) and bupropion SR (360mg/day) plus behavioral counseling was evaluated for the treatment of smoking cessation and mitigation of nicotine withdrawal and weight gain. Thirty overweight or obese nicotine-dependent subjects were enrolled in a 24-week, open-label study; 85% and 63% completed 12 and 24weeks, respectively. The target quit date was Week 4. Week 4-12 continuous abstinence rate was 48%, 78% of subjects achieved CO 10ppm, serum cotinine decreased from 185 to 48mg/L, and tobacco use decreased from 129 to 14 cigarettes/week. Similar results were seen at Week 24. Body weight was essentially unchanged (Week 12: -0.1%; Week 24: +0.4%). Except for a transient significant increase 1week after the target quit date (p<0.05), nicotin...
The liver is a primary target of growth hormone (GH). GH signals are mediated by the transcription factor signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5). Here, we focus on recent discoveries about the role of GH-STAT5 signaling in hepatic physiology and pathophysiology. We discuss roles of the GH-STAT5 axis in body growth, lipid metabolism, and the cell cycle pertaining to hepatosteatosis, fibrosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Finally, we discuss recent discoveries about the role of GH-STAT5 in sex-specific gene expression and bile acid, steroid, and drug metabolism.
Background This report describes the authors? experience with a unique endoluminal, endoscopically delivered and retrieved gastroduodenojejunal bypass sleeve, including short-term weight loss and changes in comorbidities. Methods A prospective, single-center trial was designed. The patients were morbidly obese individuals who met the National Institutes of Health criteria for bariatric surgery. The device used was a unique gastroduodenojejunal bypass sleeve secured at the esophagogastric junction with endoscopic and laparoscopic techniques and designed to create an endoluminal gastroduodenojejunal bypass. At completion of the trial, the device was explanted with endoscopic retrieval. The primary end points were safety and incidence of adverse events. The secondary outcomes included the per...
Regular physical activity (PA) decreases the risk of several chronic diseases including some cancers, type II diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease; however, the majority of US adults are not meeting the recommended levels to experience these benefits. To address this public health concern, the underlying mechanisms for behavior change need to be understood, translated and disseminated into appropriately tailored interventions. The Transtheoretical Model (TTM) provides a framework for both the conceptualization and the measurement of behavior change, as well as facilitating promotion strategies that are individualized and easily adapted. The purpose of this manuscript is to present the constructs of the TTM as they relate to PA behavior change. We begin with a brief synopsis of rec...
In early 2004, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Richland and Fluor Hanford requested technical assistance from the DOE Headquarters EM-23 Technical Assistance Program to provide a team of technical experts to develop recommendations for mending the In Situ Redox Manipulation (ISRM) Barrier in the 100-D Area of the Hanford Site in Washington State. To accommodate this request, EM-23 provided support to convene a group of technical experts from industry, a national laboratory, and a DOE site to participate in a 2 1/2-day workshop with the objective of identifying and recommending options to enhance the performance of the 100-D Area reactive barrier and of a planned extension to the northeast. This report provides written documentation of the team's findings and recommendations. In 1995, a plume of dissolved hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)], which resulted from operation of the D/DR Reactors at the Hanford site, was discovered along the Columbia River ...
Now, more than ever, there are serious health concerns for obese and overweight children. Schools are the perfect setting for children to learn, and this influence can play an important role in preventing children from becoming obese and overweight. The study concerns the behaviors of Health Promoting School (HPS) according to a broad definition of HPS in World Health Organization (WHO), or dependent on schools own health promoting policies. The purpose of study research is to examine whether promoting physical activity among the children at schools in relation to a school health policy such as Food and Nutrition Policy (FNP). This was determined through the comparisons between the FNP based schools and non policy based schools. The study undertook surveys among school food coordinators in the selected Danish primary schools through a web-based questionnaire. The questions in the survey were more focused on physical activity in internal and ...
This paper discussed the lithological characteristics of tight gas reservoirs, including the diagenetic characteristics, diagenetic environment and diagenetic sequence. The link between porosity, the sedimentary environment, lithology, diagenesis and basin tectonics was examined in order to determine how tight reservoirs were formed. The study focused on the Changbei gas field located in Yishan Slope of the Ordos Basin in China. The main pay zone reservoir is the Upper Paleozoic Lower Permian Shanxi sandstone which lies at a depth of 2700-2950 m. This low porosity, low permeability tight gas reservoir was deposited in a coal bearing acid environment which controlled the diagenesis sequence. The early carbonate cement was not well developed because the original pore water was acidic with non saturated calcium carbonate. However, compaction has significantly reduced the original pore and pore volume. The acidic environment caused large amounts of ...
In the early 1980s, AECL built a Waste Treatment Centre (WTC) for managing low-level solid and aqueous liquid wastes for converting CANDU wastes. At present, two liquid waste streams are being treated at the WTC. The liquid waste streams are volume-reduced by a combination of continuous crossflow microfiltration (MF), spiral wound reverse osmosis (SWRO) and tubular reverse osmosis (TRO) membrane technologies. The concentrate produced from the TRO system and the volume-reduced MF backwash solutions are evaporated while simultaneously adding bitumen in a thin-film evaporator. A water-free product of chemical and radiochemical salts and bitumen is removed in 200-L galvanized steel drums for storage. The radiation field of product drums on contact typically has a value of 0.5 to 3 R/h depending upon the feed concentration of radioactivity to the evaporator. The total solids content in the 200-L drum ranges from 25 to 35%. ...
A series of deletion mutants extending from -250 toward the capsite has been constructed in the early promoter region of the adenovirus 2 EIIa gene and tested both in vitro, and in vivo after transfection...Full Text Available
Sunbed use is associated with increased risk of melanoma. Younger people might be more susceptible to the carcinogenic effects of ultraviolet radiation. We investigated the association between...Full Text Available
The changes in protein species synthesized during early Drosophila embryogenesis were characterized by two-dimensional electrophoresis. Of the 261 proteins scored, 68 (26%) show dramatic changes in...Full Text Available
AbstractStudies performed to identify early events of ovarian cancer and to establish molecular markers to support early detection and development of chemopreventive regimens have been...Full Text Available
Purpose.To estimate the prevalence of early and late age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in India.Methods.Of 7518 people aged 60 years and older...Full Text Available
Cognitive rehabilitation is an effective intervention for addressing cognitive impairments in patients with schizophrenia. Previous research has shown that the early application of Cognitive...Full Text Available
The origin of myofibroblasts or myofibroblastic cells in the desmoplastic stroma associated with carcinoma invasion has been controversial. In the early invasive area of a rectal adenocarcinoma reported...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe precise mechanisms involved in the initiation and progression of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are not known. Early stages of RA often have non-specific symptoms, delaying...Full Text Available
Early detection of precancerous tissue has significantly improved survival of most cancers including colorectal cancer (CRC). Animal models designed to study the early stages of cancer are valuable...Full Text Available
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an established endoscopic technique for ablating Barrett’s esophagus with high-grade dysplasia or early-stage intraepithelial neoplasia. The most common clinically...Full Text Available
The long-term impact of early stress on behavior and emotions is well documented in humans, and can be modeled in experimental animals. In mice, maternal separation during early postnatal development...Full Text Available
BackgroundPeak bone mass, attained by early adulthood, is influenced by genetic and life-style factors. Early infant feeding and duration of breastfeeding in particular, associate...Full Text Available
SUMMARYDendritic cells (DCs) in mucosal surfaces are early targets for human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1). DCs mount rapid and robust immune responses upon pathogen encounter....Full Text Available
In both humans and songbirds, infants learn vocalizations by imitating the sounds of adult tutors with whom they interact during an early sensitive period. Vocal learning occurs in few animal taxa;...Full Text Available
BackgroundOne-stage implant placement has clinically acceptable treatment outcomes. Among other advantages, it may allow investigation of early wound healing. The...Full Text Available
Higher plants use photoperiodic cues to regulate many aspects of development, including the transition from vegetative to floral development. The EARLY FLOWERING3 (ELF3)...Full Text Available
Instantaneous cross sectional flow velocity profiles from early mitral flow in 10 healthy men were constructed by time interpolation of the velocity data from each point in sequentially delayed two...Full Text Available
Early simian virus 40-specific mRNA was isolated from lytically infected and stably transformed cells and analyzed with respect to the 5'-terminal cap content. An analogous diversity of capped structures...Full Text Available
Maintenance of power stations so far operated on the concept of using or extending the expected service life of a machine or plant as far as possible in order to avoid early and costly replacement. This was done by means of time-oriented maintenance, inspection and repair, otherwise called preventive maintenance. A European study on maintenance methods totals the cost of these measures at between 140 to 200 billion DM. One way of reducing these costs is 'predictive maintenance'. Estimated savings are about 8 percent or between 12 and 16 billion DM per year. Predictive maintenance identifies irregulaties of machine parts at an early point in time by means of condition monitoring and can help to cut costs: unplanned repairs can be avoided; repairs can be fitted into production schedules; production will not be disturbed to to unforeseen repairs, optimised spare part warehousing helps to cut costs. Predictive ...
Mission losses were incurred by an early warning satellite and a Milstar-2 communications satellite when their launch vehicles malfunctioned, the first, ...
Purpose of reviewTo summarize recent advances in the classification of preradiographic axial spondyloarthritis (SpA).Recent findingsFull Text Available
...and welcome to ...lab also known as berkeley lab my name is jeff miller and ...and a public affairs i'd like to ? ...but space is science center and ...berkeley albany high school science department and berkeley high school science department and oakland high school science ...be a q. and ...here please use and because we wanna make sure that your questions are here ...heard of also for the latest developments on science and technology ...guy we're going to be any more and more new features i hope ...and change ...thank you ? much and thank you for coming on the welcome to my world of and mayotte science journalist and what i've done for the last almost thirty years ...people about things about which there passionate and national religion tonight and ...people to explain the science and and i asking the question so what ...and ...worldwide and what it does best ? uh ...bench science and turn it into reality what do you scientists and ...uh they take scientific theory and they turn ...
As a condition of accession into the European Union (EU), Lithuania is committed to the closure and decommissioning of Ignalina NPP comprising two RBMK-1500 reactor units (Fig. 1). It was agreed in a special protocol to the Accession Treaty that, in return for adequate EU financial assistance, Unit 1 would be closed before 2005 and Unit 2 by the end of 2009. The first unit was duly shut down on December 31, 2004. Lithuania, which has borders with Russia (Kaliningrad territory), Poland, Latvia and Belarus, spent fifty years as part of the Soviet Union and was deeply integrated into its economy and electrical infrastructure. At the break-up of the USSR, Lithuania inherited electricity generating capacity designed to supply the north-west region including ownership of Ignalina NPP located in the north-east of the country. Ignalina NPP Unit 1 was commissioned in 1983, Unit 2 in 1987; the planned lifespan of each unit was 30 years. Construction of a third unit was started but never ...
The last decade has produced an explosion in neuroscience research examining young children's early processing of language that has implications for education. Noninvasive, safe functional brain measurements have now been proven feasible for use with children starting at birth. In the arena of language, the neural signatures of learning can be documented at a remarkably early point in development, and these early measures predict performance in children's language and pre-reading abilities in the second, third, and fifth year of life, a finding with theoretical and educational import. There is evidence that children's early mastery of language requires learning in a social context, and this finding also has important implications for education. Evidence relating socioeconomic status (SES) ...
This study reports the outcome of real-time ultrasonographic screening tests of a healthy population. The study group consisted of 33 female teachers who were found to have asymptomatic gallstone disease. All cases were followed up to determine the incidence of biliary colic or complications. After a 38-month period of follow-up, seven subjects (21.2%) developed either biliary colic or complication. Study results revealed that the 38-month cumulative probability of the development of biliary colic or complication was 36%. Data shown that development of biliary colic or complications was positively associated with obesity, but no assocition was found with age, number of activities, or duration of contraceptive pill-taking. Having such a high percentage of subjects who developed biliary colic or complications within a relatively short period of time suggests that the silent gallstone is not innocent. PMID:17372404
Objective Comorbidities predisposing cardiac surgical patients toward deep sternal wound infection, such as diabetes and obesity, are rising in the United States. Longitudinal analysis of risk factors, morbidity, and mortality was performed to assessed effects of these health trends on deep sternal wound infection rates. Methods In this retrospective analysis of all median sternotomies performed at a single institution from 1991 through 2006, demographic and surgical characteristics were identified from a prospective database. The cohort was separated into periods from 1992 through 2001 and 2002 through 2006 to identify longitudinal trends in risk factors for deep sternal wound infection. Univariate and matched multivariable analyses were performed. Results Overall, study population had in...
A wide variety of phytochemicals present in our diet, including fruits, vegetables, and spices, have been shown to possess a broad range of health-beneficial properties. The cytoprotective and restorative effects of dietary phytochemicals are likely to result from the modulation of several distinct cellular signal transduction pathways. Many dietary phytochemicals that are synthesized as secondary metabolites function as toxins, that is, -phytoalexins,- and hence protect plants against insects and other damaging organisms and stresses. However, at the relatively low doses consumed by humans and other mammals, these same toxic plant-derived chemicals, as mild stressors, activate adaptive cellular response signaling, conferring stress resistance and other health benefits. This phenomenon has...
Kundur [Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn.], a member of the family Cucurbitaceae, is one of the famous crops that are grown primarily for its fruits and usually recognized with its nutritional and medicinal properties especially in Asian countries. Kundur fruit has been valued as a nutritious vegetable as it provides a good source for natural sugars, amino acids, organic acids, mineral elements and vitamins. A number of medicinal properties such as anti-diarrheal, anti-obesity, anti-ulcer, and antioxidant and diuretic have been ascribed to this fruit of high economic value. As a rich source of functionally important bioactives and therapeutics such as triterpenes, phenolics, sterols, and glycosides, the fruit has been widely used for the treatment of epilepsy, ulcer, and other nervous disor...
Keratinocyte growth factor receptor (KGFR) and fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) 2c share identical amino acid sequences, except for a 46-amino acid domain in the extracellular region. Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) specific to KGFR have not been reported nor are commercially available. In this study, we generated murine MAbs specific to KGFR in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice using a modified Repeated Immunizations at Multiple Sites (RIMMS) technology. Stable cell lines expressing the full-length human KGFR or FGFR2c were produced to facilitate the identification of KGFR-specific MAbs. Following the initial screening of hybridoma clones with a fluorescence-based, confocal cell detection method and ELISA, KGFR-specific MAbs were selected and confirmed by flow cytometry and Western blot ...
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...
Full text: As one of the Top 5 utilities in Europe, Rheinisch-Westfaelisches Elektrizitaetswerk AG, FWB: RW, RWE, operates a diversified generating capacity of about 45 GW; RWE Power alone generates over 30 GW. Besides a share of approximately 20% nuclear power, a large proportion of the generating base is in lignite and hard coal. RWE has an ambitious, Euro10 bn newbuild program of about 10 GW modern fossil fired plants and further expansion plans across Europe. By 2012, RWE intends to invest between Euro 15 and 20 bn outside Germany.The European Union has a challenging policy to increase the share of renewables, improve energy efficiency, and reduce greenhouse gases by 2020. At the same time, ageing power plants need to be replaced. This requires an enormous investment program across Europe. Nuclear power therefore, as a proven technology with low lifecycle carbon emissions and reasonable lifecycle cost, is a crucial contributor to achieve Europe's 2020 goals. ...
This report describes modelling where the hydrological modelling system MIKE SHE has been used to describe surface hydrology, near-surface hydrogeology, advective transport mechanisms, and the contact between groundwater and surface water within the SKB site investigation area at Laxemar. In the MIKE SHE system, surface water flow is described with the one-dimensional modelling tool MIKE 11, which is fully and dynamically integrated with the groundwater flow module in MIKE SHE. In early 2008, a supplementary data set will be available and a process of updating, rebuilding and calibrating the MIKE SHE model based on this data set will start. Before the calibration on the new data begins, it is important to gather as much knowledge as possible on calibration methods, and to identify critical calibration parameters and areas within the model that require special attention. In this project, the MIKE SHE model has been further developed. The model area has been ...
These studies were undertaken to assess the effects of increased galactose (v increased glucose) metabolism via the polyol pathway on vascular filtration function in the kidneys, eyes, nerves, and aorta. Quantitative radiolabeled tracer techniques were used to assess glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and regional tissue vascular clearance of plasma 131I-bovine serum albumin (BSA) in five groups of male Sprague-Dawley rats: nondiabetic controls, streptozotocin-diabetic rats, nondiabetic rats fed a 50% galactose diet, diabetic rats treated with sorbinil (an aldose reductase inhibitor), and galactose-fed rats treated with sorbinil. Sorbinil was added to the diet to provide a daily dose of approximately .2 mmol/kg body weight. After 2 months of diabetes or galactose ingestion, albumin clearance was increased twofold to fourfold in the eye (anterior uvea, choroid, and retina), sciatic nerve, aorta, and kidney; GFR was increased approximately twofold and urinary excretion of endogenous ...
Feline heartworm disease is a very different clinical entity from canine heartworm disease. In cats, the arrival and death of immature heartworms in the pulmonary arteries can cause coughing and dyspnea as early as 3 months postinfection. Adult heartworms suppress the function of pulmonary intravascular macrophages and thus reduce clinical disease in chronic feline heartworm infection. Approximately 80% of asymptomatic cats self-cure. Median survival time for symptomatic cats is 1.5 years, or 4 years if only cats living beyond the day of presentation are considered. Aberrant worm migration is more frequent than it is in dogs, and sudden death can occur with no prior clinical signs. The bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia likely contributes to the inflammatory pathology of heartworm disease, but its role is not yet fully clear. Unfortunately, the diagnosis, treatment, and management of feline heartworm disease are far from simple. Antemortem ...
This is the Fiscal Year 1995 Annual Report for the Advanced Manufacturing Science and Technology (AMST) sector of Los Alamos Tactical Goal 6, Industrial Partnering. During this past fiscal year, the AMST project leader formed a committee whose members represented the divisions and program offices with a manufacturing interest to examine the Laboratory`s expertise and needs in manufacturing. From a list of about two hundred interest areas, the committee selected nineteen of the most pressing needs for weapon manufacturing. Based upon Los Alamos mission requirements and the needs of the weapon manufacturing (Advanced Design and Production Technologies (ADaPT)) program plan and the other tactical goals, the committee selected four of the nineteen areas for strategic planning and possible industrial partnering. The areas selected were Casting Technology, Constitutive Modeling, Non-Destructive Testing and Evaluation, and Polymer Aging and Lifetime Prediction. For each area, the AMST ...
This talk will summarize key features of three conceptual fusion neutron test facilities designed in the early 1980s: TASKA,^1 TDF,^2 and TASKA-M.^3 Motivated by the accessibility and maintainability of cylindrical geometry, these magnetic-mirror designs possess a simple central cell, as in a fusion neutron test facility based on the gas dynamic trap (GDT).^4 The TASKA-M design, like today's GDT designs, included the injection of neutral beams into the central cell to create a sloshing-ion distribution that gives density peaks near the materials test modules. In TASKA and TDF, the minimum-B end-cell designs contained thermal barriers, regions of low electrostatic potential to reduce electron flow between central cell and end cells. Thermal barriers improve performance but require more complicated input power systems, and their physics basis is less well established than that of simple mirrors. For TASKA-M, a more conservative design, minimum-B ...
The environmental management infrastructure that has evolved in the United States over the last 25 years or so, since {open_quotes}the environment{close_quotes} burst into the national consciousness with events like Love Canal and Earth Day in the early 1970s. Increasingly, U.S. businesses must successfully compete with those of other nations to survive. Organizational re-engineering, cycle-time management, concurrent engineering, and lean manufacturing are just a few examples of corporate efforts to become better global competitors. U.S. environmental management systems, with their various inefficiencies, can hardly be excluded from these improvement initiatives. Businesses must find ways to reduce or control their environmental costs and, where possible, find ways that {open_quotes}environment{close_quotes} can add positive value to their goods and services. Secondly, although considerable progress has been made in some areas, such as the ...
Exposure to crystalline silica dust causes multiple diseases, but silicosis and silica dust-associated tuberculosis (TB), in particular, are the two diseases that remain high on the list of occupational health priorities in low-income countries and that still occur in some high-income countries. The prevalence of silica-related TB is exacerbated by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic in low-income countries. This review describes the morphology of silica and the variable potency of the different forms. Sources of crystalline silica are discussed, with emphasis on less commonly recognised sources, such as small-scale mining operations and agriculture. Trends in the prevalence of silicosis are also presented. Although efforts have been made for many years in most countries to reduce silica dust levels, silicosis continues to occur even in young people. The clinical and pathological features and diagnosis of silicosis, with emphasis on chest radiography, ...
The US DOE manages the safe storage of approximately 650,000 tons of depleted uranium hexafluoride remaining from the Cold War. This slightly radioactive, but chemically active, material is contained in more than 46,000 steel storage cylinders that are located at Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Paducah, Kentucky; and Portsmouth, Ohio. Some of the cylinders are more than 40 years old, and approximately 17,500 are considered problem cylinders because their physical integrity is questionable. These cylinders require an annual visual inspection. The remainder of the 46,000-plus cylinders must be visually inspected every four years. Currently, the cylinder inspection program is extremely labor intensive. Because these inspections are accomplished visually, they may not be effective in the early detection of leaking cylinders. The inspection program requires approximately 12--14 full-time-equivalent (FTE) employees. At the cost of approximately $125K per FTE, this translates to ...
This document is the combined Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Report for the Lower Watts Bar Reservoir (LWBR) Operable Unit (OU). The LWBR is located in Roane, Rhea, and Meigs counties, Tennessee, and consists of Watts Bar Reservoir downstream of the Clinch River. This area has received hazardous substances released over a period of 50 years from the U.S. Department of Energy`s Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), a National Priority List site established under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). As required by this law, the ORR and all off-site areas that have received containments, including LWBR, must be investigated to determine the risk to human health and the environment resulting from these releases, the need for any remedial action to reduce these risks, and the remedial actions that are most feasible for implementation in this OU. Contaminants from the ORR are primarily transported to the LWBR via the ...
Purpose: Reconstruction of radiation doses for the thoracoabdominal babygram and the abdomen X-ray from radiographic settings and exposure data acquired at Dr. von Hauner's Kinderspital (children's hospital of the University of Munich, DvHK) between 1976 and 2007; comparison of these dose values with values reported in the literature; recommendation of a reference dose value for the thoracoabdominal babygram. Materials and Methods: The data from all X-ray examinations performed since 1976 at DvHK were stored electronically in a database. After 30 years of data collection, the database now includes 305 107 radiological examinations (radiographs and fluoroscopies), especially 1493 thoracoabdominal babygrams and 3632 abdomen X-rays of newborns and young infants. With the computer program PAeDOS, a specific dose reconstruction algorithm was developed. Results: the entrance dose values of thoracoabdominal babygrams and abdomen X-rays in DvHK could be ...
Purpose: Reconstruction of radiation doses for the thoracoabdominal babygram and the abdomen X-ray from radiographic settings and exposure data acquired at Dr. von Hauner's Kinderspital (children's hospital of the University of Munich, DvHK) between 1976 and 2007; comparison of these dose values with values reported in the literature; recommendation of a reference dose value for the thoracoabdominal babygram. Materials and Methods: The data from all X-ray examinations performed since 1976 at DvHK were stored electronically in a database. After 30 years of data collection, the database now includes 305 107 radiological examinations (radiographs and fluoroscopies), especially 1493 thoracoabdominal babygrams and 3632 abdomen X-rays of newborns and young infants. With the computer program PAeDOS, a specific dose reconstruction algorithm was developed. Results: the entrance dose values of thoracoabdominal babygrams and abdomen X-rays in DvHK could be reduced in the last ...
In world crude oil markets, 1987 was a year of limited recovery and relative stability after the dramatic price slide of early 1986. Both foreign and domestic crude thereafter, ending the year somewhat higher than a year ago. In contrast, product wholesale markets remained relatively stable throughout the year, while retail prices sustained a fairly steady increase. As has been the case for over a decade, major price movements in international oil markets generally reflected responses to actual or perceived changes in the policies of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and/or its members. The year began with prices on an upward trend, in reaction to the December 1986 OPEC meeting in which the members resolved to return to an official pricing structure (a departure from the market-based pricing of 1986), and to reduce output quotas. Prices continued to rise until August, when evidence of continued OPEC overproduction ...
Monitoring nuclear plants components enable to save on operation and maintenance costs by reducing incidents gravity and casual plant stoppages thank to early detection and fast diagnosis. Improving the knowledge of the behaviour of the plant will also allow to optimize maintenance and to increase plant life. In order to improve monitoring and diagnosis capabilities in nuclear power plants. Electricite de France (EDF) is extending the existing data processing chains towards automatic aided interpretation and diagnosis. Therefore, EDF has designed an integrated monitoring and diagnosis assistance system: PSAD-Poste de Surveillance et d'Aide au Diagnostic, including several monitoring functions of the main components. It integrates on-line monitoring, off-line diagnosis and knowledge based systems. PSAD stations provide homogeneous aids to diagnosis which enable plant personnel to pinpoint the mechanical behaviour of plant equipment. The ...
The chemical composition and evolution of produced waters associated with gas production in the Palm Valley gas field, Northern Territory, has important implications for issues such as gas reserve calculations, reservoir management and saline water disposal. The occurrence of saline formation water in the Palm Valley field has been the subject of considerable debate. There were no occurrences of mobile water early in the development of the field and only after gas production had reduced the reservoir pressure, was saline formation water produced. Initially this was in small quantities but has increased dramatically with time, particularly after the initiation of compression in November 1996. The produced waters range from highly saline (up to 300,000 mg/L TDS), with unusual enrichments in Ca, Ba and Sr, to low salinity fluids that may represent condensate waters. The Sr isotopic compositions of the waters ({sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr = 0.7041-0.7172) ...
The chemical composition and evolution of produced waters associated with gas production in the Palm Valley gas field, Northern Territory, has important implications for issues such as gas reserve calculations, reservoir management and saline water disposal. The occurrence of saline formation water in the Palm Valley field has been the subject of considerable debate. There were no occurrences of mobile water early in the development of the field and only after gas production had reduced the reservoir pressure, was saline formation water produced. Initially this was in small quantities but has increased dramatically with time, particularly after the initiation of compression in November 1996. The produced waters range from highly saline (up to 300,000 mg/L TDS), with unusual enrichments in Ca, Ba and Sr, to low salinity fluids that may represent condensate waters. The Sr isotopic compositions of the waters ("8"7Sr/"8"6Sr = 0.7041-0.7172) are ...
A non-invasive diagnostic tool that could identify malignancy in situ and in real time would have a major impact on the detection and treatment of cancer. We have developed and are testing early prototypes of an optical biopsy system (OBS) for detection of cancer and other tissue pathologies. The OBS invokes a unique approach to optical diagnosis of tissue pathologies based on the elastic scattering properties, over a wide range of wavelengths, of the microscopic structure of the tissue. The use of elastic scattering as the key to optical tissue diagnostics in the OBS is based on the fact that many tissue pathologies, including a majority of cancer forms, manifest significant architectural changes at the cellular and sub-cellular level. Since the cellular components that cause elastic scattering have dimensions typically on the order of visible to near-IR wavelengths, the elastic (Mie) scattering properties will be strongly wavelength dependent. Thus, morphology ...
Field studies were conducted May 28-June 1, 1979, to determine the chemical composition and physical behavior of discharges from an offshore gas drilling rig in the central basin of Lake Erie. The drilling operation was observed for four days, from rig jackup to the circulation of mud through the borehole after drilling had been completed. Resuspension studies using nephelometry, supplemented with chemical analyses, indicated little resuspension of lake bottom materials or release of metals to the water column during rig jack-up. Portions of the turbidity plumes generated during drilling were buoyant. Three surface turbidity plumes were mapped with nephelometry to a point at which particulate concentrations reached background levels in the Lake. Detectable plumes were approx. 400 to 1500 m in length and had maximum widths < 230 m. A chemical survey conducted in the plume during early gas shows indicated that discharged inorganic chemical species were rapidly ...
A gene designated BRCA1, implicated in the susceptibility to early-onset familial breast cancer, has recently been localized to chromosome 17q12-q21. To date, the order of DNA markers mapped within this region has been based on genetic linkage analysis. The authors report the use of multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization to establish a physically based map of five polymorphic DNA markers and 10 cloned genes spanning this region. Three cosmid clones and Alu-PCR-Generated products derived from 12 yeast artificial chromosome clones representing each of these markers were used in two-color mapping experiments to determine an initial proximity of markers relative to each other on metaphase chromosomes. Interphase mapping was then employed to determine the order and orientation of closely spaced loci by direct visualization of fluorescent signals following hybridization of three probes, each detected in a different color. Statistical analysis of the combined data ...
Previous investigations have shown that both the early biological response and the mechanical properties of a porous hydroxyapatite bone graft substitute are highly sensitive to its pore structure. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the pore structure continued to influence bone integration in the medium to long term. Two screened batches of porous hydroxyapatite (PHA) designated as batch A and batch B, with porosities of approximately 60 and 80%, respectively, were selected for this study and implanted for periods of 5, 13, and 26 weeks into the lower femur of New Zealand White rabbits. Histomorphometric analysis of the absolute volume of bone ingrowth within batch A and B implants from 5 to 26 weeks showed that the absolute volume of bone ingrowth was consistently lower in batch A (10-21%), compared to batch B implants (24-31%). However, when the volume of bone ingrowth was normalised for the available pore space, this difference was ...
Early white matter (WM) injury affects brain maturation in preterm infants as revealed by diffusion tensor imaging and volumetric magnetic resonance (MR) imaging at term postmenstrual age (PMA). The aim of the study was to assess quantitatively brain maturation in preterm infants with and without milder forms of WM damage (punctate WM lesions, PWML) using conventional MRI. Brain development was quantitatively assessed using a previously validated scoring system (total maturation score, TMS) which utilizes four parameters (progressive myelination and cortical infolding, progressive involution of glial cell migration bands and germinal matrix tissue). PWML were defined as foci of increased signal on T1-weighted images and decreased signal on T2-weighted images with no evidence of cystic degeneration. A group of 22 preterm infants with PWML at term PMA (PWML group) were compared with 22 matched controls with a normal MR appearance. The two groups were comparable ...
A comprehensive understanding of dopant activation mechanisms in crystalline Si is required in order to form shallow junctions. In this paper, we will review several experimental assessments on boron clustering and novel methods to form shallow junctions. Boron marker-layer structures have been used to investigate the fundamental aspects of formation and ripening boron-interstitial clusters (BICs) and their influence on the associated transient enhanced diffusion (TED). The samples were damaged by Si implants at different doses in the sub-amorphizing range and annealed at high temperatures. We found that BICs act as a sink for interstitials at supersaturations values S(t)>10{sup 4}. This implies that silicon self-interstitial defects are the primary source of interstitials driving TED, and that BICs act as a secondary 'buffer' for the interstitial supersaturation. These clusters are less sensitive to the ripening process than pure interstitial clusters do, so ...
Abstract High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), a damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) molecules, favors tissue regeneration via recruitment and activation of leukocytes and stem cells. Here we demonstrate, in a model of acute sterile muscle injury, that regeneration is accompanied by active reactive oxygen species (ROS) production counterbalanced and overcome by the generation of antioxidant moieties. Mitochondria are initially responsible for ROS formation. However, they undergo rapid disruption with almost complete disappearance. Twenty-four hours after injury, we observed a strong induction of MURF1 and atrogin-1 ubiquitin ligases, key signals in activation of the proteasome system and induction of muscle atrophy. At later time points, ROS generation is maintained by nonmitochondrial sources. The antioxidant response occurs in both regenerating fibers and leukocytes that express high levels of free thiols and antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) and ...
The Externally-Fired Combined Cycle (EFCC) is an attractive emerging technology for powering high efficiency combined gas and steam turbine cycles with coal or other ash bearing fuels. In the EFCC, the heat input to a gas turbine is supplied indirectly through a ceramic air heater. The air heater, along with an atmospheric coal combustor and ancillary equipment, replaces the conventional gas turbine combustor. A steam generator located downstream from the ceramic air heater and steam turbine cycle, along with an exhaust cleanup system, completes the combined cycle. A key element of the EFCC Development Program, the 25 MMBtu/h heat-input Kennebunk Test Facility (KTF), has recently begun operation. The KTF has been operating with natural gas and will begin operating with coal in early 1995. The US Department of Energy selected an EFCC repowering of the Pennsylvania Electric Company`s Warren Station for funding under the Clean Coal Technology Program Round V. The ...
A study of mine-waste contamination effects on Methow River habitat on the eastern slopes of the north Cascade Mountains in Washington state, U.S.A., revealed impacts at ecosystem, community, population, individual, tissue, and cellular levels. Ore deposits in the area were mined for gold, silver, copper and zinc until the early 1950's, but the mines are now inactive. An above-and-below-mine approach was used to compare potentially impacted to control sites. The concentrations of eleven trace elements (i.e., Al, As, B, Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb, Se, and Zn) in Methow River sediments downstream from the abandoned mine sites were higher than background levels. Exposed trout and caddisfly larvae in the Methow River showed reduced growth compared to controls. Samples of liver from juvenile trout and small intestine from exposed caddisfly larvae were examined for evidence of metal accumulation, cytopathological change, and chemical toxicity. ...
In order to gain an overall picture of the genetic effects of an increased level of background radiation it is necessary to study the results of protracted exposures to embryonic and immature germ-cell stages as well as to stages found in the mature organism. For this purpose, litters produced by female mice, kept in a 10 or 20 rad/day /sup 60/Co ..gamma..-irradiation field, were kept in the same fields from conception until about 60 days later, having absorbed doses of 526 and 1078 rad respectively. Tests on exposed female offspring showed them to be sterile. Eight weeks after removal from the gamma field, mean testis masses of males in the 20 rad/day series were only half normal but those receiving 10 rad/day were little affected. Frequencies of translocations in spermatocytes at diakinesis/metaphase I were only slightly increased in the exposed series, differences not being significant. Estimated rates of translocation induction were around 5 x 10sup(-6) per rad, about one-third of ...
The mixture of 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) and chloropicrin (CP) is used as a preplant soil fumigant. In comparison with individual fumigants, application of a mixture may affect the environmental dissipation and fate of each chemical, such as emission and degradation. We investigated the degradation of CP, 1,3-D, and their mixture in fresh soils and sterile soils, and evaluated the competitive characteristic of fumigants in the mixture. The degradation of low concentrations of CP in fresh soil was accelerated at early times in the presence of 1,3-D, whereas the addition of CP reduced the degradation rate of trans-1,3-D, possibly by inhibiting the activity of trans-1,3-D degrading microorganisms. The potential of applying amendments to the soil to increase the rate of CP and 1,3-D degradation was also illustrated. The degradation of both fumigants was significantly enhanced in soils amended with ammonium thiosulfate (ATS) and sodium ...
Since the first operation of nuclear steam generator early 1960s, its performance requirements have been met but the steam generator problems have been met but the steam generator problems have been major cause of reducing the operational reliability, plant safety and availability. U-tube assembly of steam generator forms the primary system pressure boundary of the plant and have experienced several types of tube degradation problems. Tube failure and leakage resulting from the degradation will cause radioactive contamination of secondary system by the primary coolant, and this may lead to unplanned plant outages and costly repair operations such as tube plugging or steam generator replacement. For the case of steam generators for heavy water reactors, e.g. Wolsong 2, 3, and 4 NPP, a high cost of heavy water will be imposed additionally. During the plant operation, steam generator tubes can potentially be subject to adverse environmental ...
A new opportunity to improve the safety and efficiency of environmental restoration operations, using robotics has emerged from advances in industry, academia, and government labs. Self-Guided Vehicles (SGV`s) have recently been developed in industry and early systems have already demonstrated much, though not all, of the functionality necessary to support driverless transportation of waste within and between processing facilities. Improved materials databases are being developed by at least two DOE remediation sites, the Fernald Environmental Management Project (FEME) in the State of Ohio and the Hanford Complex in the State of Washington. SGV`s can be developed that take advantage of the information in these databases and yield improved dispatch, waste tracking, report and shipment documentation. In addition, they will reduce the radiation hazard to workers and the risk of damaging containers through accidental collision. In this document, ...
The chromosomal region 17q12-q21 contains a gene (BRCA1) conferring susceptibility to early-onset familial breast and ovarian cancer. An 8000-rad radiation-reduced hybrid (RH) panel was constructed to provide a resource for long-range mapping of this region. A large fraction of the hybrids ([approximately]90%) retained detectable human chromosome 17 sequences. The complete panel of 76 hybrids was scored for the presence or absence of 22 markers from this chromosomal region, including 14 cloned genes, seven microsatellite repeats, and one anonymous DNA segment. Statistical analysis of the marker retention data employing multipoint methods provided both comprehensive and framework maps of this chromosomal region, including distance estimates between adjacent markers. The comprehensive RH map includes 17 loci and spans 179 cRays[sub (8000)]. Likelihood ratios of at least 1000:1 support the 10-locus framework order: cen-D17S250-ERBB2-(THRA1, ...
Computed Tomography (CT) and, more recently, ultrasound (US), have proved excellent tools for quantifying adipose tissue distribution. Body fat distribution is an important factor in the treatment of obesity and its complications. In this work it is investigated the correlation between CT and US measurements in pediatric obesity. Forty obese children and adolescents aged 4.1-14.8 years were submitted to CT and US. Intra-abdominal, subcutaneous and total body fat were calculated (in cm{sup 2}), with the CT image analysis software. The rectus muscle-spine and rectus muscle-aorta distances, as indicative of visceral fat thickness, were measured on US images with(out) compression. The distance between skin fat and fat-rectus muscle interfaces was measured as subcutaneous fat thickness. US-CT findings have been compared with other morphometric variables-i.e., patient's (ideal) body weight and skin fold measures. A ...
As both computer and mobile phone reach nearly ubiquity in the U.S. market, the slow uptake of mobile video, in contrast to the thriving usage of PC-based video, warrants a deeper understanding of user-oriented factors contributing to the two diffusion paths. Unlike the majority of existing diffusion research practices, the dissertation examines the differences between mobile and PC video diffusion patterns through the lenses of user-oriented influences in the user-technology relationship. Built upon the established adoption user group classification, the research is informed by the Uses and Gratification theory, the Social Technical theory, and the Technical Affordance perspective. These synergistic theoretical arguments share the recognition of the role of user in the dynamic, usually socially intertwined user-technology interactions. The key research questions that the dissertation sets out to answer include: Does the importance of quality of viewing experience in adoption ...
integrates multiple fisheries information systems to obtain a view of U.S. freshwater fish distribution. Information about NFDI National Framework for Early Detection, Rapid...
Mission losses were incurred by an early warning satellite and a Milstar-2 communications satellite when their launch vehicles malfunctioned, the first, ...
The immediate early gene Arc is emerging as a versatile, finely tuned system capable of coupling changes in neuronal activity patterns to synaptic plasticity, thereby optimizing information...Full Text Available
4) Expand to include client-server interaction (small-scale archive interactions with the goal of evaluating information management capabilities) -- Early ...
instrument is shown in Figure 4-9 The incoming radiation is focused onto ...... An early rocket-borne ultraviolet spectrometer of the Ebert type by ...
The early and precise diagnosis, the prognosis, and the clinical management of multiple sclerosis, remain a considerable challenge. In recent years, the development of novel and powerful proteomic...Full Text Available
This paper reviews the historical aspects of nuclear physics. The scientific aspects of the early transuranium elements are discussed and arms control measures are reviewed. 11 refs., 14 figs. (LSP)
in early 1992 from Lord Corporation, were also found. For both the reflective and absorptive polyurethanes, the fresh paint fluoresces significantly ...
Weaning of beef calves is usually done abruptly and early compared to the natural weaning of the species, and is associated with simultaneous exposure of calves to a range of social and environmental...Full Text Available
Models can be useful at many different levels when considering complex issues such as biological control of mosquitoes. At an early stage, exploratory models are valuable in exploring the characteristics...Full Text Available
Background and AimsIt is well known that genome size differs among species. However, information on the variation and dynamics of genome size in wild populations and on the early...Full Text Available
Two-way communication between the conceptus and the mother during early pregnancy is essential if the pregnancy is to survive. In this review, our primary focus is on biochemical communication...Full Text Available
We propose an approach to achieving early recognition of gesture patterns. Early recognition is a method for recognizing sequential patterns at their earliest stage. Therefore, in the case of gesture recognition, we can get a recognition result for human gestures before the gestures are finished. The most difficult problem in early recognition is knowing when the system has determined the result. Most traditional approaches suffer from this problem, since gestures are often ambiguous. At the start of a gesture, in particular, it is very difficult to determinate the recognition result since insufficient input data have been observed. Therefore, we have improved on the traditional approach by using a self-organizing map.
The purpose of this report is to provide management with performance data on key performance indicators selected from the FFTF Early Warning System performance indicators.
rotor flow field in which the main rotor operates. The majority of ..... early separation predicted by their CFD code was ...... Airfoil, AGARD Fluid Dynamics Panel ...
A growing number of environmental toxicants found in pesticides, herbicides, and industrial solvents are believed to have deleterious effects on development by disrupting hormone-sensitive processes....Full Text Available
Specialized olfactory lobe glomeruli relating to sexual or caste differences have been observed in at least five orders of insects, suggesting an early appearance of this trait in insect evolution....Full Text Available
PurposeEarly detection of appendicitis has increased due to development of computed tomography and ultrasonography, yet we are frequently meeting complicated appendicitis, including...Full Text Available
BackgroundAutofluorescence bronchoscopy is more sensitive than conventional bronchoscopy for detecting early airway mucosal lesions. Decreased specificity can lead...Full Text Available
Documents an early American industrial process of making blast furnace coke using techniques and equipment from the 19th century. Photographed at Bretz, WV.
Mutations in the Drosophila gene drop-dead (drd) result in early adult lethality and neurodegeneration, but the molecular identity of the drd...Full Text Available
Experience gained with a wide variety of missile injuries of the brain is presented. Clinical signs and intracranial pressure (ICP) studied in the early post-injury period have been correlated with...Full Text Available
Following a brief overview of the terrestrial distribution of boron in rocks, soil, and water, the history of the discovery, early utilization, and geologic origin of borate minerals is summarized....Full Text Available
One mitigation goal of the Hungry Horse Dam fisheries mitigation program, funded by the Bonneville Power Administration, is to replace lost production of 100,000 adult kokanee in Flathead Lake. The mitigation program calls for a five-year test to determine if kokanee can be reestablished in Flathead Lake. The test consists. of annual stocking of one million hatchery-raised yearling kokanee. There are three benchmarks for judging the success of the kokanee reintroduction effort: (1) Post-stocking survival of 30 percent of planted kokanee one year after stocking; (2) Yearling to adult survival of 10 percent (100,000 adult salmon); (3) Annual kokanee harvest of 50,000 or more fish per year by 1998, with an average length of 11 inches or longer for harvested fish, and fishing pressure of 100,000 angler hours or more. Kokanee were the primary sport fish species in the Flathead Lake fishery in the early 1900s, and up until the late 1980s when the population rapidly ...
The 5'-terminal structures of human adenovirus type 2 (Ad2) early region 2 (E2) mRNA were investigated. The E2 transcription unit has several interesting properties, including the presence of a TATA-like...Full Text Available
Epulopiscium sp. type B is an enormous intestinal symbiont of the surgeonfish Naso tonganus. Intracellular offspring production in Epulopiscium shares features with endospore formation. Here, we characterize the spoIIE homolog in Epulopiscium. The timing of spoIIE gene expression and presence of interacting partners suggest that the activation of ?(F) occurs early in Epulopiscium offspring development. PMID:21398534
Several early genes of murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) encode proteins that mediate immune evasion by interference with the major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) pathway of antigen presentation...Full Text Available
Three transcription units are present in the adenovirus type 2 region EII. Transcription units EIIaE and EIIaL encode the mRNA for the 72,000-dalton DNA binding protein, early and late in the lytic...Full Text Available
...notice de en es fr it nl European Commission Research Index aeronews All keywords Index feedback The number of documents that contain the keyword aeronews is: 1 EU Transport lsquo;AERONEWSrsquo; -good news for early detection of microdamage European Commission - lsquo;AERONEWSrsquo; -good news for early detection of microdamage ...
Recent nucleosynthesis calculations of Type II supernovae using advanced neutrino transport determine that the early neutrino winds are proton-rich. However, a fraction of the ejecta emitted at the same time is composed of neutron-rich pockets. In this paper we calculate the nucleosynthesis contribution from the neutron-rich pockets in the hot convective bubbles of a core-collapse supernova and show that they do not contribute significantly to the total nucleosynthesis.
A large inguino-scrotal hernia was detected in the early phase of a radionuclide bone scan performed for evaluation of a femoral neck fracture not visualized on plain x-rays. The patient was administered 1 GBq of Scrotal scintigraphy using "9"9"mTc-MDP and a regional three-phase bone scan of the pelvis, hips and proximal femora was obtained on the gamma camera. Copyright (1999) Blackwell Science Pty Ltd
BackgroundApoptosis is a major mode of hematological tumor death after radiation. Early detection of apoptosis may be beneficial for cancer adaptive treatment. 99mTc-HYNIC-annexinV...Full Text Available
DescriptionThe overall aim of this application is to examine experimentally environmental influences on the pattern of senescence in birds. We plan to experimentally uncouple chronological age and reproductive effort and examine their effects on reproductive performance and lifespan. We also plan to examine experimentally how these relationships are influenced by nutritional conditions during early development. We will combine the organismal fitness measures of lifespan and reproductive performance with me [continued...
The impact of a single seizure on cognition remains controversial. We hypothesized that a single early life seizure (sELS) on rat post-natal day (P) 7 would alter only hippocampal-dependent...Full Text Available
Elution profiles of total lipoproteins, apolipoprotein B (apoB) concentrations in lipoproteins, and plasma triglyceride (TG) levels were examined in early-, late-, and non-lactating cows. Additionally, arteriovenous (A-V) differences were also measured to elucidate the uptake of TG and apoB-containing lipoproteins in mammary gland. Non-lactating cows showed three major peaks corresponding to triglyceride-rich lipoprotein (TRL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), and high density lipoprotein (HDL) fraction, whereas both early- and late-lactating cows revealed two peaks corresponding to TRL and HDL. The peak area of TRL in early- and late-lactating cows were significantly (p < 0.05) smaller than that in non-lactating cows. The plasma TG levels and apoB-48 concentrations of TRL in early- and late-lactating cows were also significantly (p < 0.01) lower. Furthermore, early lactating ...
Childhood anxiety is impairing and associated with later emotional disorders. Studying risk factors for child anxiety may allow earlier identification of at-risk children for prevention efforts. This study applied an ecological risk model to address how early childhood anxiety symptoms, child temperament, maternal anxiety and depression symptoms, violence exposure, and sociodemographic risk factors predict school-aged anxiety symptoms. This longitudinal, prospective study was conducted in a representative birth cohort (n = 1109). Structural equation modeling was used to examine hypothesized associations between risk factors measured in toddlerhood/preschool (age = 3.0 years) and anxiety symptoms measured in kindergarten (age = 6.0 years) and second grade (age = 8.0 years). Early child risk factors (anxiety symptoms and temperament) emerged as the most robust predictor for both parent-and child-reported anxiety outcomes and mediated the effects ...
When total mesorectal excision (TME) is accurately performed, dysfunction, theoretically, does not occur. However, there are differences among individuals in the running patterns and the volumes of nerve fibers, and if obesity or a narrow pelvis is present, nerve identification is difficult. Currently, the rate of urinary dysfunction after rectal surgery ranges from 33% to 70%. Many factors other than nerve preservation play a role in minor incontinence. Male sexual function shows impotence rates ranging from 20% to 46%, while 20%-60% of potent patients are unable to ejaculate. In women, information on sexual function is not easily obtained, and there are more unknown aspects than in men. As urinary, sexual, and defecation dysfunction due to adjuvant radiotherapy have been reported to occur at a high frequency, the creation of a protocol that enables analysis of long-term functional outcome will be essential for future clinical trials. In the treatment of rectal ...
Lethal yellow (A{sup y}) is a mutation at the mouse agouti locus in chromosome 2 that causes a number of dominant pleiotropic effects, including a completely yellow coat color, obesity, an insulin-resistant type II diabetic condition, and an increased propensity to develop a variety of spontaneous and induced tumors. Additionally, homozygosity for A{sup y} results in preimplantation lethality, which terminates development by the blastocyst stage. The A{sup y} mutation is the result of a 170-kb deletion that removes all but the promoter and noncoding first exon of another gene called Raly, which lies in the same transcriptional orientation as agouti and maps 280 kb proximal to the 3{prime} end of the agouti gene. The authors present a model for the structure of the A{sub y} allele that can explain the dominant pleiotropic effects associated with this mutation, as well as the recessive lethality, which is unrelated to the agouti gene.
This report summarizes work performed on this project from October 2004 through March 2005. In previous work, a surfactant modified zeolite (SMZ) was shown to be an effective system for removing BTEX contaminants from produced water. Additional work on this project demonstrated that a compost-based biofilter could biodegrade the BTEX contaminants found in the SMZ regeneration waste gas stream. However, it was also determined that the BTEX concentrations in the waste gas stream varied significantly during the regeneration period and the initial BTEX concentrations were too high for the biofilter to handle effectively. A series of experiments were conducted to determine the feasibility of using a passive adsorption column placed upstream of the biofilter to attenuate the peak gas-phase VOC concentrations delivered to the biofilter during the SMZ regeneration process. In preparation for the field test of the SMZ/VPB treatment system in New Mexico, a pilot-scale SMZ system was also ...
The following paragraphs summarize the progress of each research project funded under the WVU Cooperative Agreement during the third quarter of 1997 (July - September 1997). The projects are arranged according to their 1997 WVU task number. WVU Focus Area 1.0: Subsurface Contaminants, Containment and Remediation Task No. 1.1: Project discontinued. Task No. 1.2: Development of Standard Test Protocols and Barrier Design Models for Desiccation Barriers (K. Amininan & S. Ameri): A number of experiments were preformed this period to evaluate the ability of the dried sand-packs to act as a barrier to liquids. Water infiltration tests were done with a constant head, dispersing 80 ml of water, and by adding water in small increments. Results indicate that when the water is spilled over the sand-pack, it has the tendency to channel through the sand-pack, significantly reducing the capacity of the dried zone to retain liquid contaminants. This appears to be largely ...
The basic features and advantages of a turbodrill with a reducer insert are given, together with its characteristics in different compositions. The results of industrial tests of a test lot in three areas are given. The effectivenss of using a reducer turbodrill in super-deep holes is demonstrated.
OBJECTIVES: Personal and equipment assistance are common strategies to reduce disability. This study sought to determine how often assistance reduces or even completely resolves health-related difficulties...Full Text Available
The paper investigates early Soviet policies regarding the institution of waqf (charitable endowment) in Turkestan, questioning the issue of the post-colonial character of the early Soviet administration. After taking into consideration practices related to waqf management in modern Muslim states and European colonial empires, the paper briefly describes the tsarist administrative approach to the issue. We then address the ambiguity inherent in Soviet policies on waqf requisition and restitution during Civil War years. In the section that follows we deal with different groups of Muslim intellectuals that attempted to use the Soviet state in their mutual struggle over authority in Central Asian society and describe the creation and functioning of the bureaucracies responsible for managing w...
This longitudinal study examined a model of early school achievement in reading and math, as it varies by socioeconomic context, using data from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. A conceptual model was tested that included features of family stress, early parenting, and school readiness, through both a single-group analysis and also a multiple-group analysis. Latent profile analysis was used to identify subgroups of more advantaged and less advantaged families. Family stress and parenting were shown to operate differently depending on the socioeconomic context, whereas child-based school readiness characteristics were shown to operate similarly across socieodemographic contexts. Implications for intervention are discussed.
Six patients with diskitis following lumbar disk surgery were investigated by Computed Tomography (CT). Four patients underwent CT in a rather early phase of the disease (5-37 days after the onset of the symptoms): a posterior paravertebral fluid collection was always recognized, while the plain film was normal. Later on (2-4 months), the classical signs of diskitis were evident, with both CT and the plain film. The collection was always present at CT. A reintervention, performed on 3 patients, revealed the purulent content of the collections. It seems reasonable to suggest a relationship between the collection and the subsequent diskitis; the collection is probably an early sign of the disease. Its detection is of grat value, because it could allow an immediate and adequate therapy. The authors stress the usefulness of performing CT in an early phase on this kind of symptomatic patients.
There are no specific diagnostic tests or a gold standard method for measuring disease activity and outcome in spondyloarthropathies (SpA). Many different methods have been developed to assess the signs and symptoms in SpA. The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of scintigraphy, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and Bath Ankilosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) in the evaluation of disease activity in early axial SpA diagnosed with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Thirty early MRI-positive axial SpA patients (23 males, 7 females) with a median age of 35 (18?55) years and a median duration of inflammatory low back pain of 24 (8?60) months were included in the study. In the patients with sacroiliitis, the sensitivity, specificity, and pos...
The early diagnosis of such disorders is of major importance because, in most cases, severe consequences can only be averted by early treatment. The value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in many orthopaedic and traumatological conditions is generally accepted. The value of MRI in this particular field is illustrated by typical case reports on common clinical problems [Deutsch] Der Fruehdiagnose von Erkrankungen des Kindes- und Jugendalters kommt grosse Bedeutung zu, da oftmals nur durch eine daraus resultierende Fruehbehandlung schwerwiegende Folgen vermieden werden koennen. Die Kernspintomographie (Magnetresonanztomographie=MRT) ist in zahlreichen orthopaedischen-traumatologischen Fragestellungen bereits etabliert. An ausgewaehlten Fallbeispielen haeufiger klinischer Problemstellungen soll in der vorliegenden Arbeit der Stellenwert der MRT dargestellt werden. (orig.)
Climate variability greatly affects animals through direct and indirect effects. Animals with slow reproductive adaptation to ecological changes such as large mammals are likely to have evolved mechanisms to anticipate early such impacts of climate variability on the environment. One of the adaptive mechanisms between reproductive costs and benefits in mammals affects parental investment through biases in sex ratio. Deer might be likely to show an early detection of climate variability because conception takes place in early autumn, but the main raising cost in deer concerns lactation, which takes place at the end of the following spring. The aim of this paper is to assess whether there is a relationship between global indices of climate variability such as El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation (EN...
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is the most common severe gastrointestinal emergency that affects premature newborns. This disease often has a rapid onset with few, if any, antecedent signs that can be used to reliably predict its occurrence. Its rapid onset and progression to death, as well as its severe morbidity when the infant survives, begs for early diagnostic tools that may be used in determining those infants who would be at greatest risk for development of the disease and for whom early preventative measures could be targeted. Although studies have suggested efficacy of several techniques such as breath hydrogen, inflammatory mediators in blood, urine or stool, and genetic markers, these all have drawbacks limiting their use. The application of newly developed "omic" approaches may provide biomarkers for early diagnosis and targeted prevention of this disease. PMID:19190533
This paper focuses on the Internet as a tool for enhancing behavior and lifestyle changes to reduce the burden of cancer at a population level. The premise of this paper is that the Internet...Full Text Available
Materials and MethodsThe genomic effects of tumor-endothelial interactions in cancer are not yet well characterized. To study this interaction in breast...Full Text Available
The sequential events and the inflammatory mediators that characterize disease onset and progression of ulcerative colitis (UC) are not well known. In this study, we evaluated the early pathologic events...Full Text Available
Over 30 months 9292 consecutive patients admitted to nine coronary care units with suspected myocardial infarction were considered for admission to a randomised double blind study comparing the effect...Full Text Available
Uterine sarcomas are a rare group of neoplasms with aggressive clinical course and poor prognosis. They are classified into four main histological subtypes in order of decreasing incidence: carcinosarcomas,...Full Text Available
During germination and early growth of castor bean (Ricinus communis), all cellular constituents of the endosperm are eventually transferred to the growing embryo. The present results...Full Text Available
HIV-1 nonsubtype B variants account for the majority of HIV infections worldwide. Drug resistance in individuals who have never undergone antiretroviral therapy can lead to early failure and...Full Text Available
Memory consolidation requires transcription and translation of new protein. Arc, an effector immediate early gene, and zif268, a regulatory transcription factor, have been implicated in synaptic plasticity...Full Text Available
BACKGROUND: A number of studies have shown that the early mortality following TURP is higher for patients with prostate cancer than those with benign disease. This study examines the effect of the histological...Full Text Available
BackgroundIn France, it is estimated that 24% of HIV-infected patients are also infected with HCV. Longitudinal studies addressing clinical and public health questions related to...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe natural history of bronchial preinvasive lesions and the risk of developing lung cancer in patients with these lesions are not clear. Previous studies have treated...Full Text Available
A review is presented of the quest for superheavy elements under the following headings - early history; physical and nuclear properties unique to superheavy elements; searches in nature; terrestrial samples; extra-terrestrial samples; and searches at accelerators. 72 references. (U.K.).
Total thyroidectomy involving the adjacent structures of the trachea can cause tracheal damage such as early tracheal necrosis. The authors describe the first case of anterior tracheal necrosis following...Full Text Available
Allergic rhinitis is common among children and quite often represents a stage of the atopic march. Although sensitization to food and airborne allergens may appear in infancy and early childhood, symptoms...Full Text Available
Randomized clinical trials are designed with stopping boundaries to guide data monitoring committees with their decision making concerning ongoing trials. In particular, when extremely positive results...Full Text Available
Early on, intriguing biological activities were found associated with the EETs using in vitro systems. Although the EETs other than the 5,6-isomer, are quite stable chemically,...Full Text Available
BackgroundThere is a lack of studies considering social disparity in oral health emanating from adolescents in low-income countries. This study aimed to assess socio-demographic...Full Text Available
Mouse lines with behavioral phenotypes relevant to symptoms in neurodevelopmental disorders may provide models to test hypotheses about disease etiology and to evaluate potential treatments....Full Text Available
Objective:This article examines relationships between reproductive onset and lifetime history of smoking, regular smoking, and nicotine dependence, and cannabis and other illicit...Full Text Available
In rats, expression of the immediate early gene, c-fos observed in the brain following male copulatory behavior relates mostly to the detection of olfactory information originating...Full Text Available
The Sleeping Beauty (SB) transposon system represents an important alternative to viral integrating vector systems but may, as its viral counterparts, be subject to transcriptional silencing. To investigate...Full Text Available
Dental caries continues to be a common chronic disease among various population groups. Patient care can be improved with detection at the earliest stage. However, current techniques do not...Full Text Available
of early humanitarians, and the vivisectors turned to Rene Descartes (1596 1650 ) to justify ...A celebrated mathematician, physiologist, and psychologist, Descartes provided a general philosophy of the irrelevance of ethics to the ...Animals, according to Descartes, were insensible and irrational machines; moved, like clocks, but
IntroductionIrradiation of normal, non-malignant bone during cancer therapy can lead to atrophy and increased risk of fracture at several skeletal sites, particularly...Full Text Available
BackgroundTransarterial chemoembolization (TACE) therapy is an effective locoregional treatment in hepatocellular cancer (HCC) patients. For early modification of therapy, markers...Full Text Available
The oxytocin and prolactin responses to suckling were measured in 10 women in early (n = 5) and established lactation (n = 5). Oxytocin was released in a pulsatile manner during suckling in all women,...Full Text Available
Direct identification of group B streptococci from a selective broth medium was performed with the Phadebact streptococcus test to determine the feasibility of this technique for early detection of...Full Text Available
Totipotent stem cells have the potential to differentiate into every cell type. Renewal of totipotent stem cells in the germline and cellular differentiation during early embryogenesis rely upon posttranscriptional...Full Text Available
Breast cancer is a progressive and potentially fatal disease that affects women of all ages. Like all progressive diseases, early and reliable diagnosis is the key for successful treatment and annihilation....Full Text Available
BackgroundLung cancer diagnosis in tissue material with commonly used histological techniques is sometimes inconvenient and in a number of cases leads to ambiguous conclusions. Frequently...Full Text Available
A total of 626 patients undergoing a prostaglandin-induced abortion, the majority in the second trimester, have been analysed for complications occurring during inpatient treatment. Of the last 155...Full Text Available
We investigated the role of early portal hypotensive pharmacotherapy in preventing the development of portal-systemic shunting in a portal hypertensive model of chronic murine schistosomiasis induced...Full Text Available
A 33-year-old man sustained an acute Achilles tendon rupture which was surgically repaired. Early nonweight-bearing range of motion and strengthening of the ankle and the repaired muscle unit was allowed...Full Text Available
ObjectiveTo evaluate the prognostic significance of adjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy-induced neutropenia with survival in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine...Full Text Available
Cervical cancer is known to metastasize primarily by the lymphatic system. Dissemination through lymphatic vessels represents an early step in regional tumor progression, and the presence of lymphatic...Full Text Available
Preterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity and long-term disability of non-anomalous infants. Previous studies have identified a prior early spontaneous preterm birth as...Full Text Available
Background. Detection of subjects with early chronic kidney disease (CKD) is important because some will progress up to stage 5 CKD, and most are at high risk of cardiovascular morbidity...Full Text Available
PURPOSE: Visual loss following panretinal photocoagulation was found in the Diabetic Retinopathy and the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Studies. This study was designed to test the hypothesis...Full Text Available
In terms of managing thrombotic disorders, genotype-based individualized patient care emerged as early as 1994 when the association of factor V Leiden (G1691A), and later, prothrombin (G20210A),...Full Text Available
The new percutaneous mitral valve repair techniques are at an early stage. Preliminary series show that they are feasible; however, they need to be further evaluated in comparison with contemporary...Full Text Available
Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a common genetic disorder in humans that arises from deficient activity of phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH), which catalyzes the conversion of phenylalanine to tyrosine....Full Text Available
Nineteen of 69 patients undergoing coronary angioplasty required immediate coronary surgery after the procedure. Six of these operations were planned as a result of angioplasty that failed without producing...Full Text Available
Mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIB (MPS IIIB; Sanfilippo syndrome type B) is a metabolic disorder with devastating clinical characteristics starting in early childhood and leading to premature death. A...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe aim of the present article was to evaluate whether angiogenic parameters as assessed by transvaginal color Doppler ultrasound (TVCD) may predict those prognostic factors...Full Text Available
Microglia provide immune surveillance for the brain through both the removal of cellular debris and protection against infection by microorganisms and “foreign” molecules. Upon...Full Text Available
BackgroundMitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative damage and the accumulation of somatic mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have been associated with certain neurodegenerative disorders....Full Text Available
NSCLC (non-small cell lung cancer) comprises about 80% of all lung cancer cases worldwide. Surgery is most effective treatment for patients with early-stage disease. However, 30%–55% of these...Full Text Available
BACKGROUND: Each component of metabolic syndrome (MS) conveys increased cardiovascular disease risk, but as a combination they become much more powerful. Vigorous early management of the syndrome may...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe proteomics approach termed proteome pattern analysis has been shown previously to have potential in the detection and classification of breast cancer. Here we aimed...Full Text Available
OBJECTIVE: To examine primary care physicians' management of rheumatoid arthritis, ascertain the determinants of management and compare management with that recommended by a current practice panel....Full Text Available
and antibody responses of rhesus macaques exposed to the human gammaretrovirus XMRV. J Virol. 2011 May ;85(9):4547-57. Epub 2011 Feb 16 . PubMed Surgical staging of early...
The composition of the extracellular matrix (ECM) was examined in the developing lens and optic cup (stages 11-16) of the long-tailed monkey (Macaca fascicularis) using peroxidase immunocytochemistry....Full Text Available
Background:In recent years, breast cancer (BC) mortality rates have declined, reflecting advances in early detection. Prevention and management of treatment sequelae that could impair...Full Text Available
We investigated the pathophysiological mechanism by proteomic approach as a possible tool to detect the marker proteins to develop lower urinary tract symptoms following bladder outlet obstruction (BOO)....Full Text Available
Pancreatic islet transplantation into the liver provides a possibility to treat selected patients with brittle type 1 diabetes mellitus. However, massive early β-cell death increases the number...Full Text Available
BackgroundAlthough the World Health Organization had recommended that every child be vaccinated for Hepatitis B by the early 1980s, large multinational pharmaceutical companies held...Full Text Available
Aquaculture is increasing worldwide, however we have little understanding of its impacts on marine communities. A critical element of many marine communities are seagrasses, a group of globally distributed marine angiosperms that are drivers of many abiotic and biotic processes in estuarine and mari...
Life history theory proposes that early-life cues induce highly integrated responses in traits associated with energy partitioning, maturation, reproduction, and aging such that the individual phenotype...Full Text Available
Suppressed IL-12 production and maladaptive immune activation, both of which are ameliorated by successful highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), are thought to play important roles in the immunopathogenesis...Full Text Available
Hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia accelerate both aging and cancer. Antidiabetic biguanides such as metformin decrease glucose, insulin and IGF-1 level. Metformin increases lifespan and prevents cancer...Full Text Available
SynopsisEarly detection of late onset neonatal sepsis, prior to obvious and potentially catastrophic clinical signs, is an important goal in neonatal medicine. Sepsis causes a...Full Text Available
Stargardt-like macular degeneration (STGD3) is an early onset, autosomal dominant macular degeneration. STGD3 is characterized by a progressive pathology, the loss of central vision, atrophy...Full Text Available
BackgroundRecessive mutations in guanylate cyclase-1 (Gucy2d) are associated with severe, early onset Leber congenital amaurosis-1(LCA1). Gucy2d...Full Text Available
Assessment of subtle changes in the primary macromolecular components of cartilage, proteoglycan (PG) and collagen, is critical for the diagnosis of early stages of osteoarthritis (OA), but...Full Text Available
A disk formation model during collapse of the protosolar nebula, yielding a low-mass protoplanetary disk is presented. The following subject areas are covered: (1) circumstellar disks; (2) conditions for the formation of stars with disks; (3) early evolution of the protoplanetary disk; and (4) temperature conditions and the convection in the protoplanetary disk.
ContextFatigue is the most common sequela among non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) survivors 1–6 years post-treatment and is associated with functional limitations.Full Text Available
On agar plates, daughter cells of Escherichia coli mutually slide and align side-by-side in parallel during the first round of binary fission. This phenomenon has been previously attributed...Full Text Available
BackgroundEarly exposure to ovarian hormones is considered to increase breast cancer incidence. The age at which the ovaries become functional is thus important.Full Text Available
Ammonoids and conodonts, being characterized by exceptionally high background rates of origination and extinction, were vulnerable to global environmental crises, which characteristically intensified...Full Text Available
Zygotes of fucoid algae have long been studied as a paradigm for cell polarity. Polarity is established early in the first cell cycle and is then expressed as localized growth and invariant cell division....Full Text Available
The ternary complex factor (TCF) Elk-1 is a transcription factor that regulates immediate early gene (IEG) expression via the serum response element (SRE) DNA consensus site. Elk-1 is associated with...Full Text Available
A rise in blood pressure associated with oral contraceptives is well established but the frequency with which it develops is not known. Early results from a controlled long-term prospective study have...Full Text Available
Chickens were bursectomized in ovo on days 18, 19 or 20 of incubation or within 6 h of hatch and immunized at day 28 after hatch by an intravenous injection of sheep red blood cells (SRBC). The immune...Full Text Available
Increasing attention is being paid to the scientific evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). As many TCMs are capable of biotransformation in the gastrointestinal tract, attention to biotransformation...Full Text Available
BackgroundAllergic Contact Dermatitis (ACD) is regarded as a T-cell-mediated delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction. We studied the kinetics of the expression of CS-1 fibronectin,...Full Text Available
Bone metastases of an Ewing's sarcoma were detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), when bone scan, CT and plain films were still normal. This is due to the ability of MRI to detect intramedullary metastases before involvement of the cortex. (Auth.).
IntroductionRadiotherapy outcomes might be further improved by a greater understanding of the individual variations in normal tissue reactions that determine tolerance. Most published...Full Text Available
Non-cemented femoral fixation in hip arthroplasty has become the standard of practice in the USA. However, recent literature has brought attention to an increasing incidence of periprosthetic femur...Full Text Available
IntroductionFlow diversion is a new approach to the endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms which uses a high density mesh stent to induce sac thrombosis. These devices...Full Text Available
The performance of the Lung Imaging Fluorescence Endoscope (LIFE) system was compared with conventional bronchoscopy in 158 patients: 68 patients with invasive cancer, 42 patients with abnormal sputum...Full Text Available
Background:The present study measured longitudinal changes in bone turnover markers in elderly patients with vertebral fracture and investigated the relationship among bone turnover...Full Text Available
Several theories have proposed a functional role for synchronous neuronal firing in generating the neural code of a sensory perception. Synchronous neural activity develops during a critical...Full Text Available
A paradoxical metabolic imbalance in inorganic phosphate occurs from the early onset of diabetes and may lead to a reduction of high energy phosphates and tissue hypoxia. These changes take place in...Full Text Available
Spinal Ewing's sarcomas are rare and cause problems in differential diagnosis. The radiologic, nuclear medicine and CT findings in two children with histologically proven Ewing's sarcoma are presented and problems in differential diagnosis discussed. Biopsy should be done early. (orig.).
Contact scanner system in Wolsung NPP(model ESE-1565) is an early '70 equipment, so most of components are obsolete. To make it 100% compatible, PCBs for this system is the main object of the study. Most of components used in the system are not available ...
BackgroundAlthough the health benefits of breastfeeding are well established, early introduction of formula remains a common practice. Cultural beliefs and practices can have an...Full Text Available
In summer 2000, the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library at Yale University began a demonstration project to digitize classic articles in neurosurgery from the late 1800s and early 1900s. The objective of...Full Text Available
The Cordoba and Wolsung projects mark the entry into the international sales arena of the standardized Canadian 600 MWe CANDU-PHW reactor design. The Cordoba station experienced a setback in the early stages when severe inflation in Argentina led to a ren...
Ripening of `Tydeman's Early' apples (Malus sylvestris L.) assessed by the occurrence of the respiratory climacteric was delayed by succinic acid 2,2-dimethyl hydrazide (B-9) but not...Full Text Available
The purpose of the meeting reported here was to develop a set of national evidence-based standards for assessing and managing patients with potentially resectable rectal cancer. This report represents...Full Text Available
Premature circuit clotting is a major problem in daily practice of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), increasing blood loss, workload, and costs. Early clotting is related to bioincompatibility,...Full Text Available
1. Paired or single recordings of paraventricular and/or supraoptic oxytocin cells at the beginning of suckling in urethane-anaesthetized rats enabled us to study cell recruitment and compare the characteristics...Full Text Available
This paper reviews the development of cerebral scintigraphy from its early days of planar imaging with simple technetium-99m labelled compounds to the recent revival of the technique in the form of...Full Text Available
Fish living in contaminated environments accumulate toxic chemicals in their tissues. Biomarkers are needed to identify the resulting health effects, particularly focusing on early changes at a subcellular...Full Text Available
Research on Be stars from the early work of Merrill and Struve to the present is reviewed, including recent observations from space. A number of models which have been proposed to explain the Be phenomenon are discussed, and the evolutionary status of Be stars is considered. 126 references.
He said due to DoD's early involvement in the creation of the Internet (a product of DARPA), it has more address space at its disposal than most other organizations worldwide....
BackgroundIn vitro data suggest that changes in myocardial substrate metabolism may contribute to impaired myocardial function in diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM)....Full Text Available
Life-history theory predicts that traits involved in maturity, reproduction and survival correlate along a fast–slow continuum of life histories. Evolutionary theories and empirical results...Full Text Available
We report an unusual case of strangulated diaphragmatic (Morgagni) hernia resulting in ischaemia of the small and large bowel, which was initially diagnosed as a pneumonia. This case highlights the...Full Text Available
Adaptive image processing is one of the most important techniques in visual information processing, especially in early vision such as image restoration, filtering, enhancement, and segmentation. This work focuses on applications of advanced CI techniques in image processing applications
In multiple sclerosis (MS), oligodendrocyte and myelin destruction lead to demyelination with subsequent axonal loss. Experimental demyelination in rodents has highlighted the activation of the subventricular...Full Text Available
A method is presented to derive the absolute dimensions of early-type detached binaries by combining the observed parameters with results of evolutionary computations. The method is used to obtain the absolute dimensions of nine close binaries. We find that most systems have an initial masss ratio near 1.
The single-stranded viral DNA of an M13 phage recombinant containing the early promoter region of SV40 was hybridized with linear, double-stranded replicative form DNA of a related M13 phage containing...Full Text Available
Frontotemporal lobar degeneration is a progressive neurodegenerative syndrome that is the second most common cause of early-onset dementia. Mutations in the progranulin gene are a major cause of familial...Full Text Available
IntroductionVarious multigene predictors of breast cancer clinical outcome have been commercialized, but proved to be prognostic only for hormone receptor (HR) subsets overexpressing...Full Text Available
PurposeHyperglycemia and hypertension contribute to the development of diabetic retinopathy, and this may involve alterations in the normal retinal cell cycle. In this work, we examined...Full Text Available
Thiamin(e), also known as vitamin B1, is now known to play a fundamental role in energy metabolism. Its discovery followed from the original early research on the ‘anti-beriberi factor’...Full Text Available
Antimalarial drugs will be essential tools at all stages of malaria elimination along the path towards eradication, including the early control or “attack” phase to drive down transmission...Full Text Available
Methylphenidate (MPH) is commonly prescribed in childhood and adolescence for the treatment of attention–deficit/hyperactivity disorders. In rodents, MPH exposure during preadolescence...Full Text Available
... 2010-10-01 false Child mental health. 1304.24 Section 1304.24 Public...HUMAN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES THE ADMINISTRATION...AGENCIES Early Childhood Development and Health Services § 1304.24 Child...
BackgroundPathophysiological mechanisms involved in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are complex and none has identified reliable markers useful in routine patient evaluation....Full Text Available
The nature of the first generation of stars in the Universe remains largely unknown. Observations imply the existence of massive primordial stars early in the history of the universe, and the standard theory for the growth of cosmic structure predicts that structures grow hierarchically through gravitational instability. We have developed an ab initio computer simulation of the formation of primordial stars that follows the relevant atomic and molecular processes in a primordial gas in an expanding universe. The results show that primeval density fluctuations left over from the Big Bang can drive the formation of a tiny protostar with a mass of just one percent that of the sun. The protostar is a seed for the subsequent formation of a massive primordial star.
Transplantation has emerged as the therapy of choice for many patients with end organ failure. One of the major goals is to tailor immunosuppressive therapy to the individual needs of every patient to balance the risk for rejection and over-immunosuppression. This will require diagnostic tools that can detect harmful processes in the allograft early, and that can be measured repeatedly. This review will consider recent advances in our understanding of the molecular nature of these processes and how this information is being utilized to design novel diagnostic assays to non-invasively monitor allografts. Highlighted is the need for large-scale prospective multi-centre studies to validate assays that show early promise in single centre studies.
This article reviews antisocial personality disorder, psychopathy, and violence and develops a three factor model of personality traits. Then a discussion of related personality disorders precedes the development of a categorical two factor model of impulsive versus remorseless violence. A paradigm of proactive, medical, and school based early intervention and prevention is advocated as a useful addition to the reactive detention of criminal justice. Integration of psychological tests, neuroimaging, and genomic data in early childhood and school based intervention strategies to prevent the development of conduct disorder and attenuate criminal propensity inform this approach. PMID:20422651
The fact that South Africa had no commercially significant deposits of crude oil necessitated the early development of production of gasoline from coal which was present in abundance in low to medium grade in thick seams, the development of the process since the early 1950s is discussed. Both the Fischer Tropsch and Lurgi processes are used, and three large plants named Sasol One, Two, and Three have been completed. A flow diagram for the Lurgi process as used in these plants is included. Typical products and their properties resulting from the Sasol-type Synthol operation are presented in tabular form. Marketing considerations and economics of production of the Sasol products are discussed briefly. (BLM)
The fact that South Africa had no commercially significant deposits of crude oil necessitated the early development of production of gasoline from coal which was present in abundance in low to medium grade in thick seams, the development of the process since the early 1950s is discussed. Both the Fischer Tropsch and Lurgi processes are used, and three large plants named Sasol One, Two, and Three have been completed. A flow diagram for the Lurgi process as used in these plants is included. Typical products and their properties resulting from the Sasol-type Synthol operation are presented in tabular form. Marketing considerations and economics of production of the Sasol products are discussed briefly. (BLM)
Gallium imaging is increasingly being used for the early detection of complications in patients with AIDS. A 26-year-old homosexual man who was HIV antibody positive underwent gallium imaging for investigation of possible Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. Widespread cutaneous focal uptake was seen, which was subsequently shown to be due to mycobacterium avium-intracellulare (MAI) septicemia. This case demonstrates the importance of whole body imaging rather than imaging target areas only, the utility of gallium imaging in aiding the early detection of clinically unsuspected disease, and shows a new pattern of gallium uptake in disseminated MAI infection.
A high voltage self-blowing circuit breaker with closing resistors is equipped with an auxiliary contact inserted in the trip control circuit of an electrical circuit breaker. The auxiliary contact is actuated by the mechanical control rod of the circuit breaker in such a way as to prevent any operator closing error. A high-speed mechanism is inserted in the link system connecting the control rod and the auxiliary contact, with dead travel to delay closing of the auxiliary contact when a closing operation takes place and to prevent a tripping order from being transmitted too early. Such an early transmission would be liable to cause a flashover on the inserter contacts and damage to the circuit breaker.
The staging of patients with multiple myeloma demands sensitive imaging methods for the assessment of the skeletal system. MRI allows for direct visualization of the bone marrow which exhibits five different infiltration patterns in multiple myeloma: 1. normal appearance of the bone marrow, 2. focal involvement, 3. homogeneous diffuse infiltration, 4. combined diffuse and focal infiltration, 5. ''salt and pepper'' pattern with inhomogeneous bone marrow signals due to multiple fat islands. The combination of T1w-SE and STIR sequences is best suited for detecting all infiltration patterns and for the differential diagnoses e. g. hemangiomas. With parallel imaging in MRI, acquisition times can be markedly reduced and whole-body screening of the bone marrow can be achieved within 30 min. MRI is superior to radiography for the detection of focal as well as diffuse infiltration. Multidetector computed tomography and especially 16- and ...
This thesis deals with the evaluation of Solar Grade Silicon (SoG-Si) purified by different techniques, and also the fabrication and characterization of high efficiency and advanced bifacial solar cells. In the beginning of Chapter 1, various SoG-Si production methods relevant for this work are qualitatively described. The three feedstock materials used in this work are from the Fluidized Bed Reactor (FBR) process, metallurgical feedstock-I and feedstock-II process. In metallurgical feedstock-I, the lifetime of the minority charge carriers in multicrystalline silicon (mc-Si) samples at the grain boundaries are found to be higher than the grains themselves possibly due to lower resistivities in the grain boundaries. The efficiency of the best solar cell obtained using the mc-Si metallurgical feedstock-I is 16.1%. It has been identified that the fast light induced degradation, whose magnitude is lower than that of a reference cell suggests the formation of a B-metal complex in the SoG-Si ...
National and international organizations have paid particular attention to the use of food irradiation as a method to reduce postharvest food losses, to ensure hygienic quality of foods-especially those of animal origin, and to overcome certain non-tariff barriers to trade for the following reasons: (1) The increasingly strict standards for quality and quarantine in food trade. (2) The increasingly restrictions and prohibitions of fumigants of food for health or environmental reasons. (3) The increasing awareness of foodborne diseases in both advanced and developing countries. (4) The high postharvest losses of foods in developing countries. (5) The increase liberalization of food trade after GATT Uruguay Round, and the need to maintain or increase export of food and agricultural commodities and to be competitive in the world market. Irradiated foods have been commercialized since 1973 when the first potato irradiator was established at the Shihoro Agricultural ...
The Belgian radioactive waste management agency NIRAS/ONDRAF has undertaken a comparative assessment study on long-term waste management options for the high-level and/or long-lived radioactive waste that should be managed as a result of the use of nuclear energy in Belgium. This study is one of the supportive documents to a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) process initiated end of 2008 and geared towards a decision in principle by the Belgian Government in 2010 on the long-term management of such radioactive waste. NIRAS/ONDRAF, together with Belgian and international research organisations, has developed a reference option for such high-level and long-lived radioactive waste, called Category B and C Waste, consisting of the disposal of such waste in a clay formation [SAFIR-2]. More than 30 years of R and D have been undertaken resulting, among others, in the underground research facility HADES, though the decision in principle by government, supported by society via ...
The Median Tectonic Zone (MTZ) of New Zealand is a generally north trending belt of Mesozoic subduction related I-type plutonic, volcanic, and sedimentary rocks in South Island and Stewart Island that separates Permian strata of the Eastern Province Brook Street Terrane from lower to mid Gondwana margin assemblages of the Western Province. High precision isotope dilution U/Pb ages of zircons from 30 rocks are reported. Pre-digestion leaching of zircon in hydrofluoric acid yielded significantly more concordant residues by removing common Pb and dissolving more soluble high-U domains that have been more affected by relatively recent Pb loss. The results show that MTZ magmatism ranges in age from at least Early Triassic to Early Cretaceous (247-131 Ma), with a pronounced gap in the Middle Jurassic. Triassic plutons tend to occur on the eastern side of the MTZ, and they intrude volcanic/sedimentary sequences of the MTZ in Nelson and eastern ...
This report describes experimental results for the selective removal of strontium and cesium from simulated waste solutions using monosodium titanate (MST) and crystalline silicotitanate (CST)-laden filter cartridges. Four types of ion exchange cartridge media (CST and MST designed by both 3M and POROX{reg_sign}) were evaluated. In these proof-of-principle tests effective uptake of both Sr-85 and Cs-137 was observed. However, the experiments were not performed long enough to determine the saturation levels or breakthrough curve for each filter cartridge. POREX{reg_sign} MST cartridges, which by design were based on co-sintering of the active titanates with polyethylene particles, seem to perform as well as the 3M-designed MST cartridges (impregnated filter membrane design) in the uptake of strontium. At low salt simulant conditions (0.29 M Na{sup +}), the instantaneous decontamination factor (D{sub F}) for Sr-85 with the 3M-design MST cartridge measured 26, representing the removal of ...
The usefulness of helical CT early phase images optimized by the SmartPrep method for evaluation of wall invasion by colorectal cancer was investigated. Between August 1997 and September 1998, CT was performed to evaluate the primary tumor and local extension in 10 consecutive patients with colorectal cancer confirmed by barium enema- and/or colonoscopy. Early-phase images were acquired by using SmartPrep application software. This method allows the optimal scan delay time to be obtained by continuous monitoring of increases in CT values after injection of contrast medium. Sections of the surgical specimens, close to the same plane as the CT images, and of the same slice thickness, were analyzed histopathologically. All 10 cancers, regardless of size, showed strong enhancement on the early-phase images (81.4-112 HU, mean: 95.1 HU). The strongly enhanced image areas on CT corresponded to the primary cancer areas on ...
The research work carried out on mutation breeding in Egypt during the 1980s is summarized. Several mutations have been developed in bread wheat, maize, rice and barley. A higher yield, tolerance to salinity, shorter types and earliness were obtained after use of different mutagens and growth regulators. Great attention has been paid to the fababean and chickpea, particularly in improving their quality and quantity of protein, and their resistance to insect weevils such as Callosobruchus sp. Tolerance or resistance to broom rape has also been reported. Various grain legumes such as lentil, pea, cowpea, bean, fenugreek and lupin received some attention. Mutation work on fibre crops such as cotton, kenaf and flax has led to some promising results. Zero type, glandless and early maturing mutants were obtained in cotton, and early flowering, high yielding (fibre or oil) mutants in flax. Some attention has been given to oil ...
We derive stellar masses, ages, and star formation histories (SFHs) of massive early-type galaxies in the z = 1.237 RDCS1252.9-2927 cluster and compare them with those measured in a similarly mass-selected sample of field contemporaries drawn from the Great Observatories Origin Deep Survey South Field. Robust estimates of these parameters are obtained by comparing a large grid of composite stellar population models with 8-9 band photometry in the rest-frame near-ultraviolet, optical, and IR, thus sampling the entire relevant domain of emission of the different stellar populations. Additionally, we present new, deep U-band photometry of both fields, giving access to the critical far-ultraviolet rest frame, in order to empirically constrain the dependence of the most recent star formation processes on the environment. We also analyze the morphological properties of both samples to examine the dependence of their scaling relations on their mass and environment. We ...
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 ...
Based on the view that major changes in the social and economic context in the United States require major policy changes related to early childhood education, this paper examines the factors supporting public policy changes and how advocates for change in early childhood education might incorporate effective strategies. The paper is presented in two parts. Part 1 reviews the research on state policy settings and the factors that tend to support policy change. This part focuses attention on the ways that state policymakers appear to learn from what is going on elsewhere and incorporate new ideas into their policy agendas. Several strategic implications for advocates of policy change are presented, such as brainstorming a list of potential obstacles to the introduction of a policy innovation or shaping the debate so the public will support change. Part 2 of the paper takes these general strategic implications and considers their relevance to ...
An industrial design of turbodrill with oil-filled gear reducer has been made and has passed comprehensive field tests. In its energy characteristics, durability and operating properties, it is acceptable for broad introduction into drilling practice. In all regions of drilling, the use of the reducer increases the drilling per drill bit, and with sufficient depth, the run velocity of drilling. In certain regions (for example, West Siberia) it is possible to increase the mechanical velocity by high torque at the reducer outlet. The inter-repair service life of the oil-filled reducers for West Siberia and Tatariya exceeds on the average 100 hours. For wells with high face temperatures (over 1502)C) it reaches 42.6 hours. Further increase in the service life is associated with an increase in the thermoresistance, primarily, of the lubricator assembly. The design of the oil-filled ...
We present a set of structural parameters for the central parts of 57 early-type galaxies observed with the Planetary Camera of the Hubble Space Telescope. These parameters are based on a new empirical law that successfully characterizes the centers of early type galaxies. This empirical law assumes that the surface brightness profile is a combination of two power laws with different slopes gamma and beta for the inner and outer regions. Conventional structural parameters such as core radius and central surface brightness are replaced by break radius r_b, where the transition between power-law slopes takes place, and surface brightness mu_b at that radius. An additional parameter alpha describes the sharpness of the break. The structural parameters are derived using a chi-squared minimization process applied to the mean surface brightness profiles. The resulting model profiles generally give very good agreement to the observed profiles out to ...
Reproductive parameters were monitored in 50 post-partum Bos indicus x Bos taurus animals located on four farms in two ecological zones of Panama. Progesterone (P_4) concentrations were measured in four of these animals twice a week and their reproductive organs palpated per rectum once a week until 60 days post-artificial-insemination or post-natural-service. The other 46 cows were palpated for early pregnancy between days 45 and 60 post-service. The mean P_4 concentration in cows with palpable corpora lutea (CL) was 10.3#+-#4.0 nmol/L; when no Cl were detected, the mean P_4 level was 2.2#+-#1.6 nmol/L. Of the 46 animals palpated for early pregnancy, 36 (70%) were found to be pregnant, one (2%) exhibited early embryonic death and one (2%) aborted; the other eight cows (17%) were anoestrous. The mean P_4 concentration in pregnant cows was 11.9#+-#4.0 nmol/L and the calving to conception interval was 148 days. (author). 13 ...
We present the results of an isophotal shape analysis of three samples of galaxies in the Coma cluster. Quantitative morphology, together with structural and photometric parameters, is given for each galaxy. Special emphasis has been placed on the detailed classification of early-type galaxies. The three samples are: i) a sample of 97 early-type galaxies brighter than m_B = 17.00 falling within one degree from the center of the Coma cluster; these galaxies were observed with CCD cameras, mostly in good to excellent resolution conditions; ii) a magnitude complete sample of 107 galaxies of all morphological types down to m_B = 17.00 falling in a circular region of 50 arcmin diameter, slightly offcentered to the North-West of the cluster center; the images for this and the next sample come from digitized photographic plates; iii) a complete comparison sample of 26 galaxies of all morphological types down to m_R = 16.05 (or m_B \\simeq 17.5), also ...
Central Nervous System (CNS) involvement, whether primary by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus - HIV - itself, or secondary (toxoplasmosis or lymphoma) is remarkably frequent in AIDS, in 40 to 70% of cases, depending upon the author. In order to study the natural history of this illness, a cohort of 25 asymptomatic seropositive patients have been established. Every 6 months these patients undergo biological and clinical examinations, as well as Magnetic Resonance brain scans. After two examinations at a 6 month's interval, the first results are reported. Out of these 25 cases, 9 present anomalies: One patient with diffuse cerebral atrophy and 8 others with high signal intensity areas on T2 weighted sequences, like those of the Multiple Sclerosis. No relationship could be demonstrated between the existence of these lesions and various criteria such as age, sex, risk factors and T4 cells count. The nature of these lesions is not lear. They certainly indicate early ...
ObjectivesThe main objective of this study is to address the following specific questions: 1. Are the delayed effects of poor early diet on whole organism performance and senescence contingent on, or exacerbated by, the subsequent occurrence of compensatory growth? 2. Does the rate of growth influence levels of resting metabolism and/or oxidative stress, and if so, for how long does this persist? 3. How are the levels of early nutrition, growth, resting metabolism and oxidative stress linked to the lev [continued...]DescriptionIt is now widely appreciated that, while animals may appear to recover from periods of poor food quality or quantity experienced in early development, adverse effects may occur later in adult life. Such effects can influence the performance of complete cohorts of animals, and have important consequences for population dynamics. The reasons why such delayed effects occur across the animals' lifetimes ...
From 1964 to 1973 at the Institute of Oncology and Radiobiology, Havana City, 18 clinical histories were studied, all of them from patients with Erwing's sarcoma, histologically diagnosticated by biopsy. Age, sex, race, traumatism background, hemogram disturbances, radiographic signs, primary tumor localization, and early treatment, were exposed. Early treatment in 14(83%) patients as radiotherapy. Local recurrence or metastasis was presented in 10(55,5%) patients during the two first years following attack treatment. Five (35,7%) patients was the survival rate within five years starting early treatemt. After five years, three (21,4%) patients were alive: for 18 and 14 year, and 64 month period; two patients died at 62 and 64 months. It is concluded that this survival may be increased by initial behaviour enclosed at the technologic therapeutic patterns of the the Institute of Oncology and Radiobiology, of Havana City. ...
In the present political climate, politicians are singling out children's programs and services for budget cuts. The need for teacher education programs to prepare early childhood teachers as children's advocates is becoming ever more evident. For years, the National Association for the Education of Young Children has called for greater involvement of early childhood educators as advocates for programs and services that promote children's health and education. In teacher education programs, however, this call has largely gone unheeded. The purpose of this article is to discuss the importance of involving teacher candidates in advocacy activities and policy research, the obstacles that teacher educators can face when incorporating advocacy components into their teacher education courses and programs, and resources and strategies they can use. This discussion builds upon a motivation-obstacles-resources framework developed for adoption of ...
The sequence of nitride formation during the early stages of plasma nitriding of pure iron was studied by optical microscopy, SEM, TEM and x-ray diffraction. Plasma nitriding at {approximately}490 C in a 25 vol.%H{sub 2} + 75 vol.%N{sub 2} mixture starts with the formation of {gamma}{prime}-Fe{sub 4}N after 40s. Once {gamma}{prime} nucleates, it mainly spreads laterally due to diffusion shortcuts in the discontinuous surface nitride layer. Before {gamma}{prime} is continuous on the surface, {epsilon} nucleates on top of it shortly after 40S. Epsilon is then observed to grow, both inwardly and laterally along with {gamma}{prime}. A compact {gamma}{prime}/{epsilon} bilayer forms on the surface at around 100s. The kinetics of nucleation, growth and compactation of the nitrides observed in the present work was significantly more rapid than in any of the nitriding process reported in the literature, including plasma nitriding. The acceleration of the nitriding kinetics ...
Patients who fail to attend initial appointments reduce clinic efficiency. To maximize attendance by newly referred outpatients, we introduced a mandatory group orientation clinic for all new patients...Full Text Available
Analysis of the pulsed-field gel electrophoretic profiles of 82 pneumococcal isolates with reduced susceptibility to ciprofloxacin (RSC) and of 90 co-occurring susceptible isolates indicates a considerable...Full Text Available
The disulfide-reduced form of bovine ribonuclease A (RNAse A), with the Cys thiols irreversibly blocked, was characterized by small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS). To help resolve the conflicting...Full Text Available
For the last four years, scientists at the USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory have been searching for alternative soil and crop management practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon and nitrogen sequestration. ¿If we can redu...
Background Since 2007, sex has been the major mode of HIV transmission in China, accounting for 75% of new infections in 2009. Reducing sexual transmission is a major challenge for China...Full Text Available
Sensory neurons in aging mammals undergo changes in anatomy, physiology and gene expression that correlate with reduced sensory perception. In this study we compared young and aged mice to identify...Full Text Available
Latent inhibition (LI) manifests as poorer conditioning to a CS that has previously been presented without consequence. There is some evidence that LI can be potentiated by reduced mesoaccumbal dopamine...Full Text Available
A barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) mutant (Az34) has been identified with low basal levels of abscisic acid (ABA) and with reduced capacity for producing ABA in response to water stress....Full Text Available
The obligations under international law to reduce transfrontier air pollution is discussed in five chapters from various aspects. Consequences for the European Communities are gone into in five further chapters. (orig./HP)
The response of the dissimilatory metal-reducing bacterium Shewanella alga BrY to carbon and nitrogen starvation was examined. Starvation resulted in a gradual decrease in the mean cell volume from...Full Text Available
A device for reducing the muzzle blast and flash from large caliber guns is disclosed. A container having a plurality of internal chambers and baffle plates filled with an aqueous foam is mounted to the muzzle of the gun barrel. The foam and chambers co-o...
The dissimilatory iron-reducing bacterium Geobacter metallireducens was found to require iron at a concentration in excess of 50 μM for continuous cultivation on nitrate. Growth...Full Text Available
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) take a major human toll on society and reduce public confidence in the healthcare system. The current convergence of scientific, public, and legislative...Full Text Available
Previously we reported that standard oral rehydration salts (ORS) solution is not as effective as a reduced-osmolarity glucose-based ORS for the treatment of children with acute noncholera diarrhoea:...Full Text Available
We introduce in this paper a new method for reducing neurodynamical data to an effective diffusion equation, either experimentally or using simulations of biophysically detailed models. The dimensionality...Full Text Available
Cimetidine 1 g daily is often continued for a fixed period beyond the time of healing of duodenal ulcer on the assumption that it might reduce the subsequent relapse rate. To test this, 194 patients...Full Text Available
Many plants are known to reduce the toxic effects of high soil boron (B) by reducing uptake of B, but no mechanism for limiting uptake has previously been identified. The B-tolerant cultivar of barley...Full Text Available
The distribution and activity of communities of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and methanogenic archaea in two contrasting Antarctic sediments were investigated. Methanogenesis dominated in freshwater...Full Text Available
Abstract It is now widely accepted that remembering the past and imagining the future rely on a number of shared processes and recruit a similar set of brain regions. However, memory and future thinking place different demands on a range of processes. For instance, although remembering should lead to early associative retrieval of event details, event construction may be slower for future events, for which details from different memories are combined. In order to shed light on the question of how the brain distinguishes between memories and future thoughts, we investigated the differences in the electrophysiological correlates of the vivid elaboration of future and past events. In the slow cortical potentials of 24 healthy human participants, differences during early elaboration were obser...
Background:- Only one study has used a prospective method to analyze the diagnostic stability of first psychotic episodes in children and adolescents. The Child and Adolescent First-Episode Psychosis Study (CAFEPS) is a 2-year, prospective longitudinal study of early-onset first episodes of psychosis (EO-FEP). Aim:- To describe diagnostic stability and the variables related to diagnostic changes. Methods:- Participants were 83 patients (aged 9-17-years) with an EO-FEP consecutively attended. They were assessed with a structured interview (Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia, Present and Lifetime version) and clinical scales at baseline and after 2-years. Results:- The global consistency for all diagnoses was 63.9%. The small group of bipolar disorder had high stabilit...
We report Sr, Pd and Ag abundances for a sample of metal-poor field giants and analyze a larger sample of Y, Zr, and Ba abundances. The [Y/Zr] and [Pd/Ag] abundance ratios are similar to those measured for the r-process-rich stars CS 22892-052 and CS 31082-001. The [Pd/Ag] ratio is larger than predicted from the solar-system r-process abundances. The constant[Y/Zr] and [Sr/Y] values in the field stars places strong limits on the contributions of the weak s-process and the main s-process to the light neutron-capture elements. Stars in the globular cluster M 15 possess lower [Y/Zr] values than the field stars. There is a large dispersion in [Y/Ba]. Because the r-process is responsible for the production of the heavy elements in the early Galaxy, these dispersions require varying light-to-heavy ratios in r-process yields.
Early technical history of electric supply to electric railways is briefly reviewed as an introduction to the following seven papers included in this special issue on technologies for saving energy in railway operation. Continuous power supply played a significant role in the early history of railway technologies. The variable voltage variable frequency (VVVF) power electronic technology had also a substantial impact on railway traction systems after 1980s. VVVF technology made it possible to have more efficient drives, downsize rolling stocks, and develop regenerative brakes. Because detailed discussions on each technical development are presented in the following papers, the general remarks of those technologies made in this introduction provide logical links to the ideas presented in th...
In spite of the improved imaging techniques currently available, mortality for pancreatic cancer is still high, and pancreatics is often diagnosed only in its advanced stages. The authors investigated the value of different imaging techniques - i.e., US, CT, and ERCP - for an early diagnosis, when a more effective (curative?) treatment can be suggested. Fifty-six cases of pancreatic cancer and 36 cases of chronic pancreatitis were evaluated. The results indicate that ERCP, with the help of statistical methods, is superior to US and CT not only in evaluating early neoplastic or inflammatory lesions, but also for their differential diagnosis. In the letter case, ERCP can sometimes be used as a valid alternative to fine-needle aspiration biopsy.
In this work, we address the problem of road interpretation for driver assistance based on an early cognitive vision system. The structure of a road and the relevant traf?c are interpreted in terms of ego-motion estimation of the car, independently moving objects on the road, lane markers and large scale maps of the road. We make use of temporal and spatial disambiguation mechanisms to increase the reliability of visually extracted 2D and 3D information. This information is then used to interpret the layout of the road by using lane markers that are detected via Bayesian reasoning. We also estimate the ego-motion of the car which is used to create large scale maps of the road and also to detect independently moving objects. Sample results for the presented algorithms are shown on a stereo image sequence, that has been collected from a structured road.
Recently, we cloned purpurin cDNA as an upregulated gene in the axotomized fish retina. The retina-specific protein was secreted from photoreceptors to ganglion cell layer during an early stage of optic nerve regeneration in zebrafish retina. The purpurin worked as a trigger molecule for axonal regrowth in adult injured fish retina. During zebrafish development, purpurin mRNA first appeared in ventral retina at 2 days post-fertilization (dpf) and spread out to the outer nuclear layer at 3 dpf. Here, we investigated the role of purpurin for zebrafish retinal development using morpholino gene knockdown technique. Injection of purpurin morpholino into the 1-2 cell stage of embryos significantly inhibited the transcriptional and translational expression of purpurin at 3 dpf. In the purpurin mo...
Background/Aims Serum free fatty acid (FFA) composition and abnormal fatty acid metabolism have been implicated in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Therefore, we determined if the serum FFA composition can provide accurate diagnosis of NASH. Methods We compared fasting serum FFA compositions in 20 patients with simple steatosis to those in 77 patients with NASH, including 65 patients with early-stage NASH. Results By univariate analysis, the proportions of serum free myristic acid (P?=?0.002) and palmitoleic acid (P?=?0.033) and the stearoyl CoA desaturase (SCD)-1 index (P?=?0.047) were significantly elevated in NASH patients in comparison to patients with simple steatosis. Only the serum free myristic acid proportion was significantly elevated in the early-stage NA...
To test the hypothesis that leaf level photosynthetic related traits might confer late successionals a competitive advantage over early successionals in low light growth conditions, steady photosynthetic assimilation and dynamic photosynthetic induction related traits were examined in low light grown seedlings with contrasting successional status. Compared with the early successionals, late successionals as a group significantly exhibited lower leaf gas exchange rates. While late successionals required a longer time to respond to simulated sunflecks, they had lower rates of induction losses after sunflecks. Such photosynthetic induction traits allowed late successionals to more effectively utilize subsequent sunflecks. It was observed that plants with lower gas exchange rates responded mor...
This article reviews the little examined early work of the Greek Marxist and state theorist, Nicos Poulantzas (1936-1979). In his first book, Nature du choses et droit of 1965, the young scholar developed a sociology of law culled from the insights of philosophical ontology. The article sets out the central claims of that book and reflects on its place in Poulantzass intellectual development. Drawing on Heidegger, Sartre and Marx, Poulantzas proposed a species of Natural Law theory that unified `facts' and `values' by grounding legal concepts in a theory of social praxis centred on material labour. Legal categories were thus irreducible to ahistorical essences but were, rather, expressions of mankinds struggle to realize its intrinsic freedom. As we shall see, although flawed and in key re...
We identify a source coincident with SN 2009kr in Hubble Space Telescope pre-explosion images. The object appears to be a single point source with an intrinsic color V - I = 1.1 #+-# 0.25 and M_V = -7.6 #+-# 0.6. If this is a single star, it would be a yellow supergiant of log L/L _s_u_n #approx# 5.1 and a mass of 15"+"5 _-_4 M _s_u_n. The spatial resolution does not allow us yet to definitively determine if the progenitor object is a single star, a binary system, or a compact cluster. We show that the early light curve is similar to a Type IIL SN, but the prominent H#alpha# P-Cygni profiles and the signature of the end of a recombination phase are reminiscent of a Type IIP. The evolution of the expanding ejecta will play an important role in understanding the progenitor object.
The paper-insulated low-pressure oil-filled cable invented in 1917 has been used throughout the world as the major cable system for voltages from 33kV to 525kV and experimentally to 1100kV. The proven reliability of the design is amply demonstrated by the cables installed in the early 1930s still currently in service. The inherent design of an oil-filled cable requires that the low viscosity oil is retained within a lead or aluminium sheath. Changes in oil volume due to changes in ambient temperature and load are accommodated by oil reservoirs which maintain the cable oil pressure within design limits. A microprocessor monitoring system that allows early detection and quick location of oil leaks from high voltage oil-filled cables is described.
The authors determined migration timing and abundance of juvenile spring chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha and juvenile steelhead/rainbow trout O. mykiss from three populations in the Grande Ronde River basin. Based on migration timing and abundance, two distinct life-history strategies of juvenile spring chinook and O.mykiss could be distinguished. An early migrant group left upper rearing areas from July through January with a peak in the fall. A late migrant group descended from upper rearing areas from February through June with a peak in the spring.
The phased field development of the Lion and Panthere fields, offshore the Ivory Coast, includes a small floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) tanker with minimal processing capability as an early oil production system (EPS). For the long-term production scheme, the FPSO will be replaced by a converted jack up mobile offshore production system (MOPS) with full process equipment. The development also includes guyed-caisson well platforms, pipeline export for natural gas to fuel an onshore power plant, and a floating storage and offloading (FSO) tanker for oil export. Pipeline export for oil is a future possibility. This array of innovative strategies and techniques seldom has been brought together in a single project. The paper describes the development plan, early oil, jack up MOPS, and transport and installation.
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 ...
After mathematicians and physicists had learned that the structure of physical space was not necessarily Euclidean, it became conceivable that the global topological structure of space was non-trivial. In the context of the late 19th century debates on physical space this speculation gave rise to the problem of classifying spaces of constant curvature from a topological point of view. William Kingdon Clifford, Felix Klein and Wilhelm Killing, the latter of whom devoted a substantial amount of work to the topic in the early 1890s, clearly perceived this problem as relevant for both mathematics and natural philosophy (i.e., physics or cosmology). To some extent, a cosmological interest may even be found among those authors who restated the space form problem in more modern terms in the early 20th century, such as Heinz Hopf.
Sheltering, evacuation and distribution of stable iodine tablets are considered to be major early emergency actions aiming at diminishing the consequences after a release of radioactive materials from nuclear power plants into the air. Whether in real situations emergency managers will act accordingly is hard to predict. Uncertainties associated with these decisions are termed 'volitional' uncertainties. These uncertainties, however, cannot be assessed by expert judgements as they express the decision at stake in an emergency situation. Uncertainties on the times to implement countermeasures and on the times for the general population to respond to these measures can be assessed by experts, as they represent 'lack-of-knowledge' uncertainties. This paper describes the difference in approach of both types of uncertainties and shows the results of expert judgements on the latter type of uncertainties in early ...
BACKGROUND.The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) covers the direct clinical costs of breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic follow-up for medically underserved, low-income women. Personal costs are not covered. In this report, the authors estimated personal costs per woman participating in NBCCEDP mammography screening by race/ethnicity and also estimated lifetime personal costs (ages 50-74 years).METHODS.A decision analysis model was constructed and parameterized by using empiric data from a retrospective cohort survey of mammography rescreening among women ages 50 years to 64 years who participated in the NBCCEDP. Data from 1870 women were collected from 1999 to 2000. The model simulated the flow of resources incurred by a woman participat...
Two cases of focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH), in which ultrasound (US), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MR) studies detected an atypical hemorrhagic pattern associated with an intrahepatic arterio venous malformation (AVM) around the growths, are presented. In both cases, histology demonstrated a very early regenerative stage and necrotic-hemorrhagic areas within the lesions. In these cases, the analysis of radiological findings, surgical specimens and histology seemed to confirm the pathogenetic hypothesis suggested by Wanless: in normal liver parenchyma, a ``blood steal`` phenomenon due to congenital or acquired intrahepatic AVM could cause ischemic damage, appearing as a hemorrhagic necrotic area, the extent of which depends on the degree of residual portal supply. (orig.)
The standard Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) big bang model of the universe requires special initial conditions: the early universe is highly homogeneous and isotropic even though there exist causally disconnected regions (horizon problem). A plane symmetric (anisotropic) solution of field equations in a generalized theory of gravitation predicts the beginning of the universe as a vacuum instability at a specific fundamental time (which can be associated with the Planck time (tsub(p))), after which matter is created as the universe begins to expand. At a time t=tsub(c) there is a singular expansion, the anisotropy vanishes, and the physical horizon becomes infinite. Thereafter the solution of the field equations goes over into the FRW model. Thus the special initial conditions of the FRW model at the big bang singularity t=tsub(c) are predicted by the theory.
The European sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax is a marine teleost important in Mediterranean aquaculture. The development of the entire digestive tract of D. labrax, including the pharynx, was investigated from early embryonic development to day 5 post hatching (dph), when the mouth opens. The digestive tract is initialized at stage 12 somites independently from two distinct infoldings of the endodermal sheet. In the pharyngeal region, the anterior infolding forms the pharynx and the first gill slits at stage 25 somites. The other three gill arches and slits are formed between 1 and 5 dph. Posteriorly, in the gut tube region, a posterior infolding forms the foregut, midgut and hindgut. The anus opens before hatching, at stage 28 somites. Associated organs (liver, pancreas and gall bladder) ar...
This three-part article describes the early years of one of the mother-baby-children groups of the Project for Mothers, Infants, and Young Children of September 11, 2001. The goal of the group was to help prevent the effects of trauma and loss from disrupting the relationships among the mothers, their infants, and growing children. View I by Anni Bergman describes the mothers' states of minds as the group began, when they felt that their worlds had collapsed under them. View II by Sally Moskowitz focuses on the clinical experience of working in the group, transference and countertransference themes, helping the mothers and children with their mourning process, and helping the mothers' relationships to each other, their babies, older children, family, and friends. The evolution of a casual,...
It was recognized from the early days of commissioning of Bruce B that Control Maintenance staff would require a level of expertise to be able to maintain Special Safety Systems in proper running order. In the early 80's this was achieved through hands on experience during the original commissioning, troubleshooting and placing of the various systems in service. Control maintenance procedures were developed and implemented as the new systems came available for commissioning, as were operating manuals,training manuals etc. Under the development of the Maintenance Manager, a Conduct of Maintenance section was organized. One of the responsibilities of this section was to develop a series of Maintenance Administrative Procedures (MAPs) that set the standards for maintenance activities including training.
Abstract We performed hydrodynamical simulations to investigate the formation and evolution of protostars and circumstellar discs from the pre-stellar cloud. As the initial state, we adopted the molecular cloud core with two non-dimensional parameters representing the thermal and rotational energies. With these parameters, we derived 17 models and calculated the cloud evolution--104 yr-after the protostar formation. We found that early evolution of the star-disc system can be qualitatively classified into four modes: the massive-disc, early-fragmentation, late-fragmentation, and protostar-dominant modes. In the -massive-disc mode-, to which the majority of models belong, the disc mass is greater than the protostellar mass for over 104 yr and no fragmentation occurs in the circumstellar dis...
The early Miocene Pedregoso Formation is one of the numerous formations rich in organic matter within the stratigraphic record of the Urumaco Trough, in the central area of the Falcon Basin. Due to its lithological characteristics and stratigraphic position, this formation is of great interest regarding the basin's petroliferous systems. The evaluation of various inorganic and organic geochemical parameters indicates that the organic matter is primarily of marine origin, deposited in a marine carbonate environment typical of reefal systems, under oxic-to-dysoxic conditions. The low variability in the TOC concentrations and in the distributions of the biomarkers extracted from the samples suggests that the paleoenvironmental conditions and the organic-matter supply remained approximately co...
Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) is superior to thrombolysis (TL) as reperfusion therapy in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). TL is a rapidly available, but semi-effective therapy (effective reperfusion in 50% of patients only), whereas PPCI is a potentially delayed, but highly effective therapy (effective reperfusion in >90%). Since TL loses its efficacy beyond 2?3?h after symptom onset, it is a significant reperfusion alternative to PPCI in early presenters only. The individual decision to treat an early presenter with PPCI or TL requires the evaluation of the time delay between potential start of TL or PPCI, the PCI-related delay (PRD). PRD is greatest, if TL is given in the prehospital setting. Until now, prehospital TL as the most rapidly available reperfusi...
Oral vaccination is the most desirable immunization method by which to prevent fish disease occurring at the early larval stage. We developed an Escherichia coli-based oral nervous necrosis virus (NNV) subunit vaccine and demonstrated its effectiveness in orange spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides) fry. However, the incubation period was determined to be over 2weeks. To enhance the efficacy and shorten the incubation period, a safe and digestible biological adjuvant should be found. Vibrio anguillarum, a common marine bacterium with immune-stimulatory capability was selected as an expression host. An expression vector containing its heat shock protein 60 gene (groE) as an inducible promoter was constructed to express recombinant NNV coat protein as an antigen. The recombinant V. anguilla...
On March 31, 1995, the US Department of Energy filed a draft application for certification of compliance with the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) to show the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant's compliance with the USEPA's environmental standards, making the application the first of its kind. Demonstration of compliance is by performance assessment. This paper is an early review of the performance assessment in the draft application, by the Environmental Evaluation Group, an oversight group. The performance assessment in the draft application is incomplete. Not all relevant scenarios have been analyzed. The calculation of potential consequences often does not use experimental data but rather estimates by workers developing additional data. The final compliance application, scheduled for October 1996 needs to consider additional scenarios, and be fully based on experimental data.
Abstract Objective. Anti-TNF-a antibodies has been suggested to modulate regulatory T cell (Treg) percentages in rheumatoid arthritis, but results from studies of Crohn's disease (CD) are conflicting. We investigated dynamic changes of circulating Tregs in CD during treatment with the anti-TNF-a-antibody adalimumab (Humira, Abbott Laboratories A/S, Emdrupvej 28C, DK-2100 Copenhagen). Material and methods. Blood samples from 26 CD patients were analysed using flow cytometry before and 1 and 26 weeks after initiation of adalimumab treatment to determine the percentage of Tregs among CD4++ T cells. Results. In spite of a significant decline in disease activity scores and biochemical markers of inflammation, during the first week of treatment, we did not observe early modulating effects of ada...
Plants release secondary metabolites into the soil that change the chemical environment around them. Exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) is an important allelochemical whose role in successional trajectories has not been examined. We hypothesized that ABA can accumulate in the soil through successional processes and have an influence on forest dynamics. To this end, we investigated the distribution of ABA in forest communities from early to late successional stages and the response of dominant species to the gradient of ABA concentrations in three types of forests from northern to southern China. Concentrations of ABA in the soils of three forest types increased from early to late successional stages. Pioneer species? litters had the lowest ABA content, and their seed germination and seedling ea...
Abstract Recent work (Schawinski et al.) indicates that star-forming early-type galaxies residing in the blue cloud migrate rapidly to the red sequence within around a Gyr, passing through several phases of increasingly strong active galactic nucleus (AGN) activity in the process. We show that natural depletion of the cold gas reservoir through star formation (i.e. in the absence of any feedback from the AGN) induces a blue-to-red reddening rate that is several factors lower than that observed by Schawinski et al. This is because the gas depletion rate due to star formation alone is too slow, implying that another process needs to be invoked to remove cold gas from the system and accelerate the reddening rate. We develop a simple phenomenological model, in which a fraction of the AGN-s lum...
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents a major health problem as it afflicts an increasing number of patients worldwide. Albeit most of the risk factors for HCC are known, this is a deadly syndrome with a life expectancy at the time of diagnosis of less than 1?year. Definition of the molecular principles governing the neoplastic transformation of the liver is an urgent need to facilitate the clinical management of patients, based on innovative methods to detect the disease in its early stages and on more efficient therapies. In the present study, we have combined the analysis of a murine model and human samples of HCC to identify genes differentially expressed early in the process of hepatocarcinogenesis, using a microarray-based approach. Expression of 190 genes was impaired in murine ...
The Early Bronze Age barrows at Irthlingborough and Gayhurst in central England are notable for the large number of cattle (Bos taurus) remains associated with their human Beaker burials. Previous work using strontium isotope analysis has indicated that most of the cattle analysed, and one aurochs (Bos primigenius), were of local origin [Towers, J., Montgomery, J., Evans, J., Jay, M., Parker Pearson, M., 2010. An investigation of the origins of cattle and aurochs deposited in the Early Bronze Age barrows at Gayhurst and Irthlingborough. Journal of Archaeological Science 37, 508-515.]. In this study, stable isotope analysis of enamel and bone was carried out to investigate whether the mature cattle had experienced similar husbandry practices, climate and environment. Bulk carbon, nitrogen a...