Pharmacokinetics of pirfenidone after topical administration in rabbit eye.

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Sun, Guoying; Lin, Xianchai; Zhong, Hua; Yang, Yangfan; Qiu, Xuan; Ye, Chengtian; Wu, Kaili; Yu, Minbin

2011-01-01

Pirfenidone (5-methyl-1-phenyl-2-[1H]-pyridone) is a new, broad-spectrum agent that has an inhibition effect on the proliferation, migration, and collagen contraction of human Tenon's fibroblasts, and thus modulating the wound healing process of glaucoma filtering surgical site. This study investigated the pharmacokinetics of topically administered pirfenidone (0.5%) in rabbit eyes. Pirfenidone solution (50 μl) was instilled into the rabbit's conjunctival sac. The rabbits were quickly sacrificed at 2, 5, 8, 10, 15, 20, 30, 60, 90, and 120 min after the administration and ocular tissues were obtained. The concentrations of pirfenidone in conjunctiva, sclera, cornea, aqueous humor, and vitreous were determined by high performance liquid chromatography. After topical administration, there was wide distribution and fast clearance of pirfenidone among the various ocular tissues. The mean maximum concentrations (C(max)) of pirfenidone in cornea, conjunctiva, sclera, aqueous humor, and vitreous were 9.64 mg/g, 9.62 mg/g, 2.13 mg/g, 34.88 mg/l and 0.52 mg/l, respectively. The half-life for these tissues was 18.26, 34.16, 15.71, 70.91, and 39.48 min, respectively. Measurable concentrations of pirfenidone are achieved in ocular tissues after topical application in rabbit model. Topical administration of pirfenidone may be an effective approach for modulation of wound healing responses in glaucoma filtration surgical site.

Urinary profile of methylprednisolone and its metabolites after oral and topical administrations.

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Matabosch, Xavier; Pozo, Oscar J; Monfort, Núria; Pérez-Mañá, Clara; Farré, Magi; Marcos, Josep; Segura, Jordi; Ventura, Rosa

2013-11-01

Methylprednisolone (MP) is prohibited in sports competitions when administered by systemic routes; however its use by topical administration is allowed. Therefore, analytical approaches to distinguish between these different administration pathways are required. A reporting level of 30ng/mL was established for this purpose. However, the suitability of that reporting level for MP is not known. In the present work, excretion profiles of MP and different metabolites after oral and topical administrations have been compared. A method for the quantification of MP and the qualitative detection of fifteen previously reported metabolites has been validated. The method involved an enzymatic hydrolysis, liquid-liquid extraction and analysis by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. The method was found to be linear, selective, precise and accurate. The high sensitivity (limit of detection 0.1ng/mL) and linear range (0.1-250ng/mL) achieved allowed for the quantification of MP at both the low concentrations present after topical administration and the high concentrations detected after oral intake. The method was applied to samples collected after oral (4 or 40mg) and topical administration (10mg of MP aceponate/day for 5 consecutive days) to healthy volunteers. After oral administration, MP and all metabolites were detected in urines collected up to at least 36h. Only MP and five metabolites were detected in samples obtained after topical treatment. As expected, concentrations of MP after topical administration were well below current reporting level (30ng/mL), however 3 out of 4 samples in range 8-24h after the low oral dose (4mg) were also below that concentration. Taking into account metabolites detected after both administration routes, metabolites 16β,17α,21-trihydroxy-6α-methylpregna-1,4-diene-3,11,20-trione (M8) and 17α,20α,21-trihydroxy-6α-methylpregna-1,4-diene-3,11-dione (M11) are best markers to differentiate between topical and oral

Fibrinogen and thrombin concentrations are critical for fibrin glue adherence in rat high-risk colon anastomoses

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Eliseo Portilla-de Buen

2014-04-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Fibrin glues have not been consistently successful in preventing the dehiscence of high-risk colonic anastomoses. Fibrinogen and thrombin concentrations in glues determine their ability to function as sealants, healers, and/or adhesives. The objective of the current study was to compare the effects of different concentrations of fibrinogen and thrombin on bursting pressure, leaks, dehiscence, and morphology of high-risk ischemic colonic anastomoses using fibrin glue in rats. METHODS: Colonic anastomoses in adult female Sprague-Dawley rats (weight, 250-350 g treated with fibrin glue containing different concentrations of fibrinogen and thrombin were evaluated at post-operative day 5. The interventions were low-risk (normal or high-risk (ischemic end-to-end colonic anastomoses using polypropylene sutures and topical application of fibrinogen at high (120 mg/mL or low (40 mg/mL concentrations and thrombin at high (1000 IU/mL or low (500 IU/mL concentrations. RESULTS: Ischemia alone, anastomosis alone, or both together reduced the bursting pressure. Glues containing a low fibrinogen concentration improved this parameter in all cases. High thrombin in combination with low fibrinogen also improved adherence exclusively in low-risk anastomoses. No differences were detected with respect to macroscopic parameters, histopathology, or hydroxyproline content at 5 days post-anastomosis. CONCLUSIONS: Fibrin glue with a low fibrinogen content normalizes the bursting pressure of high-risk ischemic left-colon anastomoses in rats at day 5 after surgery.

High Concentrations of Tranexamic Acid Inhibit Ionotropic Glutamate Receptors.

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Lecker, Irene; Wang, Dian-Shi; Kaneshwaran, Kirusanthy; Mazer, C David; Orser, Beverley A

2017-07-01

The antifibrinolytic drug tranexamic acid is structurally similar to the amino acid glycine and may cause seizures and myoclonus by acting as a competitive antagonist of glycine receptors. Glycine is an obligatory co-agonist of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) subtype of glutamate receptors. Thus, it is plausible that tranexamic acid inhibits NMDA receptors by acting as a competitive antagonist at the glycine binding site. The aim of this study was to determine whether tranexamic acid inhibits NMDA receptors, as well as α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid and kainate subtypes of ionotropic glutamate receptors. Tranexamic acid modulation of NMDA, α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid, and kainate receptors was studied using whole cell voltage-clamp recordings of current from cultured mouse hippocampal neurons. Tranexamic acid rapidly and reversibly inhibited NMDA receptors (half maximal inhibitory concentration = 241 ± 45 mM, mean ± SD; 95% CI, 200 to 281; n = 5) and shifted the glycine concentration-response curve for NMDA-evoked current to the right. Tranexamic acid also inhibited α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors (half maximal inhibitory concentration = 231 ± 91 mM; 95% CI, 148 to 314; n = 5 to 6) and kainate receptors (half maximal inhibitory concentration = 90 ± 24 mM; 95% CI, 68 to 112; n = 5). Tranexamic acid inhibits NMDA receptors likely by reducing the binding of the co-agonist glycine and also inhibits α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid and kainate receptors. Receptor blockade occurs at high millimolar concentrations of tranexamic acid, similar to the concentrations that occur after topical application to peripheral tissues. Glutamate receptors in tissues including bone, heart, and nerves play various physiologic roles, and tranexamic acid inhibition of these receptors may contribute to adverse drug effects.

Topical anesthesia

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Mritunjay Kumar

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Topical anesthetics are being widely used in numerous medical and surgical sub-specialties such as anesthesia, ophthalmology, otorhinolaryngology, dentistry, urology, and aesthetic surgery. They cause superficial loss of pain sensation after direct application. Their delivery and effectiveness can be enhanced by using free bases; by increasing the drug concentration, lowering the melting point; by using physical and chemical permeation enhancers and lipid delivery vesicles. Various topical anesthetic agents available for use are eutectic mixture of local anesthetics, ELA-max, lidocaine, epinephrine, tetracaine, bupivanor, 4% tetracaine, benzocaine, proparacaine, Betacaine-LA, topicaine, lidoderm, S-caine patch™ and local anesthetic peel. While using them, careful attention must be paid to their pharmacology, area and duration of application, age and weight of the patients and possible side-effects.

High-flux solar concentration with imaging designs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feuermann, D. [Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (Israel). Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert Research; Gordon, J.M. [Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (Israel). Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert Research; Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (Israel). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering; Ries, H. [Ries and Partners, Munich (Germany)

1999-02-01

Most large solar concentrators designed for high flux concentration at high collection efficiency are based on imaging primary mirrors and nonimaging secondary concentrators. In this paper, we offer an alternative purely imaging two-stage solar concentrator that can attain high flux concentration at high collection efficiency. Possible practical virtues include: (1) an inherent large gap between absorber and secondary mirror; (2) a restricted angular range on the absorber; and (3) an upward-facing receiver where collected energy can be extracted via the (shaded) apex of the parabola. We use efficiency-concentration plots to characterize the solar concentrators considered, and to evaluate the potential improvements with secondary concentrators. (author)

The use of local concentrated heat versus topical acyclovir for a herpes labialis outbreak: results of a pilot study under real life conditions

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Wohlrab J

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Johannes Wohlrab,1 Franziska Voß,2 Christian Müller,2 Lars C Brenn21Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, 2Department of Medical Science and Operations, Riemser Pharma GmbH, Greifswald, GermanyBackground: Frequent outbreak of herpes labialis can affect quality of life by prodromes like burning, itching, and swelling. Topical applied preparations aim to shorten the duration of symptoms, inhibit the virus replication and/or accelerate the healing process. Local concentrated heat (LCH can reduce burning, itching, or swelling of the skin by influence of mechano-heat sensitive afferent neurons.Patients and methods: To examine the effectiveness of two different topical applications (LCH versus topical acyclovir [TACV] under real life conditions, we conducted a prospective, observational, reference-controlled cohort pilot study with 103 patients. Occurrence of prodromal burning, itching, swelling, and quality of life were assessed.Results: The LCH observation group (OG showed a significantly faster improvement in all symptoms after 1-day of application than the TACV OG. The burden and duration of disease was lower and shorter in the LCH OG than in the TACV OG.Conclusions: The prodromal symptoms in recurrent herpes labialis were attenuated more effectively by LCH than by TACV.Keywords: herpes labialis, local concentrated heat, acyclovir

Horizontally staggered lightguide solar concentrator with lateral displacement tracking for high concentration applications.

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Ma, Hongcai; Wu, Lin

2015-07-10

We present the design of a horizontally staggered lightguide solar concentrator with lateral displacement tracking for high concentration applications. This solar concentrator consists of an array of telecentric primary concentrators, a horizontally staggered lightguide layer, and a vertically tapered lightguide layer. The primary concentrator is realized by two plano-aspheric lenses with lateral movement and maintains a high F-number over an angle range of ±23.5°. The results of the simulations show that the solar concentrator achieves a high concentration ratio of 500× with ±0.5° of acceptance angle by a single-axis tracker and dual lateral translation stages.

Cementification for radioactive waste including high-concentration sodium sulfate and high-concentration radioactive nuclide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyamoto, Shinya; Sato, Tatsuaki; Sasoh, Michitaka; Sakurai, Jiro; Takada, Takao

2005-01-01

For the cementification of radioactive waste that has large concentrations of sodium sulfate and radioactive nuclide, a way of fixation for sulfate ion was studied comprising the pH control of water in contact with the cement solid, and the removal of the excess water from the cement matrix to prevent hydrogen gas generation with radiolysis. It was confirmed that the sulfate ion concentration in the contacted water with the cement solid is decreased with the formation of ettringite or barium sulfate before solidification, the pH value of the pore water in the cement solid can control less than 12.5 by the application of zeolite and a low-alkali cement such as alumina cement or fly ash mixed cement, and removal of the excess water from the cement matrix by heating is possible with aggregate addition. Consequently, radioactive waste including high-concentration sodium sulfate and high-concentration radioactive nuclide can be solidified with cementitious materials. (author)

Effect of supplemented and topically applied antioxidant substances on human tissue.

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Darvin, M; Zastrow, L; Sterry, W; Lademann, J

2006-01-01

Systemic and topical application of antioxidant substances for the medical treatment and prophylaxis of many diseases as well as additional protection of the skin against the destructive action of free radicals and other reactive species has become very popular during the past years. Stimulated by the positive results of a fruit and vegetable diet in supporting medical treatment and in cosmetics, artificial and extracted antioxidant substances have been broadly applied. Surprisingly, not only positive but also strong negative results have been obtained by different authors. According to study reports artificial and extracted antioxidant substances support different kinds of medical therapies, if they are applied in mixtures of different compounds at low concentration levels. In the case of the application of high concentration of some single compounds, side effects were often observed. Regarding skin treatment by systemically applied antioxidant substances for cosmetic purposes, positive cosmetic effects as well as no effects, but almost no side effects, apart from a number of allergic reactions, were reported. One reason for this seems to be the lower concentration of systemically applied antioxidant substances in comparison with a medical application. Topical application of antioxidant substances is closely related to cosmetic treatment for skin protection and anti-aging. Positive results were also obtained in this case. The present review is an attempt to classify and summarize the published literature concerning the efficiency of action of systemic and topical applications of antioxidant substances, such as carotenoids and vitamins, on human organism and especially on the skin. The available literature on this topic is very extensive and the results are often contradictory. Nevertheless, there are some clear tendencies concerning systemic and topical application of antioxidant substances in medicine and cosmetics, and we summarize them in the present paper.

Analysis of the Research Status and Topics on the Radionuclide Migration and Retardation in Natural Barriers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baik, Min Hoon; Park, Chung Kyun; Kim, Seung Soo; Lee, Seung Yeop; Lee, Jae Kwang

2008-12-01

In this report, recent research status for major developed countries in the high-level radioactive waste disposal including international organizations was investigated and analyzed in research topics for the radionuclide migration and retardation in natural barriers. Besides, recent research trends and future prospects were investigated for selected major 10 topics about the radionuclide migration and retardation processes. Based upon these investigations and analyses, future research goals and topics to be concentrated were presented. This report will be helpful for understanding our current research status and technical position and establishing future research direction and topics by analyzing domestic and foreign research status and trends. The results will also be utilized as basic information for establishing future policy and plans of the government for the high-level radioactive waste disposal

Analysis of the Research Status and Topics on the Radionuclide Migration and Retardation in Natural Barriers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baik, Min Hoon; Park, Chung Kyun; Kim, Seung Soo; Lee, Seung Yeop; Lee, Jae Kwang [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2008-12-15

In this report, recent research status for major developed countries in the high-level radioactive waste disposal including international organizations was investigated and analyzed in research topics for the radionuclide migration and retardation in natural barriers. Besides, recent research trends and future prospects were investigated for selected major 10 topics about the radionuclide migration and retardation processes. Based upon these investigations and analyses, future research goals and topics to be concentrated were presented. This report will be helpful for understanding our current research status and technical position and establishing future research direction and topics by analyzing domestic and foreign research status and trends. The results will also be utilized as basic information for establishing future policy and plans of the government for the high-level radioactive waste disposal.

Skin permeation and antioxidant efficacy of topically applied resveratrol.

Science.gov (United States)

Alonso, Cristina; Martí, M; Barba, C; Carrer, V; Rubio, L; Coderch, L

2017-08-01

The permeation of resveratrol was assessed by in vitro and in vivo experiments 24 h after topical administration. The in vitro profile of resveratrol was assessed by Raman spectroscopy. Human skin permeation was analysed in vivo by the tape stripping method with the progressive removal of the stratum corneum layers using adhesive tape strips. Moreover, the free radical scavenging activity of resveratrol after its topical application was determined using the DPPH assay. The Raman spectra indicated that the topically applied resveratrol penetrates deep into the skin. The results showed high amounts of resveratrol in the different stratum corneum layers close to the surface and a constant lower amount in the upper layers of the viable epidermis. The concentration of resveratrol present in the outermost stratum corneum layers was obtained by tape stripping after in vivo application. The results demonstrated that resveratrol mainly remained in the human stratum corneum layers. After topical application, resveratrol maintained its antiradical activity. The antioxidant efficacy of the compound was higher in the inner layers of the stratum corneum. As these results have demonstrated, topically applied resveratrol reinforces the antioxidant system of the stratum corneum and provides an efficient means of increasing the tissue levels of antioxidants in the human epidermis.

Topic Detection Based on Weak Tie Analysis: A Case Study of LIS Research

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Ling Wei

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Purpose: Based on the weak tie theory, this paper proposes a series of connection indicators of weak tie subnets and weak tie nodes to detect research topics, recognize their connections, and understand their evolution. Design/methodology/approach: First, keywords are extracted from article titles and preprocessed. Second, high-frequency keywords are selected to generate weak tie co-occurrence networks. By removing the internal lines of clustered sub-topic networks, we focus on the analysis of weak tie subnets' composition and functions and the weak tie nodes' roles. Findings: The research topics' clusters and themes changed yearly; the subnets clustered with technique-related and methodology-related topics have been the core, important subnets for years; while close subnets are highly independent, research topics are generally concentrated and most topics are application-related; the roles and functions of nodes and weak ties are diversified. Research limitations: The parameter values are somewhat inconsistent; the weak tie subnets and nodes are classified based on empirical observations, and the conclusions are not verified or compared to other methods. Practical implications: The research is valuable for detecting important research topics as well as their roles, interrelations, and evolution trends. Originality/value: To contribute to the strength of weak tie theory, the research translates weak and strong ties concepts to co-occurrence strength, and analyzes weak ties' functions. Also, the research proposes a quantitative method to classify and measure the topics' clusters and nodes.

Novel alginate-based nanocarriers as a strategy to include high concentrations of hydrophobic compounds in hydrogels for topical application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen, H T P; Munnier, E; Souce, M; Perse, X; David, S; Bonnier, F; Cohen-Jonathan, S; Chourpa, I; Vial, F; Yvergnaux, F; Perrier, T

2015-01-01

The cutaneous penetration of hydrophobic active molecules is of foremost concern in the dermatology and cosmetic formulation fields. The poor solubility in water of those molecules limits their use in hydrophilic forms such as gels, which are favored by patients with chronic skin disease. The aim of this work is to design a novel nanocarrier of hydrophobic active molecules and to determine its potential as an ingredient of a topical form. The nanocarrier consists of an oily core surrounded by a protective shell of alginate, a natural polysaccharide isolated from brown algae. These calcium alginate-based nanocarriers (CaANCs) were prepared at room temperature and without the use of organic solvent by an accelerated nanoemulsification-polymer crosslinking method. The size (hydrodynamic diameter ∼200 nm) and surface charge (zeta potential ∼ − 30 mV) of the CaANCs are both compatible with their application on skin. CaANCs loaded with a fluorescent label were stable in model hydrophilic galenic forms under different storage conditions. Curcumin was encapsulated in CaANCs with an efficiency of ∼95%, fully retaining its antioxidant activity. The application of the curcumin-loaded CaANCs on excised human skin led to a significant accumulation of the active molecules in the upper layers of the skin, asserting the potential of these nanocarriers in active pharmaceutical and cosmetic ingredients topical delivery. (paper)

Novel alginate-based nanocarriers as a strategy to include high concentrations of hydrophobic compounds in hydrogels for topical application

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, H. T. P.; Munnier, E.; Souce, M.; Perse, X.; David, S.; Bonnier, F.; Vial, F.; Yvergnaux, F.; Perrier, T.; Cohen-Jonathan, S.; Chourpa, I.

2015-06-01

The cutaneous penetration of hydrophobic active molecules is of foremost concern in the dermatology and cosmetic formulation fields. The poor solubility in water of those molecules limits their use in hydrophilic forms such as gels, which are favored by patients with chronic skin disease. The aim of this work is to design a novel nanocarrier of hydrophobic active molecules and to determine its potential as an ingredient of a topical form. The nanocarrier consists of an oily core surrounded by a protective shell of alginate, a natural polysaccharide isolated from brown algae. These calcium alginate-based nanocarriers (CaANCs) were prepared at room temperature and without the use of organic solvent by an accelerated nanoemulsification-polymer crosslinking method. The size (hydrodynamic diameter ˜200 nm) and surface charge (zeta potential ˜ - 30 mV) of the CaANCs are both compatible with their application on skin. CaANCs loaded with a fluorescent label were stable in model hydrophilic galenic forms under different storage conditions. Curcumin was encapsulated in CaANCs with an efficiency of ˜95%, fully retaining its antioxidant activity. The application of the curcumin-loaded CaANCs on excised human skin led to a significant accumulation of the active molecules in the upper layers of the skin, asserting the potential of these nanocarriers in active pharmaceutical and cosmetic ingredients topical delivery.

Radioecology teaching: evaluation of the background radiation levels from areas with high concentrations of radionuclides in soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anjos, R M; Okuno, E; Gomes, P R S; Veiga, R; Estellita, L; Mangia, L; Uzeda, D; Soares, T; Facure, A; Brage, J A P; Mosquera, B; Carvalho, C; Santos, A M A

2004-01-01

The study of environmental radioactivity is a topic which is not usually included in physics courses in Brazilian and Latin American universities. Consequently, high-school teachers are not able to show experimentally or discuss with their students the effects of exposure to terrestrial radiation. This paper presents a laboratory experiment in a teaching programme on the physics of ionizing radiation. It is based on the evaluation of the background radiation levels from areas with high concentrations of natural or artificial radionuclides in the soil. A brief analysis of the theory behind the technique and a description of some measurements, including their interpretations, are presented

Collagen concentration on the facial skin of postmenopausal women after topical treatment with estradiol and genistein: a randomized double-blind controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Lidia Aragão; Ferraz Carbonel, Adriana Aparecida; de Moraes, Andréa Regina Barbosa; Simões, Ricardo S; Sasso, Gisela Rodrigues da Silva; Goes, Lívia; Nunes, Winnie; Simões, Manuel Jesus; Patriarca, Marisa Teresinha

2017-11-01

The objective of this study is to compare the effects of topical estrogen and genistein (a soy isoflavone) on the facial skin collagen of postmenopausal women not undergoing systemic hormonal therapy. This is a prospective, double blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial. Volunteer women (N = 30) 45-55 year old from the Endocrine Gynecology sector of the Gynecology Department of the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP). The Ethical Committee of the Federal University of São Paulo approved the study (report no. 386/2004; registration on ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01553773), were assigned to topical treatment with either estrogen or genistein for 24 weeks. We quantified and compared facial collagen concentration before and after each treatment by performing pre-auricular skin biopsies. Our data showed an increase in the amount of both type I and type III facial collagen by the end of both treatments. However, the outcomes of the estrogen GI (ER) group were superior to the genistein GII (GEN) group, with statistical significance p < 000.1 Conclusion: Treatment with topical estrogen is superior to genistein, but both have positive impacts on facial skin collagen. Nevertheless, it is still unclear whether prolonged use of genistein and other topical phytoestrogens could produce systemic effects and further research is needed to clarify this question.

Topical treatments of skin pain: a general review with a focus on hidradenitis suppurativa with topical agents.

Science.gov (United States)

Scheinfeld, Noah

2014-07-15

Hidradenitis Supprurativa (HS) is a painful chronic follicular disease. Few papers have addressed pain control for this debilitating condition. Possible topical agents include tricyclic antidepressants, opioids, anticonvulsants, NSAIDs, NMDA receptor antagonists, local anesthetics and other agents. The first line agents for the topical treatment of the cutaneous pain of HS are diclonefac gel 1% and liposomal xylocaine 4% and 5% cream or 5% ointment. The chief advantage of topical xylocaine is that is quick acting i.e. immediate however with a limited duration of effect 1-2 hours. The use of topical ketamine, which blocks n-methyl-D-aspartate receptors in a non-competitive fashion, might be a useful tool for the treatment of HS pain. Topical doxepin, which available in a 5% commercially preparation (Zonalon®) , makes patients drowsy and is not useful for controlling the pain of HS . Doxepin is available in a 3% or 3.3% concentration (which causes less drowsiness) from compounding pharmacies and can be used in compounded analgesic preparations with positive effect. Topical doxepin is preferred over use of topical amitriptyline because topical doxepin is more effective. Nevertheless, topical amitriptyline increase of the tactile and mechanical nociceptive thresholds and can be used for topical pain control in compound mixture of analgesics . Gabapentin and pregablin can also be used compounded with other agents in topical analgesic preparations with positive topical anesthetic effect. Capsaicin is not useful for topical treatment of the pain of HS. Sometimes compounded of anesthetics medications such as ketamine 10%, bupivacaine 1%, diclofenac 3%, doxepin 3% or 3.3%, and gabapentin 6% can extend the duration of effect so that medication only needs to be used 2 or 3 times a day. Still in my experience the easiest to get and most patient requested agent is topical diclonefac 1% gel.

Topics in statistical data analysis for high-energy physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cowan, G.

2011-01-01

These lectures concert two topics that are becoming increasingly important in the analysis of high-energy physics data: Bayesian statistics and multivariate methods. In the Bayesian approach, we extend the interpretation of probability not only to cover the frequency of repeatable outcomes but also to include a degree of belief. In this way we are able to associate probability with a hypothesis and thus to answer directly questions that cannot be addressed easily with traditional frequentist methods. In multivariate analysis, we try to exploit as much information as possible from the characteristics that we measure for each event to distinguish between event types. In particular we will look at a method that has gained popularity in high-energy physics in recent years: the boosted decision tree. Finally, we give a brief sketch of how multivariate methods may be applied in a search for a new signal process. (author)

Pharmacokinetics and Efficacy of Topically Applied Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs in Retinochoroidal Tissues in Rabbits

Science.gov (United States)

Kida, Tetsuo; Kozai, Seiko; Takahashi, Hiroaki; Isaka, Mitsuyoshi; Tokushige, Hideki; Sakamoto, Taiji

2014-01-01

Purpose To evaluate the pharmacokinetics and efficacy of topically applied nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in the retinochoroidal tissues of rabbits. Methods The cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitory activity of diclofenac, bromfenac, and amfenac, an active metabolite of nepafenac, were determined using human-derived COX-1 and COX-2. Each of the three NSAIDs was applied topically to rabbits, and after 0.5 to 8 hrs, the concentration of each drug in the aqueous humor and the retinochoroidal tissues was measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The pharmacokinetics of the drugs in the tissues after repeated doses as is done on patients was calculated by a simulation software. The inhibitory effect of each NSAID on the breakdown of the blood-retinal barrier was assessed by the vitreous protein concentration on concanavalin A-induced retinochoroidal inflammation in rabbits. Results The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of diclofenac, bromfenac, and amfenac was 55.5, 5.56, and 15.3 nM for human COX-1, and 30.7, 7.45, and 20.4 nM for human COX-2, respectively. The three NSAIDs were detected in the aqueous humor and the retinochoroidal tissue at all-time points. Simulated pharmacokinetics showed that the levels of the three NSAIDs were continuously higher than the IC50 of COX-2, as an index of efficacy, in the aqueous humor, whereas only the bromfenac concentration was continuously higher than the IC50 at its trough level in the retinochoroidal tissues. The intravitreous concentration of proteins was significantly reduced in rabbits that received topical bromfenac (P = 0.026) but not the other two NSAIDs. Conclusions Topical bromfenac can penetrate into the retinochoroidal tissues in high enough concentrations to inhibit COX-2 and exerts its inhibitory effect on the blood-retinal barrier breakdown in an experimental retinochoroidal inflammation in rabbits. Topical bromfenac may have a better therapeutic benefit than diclofenac and

Pharmacokinetics and efficacy of topically applied nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in retinochoroidal tissues in rabbits.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tetsuo Kida

Full Text Available PURPOSE: To evaluate the pharmacokinetics and efficacy of topically applied nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs in the retinochoroidal tissues of rabbits. METHODS: The cyclooxygenase (COX inhibitory activity of diclofenac, bromfenac, and amfenac, an active metabolite of nepafenac, were determined using human-derived COX-1 and COX-2. Each of the three NSAIDs was applied topically to rabbits, and after 0.5 to 8 hrs, the concentration of each drug in the aqueous humor and the retinochoroidal tissues was measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The pharmacokinetics of the drugs in the tissues after repeated doses as is done on patients was calculated by a simulation software. The inhibitory effect of each NSAID on the breakdown of the blood-retinal barrier was assessed by the vitreous protein concentration on concanavalin A-induced retinochoroidal inflammation in rabbits. RESULTS: The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50 of diclofenac, bromfenac, and amfenac was 55.5, 5.56, and 15.3 nM for human COX-1, and 30.7, 7.45, and 20.4 nM for human COX-2, respectively. The three NSAIDs were detected in the aqueous humor and the retinochoroidal tissue at all-time points. Simulated pharmacokinetics showed that the levels of the three NSAIDs were continuously higher than the IC50 of COX-2, as an index of efficacy, in the aqueous humor, whereas only the bromfenac concentration was continuously higher than the IC50 at its trough level in the retinochoroidal tissues. The intravitreous concentration of proteins was significantly reduced in rabbits that received topical bromfenac (P = 0.026 but not the other two NSAIDs. CONCLUSIONS: Topical bromfenac can penetrate into the retinochoroidal tissues in high enough concentrations to inhibit COX-2 and exerts its inhibitory effect on the blood-retinal barrier breakdown in an experimental retinochoroidal inflammation in rabbits. Topical bromfenac may have a better therapeutic benefit

The effects of oral and topical corticosteroid in rabbit corneas.

Science.gov (United States)

Araki-Sasaki, Kaoru; Katsuta, Osamu; Mano, Hidetoshi; Nagano, Takashi; Nakamura, Masatsugu

2016-09-05

To determine the most effective route of administration of corticosteroids in the treatment of ocular surface disease, by characterizing the difference between oral prednisolone and topical dexamethasone administration using an animal model. Pharmacokinetic analyses determined the corticosteroid concentrations in the normal ocular tissues of rabbits after oral or topical administration of corticosteroids using LC-MS/MS. In wound healing analyses, the area of the epithelial defect created by keratectomy using a 6-mm trephine was calculated with an image analyzer using an orally or topically steroid-administrated animal model. The average size of basal epithelial cells, the frequency of mitotic basal epithelial cells, the number of squamous cells, and the number of hypertrophic stromal fibroblasts were determined in the enucleated corneal tissues after wound closure. By slit lamp examination, no remarkable differences were observed between orally and topically administered groups. Pharmacokinetic analyses showed that the distribution of dexamethasone after topical administration was superior to that after oral administration in the cornea. In contrast, both concentrations of corticosteroid applied topically and orally were similar with regards to AUCs (area under the concentration-time curve) in the conjunctiva. Although the healing rate was slower in the topical group, all corneas were almost healed within 96 h in the wound healing analysis. According to the histological analyses of epithelial cells, the average basal cell size was larger, the frequency of mitotic basal cells was greater, and the number of squamous epithelial cell layers was lower in the topically administered group although all of these differences were with no statistical significance. However, the number of hypertrophic stromal fibroblasts in the topically administered group was significantly lower than that in the orally administered group. There are different distributions and effects between

Characterization of high concentration dust generator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimura, Toichiro; Yokochi, Akira

1999-01-01

This paper describes the development of fluidized bed type high concentration dust generator that keeps for long period dust concentration range of about 10 mg/m 3 for the study of working place monitoring system and evaluation of respirator. The generator is keeping constant powder in fluidized bed for keeping the dust concentration. It is necessary to keep constant feeding rate of powder in order to keep the quantity of dust in the fluidized bed. Our generator enables to obtain constant feeding rate by a screw feeder and by using mixed powder with fluidising particles (glass beads) before feeding. The generator produces high concentration dust of 11.3 mg/m 3 ± 1.0 mg/m 3 for about 5 hours and keeps the dust size 4.2-4.6 μm in mass median aerodynamic diameter with reasonable reproducibility. (author)

Ocular pharmacokinetics of besifloxacin following topical administration to rabbits, monkeys, and humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Proksch, Joel W; Granvil, Camille P; Siou-Mermet, Raphaële; Comstock, Timothy L; Paterno, Michael R; Ward, Keith W

2009-08-01

Studies were conducted to evaluate the ocular penetration and systemic exposure to besifloxacin, a fluoroquinolone antibiotic, following topical ocular administration to animals and humans. Besifloxacin ophthalmic suspension (0.6%) was administered as a topical ocular instillation to pigmented rabbits, cynomolgus monkeys, and human subjects. At predetermined intervals after dosing, samples of ocular tissues and plasma were collected and analyzed for besifloxacin levels using HPLC/MS/MS methods. Besifloxacin demonstrated good ocular penetration in rabbits and monkeys, with rapid absorption and sustained concentrations observed in anterior ocular tissues through 24 h after a single administration. Maximum besifloxacin concentrations in conjunctiva, cornea, and aqueous humor of monkeys were 6.43 microg/g, 2.10 microg/g, and 0.796 microg/mL, respectively, after a single topical dose, and concentrations declined in these tissues with an apparent half-life of 5-14 h. Following a single topical ocular administration to humans, the maximum besifloxacin concentration in tears was 610 microg/g with concentrations decreasing to approximately 1.6 microg/g at 24 h. The resulting pharmacokinetic parameters for besifloxacin in human tears were evaluated relative to the MIC(90) values (microg/mL) for besifloxacin against Streptococcus pneumoniae (0.125), Staphylococcus aureus (0.25), Staphylococcus epidermidis (0.5), and Haemophilus influenzae (0.06). Following a single topical administration, the C(max)/MIC(90) ratios for besifloxacin in human tears were > or =1,220, and the AUC((0-24))/MIC(90) ratios were > or =2,500 for these relevant ocular pathogens. Following repeated 3-times daily (TID) topical ocular administration to human subjects with clinically diagnosed bacterial conjunctivitis, maximum besifloxacin concentrations in plasma were less than 0.5 ng/mL, on average. Taken together, the results of the current investigation provide a PK/PD-based rationale that supports the

Investigation of Lipid Oxidation in the Raw Materials of a Topical Skin Formulation: A Topical Skin Formulation Containing a High Lipid Content

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Birgitte Raagaard; Taylor, Richard; Madsen, Robert

2018-01-01

Several studies have demonstrated that lipid oxidation often occurs in topical skin formulations which can affect product odor (both positively and negatively). Furthermore, odor detection threshold values and odor descriptors of identified volatile oxidation products in cleansing and skin cream...... formulation prototypes were recently determined by a trained sensory panel at the Technical University of Denmark in the Division of Food Technology. In this study, we investigated lipid oxidation in a prototype skin cream formulation as well as in selected cosmetic skin care raw materials. Lipid oxidation...... was also identified. In addition, the concentrations of several well-known lipid oxidation products increased during storage and were suggested to originate primarily from rice bran wax, which oxidized more readily than other raw materials due to its unsaturated nature....

The News about High School Journalism: Focused Access to Selected Topics (FAST) Bibliography No. 4.

Science.gov (United States)

Cowles, Margaret Haining

This annotated bibliography contains 33 items from the ERIC database on high school journalism topics of interest to student writers and editors, journalism instructors, publications advisers, and school administrators. The first section contains overviews. Ensuing sections address how journalism benefits students; legal issues in high school…

Diabetes: MedlinePlus Health Topic

Science.gov (United States)

... High blood sugar (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish Topic Image MedlinePlus Email Updates Get Diabetes updates by ... ketones test Show More Show Less Related Health Topics A1C Blood Sugar Diabetes and Pregnancy Diabetes Complications ...

Randomized, controlled clinical trial of safety and plasma concentrations of diclofenac in healthy neonatal foals after repeated topical application of 1% diclofenac sodium cream.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnett, Susan E; Sellon, Debra C; Hines, Melissa T; Seino, Kathy K; Knych, Heather K

2017-04-01

OBJECTIVE To determine the plasma pharmacokinetics and safety of 1% diclofenac sodium cream applied topically to neonatal foals every 12 hours for 7 days. ANIMALS Twelve 2- to 14-day old healthy Arabian and Arabian-pony cross neonatal foals. PROCEDURES A 1.27-cm strip of cream containing 7.3 mg of diclofenac sodium (n = 6 foals) or an equivalent amount of placebo cream (6 foals) was applied topically to a 5-cm square of shaved skin over the anterolateral aspect of the left tarsometatarsal region every 12 hours for 7 days. Physical examination, CBC, serum biochemistry, urinalysis, gastric endoscopy, and ultrasonographic examination of the kidneys and right dorsal colon were performed before and after cream application. Venous blood samples were collected at predefined intervals following application of the diclofenac cream, and plasma diclofenac concentrations were determined by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. RESULTS No foal developed any adverse effects attributed to diclofenac application, and no significant differences in values of evaluated variables were identified between treatment groups. Plasma diclofenac concentrations peaked rapidly following application of the diclofenac cream, reaching a maximum of diclofenac sodium cream to foals as described appeared safe, and low plasma concentrations of diclofenac suggested minimal systemic absorption. Practitioners may consider use of this medication to treat focal areas of pain and inflammation in neonatal foals.

Transdermal and Topical Drug Administration in the Treatment of Pain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wojciech Leppert

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The comprehensive treatment of pain is multidimodal, with pharmacotherapy playing a key role. An effective therapy for pain depends on the intensity and type of pain, the patients’ age, comorbidities, and appropriate choice of analgesic, its dose and route of administration. This review is aimed at presenting current knowledge on analgesics administered by transdermal and topical routes for physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other health care professionals dealing with patients suffering from pain. Analgesics administered transdermally or topically act through different mechanisms. Opioids administered transdermally are absorbed into vessels located in subcutaneous tissue and, subsequently, are conveyed in the blood to opioid receptors localized in the central and peripheral nervous system. Non–steroidal anti–inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs applied topically render analgesia mainly through a high concentration in the structures of the joint and a provision of local anti–inflammatory effects. Topically administered drugs such as lidocaine and capsaicin in patches, capsaicin in cream, EMLA cream, and creams containing antidepressants (i.e., doxepin, amitriptyline act mainly locally in tissues through receptors and/or ion channels. Transdermal and topical routes offer some advantages over systemic analgesic administration. Analgesics administered topically have a much better profile for adverse effects as they relieve local pain with minimal systemic effects. The transdermal route apart from the above-mentioned advantages and provision of long period of analgesia may be more convenient, especially for patients who are unable to take drugs orally. Topically and transdermally administered opioids are characterised by a lower risk of addiction compared to oral and parenteral routes.

Pain Relievers: MedlinePlus Health Topic

Science.gov (United States)

... Health) ClinicalTrials.gov: Narcotics (National Institutes of Health) Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National ... Concentration Before Giving Acetaminophen to Infants (Food and Drug Administration) ... Related Health Topics Chronic Pain Medicines Opioid Abuse and Addiction Over-the-Counter Medicines Pain Other ...

Multijunction Photovoltaic Technologies for High-Performance Concentrators: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McConnell, R.; Symko-Davies, M.

2006-05-01

Multijunction solar cells provide high-performance technology pathways leading to potentially low-cost electricity generated from concentrated sunlight. The National Center for Photovoltaics at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory has funded different III-V multijunction solar cell technologies and various solar concentration approaches. Within this group of projects, III-V solar cell efficiencies of 41% are close at hand and will likely be reported in these conference proceedings. Companies with well-developed solar concentrator structures foresee installed system costs of $3/watt--half of today's costs--within the next 2 to 5 years as these high-efficiency photovoltaic technologies are incorporated into their concentrator photovoltaic systems. These technology improvements are timely as new large-scale multi-megawatt markets, appropriate for high performance PV concentrators, open around the world.

Superconcentration and related topics

CERN Document Server

Chatterjee, Sourav

2014-01-01

A certain curious feature of random objects, introduced by the author as “super concentration,” and two related topics, “chaos” and “multiple valleys,” are highlighted in this book. Although super concentration has established itself as a recognized feature in a number of areas of probability theory in the last twenty years (under a variety of names), the author was the first to discover and explore its connections with chaos and multiple valleys. He achieves a substantial degree of simplification and clarity in the presentation of these findings by using the spectral approach. Understanding the fluctuations of random objects is one of the major goals of probability theory and a whole subfield of probability and analysis, called concentration of measure, is devoted to understanding these fluctuations. This subfield offers a range of tools for computing upper bounds on the orders of fluctuations of very complicated random variables. Usually, concentration of measure is useful when more direct prob...

A new topical formulation enhances relative diclofenac bioavailability in healthy male subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Brunner, Martin; Davies, David; Martin, Wolfgang; Leuratti, Chiara; Lackner, Edith; Müller, Markus

2011-06-01

• Therapy with topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) relies on the ability of the active drug to penetrate the skin in sufficiently high amounts to exert a clinical effect, which is linked to the specific galenic properties of the formulation. • This phase 1 study characterizes the transdermal penetration and plasma exposure of different dose levels with galenic differences of a novel topical diclofenac formulation under development and indicates greater diclofenac penetration through the skin when compared with a commercially available formulation. To evaluate the relative plasma and tissue availability of diclofenac after repeated topical administration of a novel diclofenac acid-based delivery system under development (DCF100C). This was a single-centre, open-label, three-period, crossover clinical trial of five discrete diclofenac formulations. Test preparations comprised two concentrations (1.0% and 2.5%) of DCF100C, with and without menthol and eucalyptus oil (total daily doses of 5 mg and 12.5 mg). Voltaren Emulgel gel (1.0%) was the commercially available comparator (total daily dose of 40 mg). Topical application was performed onto the thigh of 20 male healthy subjects for 3 days. Applying a Youden square design, each drug was evaluated in 12 subjects, with each subject receiving three test preparations. Blood sampling and in vivo microdialysis in subcutaneous adipose and skeletal muscle tissues were performed for 10 h after additional final doses on the morning of day 4. All four DCF100C formulations demonstrated a three- to fivefold, dose-dependent increase in systemic diclofenac availability compared with Voltaren Emulgel and were approximately 30-40 times more effective at facilitating diclofenac penetration through the skin, taking different dose levels into account. Tissue concentrations were low and highly variable. The 2.5% DCF100C formulation without sensory excipients reached the highest tissue concentrations. AUC(0,10 h) was

Skin penetration and tissue permeation after topical administration of diclofenac.

Science.gov (United States)

Hagen, Martina; Baker, Mark

2017-09-01

Topical delivery of drugs is an alternative to oral administration, often with similar efficacy but potentially a more favorable tolerability profile. However, topical formulations need to be able to penetrate the skin and permeate to the target areas in quantities sufficient to exert a therapeutic effect. Many factors can affect this process, including the physicochemical properties of the drug, the formulation used, and the site and mode of application. It is believed that measurement of drug concentrations at the sites of action may be an indicator of their likely efficacy. This review addresses these issues, with reference to topically administered diclofenac in osteoarthritis. Articles relevant to this review were identified after a systematic search of Medline and Embase, using the key words "diclofenac", "topical administration" and "osteoarthritis" in the search strategy. The sparse data available indicate that topical diclofenac can penetrate and permeate to deeper tissues, with a lower plasma to tissue ratio than oral diclofenac. The tissue diclofenac levels after topical delivery are sustained over time (at least several hours). However, there is not enough data to establish how diclofenac levels in the joint compare with IC 50 levels (50% of the maximum inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis) established following oral administration. After topical application, diclofenac can penetrate the skin and permeate to deeper tissues, where it reaches a concentration that appears to be sufficient to exert a therapeutic effect. More robust methods are required for in vivo characterization to better estimate the clinical efficacy of topically applied drugs.

The role of topical moxifloxacin, a new antibacterial in Europe, in the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Benitez-Del-Castillo, Jose; Verboven, Yves; Stroman, David; Kodjikian, Laurent

2011-01-01

-time curve from time zero to 24 hours (AUC(24))/minimum inhibitory concentration ratio required to inhibit the growth of 90% of organisms (MIC(90)) and thus favourable pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic characteristics. This can result in reduced time-to-cure and a lower number of treatment failures, leading to better disease management and a healthcare-economic benefit arising from the associated reduction in utilization of healthcare resources. The high potency and mean concentration in conjunctival tissue combined with the long residence time of topical moxifloxacin enables a dosing strategy of three times daily for 5 days. Topical moxifloxacin is also the first ophthalmic antibacterial in Europe provided as a multidose, self-preserved, topical solution, thus avoiding the risk of benzalkonium chloride preservative-related allergic reactions and swelling. In addition, topical moxifloxacin has a near neutral pH (6.8) and is well tolerated by patients. Given the characteristics of the novel topical fluoroquinolones, a change in the healthcare treatment strategy for acute infectious conjunctivitis is to be recommended. Topical application of fluoroquinolones, such as moxifloxacin multidose self-preserved solution, should be considered earlier in the treatment path for conjunctivitis. Notwithstanding the premium price attached to this novel topical antibacterial, use of topical moxifloxacin for bacterial conjunctivitis can be cost effective and even generate total healthcare budget savings by reducing both the costs of managing treatment failures and the use of clinicians' time to manage such failures.

Incorporating Topic Assignment Constraint and Topic Correlation Limitation into Clinical Goal Discovering for Clinical Pathway Mining

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiao Xu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Clinical pathways are widely used around the world for providing quality medical treatment and controlling healthcare cost. However, the expert-designed clinical pathways can hardly deal with the variances among hospitals and patients. It calls for more dynamic and adaptive process, which is derived from various clinical data. Topic-based clinical pathway mining is an effective approach to discover a concise process model. Through this approach, the latent topics found by latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA represent the clinical goals. And process mining methods are used to extract the temporal relations between these topics. However, the topic quality is usually not desirable due to the low performance of the LDA in clinical data. In this paper, we incorporate topic assignment constraint and topic correlation limitation into the LDA to enhance the ability of discovering high-quality topics. Two real-world datasets are used to evaluate the proposed method. The results show that the topics discovered by our method are with higher coherence, informativeness, and coverage than the original LDA. These quality topics are suitable to represent the clinical goals. Also, we illustrate that our method is effective in generating a comprehensive topic-based clinical pathway model.

Introduction of high oxygen concentrations into silicon wafers by high-temperature diffusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Casse, G.; Glaser, M.; Lemeilleur, F.; Ruzin, A.; Wegrzecki, M.

1999-01-01

The tolerance of silicon detectors to hadron irradiation can be improved by the introduction of a high concentration of oxygen into the starting material. High-resistivity Floating-Zone (FZ) silicon is required for detectors used in particle physics applications. A significantly high oxygen concentration (>10 17 atoms cm -3 ) cannot readily be achieved during the FZ silicon refinement. The diffusion of oxygen at elevated temperatures from a SiO 2 layer grown on both sides of a silicon wafer is a simple and effective technique to achieve high and uniform concentrations of oxygen throughout the bulk of a 300 μm thick silicon wafer

Junior High School Students’ Understanding and Problem Solving Skills on the Topics of Line and Angles

Science.gov (United States)

Irsal, I. L.; Jupri, A.; Prabawanto, S.

2017-09-01

Line and angles is important topics to learn to develop the geometry skills and also mathematics skills such as understanding and problem solving skills. But, the fact was given by Indonesian researcher show that Indonesian students’ understanding and problem solving skills still low in this topics. This fact be a background to investigate students’ understanding and problem solving skills in line and angles topics. To investigate these skills, this study used descriptive-qualitative approach. Individual written test (essay) and interview was used in this study. 72 students grade 8th from one of Junior High School in Lembang, worked the written test and 18 of them were interviewed. Based on result, almost of student were have a good instrumental understanding in line and angles topic in same area, but almost all student have a low instrumental understanding in line and angles topic in different area. Almost all student have a low relational understanding. Also, almost all student have a low problem solving skills especially in make and use strategy to solve the problem and looking back their answer. Based on result there is need a meaningfulness learning strategy, which can make students build their understanding and develop their problem solving skill independently.

Topics and topic prominence in two sign languages

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kimmelman, V.

2015-01-01

In this paper we describe topic marking in Russian Sign Language (RSL) and Sign Language of the Netherlands (NGT) and discuss whether these languages should be considered topic prominent. The formal markers of topics in RSL are sentence-initial position, a prosodic break following the topic, and

Extremely high concentration of folates in premature newborns.

Science.gov (United States)

Zikavska, T; Brucknerova, I

2014-01-01

Extremely high concentration of folates in premature newborns: case reports. Folates are a group of water soluble compounds, which are important for metabolic processes in human body. These are important during periods of rapid cell growth. The most accurate indicator of long-term folate level status in the body is the determination of red blood cell (RBC) folate concentrations. The optimal level of RBC folate is not known in neonatal period. Authors discuss the reasons for extremely high level of RBC folate concentrations. In our work we present the cases of two premature newborns with extremely high level of RBC folate concentrations, which were analyzed immunochemically on the first day of life and after six weeks of life. In both cases we measured RBC folate concentrations on the 1st day of life. After 6 weeks we found extremely high RBC folate concentration level (5516.67 ng/ml) in the first case after RBC transfusions. In second case after two months of life the RBC folate concentration level was doubled (2335.1 ng/ml) until 24 hours after RBC transfusion compared to levels after birth. The normal range of RBC folate values vary in newborns. The upper limit of daily dose of folic acid in pregnancy and neonatal period is not known. On the other hand it is an easily excreted water-soluble vitamin but in premature newborn it can lead to the disruption of metabolic balance and slow its degradation. Some factors can have an impact on RBC folate concentration. Blood transfusion can be one of the main influences on RBC folate concentration. To clarify these mechanisms further studies are required (Ref. 29).

Stress concentration effects in high pressure components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aller, J.E.

1990-01-01

This paper examines the stress concentration effects of sideholes in thick walled, high pressure cylinders. It has been shown that the theoretical stress concentration factor at the intersection of a small crossbore in a closed end, thick walled cylinder varies between 3.0 and 4.0. Tests have shown that this effect can be greatly reduced in practice by carefully radiusing the bore intersection and autofrettaging the cylinder. It has also been shown that the minimum stress concentration factor occurs when the main bore and sidehole or crossbore have the same diameter, and the radius of the intersection is approximately equal to the sidehole radius. When the bore and sidehole intersection angle decreases from 90 degrees, the stress concentration factor increases significantly. Knowledge of these fundamental relationships can be used in maintaining, as well ad designing, high pressure equipment

[Ozone concentration distribution of urban].

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Yong-quan; Li, Chang-mei; Ma, Gui-xia; Cui, Zhao-jie

2004-11-01

The increase of ozone concentration in urban is one of the most important research topics on environmental science. With the increase of nitrogen oxides and hydrogen-carbon compounds which are exhausted from cars, the ozone concentration in urban is obviously increased on sunlight, and threat of photochemistry smog will be possible. Therefore, it is very important to monitor and study the ozone concentration distribution in urban. The frequency-distribution, diurnal variation and monthly variation of ozone concentration were studied on the campus of Shandong University during six months monitoring. The influence of solar radiation and weather conditions on ozone concentration were discussed. The frequency of ozone concentration less than 200 microg/m3 is 96.88%. The ozone concentration has an obvious diurnal variation. The ozone concentration in the afternoon is higher than in the morning and in the evening. The maximum appears in June, when it is the strong solar radiation and high air-temperature. The weather conditions also influence the ozone concentration. The ozone concentration in clear day is higher than in rainy and cloudy day.

Ocular penetration of topically applied 1% tigecycline in a rabbit model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yasar Sakarya

2017-05-01

Full Text Available AIM: To evaluate ocular penetration of topically applied 1% tigecycline. METHODS: Forty-two New Zealand White rabbits were divided into 3 groups. A 50 μL drop of 1% tigecycline was administered in group 1. In groups 2 and 3, the drop was administered every 15min for 60min (keratitis protocol. Aqueous humor samples in groups 1 and 2 were collected under general anesthesia at 15, 30, 45, 60, 120, and 180min after the last drop. All animals in group 3 were euthanatized. Cornea, vitreous and blood samples were collected 60 and 120min after the last drop. Tigecycline concentrations were measured using high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS. RESULTS: The peak aqueous humor tigecycline concentration [mean 0.73±0.14 mg/L (SD and 2.41±0.14 mg/L, respectively] occurred 45min after topical drug application in groups 1 and 2. Group 3 mean values in the cornea, and vitreous, were 3.27±0.50 µg/g, and 0.17±0.10 mg/L at 60min and 3.17±0.77 µg/g and 0.20±0.07 mg/L at 120min, respectively. Tigecycline serum concentrations were negligible. CONCLUSION: Tigecycline levels in the aqueous humor in groups 1 and 2, and in the cornea in group 3 exceeded the minimum inhibitory concentrations of most gram-positive organisms that cause bacterial keratitis and endophthalmitis.

Case study of elevated layers of high sulfate concentration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McNaughton, D.J.; Orgill, M.M.

1979-01-01

During studies in August 1976 that were part of the Multi-State Atmospheric Power Production Pollutant Study (MAP3S), Alkezweeny et al., (1977) noted that in the Milwaukee urban plume, layers of relatively high sulfate concentrations occurred at high altitudes with respect to the boundary layer. This paper represents a progress report on studies undertaken to investigate possible causes for a bimodel vertical profile of sulfate concentrations. Data presented by Alkezweeny et al., (1977) serve as a basis for this study. Data from August 23, 1976, and August 24, 1978, indicate concentrations relatively high in sulfate, at 1000 and 6000 ft, respectively, with lower concentrations at lower altitudes. Concentrations of trace metals also indicate no peaks in the vertical concentration profiles above the surface. Initial studies of the high, elevated sulfate concentrations have centered on the August 23 measurements taken over southeast Wisconsin using synoptic data from the national weather service, emissions data from the national emissions data bank system (EPA), air quality data from the national air surveillance network (EPA), and satellite photographs from the EROS Data Center

Topics in nuclear and radiochemistry for college curricula and high school science programs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1990-01-01

The concern with the current status and trends of nuclear chemistry and radiochemistry education in academic institutions was addressed in a recent workshop. The 1988 workshop considered the important contributions that scientist with nuclear and radiochemistry backgrounds have made and are continuing to make to other sciences and to various applied fields. Among the areas discussed were environmental studies, life sciences, materials science, separation technology, hot atom chemistry, cosmochemistry, and the rapidly growing field of nuclear medicine. It is intent of the organizer and participants of this symposium entitled Topics in Nuclear and Radiochemistry for College Curricula and High School Science Program'' to provide lecture material on topics related to nuclear and radiochemistry to educators. It is our hope that teachers, who may or may not be familiar with the field, will find this collections of articles useful and incorporate some of them into their lectures.

Topics in nuclear and radiochemistry for college curricula and high school science programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

The concern with the current status and trends of nuclear chemistry and radiochemistry education in academic institutions was addressed in a recent workshop. The 1988 workshop considered the important contributions that scientist with nuclear and radiochemistry backgrounds have made and are continuing to make to other sciences and to various applied fields. Among the areas discussed were environmental studies, life sciences, materials science, separation technology, hot atom chemistry, cosmochemistry, and the rapidly growing field of nuclear medicine. It is intent of the organizer and participants of this symposium entitled ''Topics in Nuclear and Radiochemistry for College Curricula and High School Science Program'' to provide lecture material on topics related to nuclear and radiochemistry to educators. It is our hope that teachers, who may or may not be familiar with the field, will find this collections of articles useful and incorporate some of them into their lectures

Acetate biodegradation by anaerobic microorganisms at high pH and high calcium concentration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshida, Takahiro

2011-01-01

Acetate biodegradation at a high pH and a high calcium concentration was examined to clarify the effect of bacterial activity on the migration of organic 14 C compounds in cementitious repositories. Tamagawa river sediment or Teganuma pond sediment was anaerobically cultured with 5 mM acetate and 10 mM nitrate at pH 9.5-12 at 30 o C. After 20 and 90 days, the acetate concentration of the culture medium was analyzed and found to have decreased below 5 mM at pH ≤ 11. On the other hand, it did not decrease when either sediment was incubated in the absence of nitrate. These results suggest that nitrate-reducing bacteria can biodegrade acetate under more alkaline conditions than the reported pH range in which nitrate-reducing bacteria can exhibit activity. Acetate biodegradation was also examined at a high calcium concentration. Sediments were anaerobically cultured at pH 9.5 with 5 mM acetate and 10 mM nitrate in solution, equilibrated with ordinary Portland cement hydrate, in which the Ca concentration was 14.6 mM. No decrease in acetate concentration after incubation of the sediments was observed, nor was it lower than in the absence of cementitious composition, suggesting that kinetics of acetate biodegradation by anaerobic microorganisms is lowered by a high Ca concentration. - Research highlights: → Acetate biodegradation at a high pH and a high calcium concentration was examined to clarify the effect of bacterial activity on the migration of organic 14 C compounds in cementitious repositories. → Nitrate-reducing bacteria can biodegrade acetate at pH ≤ 11. → Kinetics of acetate biodegradation by anaerobic microorganisms might be lowered by a high Ca concentration.

Safety and Feasibility of Topical Application of Limonene as a Massage Oil to the Breast.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Jessica A; Thompson, Patricia A; Hakim, Iman A; Lopez, Ana Maria; Thomson, Cynthia A; Chew, Wade; Hsu, Chiu-Hsieh; Chow, H-H Sherry

2012-10-01

Limonene, a major component in citrus oil, has demonstrated anti-cancer effects in preclinical mammary cancer models. However, the effective oral dose translates to a human dose that may not be feasible for chronic dosing. We proposed to evaluate topical application of limonene to the breast as an alternative dosing strategy. We conducted a mouse disposition study to determine whether limonene would be bio available in the mammary tissue after topical application. SKH-1 mice received topical or oral administration of limonene in the form of orange oil every day for 4 weeks. Plasma and mammary pads were collected 4 hrs after the final dosing. We also conducted an exploratory clinical study to evaluate the safety and feasibility of topically applied limonene in the form of orange oil to the breast. Healthy women were recruited to apply orange oil containing massage oil to their breasts daily for four weeks. Safety and feasibility were assessed by reported adverse events, clinical labs, and usage compliance. Pre and post-intervention nipple aspirate fluid (NAF) and plasma were collected for limonene concentration determination. The mouse disposition study showed that topical and oral orange oil administration resulted in similar mammary tissue disposition of limonene with no clinical signs of toxicity. In the clinical study, the topical application of limonene containing massage oil to the breast was found to be safe with high levels of usage compliance for daily application, although NAF and plasma limonene concentrations were not significantly changed after the massage oil application. Our studies showed that limonene is bio available in mammary tissue after topical orange oil application in mice and this novel route of administration to the breast is safe and feasible in healthy women.

Fixed drug eruption: topical provocation and subsequent phenomena

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mahboob, A; Haroon, T S [Shaikh Zayed FPGMI, Lahore (Pakistan). Dept. of Dermatology; Haroon, T S [King Edward Medical Univ., Lahore (Pakistan). Dept. of Dematology; Iqbal, Z; Iqbal, F [Shaikh Zayed FPGMI, Lahore (Pakistan). Dept. of Medicine

2006-12-15

To determine the usefulness of topical provocation in detecting the incriminated drug causing fixed eruption. Three hundred and five, clinically diagnosed cases of Fixed Drug Eruption (FDE) of either gender and of any age were subjected to topical provocation with different drugs by using concentration of 1% (n=203), 2% (n=210) and 5% (n=235) in white soft paraffin. Drug ointment of one strength was applied one at a time on normal skin of flexor surface of right or left forearm. The effects of tests on involved and uninvolved skin were observed for 48 hours. The changes in lesions like erythema, hyperpigmentation, itching, burning or appearance of new lesion were considered a positive response. In case of no change, the patients (n=5) were subjected to oral provocation test, by giving half to full therapeutic dose of the suspected drug depending upon the severity of the initial attack. A patient who exhibited see-sawing phenomenon with 5% metamizole TPT was given oral challenge with same drug. Control topical tests were repeated in equal number of normal persons with various drug ointments and in patients of FDE with white soft paraffin on normal and affected skin. One hundred and thirty-seven patients were males and one hundred and sixty-eight patients were females. Maximum number of patients belonged to third decade. With 1% drug preparations 12 out of 316, with 2% drug preparations 28 out of 422 and with 5% drug preparations, 312 out of 523 TPTs were positive. The comparison revealed a highly significant association (Chi-square 448.1 and p<0.000) among various strengths of preparations and positive response. Sulphamethoxazole was found to be the most commonly incriminated cause of FDE applied in 5% concentration yielded sensitivity rate of 91% compared to 4% with lower concentrations. Positive patch test was also observed with oxytetracycline. Five patients who were given oral provocation with different drugs were found to be positive to tinidazole, dapsone

Fixed drug eruption: topical provocation and subsequent phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahboob, A.; Haroon, T.S.; Haroon, T.S.; Iqbal, Z.; Iqbal, F.

2006-01-01

To determine the usefulness of topical provocation in detecting the incriminated drug causing fixed eruption. Three hundred and five, clinically diagnosed cases of Fixed Drug Eruption (FDE) of either gender and of any age were subjected to topical provocation with different drugs by using concentration of 1% (n=203), 2% (n=210) and 5% (n=235) in white soft paraffin. Drug ointment of one strength was applied one at a time on normal skin of flexor surface of right or left forearm. The effects of tests on involved and uninvolved skin were observed for 48 hours. The changes in lesions like erythema, hyperpigmentation, itching, burning or appearance of new lesion were considered a positive response. In case of no change, the patients (n=5) were subjected to oral provocation test, by giving half to full therapeutic dose of the suspected drug depending upon the severity of the initial attack. A patient who exhibited see-sawing phenomenon with 5% metamizole TPT was given oral challenge with same drug. Control topical tests were repeated in equal number of normal persons with various drug ointments and in patients of FDE with white soft paraffin on normal and affected skin. One hundred and thirty-seven patients were males and one hundred and sixty-eight patients were females. Maximum number of patients belonged to third decade. With 1% drug preparations 12 out of 316, with 2% drug preparations 28 out of 422 and with 5% drug preparations, 312 out of 523 TPTs were positive. The comparison revealed a highly significant association (Chi-square 448.1 and p<0.000) among various strengths of preparations and positive response. Sulphamethoxazole was found to be the most commonly incriminated cause of FDE applied in 5% concentration yielded sensitivity rate of 91% compared to 4% with lower concentrations. Positive patch test was also observed with oxytetracycline. Five patients who were given oral provocation with different drugs were found to be positive to tinidazole, dapsone

Principles of topical treatment: advancement in gel vehicle technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Feldman, Steven R

2014-04-01

Topical treatment is a pillar of dermatologic practice. The delivery of drug by a topical vehicle is dependent on complex physical chemistry and on how well patients apply the product. The potency of topical agents is not solely dependent on the concentration of active drug in the vehicle. A corticosteroid molecule may have vastly different potency depending on what vehicle is used to deliver it. Similarly, a new gel vehicle is able to deliver considerably more active antifungal than an older vehicle technology and may represent a promising vehicle for other novel formulations. The use of new vehicles can provide more effective means for treating patients with skin disease.

High indoor radon concentrations in some Swedish waterworks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aakerblom, G.; Hagberg, N.; Mjoenes, L.; Heiberg, A.

2002-01-01

High indoor radon concentrations in buildings used for water treatment are not uncommon. When raw water is processed in an open system radon escapes from the water to the indoor air of the premises. It is not unusual that the staff of the waterworks have their offices in the building where the water is processed. If large volumes of water are processed and the evaporated radon can reach the workplaces the indoor radon concentration can be very high even if the radon concentration of the raw water is moderate. Groundwaters from aquifers in bedrock and soil and surface water that has been infiltrated through deposits of sand or gravel have the potential to cause high indoor radon levels. In surface water emanating directly from a lake or a river the radon concentrations are normally too low to cause problems. Three waterworks in central Sweden have been studied, Ludvika, Fredriksberg and Kolbaeck. The radon concentrations in the raw water of these waterworks are from 85 Bq/l to 300 Bq/l. Average indoor radon concentrations exceeding 17,000 Bq/m 3 have been measured in Ludvika with peaks of almost 37,000 Bq/m 3 . In Kolbaeck radon concentrations up to 56,000 Bq/m 3 have been measured. It is quite possible that employees of waterworks can receive doses exceeding 20 mSv per year (calculated according to ICRP:s dose conversion convention). Measurements of radon and gamma radiation from the waterworks are reported and methods to lower the indoor radon concentrations are discussed. (author)

Adaptive sensor-based ultra-high accuracy solar concentrator tracker

Science.gov (United States)

Brinkley, Jordyn; Hassanzadeh, Ali

2017-09-01

Conventional solar trackers use information of the sun's position, either by direct sensing or by GPS. Our method uses the shading of the receiver. This, coupled with nonimaging optics design allows us to achieve ultra-high concentration. Incorporating a sensor based shadow tracking method with a two stage concentration solar hybrid parabolic trough allows the system to maintain high concentration with acute accuracy.

Identifying Topics in Microblogs Using Wikipedia.

Science.gov (United States)

Yıldırım, Ahmet; Üsküdarlı, Suzan; Özgür, Arzucan

2016-01-01

Twitter is an extremely high volume platform for user generated contributions regarding any topic. The wealth of content created at real-time in massive quantities calls for automated approaches to identify the topics of the contributions. Such topics can be utilized in numerous ways, such as public opinion mining, marketing, entertainment, and disaster management. Towards this end, approaches to relate single or partial posts to knowledge base items have been proposed. However, in microblogging systems like Twitter, topics emerge from the culmination of a large number of contributions. Therefore, identifying topics based on collections of posts, where individual posts contribute to some aspect of the greater topic is necessary. Models, such as Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), propose algorithms for relating collections of posts to sets of keywords that represent underlying topics. In these approaches, figuring out what the specific topic(s) the keyword sets represent remains as a separate task. Another issue in topic detection is the scope, which is often limited to specific domain, such as health. This work proposes an approach for identifying domain-independent specific topics related to sets of posts. In this approach, individual posts are processed and then aggregated to identify key tokens, which are then mapped to specific topics. Wikipedia article titles are selected to represent topics, since they are up to date, user-generated, sophisticated articles that span topics of human interest. This paper describes the proposed approach, a prototype implementation, and a case study based on data gathered during the heavily contributed periods corresponding to the four US election debates in 2012. The manually evaluated results (0.96 precision) and other observations from the study are discussed in detail.

Topical treatment of psoriasis: questionnaire results on topical therapy accessibility and influence of body surface area on usage

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Iversen, L.; Lange, M.M. De; Bissonette, R.; Carvalho, A.V.E.; Kerkhof, P.C.M. van de; Kirby, B.; Kleyn, C.E.; Lynde, C.W.; Walt, J.M. van der; Wu, J.J.

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: Topical treatment of mild to moderate psoriasis is first-line treatment and exhibits varying degrees of success across patient groups. Key factors influencing treatment success are physician topical treatment choice (high efficacy, low adverse events) and strict patient adherence.

Topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of pain due to soft tissue injury: diclofenac epolamine topical patch.

Science.gov (United States)

Lionberger, David R; Brennan, Michael J

2010-11-10

The objective of this article is to review published clinical data on diclofenac epolamine topical patch 1.3% (DETP) in the treatment of acute soft tissue injuries, such as strains, sprains, and contusions. Review of published literature on topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), diclofenac, and DETP in patients with acute soft tissue injuries was included. Relevant literature was identified on MEDLINE using the search terms topical NSAIDs, diclofenac, diclofenac epolamine, acute pain, sports injury, soft tissue injury, strain, sprain, and contusion, and from citations in retrieved articles covering the years 1978-2008. Review of published, randomized clinical trials and meta-analyses shows that topical NSAIDs are significantly more effective than placebo in relieving acute pain; the pooled average relative benefit was 1.7 (95% confidence interval, 1.5-1.9). In a limited number of comparisons, topical and oral NSAIDs provided comparable pain relief, but the use of topical agents produced lower plasma drug concentrations and fewer systemic adverse events (AEs). The physical-chemical properties of diclofenac epolamine make it well suited for topical use. In patients with acute soft tissue injuries treated with DETP, clinical data report an analgesic benefit within hours of the first application, and significant pain relief relative to placebo within 3 days. Moreover, DETP displayed tolerability comparable with placebo; the most common AEs were pruritus and other application site reactions. Review of published literature suggests that DETP is generally safe and well tolerated, clinically efficacious, and a rational treatment option for patients experiencing acute pain associated with strains, sprains, and contusions, and other localized painful conditions.

Topical treatment of psoriasis: questionnaire results on topical therapy accessibility and influence of body surface area on usage.

Science.gov (United States)

Iversen, L; Lange, M M; Bissonette, R; Carvalho, A V E; van de Kerkhof, P C; Kirby, B; Kleyn, C E; Lynde, C W; van der Walt, J M; Wu, J J

2017-07-01

Topical treatment of mild to moderate psoriasis is first-line treatment and exhibits varying degrees of success across patient groups. Key factors influencing treatment success are physician topical treatment choice (high efficacy, low adverse events) and strict patient adherence. Currently, no formalized, international consensus guidelines exist to direct optimal topical treatment, although many countries have national guidelines. To describe and analyse cross-regional variations in the use and access of psoriasis topical therapies. The study was conducted as an observational cross-sectional study. A survey was distributed to dermatologists from the International Psoriasis Council (IPC) to assess topical therapy accessibility in 26 countries and to understand how body surface area (BSA) categories guide clinical decisions on topical use. Variation in the availability of tars, topical retinoids, dithranol and balneotherapy was reported. The vast majority of respondents (100% and 88.4%) used topical therapy as first-line monotherapy in situations with BSA 10%, the number of respondents who prescribe topical therapy decreased considerably. In addition, combination therapy of a topical drug and a systemic drug was frequently reported when BSA measured >10%. This physician survey provides new evidence on topical access and the influence of disease severity on topical usage in an effort to improve treatment strategies on a global level. © 2017 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

Identifying Topics in Microblogs Using Wikipedia.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmet Yıldırım

Full Text Available Twitter is an extremely high volume platform for user generated contributions regarding any topic. The wealth of content created at real-time in massive quantities calls for automated approaches to identify the topics of the contributions. Such topics can be utilized in numerous ways, such as public opinion mining, marketing, entertainment, and disaster management. Towards this end, approaches to relate single or partial posts to knowledge base items have been proposed. However, in microblogging systems like Twitter, topics emerge from the culmination of a large number of contributions. Therefore, identifying topics based on collections of posts, where individual posts contribute to some aspect of the greater topic is necessary. Models, such as Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA, propose algorithms for relating collections of posts to sets of keywords that represent underlying topics. In these approaches, figuring out what the specific topic(s the keyword sets represent remains as a separate task. Another issue in topic detection is the scope, which is often limited to specific domain, such as health. This work proposes an approach for identifying domain-independent specific topics related to sets of posts. In this approach, individual posts are processed and then aggregated to identify key tokens, which are then mapped to specific topics. Wikipedia article titles are selected to represent topics, since they are up to date, user-generated, sophisticated articles that span topics of human interest. This paper describes the proposed approach, a prototype implementation, and a case study based on data gathered during the heavily contributed periods corresponding to the four US election debates in 2012. The manually evaluated results (0.96 precision and other observations from the study are discussed in detail.

Bare quantifier fronting as contrastive topicalization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ion Giurgea

2015-11-01

Full Text Available I argue that indefinites (in particular bare quantifiers such as ‘something’, ‘somebody’, etc. which are neither existentially presupposed nor in the restriction of a quantifier over situations, can undergo topicalization in a number of Romance languages (Catalan, Italian, Romanian, Spanish, but only if the sentence contains “verum” focus, i.e. focus on a high degree of certainty of the sentence. I analyze these indefinites as contrastive topics, using Büring’s (1999 theory (where the term ‘S-topic’ is used for what I call ‘contrastive topic’. I propose that the topic is evaluated in relation to a scalar set including generalized quantifiers such as {lP $x P(x, lP MANYx P(x, lP MOSTx P(x, lP “xP(x} or {lP $xP(x, lP P(a, lP P(b …}, and that the contrastive topic is the weakest generalized quantifier in this set. The verum focus, which is part of the “comment” that co-occurs with the “Topic”, introduces a set of alternatives including degrees of certainty of the assertion. The speaker asserts that his claim is certainly true or highly probable, contrasting it with stronger claims for which the degree of probability is unknown. This explains the observation that in downward entailing contexts, the fronted quantified DPs are headed by ‘all’ or ‘many’, whereas ‘some’, small numbers or ‘at least n’ appear in upward entailing contexts. Unlike other cases of non-specific topics, which are property topics, these are quantifier topics: the topic part is a generalized quantifier, the comment is a property of generalized quantifiers. This explains the narrow scope of the fronted quantified DP.

Topics in Nuclear Astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, K.C.

1982-01-01

Some topics in nuclear astrophysics are discussed, e.g.: highly evolved stellar cores, stellar evolution (through the temperature analysis of stellar surface), nucleosynthesis and finally the solar neutrino problem. (L.C.) [pt

High-performance flat-panel solar thermoelectric generators with high thermal concentration

Science.gov (United States)

Kraemer, Daniel; Poudel, Bed; Feng, Hsien-Ping; Caylor, J. Christopher; Yu, Bo; Yan, Xiao; Ma, Yi; Wang, Xiaowei; Wang, Dezhi; Muto, Andrew; McEnaney, Kenneth; Chiesa, Matteo; Ren, Zhifeng; Chen, Gang

2011-07-01

The conversion of sunlight into electricity has been dominated by photovoltaic and solar thermal power generation. Photovoltaic cells are deployed widely, mostly as flat panels, whereas solar thermal electricity generation relying on optical concentrators and mechanical heat engines is only seen in large-scale power plants. Here we demonstrate a promising flat-panel solar thermal to electric power conversion technology based on the Seebeck effect and high thermal concentration, thus enabling wider applications. The developed solar thermoelectric generators (STEGs) achieved a peak efficiency of 4.6% under AM1.5G (1 kW m-2) conditions. The efficiency is 7-8 times higher than the previously reported best value for a flat-panel STEG, and is enabled by the use of high-performance nanostructured thermoelectric materials and spectrally-selective solar absorbers in an innovative design that exploits high thermal concentration in an evacuated environment. Our work opens up a promising new approach which has the potential to achieve cost-effective conversion of solar energy into electricity.

High-performance flat-panel solar thermoelectric generators with high thermal concentration.

Science.gov (United States)

Kraemer, Daniel; Poudel, Bed; Feng, Hsien-Ping; Caylor, J Christopher; Yu, Bo; Yan, Xiao; Ma, Yi; Wang, Xiaowei; Wang, Dezhi; Muto, Andrew; McEnaney, Kenneth; Chiesa, Matteo; Ren, Zhifeng; Chen, Gang

2011-05-01

The conversion of sunlight into electricity has been dominated by photovoltaic and solar thermal power generation. Photovoltaic cells are deployed widely, mostly as flat panels, whereas solar thermal electricity generation relying on optical concentrators and mechanical heat engines is only seen in large-scale power plants. Here we demonstrate a promising flat-panel solar thermal to electric power conversion technology based on the Seebeck effect and high thermal concentration, thus enabling wider applications. The developed solar thermoelectric generators (STEGs) achieved a peak efficiency of 4.6% under AM1.5G (1 kW m(-2)) conditions. The efficiency is 7-8 times higher than the previously reported best value for a flat-panel STEG, and is enabled by the use of high-performance nanostructured thermoelectric materials and spectrally-selective solar absorbers in an innovative design that exploits high thermal concentration in an evacuated environment. Our work opens up a promising new approach which has the potential to achieve cost-effective conversion of solar energy into electricity. © 2011 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved

Topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of pain due to soft tissue injury: diclofenac epolamine topical patch

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David R Lionberger

2010-11-01

Full Text Available David R Lionberger1, Michael J Brennan21Southwest Orthopedic Group, Houston, TX, USA; 2Department of Medicine, Bridgeport Hospital, Bridgeport, CT, USAAbstract: The objective of this article is to review published clinical data on diclofenac epolamine topical patch 1.3% (DETP in the treatment of acute soft tissue injuries, such as strains, sprains, and contusions. Review of published literature on topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, diclofenac, and DETP in patients with acute soft tissue injuries was included. Relevant literature was identified on MEDLINE using the search terms topical NSAIDs, diclofenac, diclofenac epolamine, acute pain, sports injury, soft tissue injury, strain, sprain, and contusion, and from citations in retrieved articles covering the years 1978–2008. Review of published, randomized clinical trials and meta-analyses shows that topical NSAIDs are significantly more effective than placebo in relieving acute pain; the pooled average relative benefit was 1.7 (95% confidence interval, 1.5–1.9. In a limited number of comparisons, topical and oral NSAIDs provided comparable pain relief, but the use of topical agents produced lower plasma drug concentrations and fewer systemic adverse events (AEs. The physical–chemical properties of diclofenac epolamine make it well suited for topical use. In patients with acute soft tissue injuries treated with DETP, clinical data report an analgesic benefit within hours of the first application, and significant pain relief relative to placebo within 3 days. Moreover, DETP displayed tolerability comparable with placebo; the most common AEs were pruritus and other application site reactions. Review of published literature suggests that DETP is generally safe and well tolerated, clinically efficacious, and a rational treatment option for patients experiencing acute pain associated with strains, sprains, and contusions, and other localized painful conditions

A Lack of Systemic Absorption Following the Repeated Application of Topical Quetiapine in Healthy Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Kayhart, Bryce; Lapid, Maria I; Nelson, Sarah; Cunningham, Julie L; Thompson, Virginia H; Leung, Jonathan G

2018-01-01

In the absence of suitable oral or intravenous access for medication administration and when the intramuscular medications are undesirable, alternative routes for drug delivery may be considered. Antipsychotics administered via an inhaled, intranasal, rectal, or topical route have been described in the literature. Topically administered antipsychotics have been previously reported to produce negligible systemic absorption despite being used in clinical practice for nausea and behavioral symptoms associated with dementia. Additionally, the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine recommends against the use of topical medications that lack supporting literature. Three studies have assessed the systemic absorption of different antipsychotics after administration of only a single, topically applied dose. To evaluate whether the repeated administration of a topically applied antipsychotic may result in detectable serum levels in an accumulating fashion, a pharmacokinetic study was conducted. Five healthy, adult participants consented to receive extemporaneously prepared topical quetiapine in Lipoderm every 4 hours for a total of 5 doses. Blood samples were drawn at baseline and hours 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, and 24, and serum quetiapine concentrations were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography. Quetiapine was undetectable in every sample from 3 participants. Two participants had minimally detectable serum quetiapine levels no sooner than hour 12 of the study period. Extemporaneously prepared quetiapine in Lipoderm resulted in nonexistent or minimal serum level following repeated topical administration. The use of topically applied quetiapine should still be questioned.

Topical antifungal agents: an update.

Science.gov (United States)

Diehl, K B

1996-10-01

So many topical antifungal agents have been introduced that it has become very difficult to select the proper agent for a given infection. Nonspecific agents have been available for many years, and they are still effective in many situations. These agents include Whitfield's ointment, Castellani paint, gentian violet, potassium permanganate, undecylenic acid and selenium sulfide. Specific antifungal agents include, among others, the polyenes (nystatin, amphotericin B), the imidazoles (metronidazole, clotrimazole) and the allylamines (terbinafine, naftifine). Although the choice of an antifungal agent should be based on an accurate diagnosis, many clinicians believe that topical miconazole is a relatively effective agent for the treatment of most mycotic infections. Terbinafine and other newer drugs have primary fungicidal effects. Compared with older antifungal agents, these newer drugs can be used in lower concentrations and shorter therapeutic courses. Studies are needed to evaluate the clinical efficacies and cost advantages of both newer and traditional agents.

Analgesic effect of topical oral capsaicin gel in burning mouth syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Jørgensen, Mette Rose; Pedersen, Anne Marie Lynge

2017-03-01

To investigate the effectiveness of repeated topical application of oral capsaicin gel in two different concentrations for relief of burning/stinging sensations in patients with burning mouth syndrome (BMS). This randomized double-blind cross-over study included 22 female patients with BMS. The patients were randomized for topical application of either 0.01% or 0.025% oral capsaicin gel on the dorsal part of tongue three times daily for 14 days, followed by 14 days wash-out period, and finally treatment with the other concentration of oral gel three times daily for 14 days. A visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to assess the severity of pain five times during the intervention period. 18 patients completed the intervention. Their VAS score at baseline was 5.5 ± 0.6 cm (mean ± SD). Treatment with the two concentrations of capsaicin gels significantly improved the burning/stinging symptoms assessed on VAS compared with baseline (p = 0.002). There was no statistically significant difference between the two concentrations of the gels on relieving symptoms. Four patients dropped out during the intervention period due to gastrointestinal side-effects. Topical capsaicin might be an alternative for the short-term treatment of BMS. However, further studies are needed to investigate especially the gastro-intestinal side-effects which may limit its long-term use.

High death rate in mice treated topically with diclofenac

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lerche, Catharina M; Philipsen, Peter A; Poulsen, Thomas

2011-01-01

). Diclofenac was applied topically on the backs of hairless, female, C3.Cg/TifBomTac immunocompetent mice three times weekly followed by ultraviolet radiation (2, 3, or 4 Standard Erythema Dose) until death. There was a significant difference in survival between diclofenac-treated groups and control groups (P...

Nanoparticles and nanofibers for topical drug delivery

Science.gov (United States)

Goyal, Ritu; Macri, Lauren K.; Kaplan, Hilton M.; Kohn, Joachim

2016-01-01

This review provides the first comprehensive overview of the use of both nanoparticles and nanofibers for topical drug delivery. Researchers have explored the use of nanotechnology, specifically nanoparticles and nanofibers, as drug delivery systems for topical and transdermal applications. This approach employs increased drug concentration in the carrier, in order to increase drug flux into and through the skin. Both nanoparticles and nanofibers can be used to deliver hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs and are capable of controlled release for a prolonged period of time. The examples presented provide significant evidence that this area of research has—and will continue to have — a profound impact on both clinical outcomes and the development of new products. PMID:26518723

Topical tags vs non-topical tags : Towards a bipartite classification?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Basile, Valerio; Peroni, Silvio; Tamburini, Fabio; Vitali, Fabio

2015-01-01

In this paper we investigate whether it is possible to create a computational approach that allows us to distinguish topical tags (i.e. talking about the topic of a resource) and non-topical tags (i.e. describing aspects of a resource that are not related to its topic) in folksonomies, in a way that

Applications of nonimaging optics for very high solar concentrations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Gallagher, J.; Winston, R.

1997-01-01

Using the principles and techniques of nonimaging optics, solar concentrations that approach the theoretical maximum can be achieved. This has applications in solar energy collection wherever concentration is desired. In this paper, we survey recent progress in attaining and using high and ultrahigh solar fluxes. We review a number of potential applications for highly concentrated solar energy and the current status of the associated technology. By making possible new and unique applications for intense solar flux, these techniques have opened a whole new frontier for research and development of potentially economic uses of solar energy

Nanostructured lipid carriers-based flurbiprofen gel after topical administration: acute skin irritation, pharmacodynamics, and percutaneous absorption mechanism.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Aihua; Su, Zhen; Li, Sanming; Han, Fei

2015-01-01

In order to assess the preliminary safety and effectiveness of nanostructured lipid carriers-based flurbiprofen gel (FP NLC-gel), the acute irritation test, in vivo pharmacodynamics evaluation and pharmacokinetic study were investigated after topical application. No dropsy and erythema were observed after continuous dosing 7 d of FP NLC-gel on the rabbit skin, and the xylene-induced ear drossy could be inhibited by FP NLC-gel at different dosages. The maximum concentration of FP in rats muscle was 2.03 μg/g and 1.55 μg/g after oral and topical administration, respectively. While the peak concentration in untreated muscle after topical administration was only 0.37 μg/mL. And at any time, following topical administration the mean muscle-plasma concentration ratio Cmuscle/CPlasma was obviously higher than that following oral administration. Results indicated that FP could directly penetrate into the subcutaneous muscle tissue from the administration site. Thus, the developed FP NLC-gel could be a safe and effective vehicle for topical delivery of FP.

Selected topics in magnetism

CERN Document Server

Gupta, L C

1993-01-01

Part of the ""Frontiers in Solid State Sciences"" series, this volume presents essays on such topics as spin fluctuations in Heisenberg magnets, quenching of spin fluctuations by high magnetic fields, and kondo effect and heavy fermions in rare earths amongst others.

Rheological behavior of high-concentration sodium caseinate dispersions.

Science.gov (United States)

Loveday, Simon M; Rao, M Anandha; Creamer, Lawrence K; Singh, Harjinder

2010-03-01

Apparent viscosity and frequency sweep (G', G'') data for sodium caseinate dispersions with concentrations of approximately 18% to 40% w/w were obtained at 20 degrees C; colloidal glass behavior was exhibited by dispersions with concentration >or=23% w/w. The high concentrations were obtained by mixing frozen powdered buffer with sodium caseinate in boiling liquid nitrogen, and allowing the mixtures to thaw and hydrate at 4 degrees C. The low-temperature G'-G'' crossover seen in temperature scans between 60 and 5 degrees C was thought to indicate gelation. Temperature scans from 5 to 90 degrees C revealed gradual decrease in G' followed by plateau values. In contrast, G'' decreased gradually and did not reach plateau values. Increase in hydrophobicity of the sodium caseinate or a decrease in the effective volume fraction of its aggregates may have contributed to these phenomena. The gelation and end of softening temperatures of the dispersions increased with the concentration of sodium caseinate. From an Eldridge-Ferry plot, the enthalpy of softening was estimated to be 29.6 kJ mol(-1). The results of this study should be useful for creating new products with high concentrations of sodium caseinate.

Evaluation of topical potassium hydroxide solution for treatment of plane warts.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Hamdi, Khalil I; Al-Rahmani, Moutaz A A

2012-01-01

Plane wart is a common dermatological disease that is caused by human papilloma virus; although the rate of spontaneous recovery is high, it usually takes a long time to occur. Many modalities of treatments have been used but none of them proved to be uniformly effective. Potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution is a well-known keratolytic agent with many dermatological uses. To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of topical KOH solution in the treatment of plane warts. A total of 250 patients with plane warts, consulting the department of Dermatology and Venereology of Basra Teaching Hospital between March 2008 and October 2009, were enrolled in this opened therapeutic trial study. Patients were divided into two age and sex cross-matched equal groups; patients in group (A) were treated with topical 5% KOH solution once at night, while patients in group (B) were treated with topical 10% KOH solution once nightly. Only 107 patients from group (A) and 95 patients from group (B) completed the study, while the remainders were defaulted for unknown reasons. The patients were evaluated at second and fourth week to assess the cure rates and side effects, those patients who showed complete cure were followed up for 3 months to detect any recurrence. At the end of second week, 9.3% of group (A) patients showed complete disappearance of their warts, vs 66.3% of group (B) patients. At the end of fourth week, 80.3% of group (A) patients showed complete response in comparison with 82.1% of group (B) patients. The side effects for the treating solution in both concentrations include itching, burning sensation, erythema, and temporary dyspigmentations, that were reported in 77.6% of group (A) patients in comparison with 90.5% of group (B) patients. Recurrence rate was reported in 5.8% of group (A) patients vs 5.1% of group (B) patients during the three months period of follow-up. Topical KOH solution is proved to be an effective and safe treatment of plane warts in both

Topical electrophilic nitro-fatty acids potentiate cutaneous inflammation.

Science.gov (United States)

Mathers, Alicia R; Carey, Cara D; Killeen, Meaghan E; Salvatore, Sonia R; Ferris, Laura K; Freeman, Bruce A; Schopfer, Francisco J; Falo, Louis D

2018-02-01

Endogenous electrophilic fatty acids mediate anti-inflammatory responses by modulating metabolic and inflammatory signal transduction and gene expression. Nitro-fatty acids and other electrophilic fatty acids may thus be useful for the prevention and treatment of immune-mediated diseases, including inflammatory skin disorders. In this regard, subcutaneous (SC) injections of nitro oleic acid (OA-NO 2 ), an exemplary nitro-fatty acid, inhibit skin inflammation in a model of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD). Given the nitration of unsaturated fatty acids during metabolic and inflammatory processes and the growing use of fatty acids in topical formulations, we sought to further study the effect of nitro-fatty acids on cutaneous inflammation. To accomplish this, the effect of topically applied OA-NO 2 on skin inflammation was evaluated using established murine models of contact hypersensitivity (CHS). In contrast to the effects of subcutaneously injected OA-NO 2 , topical OA-NO 2 potentiated hapten-dependent inflammation inducing a sustained neutrophil-dependent inflammatory response characterized by psoriasiform histological features, increased angiogenesis, and an inflammatory infiltrate that included neutrophils, inflammatory monocytes, and γδ T cells. Consistent with these results, HPLC-MS/MS analysis of skin from psoriasis patients displayed a 56% increase in nitro-conjugated linoleic acid (CLA-NO 2 ) levels in lesional skin compared to non-lesional skin. These results suggest that nitro-fatty acids in the skin microenvironment are products of cutaneous inflammatory responses and, in high local concentrations, may exacerbate inflammatory skin diseases. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Most common dermatologic topics published in five high-impact general medical journals, 1970-2012: melanoma, psoriasis, herpes simplex, herpes zoster, and acne.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Young M; Namavar, Aram A; Wu, Jashin J

2014-01-01

General practitioners frequently encounter skin diseases and are accustomed to diagnosing the most common dermatologic conditions. We sought to determine the most common dermatologic topics published in five high-impact general medical journals (New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, the Journal of the American Medical Association, British Medical Journal (now The BMJ), and Annals of Internal Medicine). We conducted an independent search of the Thomson Reuters’ Science Citation Index for common dermatologic topics, limited to the period 1970 to 2012. Total number of publications dealing with each dermatologic topic considered. The five most common dermatologic topics published were melanoma, psoriasis, herpes simplex, herpes zoster, and acne. Melanoma and psoriasis were the top two dermatologic topics published in each journal except for Annals of Internal Medicine. Internists frequently diagnose herpes simplex, herpes zoster, and acne, which are also common dermatologic topics published. Although internists infrequently diagnose melanoma and psoriasis, they are major topics for general medical journals because of their increased community awareness, major advancements in therapeutic research, and their nondermatologic manifestations.

Denitrification of fertilizer wastewater at high chloride concentration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ucisik, Ahmed Süheyl; Henze, Mogens

Wastewater from fertilizer industry is characterized by high contents of chloride concentration, which normally vary between 60 and 76 g/l. Experiments with bilogical denitrification were performed in lab-scale "fill and draw" reactors with synthetic wastewater with chloride concentrations up to 77.......4 g/l. The results of the experiments showed that biological denitrification was feasible at the extreme environmental conditions prevailing in fertilizer wastewater. Stable continuous biological denitrfication of the synthetic high chloride wastewater was performed up to 77.4 g Cl/l at 37 degree C...

Topicality and impact in social media: diverse messages, focused messengers.

Science.gov (United States)

Weng, Lilian; Menczer, Filippo

2015-01-01

We have a limited understanding of the factors that make people influential and topics popular in social media. Are users who comment on a variety of matters more likely to achieve high influence than those who stay focused? Do general subjects tend to be more popular than specific ones? Questions like these demand a way to detect the topics hidden behind messages associated with an individual or a keyword, and a gauge of similarity among these topics. Here we develop such an approach to identify clusters of similar hashtags in Twitter by detecting communities in the hashtag co-occurrence network. Then the topical diversity of a user's interests is quantified by the entropy of her hashtags across different topic clusters. A similar measure is applied to hashtags, based on co-occurring tags. We find that high topical diversity of early adopters or co-occurring tags implies high future popularity of hashtags. In contrast, low diversity helps an individual accumulate social influence. In short, diverse messages and focused messengers are more likely to gain impact.

Highly concentrating Fresnel lenses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kritchman, E.M.; Friesem, A.A.; Yekutieli, G.

1979-01-01

A new type of concave Fresnel lens capable of concentrating solar radiation very near the ultimate concentration limit is considered. The differential equations that describe the lens are solved to provide computed solutions which are then checked by ray tracing techniques. The performance (efficiency and concentration) of the lens is investigated and compared to that of a flat Fresnel lens, showing that the new lens is preferable for concentrating solar radiation. (author)

Changing the Topic. Topic Position in Ancient Greek Word Order

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Allan, R.J.

2014-01-01

Ancient Greek, topics can be expressed as intra-clausal constituents but they can also precede or follow the main clause as extra-clausal constituents. Together, these various topic expressions constitute a coherent system of complementary pragmatic functions. For a comprehensive account of topic

Selected topics in nuclear structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Solov` ev, V G; Gromov, K Ya; Malov, L A; Shilov, V M

1994-12-31

The Fourth International Conference on selected topics in nuclear structure was held at Dubna in July 1994 on recent experimental and theoretical investigations in nuclear structure. Topics discussed were the following: nuclear structure at low-energy excitations (collective quasiparticle phenomena, proton-neutron interactions, microscopic and phenomenological theories of nuclear structure; nuclear structure studies with charged particles). heavy ions, neutrons and photons; nuclei at high angular momenta and superdeformation, structure and decay properties of giant resonances, charge-exchange resonances and {beta}-decay; semiclassical approach of large amplitude collective motion and structure of hot nuclei.

Topics in current aerosol research

CERN Document Server

Hidy, G M

1971-01-01

Topics in Current Aerosol Research deals with the fundamental aspects of aerosol science, with emphasis on experiment and theory describing highly dispersed aerosols (HDAs) as well as the dynamics of charged suspensions. Topics covered range from the basic properties of HDAs to their formation and methods of generation; sources of electric charges; interactions between fluid and aerosol particles; and one-dimensional motion of charged cloud of particles. This volume is comprised of 13 chapters and begins with an introduction to the basic properties of HDAs, followed by a discussion on the form

Selected topics in nuclear structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Solov'ev, V.G.; Gromov, K.Ya.; Malov, L.A.; Shilov, V.M.

1994-01-01

The Fourth International Conference on selected topics in nuclear structure was held at Dubna in July 1994 on recent experimental and theoretical investigations in nuclear structure. Topics discussed were the following: nuclear structure at low-energy excitations (collective quasiparticle phenomena, proton-neutron interactions, microscopic and phenomenological theories of nuclear structure; nuclear structure studies with charged particles. heavy ions, neutrons and photons; nuclei at high angular momenta and superdeformation, structure and decay properties of giant resonances, charge-exchange resonances and β-decay; semiclassical approach of large amplitude collective motion and structure of hot nuclei

Absorption of topically applied hydrocortisone from the eye of the rhesus monkey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oehman, L.; Johansson, E.D.B.; Edqvist, L.-E.

1982-01-01

Blood samples were collected from anaesthetized monkeys during one h a) afer topical application of an eyedrop of hydrocortisone acetate suspension, b) after topical application of a drop of the vehicle alone, and c) after no application at all. Radioimmunoassay (RIA) showed a rapid and similar increase of hydrocortisone plasma levels in all 3 kinds of experiments. RIA revealed that in monkeys the anaesthetic procedure alone was sufficient to cause a considerable increase of endogenous hydrocortisone levels overshadowing any systemic absorption of topical hydrocortisone. Using tritiated hydrocortisone instead a rapid increase of systemic absorption after topical application was found. A plasma concentration of 1% of the dose was found one min after topical instillation incresing to a maximum of 6-7% at 30 min. The half time of the slow phase of elimination was about 19 h. (author)

Selected topics in nuclear structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

The collection of abstracts on selected topics in nuclear structure are given. Special attention pays to collective excitations and high-spin states of nuclei, giant resonance structure, nuclear reaction mechanisms and so on

Applied atomic and collision physics special topics

CERN Document Server

Massey, H S W; Bederson, Benjamin

1982-01-01

Applied Atomic Collision Physics, Volume 5: Special Topics deals with topics on applications of atomic collisions that were not covered in the first four volumes of the treatise. The book opens with a chapter on ultrasensitive chemical detectors. This is followed by separate chapters on lighting, magnetohydrodynamic electrical power generation, gas breakdown and high voltage insulating gases, thermionic energy converters, and charged particle detectors. Subsequent chapters deal with the operation of multiwire drift and proportional chambers and streamer chambers and their use in high energy p

Ultra flat ideal concentrators of high concentration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chaves, Julio [IST, Physics Dept., Lisboa (Portugal); INETI-DER, Lisboa (Portugal); Collares-Pereira, Manuel [INETI-DER, Lisboa (Portugal)

2000-07-01

A new method for the design of nonimaging devices is presented. Its application to the design of ultra flat compact concentrators is analysed. These new concentrators are based on a combination of two stages: the first one is composed of a large number of small structures placed side by side and the second one is a very compact single device concentrating the radiation to the limit. These devices are ideal for 2D. These compact designs are much more compact than the traditional ones like lens-mirror combinations or parabolic primaries with nonimaging secondaries. Besides, they can be designed for any acceptance angle, while the traditional ones are limited to small acceptance angles. (Author)

Selected topics in e+e- physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sau Lan Wu

1981-01-01

Selected topics of recent experimental results from the high-energy electron-positron storage rings are presented. The topics include some of the tau and charm physics from SPEAR, the upsilon physics from DORIS and CESR, and the γγ physics and quark and gluon physics from the PLUTO and TASSO Collaborations at PETRA. Related data from the JADE and MARK J Collaborations at PETRA are discussed in separated papers at this school. (orig.)

Pharmacokinetic analysis of topical tobramycin in equine tears by automated immunoassay.

Science.gov (United States)

Czerwinski, Sarah L; Lyon, Andrew W; Skorobohach, Brian; Léguillette, Renaud

2012-08-21

Ophthalmic antibiotic therapy in large animals is often used empirically because of the lack of pharmacokinetics studies. The purpose of the study was to determine the pharmacokinetics of topical tobramycin 0.3% ophthalmic solution in the tears of normal horses using an automated immunoassay analysis. The mean tobramycin concentrations in the tears at 5, 10, 15, 30 minutes and 1, 2, 4, 6 hours after administration were 759 (±414), 489 (±237), 346 (±227), 147 (±264), 27.6 (±28.4), 14.8 (±66.6), 6.7 (±18.6), and 23.4 (±73.4) mg/L. Mean tobramycin concentration was maintained above the MIC90 for commonly isolated bacteria for 68.5 min. A single dose of topical tobramycin resulted in therapeutic concentrations of tobramycin in the tears for 1 h after administration. Therapeutic levels of tobramycin remained in equine tears 6 times longer than was reported in rabbit tears.

Progress with high priority R and D topics in support of ITER/BPX diagnostic development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donne, A.J.H.; Costley, A.E.; Bindslev, H.

2005-01-01

The development of diagnostic systems for next step Burning Plasma experiments (BPX) such as ITER requires R and D in some key areas. The International Tokamak Physics Activity (ITPA) Topical Group (TG) on Diagnostics has identified five topics as 'high priority' and these form the focus of the current work of the TG: (i) development of methods of measuring the energy and density distribution of confined and escaping α-particles; (ii) review of the requirements for measurements of the neutron/α source profile and assessment of possible methods of measurement; (iii) determination of the life-time of plasma facing mirrors used in optical systems; (iv) assessment of radiation effects on coils used for measuring the plasma equilibrium and development of new methods to measure steady state magnetic fields accurately in a nuclear environment; and (v) Development of measurement requirements and assessment of techniques for measurement of dust and erosion. This paper presents the recent progress in these areas. (author)

A new topical formulation enhances relative diclofenac bioavailability in healthy male subjects

Science.gov (United States)

Brunner, Martin; Davies, David; Martin, Wolfgang; Leuratti, Chiara; Lackner, Edith; Müller, Markus

2011-01-01

AIMS To evaluate the relative plasma and tissue availability of diclofenac after repeated topical administration of a novel diclofenac acid-based delivery system under development (DCF100C). METHODS This was a single-centre, open-label, three-period, crossover clinical trial of five discrete diclofenac formulations. Test preparations comprised two concentrations (1.0% and 2.5%) of DCF100C, with and without menthol and eucalyptus oil (total daily doses of 5 mg and 12.5 mg). Voltaren® Emulgel® gel (1.0%) was the commercially available comparator (total daily dose of 40 mg). Topical application was performed onto the thigh of 20 male healthy subjects for 3 days. Applying a Youden square design, each drug was evaluated in 12 subjects, with each subject receiving three test preparations. Blood sampling and in vivo microdialysis in subcutaneous adipose and skeletal muscle tissues were performed for 10 h after additional final doses on the morning of day 4. RESULTS All four DCF100C formulations demonstrated a three- to fivefold, dose-dependent increase in systemic diclofenac availability compared with Voltaren® Emulgel® and were approximately 30–40 times more effective at facilitating diclofenac penetration through the skin, taking different dose levels into account. Tissue concentrations were low and highly variable. The 2.5% DCF100C formulation without sensory excipients reached the highest tissue concentrations. AUC(0,10 h) was 2.71 times greater than for Voltaren® Emulgel® (90% CI 99.27, 737.46%). Mild erythema at the application site was the most frequent adverse event associated with DCF100C. There were no local symptoms after treatment with the reference formulation. CONCLUSION DCF100C formulations were safe and facilitated greater diclofenac penetration through the skin compared with the commercial comparator. DCF100C represents a promising alternative to oral and topical diclofenac treatments that warrants further development. PMID:21241352

Most Common Dermatologic Topics Published in Five High-Impact General Medical Journals, 1970–2012: Melanoma, Psoriasis, Herpes Simplex, Herpes Zoster, and Acne

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Young M; Namavar, Aram A; Wu, Jashin J

2014-01-01

Context: General practitioners frequently encounter skin diseases and are accustomed to diagnosing the most common dermatologic conditions. Objective: We sought to determine the most common dermatologic topics published in five high-impact general medical journals (New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, the Journal of the American Medical Association, British Medical Journal (now The BMJ), and Annals of Internal Medicine). Design: We conducted an independent search of the Thomson Reuters’ Science Citation Index for common dermatologic topics, limited to the period 1970 to 2012. Main Outcome Measure: Total number of publications dealing with each dermatologic topic considered. Results: The five most common dermatologic topics published were melanoma, psoriasis, herpes simplex, herpes zoster, and acne. Melanoma and psoriasis were the top two dermatologic topics published in each journal except for Annals of Internal Medicine. Conclusions: Internists frequently diagnose herpes simplex, herpes zoster, and acne, which are also common dermatologic topics published. Although internists infrequently diagnose melanoma and psoriasis, they are major topics for general medical journals because of their increased community awareness, major advancements in therapeutic research, and their nondermatologic manifestations. PMID:25662523

Atmospheric conditions during high ragweed pollen concentrations in Zagreb, Croatia

Science.gov (United States)

Prtenjak, Maja Telišman; Srnec, Lidija; Peternel, Renata; Madžarević, Valentina; Hrga, Ivana; Stjepanović, Barbara

2012-11-01

We examined the atmospheric conditions favourable to the occurrence of maximum concentrations of ragweed pollen with an extremely high risk of producing allergy. Over the 2002-2009 period, daily pollen data collected in Zagreb were used to identify two periods of high pollen concentration (> 600 grains/m3) for our analysis: period A (3-4 September 2002) and period B (6-7 September 2003). Synoptic conditions in both periods were very similar: Croatia was under the influence of a lower sector high pressure system moving slowly eastward over Eastern Europe. During the 2002-2009 period, this type of weather pattern (on ~ 70% of days), in conjunction with almost non-gradient surface pressure conditions in the area (on ~ 30% of days) characterised days when the daily pollen concentrations were higher than 400 grains/m3. Numerical experiments using a mesoscale model at fine resolution showed successful multi-day simulations reproducing the local topographic influence on wind flow and in reasonable agreement with available observations. According to the model, the relatively weak synoptic flow (predominantly from the eastern direction) allowed local thermal circulations to develop over Zagreb during both high pollen episodes. Two-hour pollen concentrations and 48-h back-trajectories indicated that regional-range transport of pollen grains from the central Pannonian Plain was the cause of the high pollen concentrations during period A. During period B, the north-westward regional-range transport in Zagreb was supplemented significantly by pronounced horizontal recirculation of pollen grains. This recirculation happened within the diurnal local circulation over the city, causing a late-evening increase in pollen concentration.

Primary Student Teachers' Ideas about Teaching a Physics Topic

Science.gov (United States)

Ahtee, Maija; Johnston, Jane

2006-01-01

This study examines Finnish and English primary student teachers' ideas when planning to teach a physics topic during their science education studies. Many primary student teachers lack sufficient subject knowledge, which prevents them from constructing the scientific pedagogical content knowledge that enables them to concentrate on pupils'…

Probe depth matters in dermal microdialysis sampling of benzoic acid after topical application

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holmgaard, R; Benfeldt, E; Bangsgaard, N

2012-01-01

-2 mm) and deep (>2 mm) positioning of the linear MD probe in the dermis of human abdominal skin, followed by topical application of 4 mg/ml of benzoic acid (BA) in skin chambers overlying the probes. Dialysate was sampled every hour for 12 h and analysed for BA content by high-performance liquid...... chromatography. Probe depth was measured by 20-MHz ultrasound scanning. The area under the time-versus-concentration curve (AUC) describes the drug exposure in the tissue during the experiment and is a relevant parameter to compare for the 3 dermal probe depths investigated. The AUC(0-12) were: superficial...... significantly different from each other (p value paper demonstrates that there is an inverse relationship between the depth of the probe in the dermis and the amount of drug sampled following topical penetration ex vivo. The result is of relevance to the in vivo situation, and it can...

Efficacy of high iodine concentration contrast medium with saline pushing in hepatic CT in patients with chronic liver disease. Comparison of high doses-standard contrast medium concentration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matoba, Munetaka; Kondo, Tamaki; Nishikawa, Takahiro; Kuginuki, Yasuaki; Yokota, Hajime; Higashi, Kotaro; Tonami, Hisao

2006-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare the enhancement of liver parenchyama with high iodine concentration contrast medium with saline pushing to that with high doses standard iodine concentration in hepatic CT in patients with chronic liver disease. There was no statistically significant difference regarding to the enhancement of liver parenchyama between the 370 mgI/ml of contrast medium with saline pushing and high doses standard iodine concentration contrast medium. (author)

Preparation and Characterization of a Lecithin Nanoemulsion as a Topical Delivery System

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Huafeng; Yue, Yang; Liu, Guanlan; Li, Yan; Zhang, Jing; Gong, Qiu; Yan, Zemin; Duan, Mingxing

2010-01-01

Purpose of this study was to establish a lecithin nanoemulsion (LNE) without any synthetic surfactant as a topical delivery vehicle and to evaluate its topical delivery potential by the following factors: particle size, morphology, viscosity, stability, skin hydration and skin penetration. Experimental results demonstrated that an increasing concentration of soybean lecithin and glycerol resulted in a smaller size LNE droplet and increasing viscosity, respectively. The droplet size of optimized LNE, with the glycerol concentration above 75% (w/w), changed from 92 (F10) to 58 nm (F14). Additionally, LNE, incorporated into o/w cream, improved the skin hydration capacity of the cream significantly with about 2.5-fold increase when the concentration of LNE reached 10%. LNE was also demonstrated to improve the penetrability of Nile red (NR) dye into the dermis layer, when an o/w cream, incorporated with NR-loaded LNE, applied on the abdominal skin of rat in vivo. Specifically, the arbitrary unit (ABU) of fluorescence in the dermis layer that had received the cream with a NR-loaded LNE was about 9.9-fold higher than the cream with a NR-loaded general emulsion (GE). These observations suggest that LNE could be used as a promising topical delivery vehicle for lipophilic compounds.

Digital Social Network Mining for Topic Discovery

Science.gov (United States)

Moradianzadeh, Pooya; Mohi, Maryam; Sadighi Moshkenani, Mohsen

Networked computers are expanding more and more around the world, and digital social networks becoming of great importance for many people's work and leisure. This paper mainly focused on discovering the topic of exchanging information in digital social network. In brief, our method is to use a hierarchical dictionary of related topics and words that mapped to a graph. Then, with comparing the extracted keywords from the context of social network with graph nodes, probability of relation between context and desired topics will be computed. This model can be used in many applications such as advertising, viral marketing and high-risk group detection.

Study on high concentration solar concentrator using a Fresnel lens with a secondary concentrator; Fresnel lens to niji shukokei wo mochiita solar chemistry yo kobairitsu shukokei ni kansuru kenkyu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aihara, T; Suzuki, A; Fujibayashi, K [Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo (Japan)

1997-11-25

A high concentration light collection system for solar chemistry was devised by using an inexpensive Fresnel lens in a primary concentration system and a conical type concentrator in a secondary concentration system. A Fresnel lens alone would not achieve sufficiently high light collecting magnification to attain high temperatures because of restrictions in the opening angle as seen from a focus. Therefore, a secondary concentration system was installed on a focus for an attempt of stopping. Reflection plane of a three-dimensional compound parabolic concentrator (CPC) is a rotary parabolic plane, whose process is expensive because of its surface processing accuracy. Therefore, a conical type concentrator was employed as a secondary concentration system. This system may not be capable of achieving as high concentration as in the CPC, but its shape is simple and it is inexpensive. In its optimization, a complete black body surface placed in vacuum atmosphere was hypothesized as a light concentrating part for the secondary concentration system to calculate heat collecting efficiencies at respective temperature settings. Using simultaneously the secondary concentration system, rather than collecting heat by using a Fresnel lens alone, has attained as high value as from 5.99% (500 degC) to 43.47% (1400 degC). Economical high-temperature heat collection of solar chemistry level may be possible by using a Fresnel lens and a conical secondary concentration system. 1 ref., 7 figs., 2 tabs.

Licensing topical report: interpretation of general design criteria for high-temperature gas-cooled reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orvis, D.D.; Raabe, P.H.

1980-01-01

This Licensing Topical Report presents a set of General Design Criteria (GDC) which is proposed for applicability to licensing of graphite-moderated, high-temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs). Modifications as necessary to reflect HTGR characteristics and design practices have been made to the GDC derived for applicability to light-water-cooled reactors and presented in Appendix A of Part 50, Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, including the Introduction, Definitions, and Criteria. It is concluded that the proposed set of GDC affords a better basis for design and licensing of HTGRs

High concentration suspended sediment measurments using acontinuous fiber optic in-stream transmissometer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Campbell, Chris G.; Laycak, Danny T.; Hoppes, William; Tran,Nguyen T.; Shi, Frank G.

2004-05-26

Suspended sediment loads mobilized during high flow periods in rivers and streams are largely uncharacterized. In smaller and intermittent streams, a large storm may transport a majority of the annual sediment budget. Therefore monitoring techniques that can measure high suspended sediment concentrations at semi-continuous time intervals are needed. A Fiber optic In-stream Transmissometer (FIT) is presented for continuous measurement of high concentration suspended sediment in storm runoff. FIT performance and precision were demonstrated to be reasonably good for suspended sediment concentrations up to 10g/L. The FIT was compared to two commercially available turbidity devices and provided better precision and accuracy at both high and low concentrations. Both turbidity devices were unable to collect measurements at concentrations greater than 4 g/L. The FIT and turbidity measurements were sensitive to sediment particle size. Particle size dependence of transmittance and turbidity measurement poses the greatest problem for calibration to suspended sediment concentration. While the FIT was demonstrated to provide acceptable measurements of high suspended sediment concentrations, approaches to real-time suspended sediment detection need to address the particle size dependence in concentration measurements.

Cellulase Inhibition by High Concentrations of Monosaccharides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hsieh, Chia-Wen; Cannella, David; Jørgensen, Henning

2014-01-01

Biological degradation of biomass on an industrial scale culminates in high concentrations of end products. It is known that the accumulation of glucose and cellobiose, end products of hydrolysis, inhibit cellulases and decrease glucose yields. Aside from these end products, however, other monosa...

Ocular pharmacokinetics of topically-applied ketoconazole solution containing hydroxypropyl beta-cyclodextrin to rabbits.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Junjie; Wang, Liya; Gao, Changfeng; Zhang, Li; Xia, Huiyun

2008-10-01

The aim of this study was to develop an aqueous ketoconazole (KET) eye drop in order to increase the corneal permeability and improve ocular bioavailability following topical application. Hydroxypropyl beta-cyclodextrin (HP-beta-CD) was used to formulate an aqueous eye drop to improve the aqueous solubility of KET. A single dose of of either KET suspension (1.5%; KET-SP) or KET (1.5%)/HP-beta -CD (12.5%) solution (KET-CD) was applied to rabbits. Aqueous humor and cornea were collected after 5, 10, 20, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, and 180 min. KET concentrations were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography after extraction. After topically applying KET-CD, the KET concentrations in aqueous humor were significantly increased at 10 approximately 120 min, compared with those of KET-SP (P cornea (118.24 microg/g) was achieved within 5 min after the instillation of KET-CD, 18.4 times higher than that of KET-SP at the same time point, whereas the highest KET level in cornea was only 8.57 microg/g after a 10-min application of KET-SP. The KET levels in corneas obtained after the application of KET-CD were all much higher than those obtained by KETSP (P corneas over the KET-SP.

Multiphysics modelling and experimental validation of high concentration photovoltaic modules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Theristis, Marios; Fernández, Eduardo F.; Sumner, Mike; O'Donovan, Tadhg S.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • A multiphysics modelling approach for concentrating photovoltaics was developed. • An experimental campaign was conducted to validate the models. • The experimental results were in good agreement with the models. • The multiphysics modelling allows the concentrator’s optimisation. - Abstract: High concentration photovoltaics, equipped with high efficiency multijunction solar cells, have great potential in achieving cost-effective and clean electricity generation at utility scale. Such systems are more complex compared to conventional photovoltaics because of the multiphysics effect that is present. Modelling the power output of such systems is therefore crucial for their further market penetration. Following this line, a multiphysics modelling procedure for high concentration photovoltaics is presented in this work. It combines an open source spectral model, a single diode electrical model and a three-dimensional finite element thermal model. In order to validate the models and the multiphysics modelling procedure against actual data, an outdoor experimental campaign was conducted in Albuquerque, New Mexico using a high concentration photovoltaic monomodule that is thoroughly described in terms of its geometry and materials. The experimental results were in good agreement (within 2.7%) with the predicted maximum power point. This multiphysics approach is relatively more complex when compared to empirical models, but besides the overall performance prediction it can also provide better understanding of the physics involved in the conversion of solar irradiance into electricity. It can therefore be used for the design and optimisation of high concentration photovoltaic modules.

Freshman Health Topics

Science.gov (United States)

Hovde, Karen

2011-01-01

This article examines a cluster of health topics that are frequently selected by students in lower division classes. Topics address issues relating to addictive substances, including alcohol and tobacco, eating disorders, obesity, and dieting. Analysis of the topics examines their interrelationships and organization in the reference literature.…

Onychopharmacokinetics of terbinafine hydrochloride penetration from a novel topical formulation into the human nail in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Hui, Xiaoying; Lindahl, Åke; Lamel, Sonia; Maibach, Howard I

2013-09-01

This study determined the onychopharmacokinetics, nail absorption, distribution, and penetration of [¹⁴C]-terbinafine HCl in a new topical formulation into/through the human finger nail using the in vitro finite dose model. This study determined the penetration rate of terbinafine HCl from multiple doses of topical formulation applied daily for 14 days. Results showed that the total dose recovery (mass balance) was almost 100%. The concentration of terbinafine HCl in the deeper nail plate (ventral/intermediate layers) and the cotton-pad nail bed samples after the 14-day treatment were 613 ± 145 and (±S.D.) and 27 ± 1.2 µg/cm³ (or 1.9 ± 0.6 µg/cm³ daily) on average, respectively. In comparison with nail concentration data from the literature for other topical terbinatine formulations, our results show that higher amounts of terbinafine HCl reached the deep nail plate and/or the nail bed after a 14-day topical treatment with this topical formulation in vitro.

Adverse Effects of High Concentrations of Fluoride on Characteristics of the Ovary and Mature Oocyte of Mouse

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Songna; Song, Chao; Wu, Haibo; Chen, Xin; Zhang, Yong

2015-01-01

Reproductive toxicity has been an exciting topic of research in reproductive biology in recent years. Soluble fluoride salts are toxic at high concentrations; their reproductive toxicity was assessed in this study by administering different fluoride salt concentrations to mice. Continuous feeding for five weeks resulted in damage to the histological architecture of ovaries. The expression of genes, including Dazl, Stra8, Nobox, Sohlh1, and ZP3 gene, associated with oocyte formation were much lower in the experimental group as compared with the control group. The number of in vitro fertilization of mature oocytes were also much lower in the experimental group as compared with control. Moreover, the fertility of female mice, as assessed by mating with normal male mice, was also lower in experimental compared with control groups. The expression of the oocyte-specific genes: Bmp15, Gdf9, H1oo, and ZP2, which are involved in oocyte growth and the induction of the acrosome reaction, decreased with the fluoride administration. DNA methylation and histone acetylation (H3K18ac and H3K9ac) are indispensable for germline development and genomic imprinting in mammals, and fluoride administration resulted in reduced levels of H3K9ac and H3K18ac in the experimental group as compared with the control group, as detected by immunostaining. Our results indicate that the administration of high concentrations of fluoride to female mice significantly reduced the number of mature oocytes and hampered their development and fertilization. Thus, this study lays a foundation for future studies on fluoride-induced reproductive disorders in women. PMID:26053026

Adverse Effects of High Concentrations of Fluoride on Characteristics of the Ovary and Mature Oocyte of Mouse.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Songna Yin

Full Text Available Reproductive toxicity has been an exciting topic of research in reproductive biology in recent years. Soluble fluoride salts are toxic at high concentrations; their reproductive toxicity was assessed in this study by administering different fluoride salt concentrations to mice. Continuous feeding for five weeks resulted in damage to the histological architecture of ovaries. The expression of genes, including Dazl, Stra8, Nobox, Sohlh1, and ZP3 gene, associated with oocyte formation were much lower in the experimental group as compared with the control group. The number of in vitro fertilization of mature oocytes were also much lower in the experimental group as compared with control. Moreover, the fertility of female mice, as assessed by mating with normal male mice, was also lower in experimental compared with control groups. The expression of the oocyte-specific genes: Bmp15, Gdf9, H1oo, and ZP2, which are involved in oocyte growth and the induction of the acrosome reaction, decreased with the fluoride administration. DNA methylation and histone acetylation (H3K18ac and H3K9ac are indispensable for germline development and genomic imprinting in mammals, and fluoride administration resulted in reduced levels of H3K9ac and H3K18ac in the experimental group as compared with the control group, as detected by immunostaining. Our results indicate that the administration of high concentrations of fluoride to female mice significantly reduced the number of mature oocytes and hampered their development and fertilization. Thus, this study lays a foundation for future studies on fluoride-induced reproductive disorders in women.

Experimental models in predicting topical antifungal efficacy: practical aspects and challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, J; Maibach, H I

2009-01-01

What are efficient screening models for improved topical antifungals? The use of minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) as one such parameter is discussed; we focus on the use of animal membranes for in vitro testing while highlighting the pros and cons of each model, exploring alternatives and discussing the importance of data transferability to humans and the influence of penetration kinetics in topical antifungal efficacy. Ultimately, the gold standard of testing is in vivo in humans; however, initiating with human testing, especially for novel topical antifungal agents, may be impractical, which is why we seek the ideal experimental model that most closely mimics human skin. We conclude that the pig may be an appropriate model membrane for topical antifungal testing based on its similarities in anatomical structure, physiology and permeation to human skin. Most importantly, pig and human skins appear equally permeable to several antifungals in prior in vitro and in vivo work. We do not discuss all prior work but highlight important issues in designing the protocol and parameters of the ideal experimental model for topical antifungals. Copyright 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Evaluation of topical potassium hydroxide solution for treatment of plane warts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khalil I Al-Hamdi

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Plane wart is a common dermatological disease that is caused by human papilloma virus; although the rate of spontaneous recovery is high, it usually takes a long time to occur. Many modalities of treatments have been used but none of them proved to be uniformly effective. Potassium hydroxide (KOH solution is a well-known keratolytic agent with many dermatological uses. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of topical KOH solution in the treatment of plane warts. Materials and Methods: A total of 250 patients with plane warts, consulting the department of Dermatology and Venereology of Basra Teaching Hospital between March 2008 and October 2009, were enrolled in this opened therapeutic trial study. Patients were divided into two age and sex cross-matched equal groups; patients in group (A were treated with topical 5% KOH solution once at night, while patients in group (B were treated with topical 10% KOH solution once nightly. Only 107 patients from group (A and 95 patients from group (B completed the study, while the remainders were defaulted for unknown reasons. The patients were evaluated at second and fourth week to assess the cure rates and side effects, those patients who showed complete cure were followed up for 3 months to detect any recurrence. Results: At the end of second week, 9.3% of group (A patients showed complete disappearance of their warts, vs 66.3% of group (B patients. At the end of fourth week, 80.3% of group (A patients showed complete response in comparison with 82.1% of group (B patients. The side effects for the treating solution in both concentrations include itching, burning sensation, erythema, and temporary dyspigmentations, that were reported in 77.6% of group (A patients in comparison with 90.5% of group (B patients. Recurrence rate was reported in 5.8% of group (A patients vs 5.1% of group (B patients during the three months period of follow-up. Conclusions: Topical KOH solution is

Topical retapamulin in the management of infected traumatic skin lesions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ribhi Shawar

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Ribhi Shawar1, Nicole Scangarella-Oman1, MaryBeth Dalessandro2, John Breton2, Monique Twynholm3, Gang Li4, Harmony Garges51Infectious Disease Center for Excellence in Drug Discovery, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, PA, USA; 2Anti-infectives Medicine Development Center, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, PA, USA; 3Infectious Diseases Medicine Development Centre Europe, GlaxoSmithKline, Greenford, Middlesex, UK; 4MDC BDS – Infectious Disease, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, PA, USA; 5Anti-infectives Medicine Development Center, GlaxoSmithKline, Research Triangle Park, NC, USAAbstract: Retapamulin is a novel semisynthetic pleuromutilin antibiotic specifically designed for use as a topical agent. The unique mode of action by which retapamulin selectively inhibits bacterial protein synthesis differentiates it from other nonpleuromutilin antibacterial agents that target the ribosome or ribosomal factors, minimizing the potential for target-specific cross-resistance with other antibacterial classes in current use. In vitro studies show that retapamulin has high potency against the Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, and coagulase-negative staphylococci commonly found in skin and skin-structure infections (SSSIs, including S. aureus strains with resistance to agents such as macrolides, fusidic acid, or mupirocin, and other less common organisms associated with SSSIs, anaerobes, and common respiratory tract pathogens. Clinical studies have shown that twice-daily topical retapamulin for 5 days is comparable to 10 days of oral cephalexin in the treatment of secondarily infected traumatic lesions. A 1% concentration of retapamulin ointment has been approved for clinical use as an easily applied treatment with a short, convenient dosing regimen for impetigo. Given the novel mode of action, low potential for cross-resistance with established antibacterial agents, and high in vitro potency against many bacterial pathogens

Evaluating topic models with stability

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

De Waal, A

2008-11-01

Full Text Available Topic models are unsupervised techniques that extract likely topics from text corpora, by creating probabilistic word-topic and topic-document associations. Evaluation of topic models is a challenge because (a) topic models are often employed...

Differences in Swallowing between High and Low Concentration Taste Stimuli

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmed Nagy

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Taste is a property that is thought to potentially modulate swallowing behavior. Whether such effects depend on taste, intensity remains unclear. This study explored differences in the amplitudes of tongue-palate pressures in swallowing as a function of taste stimulus concentration. Tongue-palate pressures were collected in 80 healthy women, in two age groups (under 40, over 60, stratified by genetic taste status (nontasters, supertasters. Liquids with different taste qualities (sweet, sour, salty, and bitter were presented in high and low concentrations. General labeled magnitude scale ratings captured perceived taste intensity and liking/disliking of the test liquids. Path analysis explored whether factors of taste, concentration, age group, and/or genetic taste status impacted: (1 perceived intensity; (2 palatability; and (3 swallowing pressures. Higher ratings of perceived intensity were found in supertasters and with higher concentrations, which were more liked/disliked than lower concentrations. Sweet stimuli were more palatable than sour, salty, or bitter stimuli. Higher concentrations elicited stronger tongue-palate pressures independently and in association with intensity ratings. The perceived intensity of a taste stimulus varies as a function of stimulus concentration, taste quality, participant age, and genetic taste status and influences swallowing pressure amplitudes. High-concentration salty and sour stimuli elicit the greatest tongue-palate pressures.

Topical report review status

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-08-01

This report provides industry with procedures for submitting topical reports, guidance on how the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) processes and responds to topical report submittals, and an accounting, with review schedules, of all topical reports currently accepted for review schedules, of all topical reports currently accepted for review by the NRC. This report will be published annually. Each sponsoring organization with one or more topical reports accepted for review copies

Epidemiologic research topics in Germany: a keyword network analysis of 2014 DGEpi conference presentations.

Science.gov (United States)

Peter, Raphael Simon; Brehme, Torben; Völzke, Henry; Muche, Rainer; Rothenbacher, Dietrich; Büchele, Gisela

2016-06-01

Knowledge of epidemiologic research topics as well as trends is useful for scientific societies, researchers and funding agencies. In recent years researchers recognized the usefulness of keyword network analysis for visualizing and analyzing scientific research topics. Therefore, we applied keyword network analysis to present an overview of current epidemiologic research topics in Germany. Accepted submissions to the 9th annual congress of the German Society for Epidemiology (DGEpi) in 2014 were used as data source. Submitters had to choose one of 19 subject areas, and were ask to provide a title, structured abstract, names of authors along with their affiliations, and a list of freely selectable keywords. Keywords had been provided for 262 (82 %) submissions, 1030 keywords in total. Overall the most common keywords were: "migration" (18 times), "prevention" (15 times), followed by "children", "cohort study", "physical activity", and "secondary data analysis" (11 times each). Some keywords showed a certain concentration under one specific subject area, e.g. "migration" with 8 of 18 in social epidemiology or "breast cancer" with 4 of 7 in cancer epidemiology. While others like "physical activity" were equally distributed over multiple subject areas (cardiovascular & metabolic diseases, ageing, methods, paediatrics, prevention & health service research). This keyword network analysis demonstrated the high diversity of epidemiologic research topics with a large number of distinct keywords as presented at the annual conference of the DGEpi.

High pressure inertial focusing for separating and concentrating bacteria at high throughput

Science.gov (United States)

Cruz, J.; Hooshmand Zadeh, S.; Graells, T.; Andersson, M.; Malmström, J.; Wu, Z. G.; Hjort, K.

2017-08-01

Inertial focusing is a promising microfluidic technology for concentration and separation of particles by size. However, there is a strong correlation of increased pressure with decreased particle size. Theory and experimental results for larger particles were used to scale down the phenomenon and find the conditions that focus 1 µm particles. High pressure experiments in robust glass chips were used to demonstrate the alignment. We show how the technique works for 1 µm spherical polystyrene particles and for Escherichia coli, not being harmful for the bacteria at 50 µl min-1. The potential to focus bacteria, simplicity of use and high throughput make this technology interesting for healthcare applications, where concentration and purification of a sample may be required as an initial step.

Topical amitriptyline and ketamine for the treatment of neuropathic pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Mercadante, Sebastiano

2015-01-01

A neuropathy is a disturbance of function or pathological change in nerves. In some cases, peripheral neuropathic pain may occur due to a lesion or disease of the peripheral somatosensory nervous system. Efficacy of different agents for peripheral neuropathic pain conditions is less than optimal. The administration of topical analgesics might be an option, due to the potential of reduced adverse effects and increased patient compliance. There is major interest in compounding topical analgesics for peripheral neuropathic pain, but several challenges remain for this approach. Topical analgesics have the potential to be a valuable additional approach for the management of peripheral neuropathic pain. Topical amitriptyline-ketamine combination (AK) is a promising agent for peripheral neuropathic pain conditions. Some studies have shown its efficacy in neuropathic pain conditions. However, this data was not uniformely obtained and its role remains still controversial. Efficacy may depend on many factors, including the choice of the vehicle, the concentration, the pain site, and specific diseases. More studies are necessary to support the use of AK in clinical practice.

The use of topical minoxidil to accelerate nail growth: a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Aiempanakit, Kumpol; Geater, Alan; Limtong, Preeyachat; Nicoletti, Kathleen

2017-07-01

Linear nail growth rate is affected by various conditions, one of which is the level of blood flow. Our supposition was that topical minoxidil, which has vasodilatory properties, can increase the rate of nail growth. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of topical minoxidil on nail growth. A 5% topical minoxidil solution was applied twice daily to the fingernails of 32 participants. Two groups of 16 participants were randomly chosen. In one group, the applications were made to the right index and left ring fingernails, and, in the other, the left index and right ring fingernails. During each visit (weekly during the first month and every 2 weeks during the second month), the nail length of six fingernails (index, middle, and ring of both hands) was measured using a digital caliper. Beginning in the first week, the mean nail length of the treated nails was greater than that of nails in the untreated group with statistical significance. There were no systemic or cutaneous side effects. During the first month, the mean growth of the treated nails was 4.27 mm/month compared with 3.91 mm/month in the untreated nails (P = 0.003). These findings suggest that a 5% concentration of topical minoxidil can stimulate nail growth with increased growth beginning in the first week of application. The results may have important implications for the treatment of nail disorders; however, a comparable study involving participants with nail disorders is highly recommended. © 2017 The International Society of Dermatology.

Syntacticized topics in Kurmuk

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Torben

2015-01-01

This article argues that Kurmuk, a little-described Western Nilotic language, is characterized by a syntacticized topic whose grammatical relation is variable. In this language, declarative clauses have as topic an obligatory preverbal NP which is either a subject, an object or an adjunct....... The grammatical relation of the topic is expressed by a voice-like inflection of the verb, here called orientation. While subject-orientation is morphologically unmarked, object-oriented and adjunct-oriented verbs are marked by a subject suffix or by a suffix indicating that the topic is not subject, and adjunct......-orientation differs from object-orientation by a marked tone pattern. Topic choice largely reflects information structure by indicating topic continuity. The topic also plays a crucial role in relative clauses and in clauses with contrastive constituent focus, in that objects and adjuncts can only be relativized...

[Condition optimization for bio-oxidation of high-S and high-As gold concentrate].

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Caiyun; Dong, Bowen; Wang, Meijun; Ye, Zhiyong; Zheng, Tianling; Huang, Huaiguo

2015-12-04

To study the effects of temperature and lixivium return on the concentrate bio-oxidation and rate of gold cyanide leaching. The bioleaching of a high-sulphur (S) and high-arsenic (As) refractory gold concentrate was conducted, and we studied the effects of different temperature (40 ° and 45 °C) and lixivium return (0 and 600 mL) on the bio-oxidation efficiency. The bacterial community structure also was investigated by 16S rRNA gene clone library. The results showed that both the temperature and lixivium return significantly influenced the oxidation system. The temperature rising elevated the oxidation level, while the addition of lixivium depressed the oxidation. Dissimilarity and DCA (detrended correspondence analysis) indicated the effect of temperature on oxidation system was much greater than lixivium. The bacterial community was comprised by Acidithiocacillus caldu (71%) Leptospirillum ferriphilum (23%) and Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans (6%) indicated by the clone library, and the OTU coverage based on 97% sequence similarity was as high as 93.67%. Temperature rising to 45 T would improve the oxidation efficiency while lixivium return would decrease it. This study is helpful to provide an important guiding value for the industry cost optimization of mesophile bacterial oxidation and reduction process.

Polyaspartic Acid Concentration Controls the Rate of Calcium Phosphate Nanorod Formation in High Concentration Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krogstad, Daniel V. [Biosystems and; Wang, Dongbo [Biosystems and; Lin-Gibson, Sheng [Biosystems and

2017-08-31

Polyelectrolytes are known to greatly affect calcium phosphate (CaP) mineralization. The reaction kinetics as well as the CaP phase, morphology and aggregation state depend on the relative concentrations of the polyelectrolyte and the inorganic ions in a complex, nonlinear manner. This study examines the structural evolution and kinetics of polyaspartic acid (pAsp) directed CaP mineralization at high concentrations of polyelectrolytes, calcium, and total phosphate (19–30 mg/mL pAsp, 50–100 mM Ca2+, Ca/P = 2). Using a novel combination of characterization techniques including cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM), spectrophotometry, X-ray total scattering pair distribution function analysis, and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), it was determined that the CaP mineralization occurred over four transition steps. The steps include the formation of aggregates of pAsp stabilized CaP spherical nanoparticles (sNP), crystallization of sNP, oriented attachment of the sNP into nanorods, and further crystallization of the nanorods. The intermediate aggregate sizes and the reaction kinetics were found to be highly polymer concentration dependent while the sizes of the particles were not concentration dependent. This study demonstrates the complex role of pAsp in controlling the mechanism as well as the kinetics of CaP mineralization.

Validity And Practicality of Experiment Integrated Guided Inquiry-Based Module on Topic of Colloidal Chemistry for Senior High School Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Andromeda, A.; Lufri; Festiyed; Ellizar, E.; Iryani, I.; Guspatni, G.; Fitri, L.

2018-04-01

This Research & Development study aims to produce a valid and practical experiment integrated guided inquiry based module on topic of colloidal chemistry. 4D instructional design model was selected in this study. Limited trial of the product was conducted at SMAN 7 Padang. Instruments used were validity and practicality questionnaires. Validity and practicality data were analyzed using Kappa moment. Analysis of the data shows that Kappa moment for validity was 0.88 indicating a very high degree of validity. Kappa moments for the practicality from students and teachers were 0.89 and 0.95 respectively indicating high degree of practicality. Analysis on the module filled in by students shows that 91.37% students could correctly answer critical thinking, exercise, prelab, postlab and worksheet questions asked in the module. These findings indicate that the integrated guided inquiry based module on topic of colloidal chemistry was valid and practical for chemistry learning in senior high school.

Selection of common bean lines with high grain yield and high grain calcium and iron concentrations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nerinéia Dalfollo Ribeiro

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Genetic improvement of common bean nutritional quality has advantages in marketing and can contribute to society as a food source. The objective of this study was to evaluate the genetic variability for grain yield, calcium and iron concentrations in grains of inbred common bean lines obtained by different breeding methods. For this, 136 F7 inbred lines were obtained using the Pedigree method and 136 F7 inbred lines were obtained using the Single-Seed Descent (SSD method. The lines showed genetic variability for grain yield, and concentrations of calcium and iron independently of the method of advancing segregating populations. The Pedigree method allows obtaining a greater number of lines with high grain yield. Selection using the SSD method allows the identification of a larger number of lines with high concentrations of calcium and iron in grains. Weak negative correlations were found between grain yield and calcium concentration (r = -0.0994 and grain yield and iron concentration (r = -0.3926. Several lines show genetic superiority for grain yield and concentrations of calcium and iron in grains and their selection can result in new common bean cultivars with high nutritional quality.

Cumulative irritation potential of topical retinoid formulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Leyden, James J; Grossman, Rachel; Nighland, Marge

2008-08-01

Localized irritation can limit treatment success with topical retinoids such as tretinoin and adapalene. The factors that influence irritant reactions have been shown to include individual skin sensitivity, the particular retinoid and concentration used, and the vehicle formulation. To compare the cutaneous tolerability of tretinoin 0.04% microsphere gel (TMG) with that of adapalene 0.3% gel and a standard tretinoin 0.025% cream. The results of 2 randomized, investigator-blinded studies of 2 to 3 weeks' duration, which utilized a split-face method to compare cumulative irritation scores induced by topical retinoids in subjects with healthy skin, were combined. Study 1 compared TMG 0.04% with adapalene 0.3% gel over 2 weeks, while study 2 compared TMG 0.04% with tretinoin 0.025% cream over 3 weeks. In study 1, TMG 0.04% was associated with significantly lower cumulative scores for erythema, dryness, and burning/stinging than adapalene 0.3% gel. However, in study 2, there were no significant differences in cumulative irritation scores between TMG 0.04% and tretinoin 0.025% cream. Measurements of erythema by a chromameter showed no significant differences between the test formulations in either study. Cutaneous tolerance of TMG 0.04% on the face was superior to that of adapalene 0.3% gel and similar to that of a standard tretinoin cream containing a lower concentration of the drug (0.025%).

High-concentration planar microtracking photovoltaic system exceeding 30% efficiency

Science.gov (United States)

Price, Jared S.; Grede, Alex J.; Wang, Baomin; Lipski, Michael V.; Fisher, Brent; Lee, Kyu-Tae; He, Junwen; Brulo, Gregory S.; Ma, Xiaokun; Burroughs, Scott; Rahn, Christopher D.; Nuzzo, Ralph G.; Rogers, John A.; Giebink, Noel C.

2017-08-01

Prospects for concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) power are growing as the market increasingly values high power conversion efficiency to leverage now-dominant balance of system and soft costs. This trend is particularly acute for rooftop photovoltaic power, where delivering the high efficiency of traditional CPV in the form factor of a standard rooftop photovoltaic panel could be transformative. Here, we demonstrate a fully automated planar microtracking CPV system 660× concentration ratio over a 140∘ full field of view. In outdoor testing over the course of two sunny days, the system operates automatically from sunrise to sunset, outperforming a 17%-efficient commercial silicon solar cell by generating >50% more energy per unit area per day in a direct head-to-head competition. These results support the technical feasibility of planar microtracking CPV to deliver a step change in the efficiency of rooftop solar panels at a commercially relevant concentration ratio.

Investigation of the areas of high radon concentration in Gyeongju

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jung Min; Park, Chan Hee; Kim, Shin Jae; Moon, Joo Hyun

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to survey the radon concentrations at 21 elementary schools in Gyeongju, Republic of Korea, to identify those schools with high radon concentrations. Considering their geological characteristics and the preliminary survey results, three schools were finally placed under close scrutiny. For these three schools, continuous measurements over 48 h were taken at the principal's and administration office. The radon concentrations at one school, Naenam, exceeded the action level (148 Bq/m 3 ) established by the U.S. EPA, while those at the other two schools were below that level. - Highlights: • Preliminary measurements of the indoor radon concentrations were performed at the auditoriums in 23 elementary schools in Gyeongju. • Considering the geological characteristics and preliminary survey results, three elementary schools were screened for closer scrutiny. • For the three schools, continuous measurements were made at their principal's and administration offices over 48-h period. • The scrutiny revealed one elementary school of high radon concentration much higher than the U.S. EPA action level

Plasma pharmacokinetics and synovial concentrations of S-flurbiprofen plaster in humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Yataba, Ikuko; Otsuka, Noboru; Matsushita, Isao; Kamezawa, Miho; Yamada, Ichimaro; Sasaki, Sigeru; Uebaba, Kazuo; Matsumoto, Hideo; Hoshino, Yuichi

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the pharmacokinetics and deep tissue penetration capability of the newly developed S-flurbiprofen plaster (SFPP) in humans. Study 1: SFPP tape-type patch (2-60 mg) was applied to the lower back for 24 h in healthy adult volunteers. S-flurbiprofen (SFP) plasma concentration was measured over time to examine SFP pharmacokinetics. Study 2: SFPP (20 mg) was applied for 12 h to the affected knee of osteoarthritis (OA) patients who were scheduled for total knee arthroplasty. Deep tissues (synovial tissue and synovial fluid) were collected during surgery to compare SFP concentrations after application of SFPP or a commercially available flurbiprofen (FP) gel-type patch. Study 1: The plasma concentration of SFP was sustained during 24-h topical application of the SFPP, showing a high percutaneous absorption ratio of 51.4-72.2 %. Cmax and AUC0-∞ were dose-proportional. Study 2: After application of the SFPP for 12 h, SFP concentrations in the synovial tissue and synovial fluid were 14.8-fold (p = 0.002) and 32.7-fold (p < 0.001) higher, respectively, than those achieved by the FP patch. Sustained plasma concentration of SFP and high percutaneous absorption ratio was observed after 24-h topical application of the SFPP. Compared to the FP patch, the SFPP showed superior percutaneous absorption and greater tissue penetration of SFP into the synovial tissue. Greater tissue penetration of the SFPP seemed to be primarily due to its formulation. Thus, SFPP is expected to show higher efficacy for the treatment of knee OA.

Recent topics in {mu}SR studies on high-T{sub c} Superconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Watanabe, Isao; Nagamine, Kanetada [Institute of Physical and Chemical Research, Wako, Saitama (Japan); Akoshima, Megumi; Koike, Yoji

1999-03-01

We report the recent topics in {mu}SR studies on the high-T{sub c} Superconductors, especially about the studies on Zn-doped Bi-2212 system, Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}Ca{sub 1-x}Y{sub x}(Cu{sub 1-y}Zn{sub y})O{sub 8+{delta}}. Zero-field muon spin relaxation ({mu}SR) measurement was applied to this Zn-doped Bi2212 system to study a possibility of the so called `1/8 problem` which was established in high-T{sub c} La-systems. The muon spin depolarization rate increased with decreasing temperature below 10 K in only the Zn-doped (y=0.025) system in which the hole density was 1/8 (x=0.3125), indicating the slowing down behavior of the Cu-spin fluctuations. A long range coherent ordering of the Cu-spins which were the similar to the one observed in the La-systems was not confirmed down to 0.3 K. Both of the Zn-doping and the 1/8 hole density were essential for the freezing of the Cu-spin fluctuations in also the Zn-doped Bi2212 system. (author)

Extracting Hot spots of Topics from Time Stamped Documents

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Wei; Chundi, Parvathi

2011-01-01

Identifying time periods with a burst of activities related to a topic has been an important problem in analyzing time-stamped documents. In this paper, we propose an approach to extract a hot spot of a given topic in a time-stamped document set. Topics can be basic, containing a simple list of keywords, or complex. Logical relationships such as and, or, and not are used to build complex topics from basic topics. A concept of presence measure of a topic based on fuzzy set theory is introduced to compute the amount of information related to the topic in the document set. Each interval in the time period of the document set is associated with a numeric value which we call the discrepancy score. A high discrepancy score indicates that the documents in the time interval are more focused on the topic than those outside of the time interval. A hot spot of a given topic is defined as a time interval with the highest discrepancy score. We first describe a naive implementation for extracting hot spots. We then construct an algorithm called EHE (Efficient Hot Spot Extraction) using several efficient strategies to improve performance. We also introduce the notion of a topic DAG to facilitate an efficient computation of presence measures of complex topics. The proposed approach is illustrated by several experiments on a subset of the TDT-Pilot Corpus and DBLP conference data set. The experiments show that the proposed EHE algorithm significantly outperforms the naive one, and the extracted hot spots of given topics are meaningful. PMID:21765568

Antinociceptive effects of topical mepivacaine in a rat model of HIV-associated peripheral neuropathic pain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sagen J

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Jacqueline Sagen, Daniel A Castellanos,† Aldric T Hama The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA †Daniel A Castellanos passed away on April 14, 2010 Background: A consequence of HIV infection is sensory neuropathy, a debilitating condition that degrades the quality of life of HIV patients. Furthermore, life-extending antiretroviral treatment may exacerbate HIV sensory neuropathy. Analgesics that relieve other neuropathic pains show little or no efficacy in ameliorating HIV sensory neuropathy. Thus, there is a need for analgesics for people with this particular pain. While lidocaine is used in the management of painful peripheral neuropathies, another local anesthetic mepivacaine, with a potentially improved bioavailability, could be utilized for the management of HIV neuropathic pain.Methods: The efficacy of topical anesthetics was evaluated in a preclinical rodent model of painful peripheral neuropathy induced by epineural administration of the HIV envelope protein gp120 delivered using saturated oxidized cellulose implanted around the sciatic nerve. Beginning at 2 weeks following gp120 administration, the effects of local anesthetics topically applied via gauze pads were tested on heat and mechanical hyperalgesia in the hind paw. Rats were tested using several concentrations of mepivacaine or lidocaine during the following 2 weeks.Results: By 2 weeks following epineural gp120 implantation, the ipsilateral hind paw developed significant hypersensitivity to noxious pressure and heat hyperalgesia. A short-lasting, concentration-dependent amelioration of pressure and heat hyperalgesia was observed following topical application of mepivacaine to the ipsilateral plantar hind paw. By contrast, topical lidocaine ameliorated heat hyperalgesia in a concentration-dependent manner but not pressure hyperalgesia. Equipotent concentrations of mepivacaine and lidocaine applied topically to the

[Use of topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in aggravated and decompensated arthroses].

Science.gov (United States)

Chlud, K

1999-01-01

Pain in osteoarthritis of the big weight bearing joints is either derived from periarticular ligaments, tendons, fascias, muscles, bursae--periarthropathy as sign of decompensation or from the reactive synovitis with or without effusion. NSAIDs (ibuprofen, diclofenac, indometacin, some salicylates, etofenamate and piroxicam) have demonstrated relevant advantages of the percutaneous route over the systemic one in soft tissue rheumatism. NSAIDs, mentioned above, locally administered as cream, gel or spray, quickly penetrate through the corneal layer of the skin and the site of application, reach highly effective concentrations in subcutis, fascias, tendons, ligaments and muscles, less in joint-capsule and -fluid indicating direct penetration. The blood levels of topical NSAIDs are extremely low with no systemic side effects, especially no gastric toxicity; however, local skin irritation is observed (1 to 2%). In contrast to this, systemic (oral) NSAIDs lead primarily via high blood levels to a lower concentration--only one tenth--in periarticular soft tissues with a high incidence of side effects. In conclusion the percutaneous application of certain NSAIDs has become a well established therapeutic regimen in painful osteoarthritis and in all other inflammatory degenerative and posttraumatic alterations of soft tissue structure.

Topical report review status

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-08-01

A Topical Report Review Status is scheduled to be published semi-annually. The primary purpose of this document is to provide periodic progress reports of on-going topical report reviews, to identify those topical reports for which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff review has been completed and, to the extent practicable, to provide NRC management with sufficient information regarding the conduct of the topical report program to permit taking whatever actions deemed necessary or appropriate. This document is also intended to be a source of information to NRC Licensing Project Managers and other NRC personnel regarding the status of topical reports which may be referenced in applications for which they have responsibility. This status report is published primarily for internal NRC use in managing the topical report program, but is also used by NRC to advise the industry of report review status

Topical report review status

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-01-01

A Topical Report Review Status is scheduled to be published semi-annually. The primary purpose of this document is to provide periodic progress reports of on-going topical report reviews, to identify those topical reports for which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff review has been completed and, to the extent practicable, to provide NRC management with sufficient information regarding the conduct of the topical report program to permit taking whatever actions deemed necessary or appropriate. This document is also intended to be a source of information to NRC Licensing Project Managers and other NRC personnel regarding the status of topical reports which may be referenced in applications for which they have responsibility. This status report is published primarily for internal NRC use in managing the topical report program, but is also used by NRC to advise the industry of report review status

The risk of severe salicylate poisoning following the ingestion of topical medicaments or aspirin.

OpenAIRE

Chan, T. Y.

1996-01-01

Apart from isolated reports of severe salicylate poisoning after ingesting an unusually large amount of a medicinal oil, there are no published data on the threat arising from attempted suicide with topical medicaments containing methyl salicylate or wintergreen oil compared with aspirin tablets. In this retrospective study, the admission plasma salicylate concentrations and clinical presentations were compared in 80 subjects who had taken aspirin tablets (n = 42) or topical medicaments (n = ...

Fibronectin potentiates topical erythropoietin-induced wound repair in diabetic mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamed, Saher; Ullmann, Yehuda; Egozi, Dana; Daod, Essam; Hellou, Elias; Ashkar, Manal; Gilhar, Amos; Teot, Luc

2011-06-01

Diabetes mellitus disrupts all phases of the wound repair cascade and leads to development of chronic wounds. We previously showed that topical erythropoietin (EPO) can promote wound repair in diabetic rats. Fibronectin (FN) has a critical role throughout the process of wound healing, yet it is deficient in wound tissues of diabetic patients. Therefore, we investigated the effect of topical treatment of both EPO and FN (EPO/FN) on wound repair in diabetic mice. Full-thickness excisional skin wounds in diabetic and nondiabetic mice were treated with a cream containing vehicle, EPO, FN, or EPO/FN. We assessed the rate of wound closure, angiogenesis, apoptosis, and expression of inflammatory cytokines, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and β1-integrin, in the wound tissues. We also investigated the effect of EPO, FN, and EPO/FN on human dermal microvascular endothelial cells and fibroblasts cultured on fibrin-coated plates, or in high glucose concentrations. EPO/FN treatment significantly increased the rate of wound closure and this effect was associated with increased angiogenesis, increased eNOS and β1-integrin expression, and reduced expression of inflammatory cytokines and apoptosis. Our findings show that EPO and FN have an additive effect on wound repair in diabetic mice.

Topical phenytoin for treating pressure ulcers.

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Xiang Yong; Li, Hong Ling; Su, He; Cai, Hui; Guo, Tian Kang; Liu, Ruifeng; Jiang, Lei; Shen, Yan Fei

2017-02-22

Cochrane methodological procedures. For dichotomous variables, we calculated the risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). For continuous variables, we calculated the mean difference with 95% CI. We rated the quality of the evidence by using Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach (GRADE). Three small RCTs met our inclusion criteria and included a total of 148 participants. These compared three treatments with topical phenytoin: hydrocolloid dressings, triple antibiotic ointment and simple dressings. In the three RCTs, 79% of participants had grade II ulcers, and 21% of participants had grade I ulcers; no participants had grade III or IV ulcers. Two RCTs had a high risk of bias overall and the other RCT was at unclear risk of bias due to poor reporting. Two RCTs had three intervention arms and the other had two intervention arms.Two studies compared topical phenytoin with hydrocolloid dressing (84 participants analysed). The available data suggest that hydrocolloid dressings may improve ulcer healing compared to topical phenytoin (39.3% ulcers healed for phenytoin versus 71.4% ulcers healed for hydrocolloid dressings (RR 0.55, 95% CI 0.33 to 0.92; 56 participants, 1 study; low quality evidence). We downgraded the evidence twice: once due to serious limitations (high risk of bias) and once due to the small sample size and small number of events. Two studies compared topical phenytoin with simple dressings (81 participants analysed). From the available data, we are uncertain whether topical phenytoin improves ulcer healing compared to simple dressings (39.3% ulcers healed for phenytoin versus 29.6% ulcers healed for the simple dressing (RR 1.33, 95% CI 0.63 to 2.78; 55 participants, 1 study; very low quality evidence). This evidence was downgraded once due to serious limitations (high risk of bias) and twice due to the low number of outcome events and resulting wide CI which included the possibility of both increased healing and

Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection following Topical Hormone Replacement Therapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander L. Pan

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Spontaneous coronary artery dissection is a rare condition, usually presenting as an acute coronary syndrome, and is often seen in states associated with high systemic estrogen levels such as pregnancy or oral contraceptive use. While topical hormonal replacement therapy may result in increased estrogen levels similar to those documented with oral contraceptive use, there are no reported cases of spontaneous coronary dissection with topical hormonal replacement therapy. We describe a 53-year-old female who developed two spontaneous coronary dissections while on topical hormonal replacement therapy. The patient had no other risk factors for coronary dissection. After withdrawal from topical hormonal therapy, our patient has done well and has not had recurrent coronary artery dissections over a one-year follow-up period. The potential contributory role of topical hormonal therapy as a cause of spontaneous coronary dissection should be recognized.

75 FR 26647 - Ophthalmic and Topical Dosage Form New Animal Drugs; Ivermectin Topical Solution

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-12

.... FDA-2010-N-0002] Ophthalmic and Topical Dosage Form New Animal Drugs; Ivermectin Topical Solution... are treated with a topical solution of ivermectin. DATES: This rule is effective May 12, 2010. FOR... ANADA 200-340 for PRIVERMECTIN (ivermectin), a topical solution used on cattle to control infestations...

Treatment of male androgenetic alopecia with topical products containing Serenoa repens extract.

Science.gov (United States)

Wessagowit, Vesarat; Tangjaturonrusamee, Chinmanat; Kootiratrakarn, Tanawatt; Bunnag, Thareena; Pimonrat, Tanatya; Muangdang, Nattaporn; Pichai, Pitchayasak

2016-08-01

Male androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is a common hair problem. Serenoa repens extract has been shown to inhibit both types of 5-α reductase and, when taken orally, has been shown to increase hair growth in AGA patients. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of topical products containing S. repens extract for the treatment of male AGA. This was a pilot, prospective, open, within-subject comparison limited to 24 weeks using no placebo controls. In all, 50 male volunteers aged between 20 and 50 years received topical S. repens products for 24 weeks. The primary end-point was a hair count in an area of 2.54 cm(2) at week 24. Secondary end-points included hair restoration, investigators' photographic assessment, patients' evaluation and discovering adverse events. The average hair count and terminal hair count increased at weeks 12 and 24 compared to baseline. Some of these positive results levelled off at week 24, presumably because the concentrated topical product containing S. repens extract was stopped after 4 weeks. The patients were satisfied with the products and the side-effects were limited. The topical application of S. repens extract could be an alternative treatment in male pattern baldness in male patients who do not want or cannot tolerate the side-effects of standard medications, but the use of a concentrated S. repens product beyond 4 weeks may be necessary for sustained efficacy. © 2015 The Australasian College of Dermatologists.

Highly concentrated zinc oxide nanocrystals sol with strong blue emission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vafaee, M.; Sasani Ghamsari, M.; Radiman, S.

2011-01-01

Highly concentrated ZnO sol was synthesized by an improved sol-gel method. Water was used as a modifier to control the sol-gel reaction and provide a way to increase the sol concentration. Concentration of ZnO in the prepared sol is higher than from other methods. Optical absorption and photoluminescence were used to investigate optical properties of the prepared sol. FTIR test was performed to study the influence of water on the compounds of as-prepared sol. The size and morphology of ZnO nanoparticles have been studied by HRTEM. The prepared colloidal ZnO nanocrystals have narrow size distribution (5-8 nm) and showed strong blue emission. The prepared sol has enough potential for optoelectronic applications. - Research highlights: → Novel sol-gel route has been employed to prepare highly concentrated ZnO colloidal nanocrystals. → Water has been used to control the sources of emission in synthesized material. → A strong blue luminescent material has been obtained.

Women's Health Topics

Science.gov (United States)

... Information by Audience For Women Women's Health Topics Women's Health Topics Share Tweet Linkedin Pin it More sharing options Linkedin Pin it Email Print National Women's Health Week May 13 - 19, 2018 Join us ...

Efficient purification and concentration of viruses from a large body of high turbidity seawater.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Guowei; Xiao, Jinzhou; Wang, Hongming; Gong, Chaowen; Pan, Yingjie; Yan, Shuling; Wang, Yongjie

2014-01-01

Marine viruses are the most abundant entities in the ocean and play crucial roles in the marine ecological system. However, understanding of viral diversity on large scale depends on efficient and reliable viral purification and concentration techniques. Here, we report on developing an efficient method to purify and concentrate viruses from large body of high turbidity seawater. The developed method characterizes with high viral recovery efficiency, high concentration factor, high viral particle densities and high-throughput, and is reliable for viral concentration from high turbidity seawater. Recovered viral particles were used directly for subsequent analysis by epifluorescence microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and metagenomic sequencing. Three points are essential for this method:•The sampled seawater (>150 L) was initially divided into two parts, water fraction and settled matter fraction, after natural sedimentation.•Both viruses in the water fraction concentrated by tangential flow filtration (TFF) and viruses isolated from the settled matter fraction were considered as the whole viral community in high turbidity seawater.•The viral concentrates were re-concentrated by using centrifugal filter device in order to obtain high density of viral particles.

The effect of topic selection on writing fluency among Japanese high school students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah Lin Lubold

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Written fluency and fluency building activities have been shown to promote linguistic choice and student voice development, increased ability to express ideas using complex grammatical structures and greater intrinsic motivation in English language learners. Since the 1970’s, process-oriented writing has been emphasized, yielding an amplified focus on meaning of student content over linguistic form precision. Current research of writing fluency must delve deeper into questions of student ownership of topic and the outcomes for low-risk activities that support fluency practice and encourage confidence building in students. The purpose of this replication study is to further explore previous findings on the effects of topic selection on writing fluency for high school English as foreign language learners. Building off of the work of Bonzo (2008, this study focused on a timed, non-graded writing activity administered to groups of Japanese engineering students in three departments: mechanical, electrical, and global engineering. The six subsequent samples for each participating student were analyzed using online text-analysis for total and unique word counts, providing data used to perform a t-test. Responses to bi-lingual student questionnaires, with prompts on self-perceived written English ability, self-efficacy and strategies for success while writing, provided additional insight into the facets of fluency. The results of these writing sessions offer both confirmation of and contrast to Bonzo’s original work, demonstrate increased student meaning making, and support the use of free writing activities in English language classrooms as a means by which student written fluency may be improved.

Learning From Short Text Streams With Topic Drifts.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Peipei; He, Lu; Wang, Haiyan; Hu, Xuegang; Zhang, Yuhong; Li, Lei; Wu, Xindong

2017-09-18

Short text streams such as search snippets and micro blogs have been popular on the Web with the emergence of social media. Unlike traditional normal text streams, these data present the characteristics of short length, weak signal, high volume, high velocity, topic drift, etc. Short text stream classification is hence a very challenging and significant task. However, this challenge has received little attention from the research community. Therefore, a new feature extension approach is proposed for short text stream classification with the help of a large-scale semantic network obtained from a Web corpus. It is built on an incremental ensemble classification model for efficiency. First, more semantic contexts based on the senses of terms in short texts are introduced to make up of the data sparsity using the open semantic network, in which all terms are disambiguated by their semantics to reduce the noise impact. Second, a concept cluster-based topic drifting detection method is proposed to effectively track hidden topic drifts. Finally, extensive studies demonstrate that as compared to several well-known concept drifting detection methods in data stream, our approach can detect topic drifts effectively, and it enables handling short text streams effectively while maintaining the efficiency as compared to several state-of-the-art short text classification approaches.

Ocular Pharmacokinetics of Naringenin Eye Drops Following Topical Administration to Rabbits

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Junli; Sun, Jingjing; Wang, Yandong; Ma, Yan; Chen, Wenpei; Zhang, Ziyang; Gui, Gang

2015-01-01

Abstract Purpose: To investigate the ocular pharmacokinetics of 1% naringenin eye drops following topical administration to rabbits. Methods: One drop (50 μL) of 1% naringenin eye drops was instilled into both eyes of each rabbit. The animals were sacrificed at predetermined intervals after dosing, and ocular tissues and plasma were then collected. Concentrations of naringenin were analyzed using specific electrospray ionization liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method, which is proved to be sensitive, specific, precise, and suitable for determination of naringenin in ocular tissues and plasma of rabbits. Results: Ocular exposure to naringenin, based on AUC(0−t), was highest in cornea, followed by aqueous humor, retina, and vitreous body. The Cmax of naringenin in cornea, aqueous humor, vitreous body, and retina were 67945.30±4109.34 ng/g, 1325.69±239.34, 160.52±38.78 ng/mL, and 1927.08±660.77 ng/g at 0.083, 0.75, 0.083, and 0.083 h after topical administration, respectively. The half-lives for these tissues were 9.37, 0.65, 1.17, and 4.62 h, respectively. There was no significant difference between free naringenin and total naringenin in plasma based on Cmax and Tmax. Cmax of total naringenin in plasma at 0.083 h was 35.12±0.54 ng/mL. Conclusions: Measurable concentrations of naringenin were achieved in ocular tissues after topical application in rabbits. Topical instillation of naringenin may be an effective approach in the treatment of posterior section diseases. PMID:25229266

In vivo Raman spectroscopy detects increased epidermal antioxidative potential with topically applied carotenoids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lademann, J; Richter, H; Patzelt, A; Darvin, M; Sterry, W; Fluhr, J W; Caspers, P J; Van der Pol, A; Zastrow, L

2009-01-01

In the present study, the distribution of the carotenoids as a marker for the complete antioxidative potential in human skin was investigated before and after the topical application of carotenoids by in vivo Raman spectroscopy with an excitation wavelength of 785 nm. The carotenoid profile was assessed after a short term topical application in 4 healthy volunteers. In the untreated skin, the highest concentration of natural carotenoids was detected in different layers of the stratum corneum (SC) close to the skin surface. After topical application of carotenoids, an increase in the antioxidative potential in the skin could be observed. Topically applied carotenoids penetrate deep into the epidermis down to approximately 24 μm. This study supports the hypothesis that antioxidative substances are secreted via eccrine sweat glands and/or sebaceous glands to the skin surface. Subsequently they penetrate into the different layers of the SC

A compact spectrum splitting concentrator for high concentration photovoltaics based on the dispersion of a lens

Science.gov (United States)

He, J.; Flowers, C. A.; Yao, Y.; Atwater, H. A.; Rockett, A. A.; Nuzzo, R. G.

2018-06-01

Photovoltaic devices used in conjunction with functional optical elements for light concentration and spectrum splitting are known to be a viable approach for highly efficient photovoltaics. Conventional designs employ discrete optical elements, each with the task of either performing optical concentration or separating the solar spectrum. In the present work, we examine the performance of a compact photovoltaic architecture in which a single lens plays a dual role as both a concentrator and a spectrum splitter, the latter made possible by exploiting its intrinsic dispersion. A four-terminal two-junction InGaP/GaAs device is prepared to validate the concept and illustrates pathways for improvements. A spectral separation in the visible range is demonstrated at the focal point of a plano-convex lens with a geometric concentration ratio of 1104X with respect to the InGaP subcell.

Topic 14+16: High-performance and scientific applications and extreme-scale computing (Introduction)

KAUST Repository

Downes, Turlough P.

2013-01-01

As our understanding of the world around us increases it becomes more challenging to make use of what we already know, and to increase our understanding still further. Computational modeling and simulation have become critical tools in addressing this challenge. The requirements of high-resolution, accurate modeling have outstripped the ability of desktop computers and even small clusters to provide the necessary compute power. Many applications in the scientific and engineering domains now need very large amounts of compute time, while other applications, particularly in the life sciences, frequently have large data I/O requirements. There is thus a growing need for a range of high performance applications which can utilize parallel compute systems effectively, which have efficient data handling strategies and which have the capacity to utilise current and future systems. The High Performance and Scientific Applications topic aims to highlight recent progress in the use of advanced computing and algorithms to address the varied, complex and increasing challenges of modern research throughout both the "hard" and "soft" sciences. This necessitates being able to use large numbers of compute nodes, many of which are equipped with accelerators, and to deal with difficult I/O requirements. © 2013 Springer-Verlag.

Selected topics in nuclear structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stachura, Z.

1984-09-01

19. winter school in Zakopane was devoted to selected topics in nuclear structure such as: production of spin resonances, heavy ions reactions and their applications to the investigation of high spin states, octupole deformations, excited states and production of new elements etc. The experimental data are ofen compared with theoretical predictions. Report contains 28 papers. (M.F.W.)

Papers presented at the Tenth Topical Conference on High-Temperature Plasma Diagnostics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

This report contains papers on the following topics: Effects of limited spatial resolution on fluctuation measurements; vertical viewing of electron-cyclotron radiation in Text-U; measurement of temperature fluctuations from electron-cyclotron emission; a varying cross section magnetic coil diagnostic used in digital feedback control of plasma position in Text-Upgrade; high-sensitivity, high resolution measurements of radiated power on Text-U; wave launching as a diagnostic tool to investigate plasma turbulence; edge parameters from an energy analyzer and particle transport on Text-U; initial results from a charge exchange q-Diagnostic on Text-U; a method for neutral spectra analysis taking ripple-trapped particle losses into account; application of a three sample volume S(k,ω ) estimate to optical measurements of turbulence on Text; initial operation of the 2D Firsis on Text-Upgrade; horizontal-view interferometer on Text-Upgrade; plasma potential measurements on Text-Upgrade with A 2 MeV heavy ion beam; fluctuation measurements using the 2 MeV heavy ion beam probe on Text-U; the time domain triple probe method; a phase contrast imaging system for Text-U; and development of rugged corner cube detectors for the Text-U-Fir interferometer. These papers have been placed on the database elsewhere

Human-competitive automatic topic indexing

CERN Document Server

Medelyan, Olena

2009-01-01

Topic indexing is the task of identifying the main topics covered by a document. These are useful for many purposes: as subject headings in libraries, as keywords in academic publications and as tags on the web. Knowing a document’s topics helps people judge its relevance quickly. However, assigning topics manually is labor intensive. This thesis shows how to generate them automatically in a way that competes with human performance. Three kinds of indexing are investigated: term assignment, a task commonly performed by librarians, who select topics from a controlled vocabulary; tagging, a popular activity of web users, who choose topics freely; and a new method of keyphrase extraction, where topics are equated to Wikipedia article names. A general two-stage algorithm is introduced that first selects candidate topics and then ranks them by significance based on their properties. These properties draw on statistical, semantic, domain-specific and encyclopedic knowledge. They are combined using a machine learn...

Comprehensive evaluation of carboxylated nanodiamond as a topical drug delivery system.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Dae Gon; Kim, Ki Hyun; Kang, Eunah; Lim, Sun Hee; Ricci, Jeremy; Sung, Si Kwon; Kwon, Myoung Taek; Jeong, Seong Hoon

2016-01-01

The best strategy in the development of topical drug delivery systems may be to facilitate the permeation of drugs without any harmful effects, while staying on the skin surface and maintaining stability of the system. Nanodiamonds (NDs) play a key role with their excellent physicochemical properties, including high biocompatibility, physical adsorption, reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging capability, and photostabilizing activity. Z-average sizes of carboxylated ND (ND-COOH) agglutinate decreased significantly as the pH increased. Fluorescein-conjugated ND was observed only on the stratum corneum, and no sample diffused into the dermal layer even after 48 hours. Moreover, ND-COOH and ND-COOH/eugenol complex did not show significant toxic effects on murine macrophage cells. ND improved in vitro skin permeation >50% acting as a "drug reservoir" to maintain a high drug concentration in the donor chamber, which was supported by quartz crystal microbalance results. Moreover, ND-COOH could adsorb a drug amount equivalent to 80% of its own weight. A photostability study showed that ND-COOH increased the photostability ~47% with regard to rate constant of the eugenol itself. A significant decrease in ROS was observed in the ND-COOH and ND-COOH/eugenol complex compared with the negative control during intracellular ROS assay. Moreover, ROS and cupric reducing antioxidant capacity evaluation showed that ND-COOH had synergistic effects of antioxidation with eugenol. Therefore, ND-COOH could be used as an excellent topical drug delivery system with improved permeability, higher stability, and minimized safety issue.

Novel DDR Processing of Corn Stover Achieves High Monomeric Sugar Concentrations from Enzymatic Hydrolysis (230 g/L) and High Ethanol Concentration (10% v/v) During Fermentation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Xiaowen; Jennings, Ed; Shekiro, Joe; Kuhn, Erik M.; O' Brien, Marykate; Wang, Wei; Schell, Daniel J.; Himmel, Mike; Elander, Richard T.; Tucker, Melvin P.

2015-04-03

Distilling and purifying ethanol, butanol, and other products from second and later generation lignocellulosic biorefineries adds significant capital and operating cost for biofuels production. The energy costs associated with distillation affects plant gate and life cycle analysis costs. Lower titers in fermentation due to lower sugar concentrations from pretreatment increase both energy and production costs. In addition, higher titers decrease the volumes required for enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation vessels. Therefore, increasing biofuels titers has been a research focus in renewable biofuels production for several decades. In this work, we achieved over 200 g/L of monomeric sugars after high solids enzymatic hydrolysis using the novel deacetylation and disc refining (DDR) process on corn stover. The high sugar concentrations and low chemical inhibitor concentrations from the DDR process allowed ethanol titers as high as 82 g/L in 22 hours, which translates into approximately 10 vol% ethanol. To our knowledge, this is the first time that 10 vol% ethanol in fermentation derived from corn stover without any sugar concentration or purification steps has been reported. Techno-economic analysis shows the higher titer ethanol achieved from the DDR process could significantly reduce the minimum ethanol selling price from cellulosic biomass.

Follicular and percutaneous penetration pathways of topically applied minoxidil foam.

Science.gov (United States)

Blume-Peytavi, Ulrike; Massoudy, Lida; Patzelt, Alexa; Lademann, Jürgen; Dietz, Ekkehart; Rasulev, Utkur; Garcia Bartels, Natalie

2010-11-01

In the past, it was assumed that the intercellular route was the only relevant penetration pathway for topically applied substances. Recent results on follicular penetration emphasize that the hair follicles represent a highly relevant and efficient penetration pathway and reservoir for topically applied substances. This study investigates a selective closure technique of hair follicle orifices in vivo assessing interfollicular and follicular absorption rates of topical minoxidil foam in humans. In delimited skin area, single hair orifices or interfollicular skin were blocked with a microdrop of special varnish-wax-mixture in vivo. Minoxidil foam (5%) was topically applied, and transcutaneous absorption was measured by a new surface ionization mass spectrometry technique in serum. Different settings (open, closed or none of both) enabled to clearly distinguish between interfollicular and follicular penetration of the topically applied minoxidil foam. Five minutes after topical application, minoxidil was detected in blood samples when follicles remained open, whereas with closed follicles 30 min were needed. Highest levels were found first when both pathways were open, followed by open follicles and subsequently by closed follicles. These results demonstrate the high importance of the follicular penetration pathway. Hair follicles are surrounded by a dense network of blood capillaries and dendritic cells and have stem cells in their immediate vicinity, making them ideal targets for drug delivery. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Gravitational settling of a highly concentrated system of solid spherical particles

Science.gov (United States)

Arkhipov, V. A.; Usanina, A. S.

2017-09-01

In the present paper, we report on the results of an experimental study of the process of gravity sedimentation of a cloud of monodispersed solid spherical particles with initial volume concentration C > 0.03, which was performed in a wide range of Reynolds numbers. An analytical estimate of the settling regimes of spherical particle clouds is presented. A new method for creating a spherical particle cloud with a high concentration of particles is proposed. A qualitative picture of the settling process of a highly concentrated particle cloud under gravity is revealed. A criterial dependence for the drag coefficient of a sedimenting spherical particle cloud as an entity is obtained.

Topic Visualization and Survival Analysis

OpenAIRE

Wang, Ping Jr

2017-01-01

Latent semantic structure in a text collection is called a topic. In this thesis, we aim to visualize topics in the scientific literature and detect active or inactive research areas based on their lifetime. Topics were extracted from over 1 million abstracts from the arXiv.org database using Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA). Hellinger distance measures similarity between two topics. Topics are determined to be relevant if their pairwise distances are smaller than the threshold of Hellinger ...

High Voltage Solar Concentrator Experiment with Implications for Future Space Missions

Science.gov (United States)

Mehdi, Ishaque S.; George, Patrick J.; O'Neill, Mark; Matson, Robert; Brockschmidt, Arthur

2004-01-01

This paper describes the design, development, fabrication, and test of a high performance, high voltage solar concentrator array. This assembly is believed to be the first ever terrestrial triple-junction-cell solar array rated at over 1 kW. The concentrator provides over 200 W/square meter power output at a nominal 600 Vdc while operating under terrestrial sunlight. Space-quality materials and fabrication techniques were used for the array, and the 3005 meter elevation installation below the Tropic of Cancer allowed testing as close as possible to space deployment without an actual launch. The array includes two concentrator modules, each with a 3 square meter aperture area. Each concentrator module uses a linear Fresnel lens to focus sunlight onto a photovoltaic receiver that uses 240 series-connected triple-junction solar cells. Operation of the two receivers in series can provide 1200 Vdc which would be adequate for the 'direct drive' of some ion engines or microwave transmitters in space. Lens aperture width is 84 cm and the cell active width is 3.2 cm, corresponding to a geometric concentration ratio of 26X. The evaluation includes the concentrator modules, the solar cells, and the materials and techniques used to attach the solar cells to the receiver heat sink. For terrestrial applications, a finned aluminum extrusion was used for the heat sink for the solar cells, maintaining a low cell temperature so that solar cell efficiency remains high.

Analgesic effect of topical oral capsaicin gel in burning mouth syndrome

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Mette Rose; Pedersen, Anne Marie Lynge

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of repeated topical application of oral capsaicin gel in two different concentrations for relief of burning/stinging sensations in patients with burning mouth syndrome (BMS). MATERIAL AND METHODS: This randomized double-blind cross-over study included 22...... improved the burning/stinging symptoms assessed on VAS compared with baseline (p = 0.002). There was no statistically significant difference between the two concentrations of the gels on relieving symptoms. Four patients dropped out during the intervention period due to gastrointestinal side...

Detecting Hotspot Information Using Multi-Attribute Based Topic Model.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jing Wang

Full Text Available Microblogging as a kind of social network has become more and more important in our daily lives. Enormous amounts of information are produced and shared on a daily basis. Detecting hot topics in the mountains of information can help people get to the essential information more quickly. However, due to short and sparse features, a large number of meaningless tweets and other characteristics of microblogs, traditional topic detection methods are often ineffective in detecting hot topics. In this paper, we propose a new topic model named multi-attribute latent dirichlet allocation (MA-LDA, in which the time and hashtag attributes of microblogs are incorporated into LDA model. By introducing time attribute, MA-LDA model can decide whether a word should appear in hot topics or not. Meanwhile, compared with the traditional LDA model, applying hashtag attribute in MA-LDA model gives the core words an artificially high ranking in results meaning the expressiveness of outcomes can be improved. Empirical evaluations on real data sets demonstrate that our method is able to detect hot topics more accurately and efficiently compared with several baselines. Our method provides strong evidence of the importance of the temporal factor in extracting hot topics.

Detecting Hotspot Information Using Multi-Attribute Based Topic Model

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jing; Li, Li; Tan, Feng; Zhu, Ying; Feng, Weisi

2015-01-01

Microblogging as a kind of social network has become more and more important in our daily lives. Enormous amounts of information are produced and shared on a daily basis. Detecting hot topics in the mountains of information can help people get to the essential information more quickly. However, due to short and sparse features, a large number of meaningless tweets and other characteristics of microblogs, traditional topic detection methods are often ineffective in detecting hot topics. In this paper, we propose a new topic model named multi-attribute latent dirichlet allocation (MA-LDA), in which the time and hashtag attributes of microblogs are incorporated into LDA model. By introducing time attribute, MA-LDA model can decide whether a word should appear in hot topics or not. Meanwhile, compared with the traditional LDA model, applying hashtag attribute in MA-LDA model gives the core words an artificially high ranking in results meaning the expressiveness of outcomes can be improved. Empirical evaluations on real data sets demonstrate that our method is able to detect hot topics more accurately and efficiently compared with several baselines. Our method provides strong evidence of the importance of the temporal factor in extracting hot topics. PMID:26496635

GeneTopics - interpretation of gene sets via literature-driven topic models

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Annotation of a set of genes is often accomplished through comparison to a library of labelled gene sets such as biological processes or canonical pathways. However, this approach might fail if the employed libraries are not up to date with the latest research, don't capture relevant biological themes or are curated at a different level of granularity than is required to appropriately analyze the input gene set. At the same time, the vast biomedical literature offers an unstructured repository of the latest research findings that can be tapped to provide thematic sub-groupings for any input gene set. Methods Our proposed method relies on a gene-specific text corpus and extracts commonalities between documents in an unsupervised manner using a topic model approach. We automatically determine the number of topics summarizing the corpus and calculate a gene relevancy score for each topic allowing us to eliminate non-specific topics. As a result we obtain a set of literature topics in which each topic is associated with a subset of the input genes providing directly interpretable keywords and corresponding documents for literature research. Results We validate our method based on labelled gene sets from the KEGG metabolic pathway collection and the genetic association database (GAD) and show that the approach is able to detect topics consistent with the labelled annotation. Furthermore, we discuss the results on three different types of experimentally derived gene sets, (1) differentially expressed genes from a cardiac hypertrophy experiment in mice, (2) altered transcript abundance in human pancreatic beta cells, and (3) genes implicated by GWA studies to be associated with metabolite levels in a healthy population. In all three cases, we are able to replicate findings from the original papers in a quick and semi-automated manner. Conclusions Our approach provides a novel way of automatically generating meaningful annotations for gene sets that are directly

Mitigation of houses with extremely high indoor radon concentrations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiranek, M.; Neznal, M.

2006-01-01

Full text of publication follows: The paper reports on the experience of the Czech Technical University in dealing with mitigation of houses in which unusually high indoor radon concentrations were found. The whole process of remediation is illustrated by example of an old single-family house that was built in the area formed by highly permeable soils with high radon content in the soil air. T he house has a small cellar located under 1/5 of the ground floor area. Two types of floors, i.e. timber floors and cracked concrete slabs were found in the house. As a result of extremely high radon concentration in the sub-floor region (up to 600 kBq/m 3 ) and leaky structures in contact with soil, radon concentrations around 100 kBq/m 3 in the cellar and up to 60 kBq/m 3 in the living rooms on the ground floor were measured prior to mitigation. Mitigation measures that were carried out in the house consist of reconstruction of timber floors and installation of active soil depressurization. Timber floors were replaced with concrete slab fitted with damp proof membrane, thermal insulation and floor covering. The soil depressurization system was made up of two sections. The first section is composed of the network of perforated pipes inserted in the drainage layer placed under the new floors and four perforated tubes drilled under the existing floors. The soil air from this section is extracted by means of a roof fan installed at the top of the vertical exhaust pipe running inside the living space and terminating above the roof. The second section was designed to withdraw by means of a small fan radon-laden air from the filling in the floor above the cellar and from perforated tubes drilled into the sub-floor region under the rooms adjacent to the cellar. It serves also for the active ventilation of the cellar. Pressure, temperature and radon concentration sensors were installed into the drainage layer during the reconstruction of floors to record variations in these

Concentration of High Level Radioactive Liquid Waste. Basic data acquisition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Juvenelle, A.; Masson, M.; Garrido, M.H. [DEN/VRH/DRCP/SCPS/LPCP, BP 17171 - 30207 Bagnols sur Ceze Cedex (France)

2008-07-01

Full text of publication follows: In order to enhance its knowledge about the concentration of high level liquid waste (HLLW) from the nuclear fuel reprocessing process, a program of studies was defined by Cea. In a large field of acidity, it proposes to characterize the concentrated solution and the obtained precipitates versus the concentration factor. Four steps are considered: quantification of the salting-out effect on the concentrate acidity, acquisition of solubility data, precipitates characterisation versus the concentration factor through aging tests and concentration experimentation starting from simulated fission products solutions. The first results, reported here, connect the acidity of the concentrated solution to the concentration factor and allow us to precise the field of acidity (4 to 12 N) for the next experiments. In this field, solubility data of various elements (Ba, Sr, Zr...) are separately measured at room temperature, in nitric acid in a first time, then in the presence of various species present in medium (TBP, PO{sub 4}{sup 3-}). The reactions between these various elements are then investigated (formation of insoluble mixed compounds) by following the concentration cations in solution and characterising the precipitates. (authors)

High surface hole concentration p-type GaN using Mg implantation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Long Tao; Yang Zhijian; Zhang Guoyi

2001-01-01

Mg ions were implanted on Mg-doped GaN grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The p-type GaN was achieved with high hole concentration (8.28 x 10 17 cm -3 ) conformed by Van derpauw Hall measurement after annealing at 800 degree C for 1 h. this is the first experimental report of Mg implantation on Mg-doped GaN and achieving p-type GaN with high surface hole concentration

Rheology of dilute acid hydrolyzed corn stover at high solids concentration.

Science.gov (United States)

Ehrhardt, M R; Monz, T O; Root, T W; Connelly, R K; Scott, C T; Klingenberg, D J

2010-02-01

The rheological properties of acid hydrolyzed corn stover at high solids concentration (20-35 wt.%) were investigated using torque rheometry. These materials are yield stress fluids whose rheological properties can be well represented by the Bingham model. Yield stresses increase with increasing solids concentration and decrease with increasing hydrolysis reaction temperature, acid concentration, and rheometer temperature. Plastic viscosities increase with increasing solids concentration and tend to decrease with increasing reaction temperature and acid concentration. The solids concentration dependence of the yield stress is consistent with that reported for other fibrous systems. The changes in yield stress with reaction conditions are consistent with observed changes in particle size. This study illustrates that torque rheometry can be used effectively to measure rheological properties of concentrated biomass.

Sunscreens in human plasma and urine after repeated whole-body topical application

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Janjua, N.R.; Kongshoj, B.; Andersson, A.M.

2008-01-01

. For all three compounds, only sporadic measurements of percutaneous absorption and excretion after topical application in humans have been described. Methods In this study, 32 healthy volunteers, 15 young males and 17 postmenopausal females, were exposed to daily whole-body topical application of 2 mg...... the first application, all three sunscreens were detectable in plasma. The maximum median plasma concentrations were 187 ng/mL BP-3, 16 ng/mL 4-MBC and 7 ng/mL OMC for females and 238 ng/mL BP-3, 18 ng/mL 4-MBC and 16 ng/mL OMC for men. In the females, urine levels of 44 ng/mL BP-3 and 4 ng/mL of 4-MBC...... and 6 ng/mL OMC were found, and in the males, urine levels of 81 ng/mL BP-3, 4 ng/mL of 4-MBC and OMC were found. In plasma, the 96-h median concentrations were higher compared with the 24-h concentrations for 4-MBC and OMC in men and for BP-3 and 4-MBC in females Udgivelsesdato: 2008/4...

Sixth meeting of the ITPA Topical Group on Diagnostics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donne, A.J.H.; Costley, A.E.

2004-01-01

The Sixth Meeting of the International Tokamak Physics Activities (ITPA) Topical Group (TG) on Diagnostics was held at JAERI, Naka from 19-21 February 2004. This meeting was combined with a Progress Meeting on ITER/BPX (burning plasma experiment) relevant diagnostic developments on-going in Japan. For the first time, ITPA members from China, as well as observers from South Korea, attended. In addition, an associated sub-meeting was held at General Atomics, San Diego, 23-24 April, immediately after the 15th Topical Conference on High Temperature Plasma Diagnostics. At the sub-meeting a special one-day session was devoted to issues related to beam-aided spectroscopy. In total more than 50 participants attended the meetings and all ITER partners were represented. The key topics reviewed and discussed at the TG meeting were: (i) the overall status of diagnostics developments for ITER, (ii) the progress in the research on the designated high priority topics, (iii) the progress with some key ITER/BPX-relevant diagnostic developments ongoing in the ITPA participant laboratories, (iv) the progress and plans for the work of the specialist working groups, (v) the status and plans for the International Diagnostic Database

Prodigious Effects of Concentration Intensification on Nanoparticle Synthesis: A High-Quality, Scalable Approach

KAUST Repository

Williamson, Curtis B.

2015-12-23

© 2015 American Chemical Society. Realizing the promise of nanoparticle-based technologies demands more efficient, robust synthesis methods (i.e., process intensification) that consistently produce large quantities of high-quality nanoparticles (NPs). We explored NP synthesis via the heat-up method in a regime of previously unexplored high concentrations near the solubility limit of the precursors. We discovered that in this highly concentrated and viscous regime the NP synthesis parameters are less sensitive to experimental variability and thereby provide a robust, scalable, and size-focusing NP synthesis. Specifically, we synthesize high-quality metal sulfide NPs (<7% relative standard deviation for Cu2-xS and CdS), and demonstrate a 10-1000-fold increase in Cu2-xS NP production (>200 g) relative to the current field of large-scale (0.1-5 g yields) and laboratory-scale (<0.1 g) efforts. Compared to conventional synthesis methods (hot injection with dilute precursor concentration) characterized by rapid growth and low yield, our highly concentrated NP system supplies remarkably controlled growth rates and a 10-fold increase in NP volumetric production capacity (86 g/L). The controlled growth, high yield, and robust nature of highly concentrated solutions can facilitate large-scale nanomanufacturing of NPs by relaxing the synthesis requirements to achieve monodisperse products. Mechanistically, our investigation of the thermal and rheological properties and growth rates reveals that this high concentration regime has reduced mass diffusion (a 5-fold increase in solution viscosity), is stable to thermal perturbations (64% increase in heat capacity), and is resistant to Ostwald ripening.

Analyzing research trends on drug safety using topic modeling.

Science.gov (United States)

Zou, Chen

2018-04-06

Published drug safety data has evolved in the past decade due to scientific and technological advances in the relevant research fields. Considering that a vast amount of scientific literature has been published in this area, it is not easy to identify the key information. Topic modeling has emerged as a powerful tool to extract meaningful information from a large volume of unstructured texts. Areas covered: We analyzed the titles and abstracts of 4347 articles in four journals dedicated to drug safety from 2007 to 2016. We applied Latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) model to extract 50 main topics, and conducted trend analysis to explore the temporal popularity of these topics over years. Expert Opinion/Commentary: We found that 'benefit-risk assessment and communication', 'diabetes' and 'biologic therapy for autoimmune diseases' are the top 3 most published topics. The topics relevant to the use of electronic health records/observational data for safety surveillance are becoming increasingly popular over time. Meanwhile, there is a slight decrease in research on signal detection based on spontaneous reporting, although spontaneous reporting still plays an important role in benefit-risk assessment. The topics related to medical conditions and treatment showed highly dynamic patterns over time.

Diverse microbial species survive high ammonia concentrations

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, Laura C.; Cockell, Charles S.; Summers, Stephen

2012-04-01

Planetary protection regulations are in place to control the contamination of planets and moons with terrestrial micro-organisms in order to avoid jeopardizing future scientific investigations relating to the search for life. One environmental chemical factor of relevance in extraterrestrial environments, specifically in the moons of the outer solar system, is ammonia (NH3). Ammonia is known to be highly toxic to micro-organisms and may disrupt proton motive force, interfere with cellular redox reactions or cause an increase of cell pH. To test the survival potential of terrestrial micro-organisms exposed to such cold, ammonia-rich environments, and to judge whether current planetary protection regulations are sufficient, soil samples were exposed to concentrations of NH3 from 5 to 35% (v/v) at -80°C and room temperature for periods up to 11 months. Following exposure to 35% NH3, diverse spore-forming taxa survived, including representatives of the Firmicutes (Bacillus, Sporosarcina, Viridibacillus, Paenibacillus, Staphylococcus and Brevibacillus) and Actinobacteria (Streptomyces). Non-spore forming organisms also survived, including Proteobacteria (Pseudomonas) and Actinobacteria (Arthrobacter) that are known to have environmentally resistant resting states. Clostridium spp. were isolated from the exposed soil under anaerobic culture. High NH3 was shown to cause a reduction in viability of spores over time, but spore morphology was not visibly altered. In addition to its implications for planetary protection, these data show that a large number of bacteria, potentially including spore-forming pathogens, but also environmentally resistant non-spore-formers, can survive high ammonia concentrations.

Topical minoxidil in the treatment of alopecia areata.

Science.gov (United States)

Fenton, D A; Wilkinson, J D

1983-01-01

A modified double blind crossover study was performed to assess the effect of 1% topical minoxidil as compared with placebo in 30 patients with alopecia areata and alopecia totalis. The active preparation produced a highly significant incidence of hair regrowth. A cosmetically acceptable response was noted in 16 patients. No side effects were seen. The study confirmed that topical minoxidil will induce new hair growth in alopecia areata but that it is less likely to do so in more severe and extensive disease. Furthermore, patients with alopecia universalis and totalis may not respond at all. Nevertheless, as compared with other drugs minoxidil applied topically is relatively non-toxic, is easy to use, and has no systemic or local side effects. Images p1016-a PMID:6412929

High frequency measurement of nitrate concentration in the Lower Mississippi River, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Shuiwang; Powell, Rodney T.; Bianchi, Thomas S.

2014-11-01

Nutrient concentrations in the Mississippi River have increased dramatically since the 1950s, and high frequency measurements on nitrate concentration are required for accurate load estimations and examinations on nitrate transport and transformation processes. This three year record of high temporal resolution (every 2-3 h) data clearly illustrates the importance of high frequency sampling in improving load estimates and resolving variations in nitrate concentration with river flow and tributary inputs. Our results showed large short-term (days to weeks) variations in nitrate concentration but with no diurnal patterns. A repeatable and pronounced seasonal pattern of nitrate concentration was observed, and showed gradual increases from the lowest values in September (during base-flow), to the highest in June - which was followed by a rapid decrease. This seasonal pattern was only moderately linked with water discharge, and more controlled by nitrogen transformation/export from watershed as well as mixing patterns of the two primary tributaries (the upper Mississippi and the Ohio Rivers), which have distinctly different nitrate concentrations and flow patterns. Based on continuous in situ flow measurements, we estimated 554-886 × 106 kg of nitrate-N was exported from the Mississippi River system during years 2004-2006, which was <9% and <16% lower than U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) estimates using their LOADEST or composite methods, respectively. USGS methods generally overestimated nitrate loads during rising stages and underestimated the loads during falling stages. While changes in nitrate concentrations in large rivers are generally not as responsive to alterations in diurnal inputs and/or watershed hydrology as small rivers, high-frequency water quality sampling would help in monitoring short-term (days to weeks) variations in nutrient concentration patterns and thus improve the accuracy of nutrient flux estimates.

Topics in computational linear optimization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hultberg, Tim Helge

2000-01-01

Linear optimization has been an active area of research ever since the pioneering work of G. Dantzig more than 50 years ago. This research has produced a long sequence of practical as well as theoretical improvements of the solution techniques avilable for solving linear optimization problems...... of high quality solvers and the use of algebraic modelling systems to handle the communication between the modeller and the solver. This dissertation features four topics in computational linear optimization: A) automatic reformulation of mixed 0/1 linear programs, B) direct solution of sparse unsymmetric...... systems of linear equations, C) reduction of linear programs and D) integration of algebraic modelling of linear optimization problems in C++. Each of these topics is treated in a separate paper included in this dissertation. The efficiency of solving mixed 0-1 linear programs by linear programming based...

Evaluation of radionuclide concentrations in high-level radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fehringer, D.J.

1985-10-01

This report describes a possible approach for development of a numerical definition of the term ''high-level radioactive waste.'' Five wastes are identified which are recognized as being high-level wastes under current, non-numerical definitions. The constituents of these wastes are examined and the most hazardous component radionuclides are identified. This report suggests that other wastes with similar concentrations of these radionuclides could also be defined as high-level wastes. 15 refs., 9 figs., 4 tabs

High surface hole concentration p-type GaN using Mg implantation

CERN Document Server

Long Tao; Zhang Guo Yi

2001-01-01

Mg ions were implanted on Mg-doped GaN grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The p-type GaN was achieved with high hole concentration (8.28 x 10 sup 1 sup 7 cm sup - sup 3) conformed by Van derpauw Hall measurement after annealing at 800 degree C for 1 h. this is the first experimental report of Mg implantation on Mg-doped GaN and achieving p-type GaN with high surface hole concentration

Building bridges across electronic health record systems through inferred phenotypic topics.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, You; Ghosh, Joydeep; Bejan, Cosmin Adrian; Gunter, Carl A; Gupta, Siddharth; Kho, Abel; Liebovitz, David; Sun, Jimeng; Denny, Joshua; Malin, Bradley

2015-06-01

Data in electronic health records (EHRs) is being increasingly leveraged for secondary uses, ranging from biomedical association studies to comparative effectiveness. To perform studies at scale and transfer knowledge from one institution to another in a meaningful way, we need to harmonize the phenotypes in such systems. Traditionally, this has been accomplished through expert specification of phenotypes via standardized terminologies, such as billing codes. However, this approach may be biased by the experience and expectations of the experts, as well as the vocabulary used to describe such patients. The goal of this work is to develop a data-driven strategy to (1) infer phenotypic topics within patient populations and (2) assess the degree to which such topics facilitate a mapping across populations in disparate healthcare systems. We adapt a generative topic modeling strategy, based on latent Dirichlet allocation, to infer phenotypic topics. We utilize a variance analysis to assess the projection of a patient population from one healthcare system onto the topics learned from another system. The consistency of learned phenotypic topics was evaluated using (1) the similarity of topics, (2) the stability of a patient population across topics, and (3) the transferability of a topic across sites. We evaluated our approaches using four months of inpatient data from two geographically distinct healthcare systems: (1) Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH) and (2) Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). The method learned 25 phenotypic topics from each healthcare system. The average cosine similarity between matched topics across the two sites was 0.39, a remarkably high value given the very high dimensionality of the feature space. The average stability of VUMC and NMH patients across the topics of two sites was 0.988 and 0.812, respectively, as measured by the Pearson correlation coefficient. Also the VUMC and NMH topics have smaller variance of characterizing

High Efficiency Nanostructured III-V Photovoltaics for Solar Concentrator Application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hubbard, Seth

2012-09-12

The High Efficiency Nanostructured III-V Photovoltaics for Solar Concentrators project seeks to provide new photovoltaic cells for Concentrator Photovoltaics (CPV) Systems with higher cell efficiency, more favorable temperature coefficients and less sensitivity to changes in spectral distribution. The main objective of this project is to provide high efficiency III-V solar cells that will reduce the overall cost per Watt for power generation using CPV systems.This work is focused both on a potential near term application, namely the use of indium arsenide (InAs) QDs to spectrally "tune" the middle (GaAs) cell of a SOA triple junction device to a more favorable effective bandgap, as well as the long term goal of demonstrating intermediate band solar cell effects. The QDs are confined within a high electric field i-region of a standard GaAs solar cell. The extended absorption spectrum (and thus enhanced short circuit current) of the QD solar cell results from the increase in the sub GaAs bandgap spectral response that is achievable as quantum dot layers are introduced into the i-region. We have grown InAs quantum dots by OMVPE technique and optimized the QD growth conditions. Arrays of up to 40 layers of strain balanced quantum dots have been experimentally demonstrated with good material quality, low residual stain and high PL intensity. Quantum dot enhanced solar cells were grown and tested under simulated one sun AM1.5 conditions. Concentrator solar cells have been grown and fabricated with 5-40 layers of QDs. Testing of these devices show the QD cells have improved efficiency compared to baseline devices without QDs. Device modeling and measurement of thermal properties were performed using Crosslight APSYS. Improvements in a triple junction solar cell with the insertion of QDs into the middle current limiting junction was shown to be as high as 29% under one sun illumination for a 10 layer stack QD enhanced triple junction solar cell. QD devices have strong

A Mucoadhesive Polymer Extracted from Tamarind Seed Improves the Intraocular Penetration and Efficacy of Rufloxacin in Topical Treatment of Experimental Bacterial Keratitis

OpenAIRE

Ghelardi, Emilia; Tavanti, Arianna; Davini, Paola; Celandroni, Francesco; Salvetti, Sara; Parisio, Eva; Boldrini, Enrico; Senesi, Sonia; Campa, Mario

2004-01-01

Bacterial keratitis is a serious infectious ocular disease requiring prompt treatment to prevent frequent and severe visual disabilities. Standard treatment of bacterial keratitis includes topical administration of concentrated antibiotic solutions repeated at frequent intervals in order to reach sufficiently high drug levels in the corneal tissue to inhibit bacterial growth. However, this regimen has been associated with toxicity to the corneal epithelium and requires patient hospitalization...

Starch source in high concentrate rations does not affect rumen pH, histamine and lipopolysaccharide concentrations in dairy cows

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pilachai, R.; Schonewille, J.T.; Thamrongyoswittayakul, C.; Aiumlamai, S.; Wachirapakom, C.; Everts, H.; Hendriks, W.H.

2012-01-01

The replacement of ground corn by cassava meal on rumen pH, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and histamine concentrations under typical Thai feeding conditions (high concentrate diets and rice straw as the sole source of roughage) was investigated. Four rumen-fistulated crossbred Holstein, non-pregnant, dry

Resting serum concentration of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Resting serum concentration of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in sportsmen and untrained male adults. F.A. Niyi-Odumosu, O. A. Bello, S.A. Biliaminu, B.V. Owoyele, T.O. Abu, O.L. Dominic ...

Satellite DNA: An Evolving Topic.

Science.gov (United States)

Garrido-Ramos, Manuel A

2017-09-18

Satellite DNA represents one of the most fascinating parts of the repetitive fraction of the eukaryotic genome. Since the discovery of highly repetitive tandem DNA in the 1960s, a lot of literature has extensively covered various topics related to the structure, organization, function, and evolution of such sequences. Today, with the advent of genomic tools, the study of satellite DNA has regained a great interest. Thus, Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS), together with high-throughput in silico analysis of the information contained in NGS reads, has revolutionized the analysis of the repetitive fraction of the eukaryotic genomes. The whole of the historical and current approaches to the topic gives us a broad view of the function and evolution of satellite DNA and its role in chromosomal evolution. Currently, we have extensive information on the molecular, chromosomal, biological, and population factors that affect the evolutionary fate of satellite DNA, knowledge that gives rise to a series of hypotheses that get on well with each other about the origin, spreading, and evolution of satellite DNA. In this paper, I review these hypotheses from a methodological, conceptual, and historical perspective and frame them in the context of chromosomal organization and evolution.

2011 annual meeting on nuclear technology. Pt. 4. Topical sessions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schoenfelder, Christian; Dams, Wolfgang

2011-01-01

Summary report on the Topical Session of the Annual Conference on Nuclear Technology held in Berlin, 17 to 19 May 2011: - Nuclear Competence in Germany and Europe. The Topical Session: - Sodium Cooled Fast Reactors -- will be covered in a report in a further issue of atw. The reports on the Topical Sessions: - CFD-Simulations for Safety Relevant Tasks; and - Final Disposal: From Scientific Basis to Application; - Characteristics of a High Reliability Organization (HRO) Considering Experience Gained from Events at Nuclear Power Stations -- have been covered in atw 7, 8/9, and 10 (2011). (orig.)

Analysis and application of opinion model with multiple topic interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiong, Fei; Liu, Yun; Wang, Liang; Wang, Ximeng

2017-08-01

To reveal heterogeneous behaviors of opinion evolution in different scenarios, we propose an opinion model with topic interactions. Individual opinions and topic features are represented by a multidimensional vector. We measure an agent's action towards a specific topic by the product of opinion and topic feature. When pairs of agents interact for a topic, their actions are introduced to opinion updates with bounded confidence. Simulation results show that a transition from a disordered state to a consensus state occurs at a critical point of the tolerance threshold, which depends on the opinion dimension. The critical point increases as the dimension of opinions increases. Multiple topics promote opinion interactions and lead to the formation of macroscopic opinion clusters. In addition, more topics accelerate the evolutionary process and weaken the effect of network topology. We use two sets of large-scale real data to evaluate the model, and the results prove its effectiveness in characterizing a real evolutionary process. Our model achieves high performance in individual action prediction and even outperforms state-of-the-art methods. Meanwhile, our model has much smaller computational complexity. This paper provides a demonstration for possible practical applications of theoretical opinion dynamics.

Health Topic XML File Description

Science.gov (United States)

... this page: https://medlineplus.gov/xmldescription.html Health Topic XML File Description: MedlinePlus To use the sharing ... information categories assigned. Example of a Full Health Topic Record A record for a MedlinePlus health topic ...

Nonfaradaic nanoporous electrochemistry for conductometry at high electrolyte concentration.

Science.gov (United States)

Bae, Je Hyun; Kang, Chung Mu; Choi, Hyoungseon; Kim, Beom Jin; Jang, Woohyuk; Lim, Sung Yul; Kim, Hee Chan; Chung, Taek Dong

2015-02-17

Nanoporous electrified surfaces create a unique nonfaradaic electrochemical behavior that is sensitively influenced by pore size, morphology, ionic strength, and electric field modulation. Here, we report the contributions of ion concentration and applied ac frequency to the electrode impedance through an electrical double layer overlap and ion transport along the nanopores. Nanoporous Pt with uniform pore size and geometry (L2-ePt) responded more sensitively to conductivity changes in aqueous solutions than Pt black with poor uniformity despite similar real surface areas and enabled the previously difficult quantitative conductometry measurements at high electrolyte concentrations. The nanopores of L2-ePt were more effective in reducing the electrode impedance and exhibited superior linear responses to not only flat Pt but also Pt black, leading to successful conductometric detection in ion chromatography without ion suppressors and at high ionic strengths.

Dressings and topical agents for preventing pressure ulcers.

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Zena E H; Webster, Joan

2013-08-18

authors working independently, using pre-determined inclusion and quality criteria. Five trials (940 participants) of unclear or high risk of bias compared a topical agent with a placebo. Four of these trials randomised by individual and one by cluster. When results from the five trials were combined, the risk ratio (RR) was 0.78 (95% CI 0.47 to 1.31; P value 0.35) indicating no overall beneficial effect of the topical agents. When the cluster randomised trial was omitted from the analysis, use of topical agents reduced the pressure ulcer incidence by 36%; RR 0.64 (95% CI 0.49 to 0.83; P value 0.0008).Four trials (561 participants), all of which were of high or unclear risk of bias, showed that dressings applied over bony prominences reduced pressure ulcer incidence; RR 0.21 (95% CI 0.09 to 0.51; P value 0.0006). There is insufficient evidence from RCTs to support or refute the use of topical agents applied over bony prominences to prevent pressure ulcers. Although the incidence of pressure ulcers was reduced when dressings were used to protect the skin, results were compromised by the low quality of the included trials. These trials contained substantial risk of bias and clinical heterogeneity (variations in populations and interventions); consequently, results should be interpreted as inconclusive. Further well designed trials addressing important clinical, quality of life and economic outcomes are justified, based on the incidence of the problem and the high costs associated with pressure ulcer management.

Clearly Transparent Nanopaper from Highly Concentrated Cellulose Nanofiber Dispersion Using Dilution and Sonication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takaaki Kasuga

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Nanopaper prepared from holocellulose pulp is one of the best substrates for flexible electronics because of its high thermal resistance and high clear transparency. However, the clearness of nanopaper decreases with increasing concentration of the starting cellulose nanofiber dispersion—with the use of a 2.2 wt % dispersion, for example—resulting in translucent nanopaper with a high haze of 44%. To overcome this problem, we show that the dilution of this high-concentration dispersion with water followed by sonication for 10 s reduces the haze to less than 10% while maintaining the high thermal resistance of the nanopaper. Furthermore, the combination of water dilution and a short sonication treatment improves the clearness of the nanopaper, which would translate into cost savings for the transportation and storage of this highly concentrated cellulose nanofiber dispersion. Finally, we demonstrate the improvement of the electrical conductivity of clear transparent nanopaper prepared from an initially high-concentration dispersion by dropping and heating silver nanowire ink on the nanopaper. These achievements will pave the way toward the realization of the mass production of nanofiber-based flexible devices.

Topical erythropoietin promotes wound repair in diabetic rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamed, Saher; Ullmann, Yehuda; Masoud, Muhannad; Hellou, Elias; Khamaysi, Ziad; Teot, Luc

2010-01-01

Wound healing in diabetic patients is slower than in healthy individuals. Erythropoietin (EPO) has non-hemopoietic targets in the skin, and systemically administered EPO promotes wound healing in experimental animals. This study investigated the effect of topical EPO treatment on defective wound repair in the skin of diabetic rats. Full-thickness excisional skin wounds were made in 38 rats, of which 30 had diabetes. The wounds were then treated topically with a cream that contained either vehicle, 600 IU ml(-1) EPO (low dose), or 3,000 IU ml(-1) (high dose) EPO. We assessed the rate of wound closure during the 12-day treatment period, and microvascular density (MVD), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and hydroxyproline (HP) contents, and the extent of apoptosis in wound tissues at the end of the 12-day treatment period. Topical EPO treatment significantly reduced the time to final wound closure. This increased rate of closure of the two EPO-treated wounds in diabetic rats was associated with increased MVD, VEGF, and HP contents, and a reduced extent of apoptosis. In light of our finding that topical EPO treatment promotes skin wound repair in diabetic rats, we propose that topical EPO treatment is a therapeutically beneficial method of treating chronic diabetic wounds.

High-concentration mirror-based Kohler integrating system for tandem solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Winston, R.; Benitez, P.; Cvetkovic, A.

2006-06-01

A novel two-mirror high concentration nonimaging optic has been designed that shares the advantages of present two mirror aplanatic imaging concentrators but also overcomes their main limitation of trade-off between acceptance angle and irradiance uniformity. A system concept has been defined, and a first prototype in under development.

Regulatory Information By Topic

Science.gov (United States)

EPA develops and enforces regulations that span many environmental topics, from acid rain reduction to wetlands restoration. Each topic listed below may include related laws and regulations, compliance enforcement information, policies guidance

Topical Delivery of Anti-VEGF Drugs to the Ocular Posterior Segment Using Cell-Penetrating Peptides.

Science.gov (United States)

de Cogan, Felicity; Hill, Lisa J; Lynch, Aisling; Morgan-Warren, Peter J; Lechner, Judith; Berwick, Matthew R; Peacock, Anna F A; Chen, Mei; Scott, Robert A H; Xu, Heping; Logan, Ann

2017-05-01

To evaluate the efficacy of anti-VEGF agents for treating choroidal neovascularization (CNV) when delivered topically using novel cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) compared with delivery by intravitreal (ivit) injection. CPP toxicity was investigated in cell cultures. Ivit concentrations of ranibizumab and bevacizumab after topical administration were measured using ELISA. The biological efficacy of topical anti-VEGF + CPP complexes was compared with ivit anti-VEGF injections using an established model of CNV. CPPs were nontoxic in vitro. In vivo, after topical eye drop delivery, CPPs were present in the rat anterior chamber within 6 minutes. A single application of CPP + bevacizumab eye drop delivered clinically relevant concentrations of bevacizumab to the posterior chamber of the rat eye in vivo. Similarly, clinically relevant levels of CPP + ranibizumab and CPP + bevacizumab were detected in the porcine vitreous and retina ex vivo. In an established model of CNV, mice treated with either a single ivit injection of anti-VEGF, twice daily CPP + anti-VEGF eye drops or daily dexamethasone gavage for 10 days all had significantly reduced areas of CNV when compared with lasered eyes without treatment. CPPs are nontoxic to ocular cells and can be used to deliver therapeutically relevant doses of ranibizumab and bevacizumab by eye drop to the posterior segment of mouse, rat, and pig eyes. The CPP + anti-VEGF drug complexes were cleared from the retina within 24 hours, suggesting a daily eye drop dosing regimen. Daily, topically delivered anti-VEGF with CPP was as efficacious as a single ivit injection of anti-VEGF in reducing areas of CNV in vivo.

Topical Delivery of Erythromycin Through Cubosomes for Acne.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Sana; Jain, Poorva; Jain, Sourabh; Jain, Richa; Bhargava, Saurabh; Jain, Aakanchha

2018-01-01

Topical delivery is an attractive route for local and systemic treatment. The novel topical application has many advantages like averting the GI-irritation, preventing the metabolism of drugs in the liver and increasing the bioavailability of the drug over the conventional dosage forms. The aim of present work was to prepare and characterized erythromycin encapsulated cubosomes using different concentrations of glyceryl monooleate and poloxamer 407 by the emulsification method. The prepared dispersion of cubosomes was characterized for surface morphology, particle size, entrapment efficiency and in vitro release. Further, optimized formulation was converted to cubosomal gel by incorporating carbopol 934 at different concentrations. The prepared gel was characterized for homogeneity, pH, viscosity, spreadibility, drug content and in vitro drug release study. The result of optimized cubosomes showed average particle size of 264.5±2.84nm and entrapment efficiency about 95.29±1.32 % and the pH of optimized cubosomal was found to be 6.5, viscosity 2475-8901(cp), drug content 95.29% and the spreadability was found to be 11.74 gm.cm/sec. The in vitro drug release kinetics of optimized formulation was found to follow Korsmeyer peppas model having highest R2 value 0.835 and in vitro drug release of optimized erythromycin loaded cubosomal gel and plain drug gel in 24 hr was found to be 89.91±0.73 and 88.64±2.16, while in 36 hr plain drug gel and cubosomal gel showed drug release about 87.64±0.97 and 91.55±1.09, and sustained release was obtained after 24 hr in case of cubosomal gel. Thus, as a whole it can be concluded that erythromycin loaded cubosomes are effective in topically delivering drug in sustained and non-invasive manner for treatment and prevention of acne. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Towards Interactive Construction of Topical Hierarchy: A Recursive Tensor Decomposition Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chi; Liu, Xueqing; Song, Yanglei; Han, Jiawei

2015-08-01

Automatic construction of user-desired topical hierarchies over large volumes of text data is a highly desirable but challenging task. This study proposes to give users freedom to construct topical hierarchies via interactive operations such as expanding a branch and merging several branches. Existing hierarchical topic modeling techniques are inadequate for this purpose because (1) they cannot consistently preserve the topics when the hierarchy structure is modified; and (2) the slow inference prevents swift response to user requests. In this study, we propose a novel method, called STROD, that allows efficient and consistent modification of topic hierarchies, based on a recursive generative model and a scalable tensor decomposition inference algorithm with theoretical performance guarantee. Empirical evaluation shows that STROD reduces the runtime of construction by several orders of magnitude, while generating consistent and quality hierarchies.

Unphysiologically high magnesium concentrations support chondrocyte proliferation and redifferentiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Feyerabend, Frank; Witte, Frank; Kammal, Michael; Willumeit, Regine

2006-12-01

The effect of unphysiologically high extracellular magnesium concentrations on chondrocytes, induced by the supplementation of magnesium sulfate, was studied using a 3-phase tissue engineering model. The experiments showed that chondrocyte proliferation and redifferentiation, on the gene and protein expression level, are enhanced. A negative influence was found during chondrogenesis where an inhibition of extracellular matrix formation was observed. In addition, a direct impact on chondrocyte metabolism, elevated magnesium concentrations also affected growth factor effectiveness by consecutive influences during chondrogenesis. All observations were dosage dependent. The results of this study indicate that magnesium may be a useful tool for cartilage tissue engineering.

Differential Topic Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Changyou; Buntine, Wray; Ding, Nan; Xie, Lexing; Du, Lan

2015-02-01

In applications we may want to compare different document collections: they could have shared content but also different and unique aspects in particular collections. This task has been called comparative text mining or cross-collection modeling. We present a differential topic model for this application that models both topic differences and similarities. For this we use hierarchical Bayesian nonparametric models. Moreover, we found it was important to properly model power-law phenomena in topic-word distributions and thus we used the full Pitman-Yor process rather than just a Dirichlet process. Furthermore, we propose the transformed Pitman-Yor process (TPYP) to incorporate prior knowledge such as vocabulary variations in different collections into the model. To deal with the non-conjugate issue between model prior and likelihood in the TPYP, we thus propose an efficient sampling algorithm using a data augmentation technique based on the multinomial theorem. Experimental results show the model discovers interesting aspects of different collections. We also show the proposed MCMC based algorithm achieves a dramatically reduced test perplexity compared to some existing topic models. Finally, we show our model outperforms the state-of-the-art for document classification/ideology prediction on a number of text collections.

Topic Model for Graph Mining.

Science.gov (United States)

Xuan, Junyu; Lu, Jie; Zhang, Guangquan; Luo, Xiangfeng

2015-12-01

Graph mining has been a popular research area because of its numerous application scenarios. Many unstructured and structured data can be represented as graphs, such as, documents, chemical molecular structures, and images. However, an issue in relation to current research on graphs is that they cannot adequately discover the topics hidden in graph-structured data which can be beneficial for both the unsupervised learning and supervised learning of the graphs. Although topic models have proved to be very successful in discovering latent topics, the standard topic models cannot be directly applied to graph-structured data due to the "bag-of-word" assumption. In this paper, an innovative graph topic model (GTM) is proposed to address this issue, which uses Bernoulli distributions to model the edges between nodes in a graph. It can, therefore, make the edges in a graph contribute to latent topic discovery and further improve the accuracy of the supervised and unsupervised learning of graphs. The experimental results on two different types of graph datasets show that the proposed GTM outperforms the latent Dirichlet allocation on classification by using the unveiled topics of these two models to represent graphs.

Analyses of Research Topics in the Field of Informetrics Based on the Method of Topic Modeling

OpenAIRE

Sung-Chien Lin

2014-01-01

In this study, we used the approach of topic modeling to uncover the possible structure of research topics in the field of Informetrics, to explore the distribution of the topics over years, and to compare the core journals. In order to infer the structure of the topics in the field, the data of the papers published in the Journal of Informetricsand Scientometrics during 2007 to 2013 are retrieved from the database of the Web of Science as input of the approach of topic modeling. The results ...

High serum uric acid concentration predicts poor survival in patients with breast cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Yue, Cai-Feng; Feng, Pin-Ning; Yao, Zhen-Rong; Yu, Xue-Gao; Lin, Wen-Bin; Qian, Yuan-Min; Guo, Yun-Miao; Li, Lai-Sheng; Liu, Min

2017-10-01

Uric acid is a product of purine metabolism. Recently, uric acid has gained much attraction in cancer. In this study, we aim to investigate the clinicopathological and prognostic significance of serum uric acid concentration in breast cancer patients. A total of 443 female patients with histopathologically diagnosed breast cancer were included. After a mean follow-up time of 56months, survival was analysed using the Kaplan-Meier method. To further evaluate the prognostic significance of uric acid concentrations, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were applied. Of the clinicopathological parameters, uric acid concentration was associated with age, body mass index, ER status and PR status. Univariate analysis identified that patients with increased uric acid concentration had a significantly inferior overall survival (HR 2.13, 95% CI 1.15-3.94, p=0.016). In multivariate analysis, we found that high uric acid concentration is an independent prognostic factor predicting death, but insufficient to predict local relapse or distant metastasis. Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that high uric acid concentration is related to the poor overall survival (p=0.013). High uric acid concentration predicts poor survival in patients with breast cancer, and might serve as a potential marker for appropriate management of breast cancer patients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Analyses of Research Topics in the Field of Informetrics Based on the Method of Topic Modeling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sung-Chien Lin

2014-07-01

Full Text Available In this study, we used the approach of topic modeling to uncover the possible structure of research topics in the field of Informetrics, to explore the distribution of the topics over years, and to compare the core journals. In order to infer the structure of the topics in the field, the data of the papers published in the Journal of Informetricsand Scientometrics during 2007 to 2013 are retrieved from the database of the Web of Science as input of the approach of topic modeling. The results of this study show that when the number of topics was set to 10, the topic model has the smallest perplexity. Although data scopes and analysis methodsare different to previous studies, the generating topics of this study are consistent with those results produced by analyses of experts. Empirical case studies and measurements of bibliometric indicators were concerned important in every year during the whole analytic period, and the field was increasing stability. Both the two core journals broadly paid more attention to all of the topics in the field of Informetrics. The Journal of Informetricsput particular emphasis on construction and applications ofbibliometric indicators and Scientometrics focused on the evaluation and the factors of productivity of countries, institutions, domains, and journals.

Niacin alters the ruminal microbial composition of cattle under high-concentrate condition

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Dan Luo

2017-06-01

Full Text Available To understand the effects of niacin on the ruminal microbial ecology of cattle under high-concentrate diet condition, Illumina MiSeq sequencing technology was used. Three cattle with rumen cannula were used in a 3 × 3 Latin-square design trial. Three diets were fed to these cattle during 3 periods for 3 days, respectively: high-forage diet (HF; forage-to-concentrate ratio = 80:20, high-concentrate diet (HC; forage-to-concentrate ratio = 20:80, and HC supplemented with 800 mg/kg niacin (HCN. Ruminal pH was measured before feeding and every 2 h after initiating feeding. Ruminal fluid was sampled at the end of each period for microbial DNA extraction. Overall, our findings revealed that subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA was induced and the α-diversity of ruminal bacterial community decreased in the cattle of HC group. Adding niacin in HC could relieve the symptoms of SARA in the cattle but the ruminal pH value and the Shannon index of ruminal bacterial community of HCN group were still lower than those of HF group. Whatever the diet was, the ruminal bacterial community of cattle was dominated by Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. High-concentrate diet significantly increased the abundance of Prevotella, and decreased the abundance of Paraprevotella, Sporobacter, Ruminococcus and Treponema than HF. Compared with HC, HCN had a trend to decrease the percentage of Prevotella, and to increase the abundance of Succiniclasticum, Acetivibrio and Treponema. Increasing concentrate ratio could decrease ruminal pH value, and change the ruminal microbial composition. Adding niacin in HC could increase the ruminal pH value, alter the ruminal microbial composition.

The virucidal spectrum of a high concentration alcohol mixture

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Engelenburg, F. A. C.; Terpstra, F. G.; Schuitemaker, H.; Moorer, W. R.

2002-01-01

The virucidal spectrum of a high concentration alcohol mixture (80% ethanol and 5% isopropanol) was determined for a broad series of lipid-enveloped (LE) and non-lipid-enveloped (NLE) viruses covering all relevant blood-borne viruses. LE viruses were represented by human immunodeficiency virus

Highly Localized Acoustic Streaming and Size-Selective Submicrometer Particle Concentration Using High Frequency Microscale Focused Acoustic Fields.

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, David J; Ma, Zhichao; Ai, Ye

2016-05-17

Concentration and separation of particles and biological specimens are fundamental functions of micro/nanofluidic systems. Acoustic streaming is an effective and biocompatible way to create rapid microscale fluid motion and induce particle capture, though the >100 MHz frequencies required to directly generate acoustic body forces on the microscale have traditionally been difficult to generate and localize in a way that is amenable to efficient generation of streaming. Moreover, acoustic, hydrodynamic, and electrical forces as typically applied have difficulty manipulating specimens in the submicrometer regime. In this work, we introduce highly focused traveling surface acoustic waves (SAW) at high frequencies between 193 and 636 MHz for efficient and highly localized production of acoustic streaming vortices on microfluidic length scales. Concentration occurs via a novel mechanism, whereby the combined acoustic radiation and streaming field results in size-selective aggregation in fluid streamlines in the vicinity of a high-amplitude acoustic beam, as opposed to previous acoustic radiation induced particle concentration where objects typically migrate toward minimum pressure locations. Though the acoustic streaming is induced by a traveling wave, we are able to manipulate particles an order of magnitude smaller than possible using the traveling wave force alone. We experimentally and theoretically examine the range of particle sizes that can be captured in fluid streamlines using this technique, with rapid particle concentration demonstrated down to 300 nm diameters. We also demonstrate that locations of trapping and concentration are size-dependent, which is attributed to the combined effects of the acoustic streaming and acoustic forces.

A selective electrocatalyst-based direct methanol fuel cell operated at high concentrations of methanol.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Yan; Liu, Hui; Yang, Jun

2017-06-01

Owing to the serious crossover of methanol from the anode to the cathode through the polymer electrolyte membrane, direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) usually use dilute methanol solutions as fuel. However, the use of high-concentration methanol is highly demanded to improve the energy density of a DMFC system. Instead of the conventional strategies (for example, improving the fuel-feed system, membrane development, modification of electrode, and water management), we demonstrate the use of selective electrocatalysts to run a DMFC at high concentrations of methanol. In particular, at an operating temperature of 80°C, the as-fabricated DMFC with core-shell-shell Au@Ag 2 S@Pt nanocomposites at the anode and core-shell Au@Pd nanoparticles at the cathode produces a maximum power density of 89.7 mW cm -2 at a methanol feed concentration of 10 M and maintains good performance at a methanol concentration of up to 15 M. The high selectivity of the electrocatalysts achieved through structural construction accounts for the successful operation of the DMFC at high concentrations of methanol.

A selective electrocatalyst–based direct methanol fuel cell operated at high concentrations of methanol

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Yan; Liu, Hui; Yang, Jun

2017-01-01

Owing to the serious crossover of methanol from the anode to the cathode through the polymer electrolyte membrane, direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) usually use dilute methanol solutions as fuel. However, the use of high-concentration methanol is highly demanded to improve the energy density of a DMFC system. Instead of the conventional strategies (for example, improving the fuel-feed system, membrane development, modification of electrode, and water management), we demonstrate the use of selective electrocatalysts to run a DMFC at high concentrations of methanol. In particular, at an operating temperature of 80°C, the as-fabricated DMFC with core-shell-shell Au@Ag2S@Pt nanocomposites at the anode and core-shell Au@Pd nanoparticles at the cathode produces a maximum power density of 89.7 mW cm−2 at a methanol feed concentration of 10 M and maintains good performance at a methanol concentration of up to 15 M. The high selectivity of the electrocatalysts achieved through structural construction accounts for the successful operation of the DMFC at high concentrations of methanol. PMID:28695199

Effects of high concentration of chromium stress on physiological ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

We studied the effects of high concentration of chromium (Cr) stress on physiological and biochemical characters and accumulation of Cr in Pingyang Tezao tea [Camellia sinensis (L) O. Kutze 'Pingyangtezao'] through a pot experiment. The results show that the indicators of photosynthesis were all suppressed with ...

Topical steroid-damaged skin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anil Abraham

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Topical steroids, commonly used for a wide range of skin disorders, are associated with side effects both systemic and cutaneous. This article aims at bringing awareness among practitioners, about the cutaneous side effects of easily available, over the counter, topical steroids. This makes it important for us as dermatologists to weigh the usefulness of topical steroids versus their side effects, and to make an informed decision regarding their use in each individual based on other factors such as age, site involved and type of skin disorder.

Mental Mechanisms for Topics Identification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Louis Massey

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Topics identification (TI is the process that consists in determining the main themes present in natural language documents. The current TI modeling paradigm aims at acquiring semantic information from statistic properties of large text datasets. We investigate the mental mechanisms responsible for the identification of topics in a single document given existing knowledge. Our main hypothesis is that topics are the result of accumulated neural activation of loosely organized information stored in long-term memory (LTM. We experimentally tested our hypothesis with a computational model that simulates LTM activation. The model assumes activation decay as an unavoidable phenomenon originating from the bioelectric nature of neural systems. Since decay should negatively affect the quality of topics, the model predicts the presence of short-term memory (STM to keep the focus of attention on a few words, with the expected outcome of restoring quality to a baseline level. Our experiments measured topics quality of over 300 documents with various decay rates and STM capacity. Our results showed that accumulated activation of loosely organized information was an effective mental computational commodity to identify topics. It was furthermore confirmed that rapid decay is detrimental to topics quality but that limited capacity STM restores quality to a baseline level, even exceeding it slightly.

Intravenous Foscarnet With Topical Cidofovir for Chronic Refractory Genital Herpes in a Patient With AIDS.

Science.gov (United States)

Usoro, Agnes; Batts, Alfreda; Sarria, Juan C

2015-01-01

Few case reports have documented the use of topical cidofovir for refractory genital herpes simplex virus (HSV) ulcers in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients. This drug formulation lacks a standardized concentration or even a procedural outline as to how it should be compounded. We aim to discuss the utilization of topical cidofovir in addition to presenting a procedural means of compounding it for treatment of refractory genital HSV ulcers. Our patient completed 21 days of intravenous foscarnet and 13 days of topical cidofovir with clinical improvement in the penile and scrotal ulcers. Genital herpes is a concern in patients with HIV because it generally manifests as a persistent infection. Physicians should be aware that when patients fail to respond to the conventional treatment regimens for genital HSV in a timely manner, other options are available, such as topical cidofovir as an adjuvant to systemic antivirals.

Intravenous Foscarnet With Topical Cidofovir for Chronic Refractory Genital Herpes in a Patient With AIDS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agnes Usoro BSN

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Few case reports have documented the use of topical cidofovir for refractory genital herpes simplex virus (HSV ulcers in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV infected patients. This drug formulation lacks a standardized concentration or even a procedural outline as to how it should be compounded. We aim to discuss the utilization of topical cidofovir in addition to presenting a procedural means of compounding it for treatment of refractory genital HSV ulcers. Our patient completed 21 days of intravenous foscarnet and 13 days of topical cidofovir with clinical improvement in the penile and scrotal ulcers. Genital herpes is a concern in patients with HIV because it generally manifests as a persistent infection. Physicians should be aware that when patients fail to respond to the conventional treatment regimens for genital HSV in a timely manner, other options are available, such as topical cidofovir as an adjuvant to systemic antivirals.

Relationship between Usefulness Assessments and Perceptions of Work Task Complexity and Search Topic Specificity: An Exploratory Study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ingwersen, Peter; Wang, Peiling

2012-01-01

This research investigates the relations between the usefulness assessments of retrieved documents and the perceptions of task complexity and search topic specificity. Twenty-three academic researchers submitted 65 real task-based information search topics. These task topics were searched...... in an integrated document collection consisting of full text research articles in PDFs, abstracts, and bibliographic records (the iSearch Test Collection in Physics). The search results were provided to the researchers who, as task performers, made assessments of usefulness using a four-point sale (highly, fairly......, marginally, or not useful). In addition, they also assessed the perceived task complexity (highly, fairly, and routine/low) and the perceived specificity of the search topic (highly, fairly, and generic/low). It is found that highly specific topics associate with all degrees of task complexity, whereas...

Conclusion from the fifth topic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gin, St.; Advocat, Th.

1997-01-01

The topic ''mechanics and alteration kinetics of glasses'' is a crucial point for the understanding of the long-term behaviour of nuclear glasses. Kinetic models used in simulation are based on the works made by Grambow who imputes the control of the alteration kinetics of borosilicate glasses to the desorption of the ortho-silica acid produced at the reactive interface. The ensuing kinetics law requires the existence of an equilibrium of the silica at the interface glass/gel and the existence of a linear concentration gradient dissolved in the interstitial gel solution. The role of the gel needs further studies to be well understood. The difficulty lies in the fact that the composition and the structure of the gel varies with time, space (anisotropy) and with the conditions of alteration (temperature, pH, flowrate...). (A.C.)

What Should Be the Future Direction of the Foreign Policy of the United States?: National Debate Topic for High Schools, 1979-1980, Pursuant to Public Law 88-246.

Science.gov (United States)

Library of Congress, Washington, DC. Congressional Research Service.

This book provides information on the 1979-80 national high school debate topic (United States foreign policy). The volume begins with a group of articles selected to provide an overview of foreign policy considerations and a general context for discussions of the three propositions within the designated topic. The book also contains sections with…

Investigating high-concentration monoclonal antibody powder suspension in nonaqueous suspension vehicles for subcutaneous injection.

Science.gov (United States)

Bowen, Mayumi; Armstrong, Nick; Maa, Yuh-Fun

2012-12-01

Developing high-concentration monoclonal antibody (mAb) liquid formulations for subcutaneous (s.c.) administration is challenging because increased viscosity makes injection difficult. To overcome this obstacle, we investigated a nonaqueous powder suspension approach. Three IgG1 mAbs were spray dried and suspended at different concentrations in Miglyol® 840, benzyl benzoate, or ethyl lactate. Suspensions were characterized for viscosity, particle size, and syringeability; physical stability was visually inspected. Suspensions generally outperformed liquid solutions for injectability despite higher viscosity at the same mAb concentrations. Powder formulations and properties had little effect on viscosity or injectability. Ethyl lactate suspensions had lowest viscosity (Miglyol® 840 improved overall performance in high mAb concentration suspensions. This study demonstrated the viability of high mAb concentration (>300 mg/mL) in suspension formulations for s.c. administration. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Topical Treatment of Degenerative Knee Osteoarthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Zengdong; Huang, Rongzhong

2018-01-01

This article reviews topical management strategies for degenerative osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. A search of Pubmed, Embase and the Cochrane library using MeSH terms including "topical," "treatment," "knee" and "osteoarthritis" was carried out. Original research and review articles on the effectiveness and safety, recommendations from international published guidelines and acceptability studies of topical preparations were included. Current topical treatments included for the management of knee OA include topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, capsaicin, salicylates and physical treatments such as hot or cold therapy. Current treatment guidelines recommend topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as an alternative and even first-line therapy for OA management, especially among elderly patients. Guidelines on other topical treatments vary, from recommendations against their use, to in favor as alternative or simultaneous therapy, especially for patients with contraindications to other analgesics. Although often well-tolerated and preferred by many patients, clinical care still lags in the adoption of topical treatments. Aspects of efficacy, safety and patient quality of life data require further research. Copyright © 2018 Southern Society for Clinical Investigation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Correlated Topic Vector for Scene Classification.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Pengxu; Qin, Fei; Wan, Fang; Zhu, Yi; Jiao, Jianbin; Ye, Qixiang

2017-07-01

Scene images usually involve semantic correlations, particularly when considering large-scale image data sets. This paper proposes a novel generative image representation, correlated topic vector, to model such semantic correlations. Oriented from the correlated topic model, correlated topic vector intends to naturally utilize the correlations among topics, which are seldom considered in the conventional feature encoding, e.g., Fisher vector, but do exist in scene images. It is expected that the involvement of correlations can increase the discriminative capability of the learned generative model and consequently improve the recognition accuracy. Incorporated with the Fisher kernel method, correlated topic vector inherits the advantages of Fisher vector. The contributions to the topics of visual words have been further employed by incorporating the Fisher kernel framework to indicate the differences among scenes. Combined with the deep convolutional neural network (CNN) features and Gibbs sampling solution, correlated topic vector shows great potential when processing large-scale and complex scene image data sets. Experiments on two scene image data sets demonstrate that correlated topic vector improves significantly the deep CNN features, and outperforms existing Fisher kernel-based features.

Co-occurrence of medical conditions: Exposing patterns through probabilistic topic modeling of snomed codes.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhattacharya, Moumita; Jurkovitz, Claudine; Shatkay, Hagit

2018-04-12

Patients associated with multiple co-occurring health conditions often face aggravated complications and less favorable outcomes. Co-occurring conditions are especially prevalent among individuals suffering from kidney disease, an increasingly widespread condition affecting 13% of the general population in the US. This study aims to identify and characterize patterns of co-occurring medical conditions in patients employing a probabilistic framework. Specifically, we apply topic modeling in a non-traditional way to find associations across SNOMED-CT codes assigned and recorded in the EHRs of >13,000 patients diagnosed with kidney disease. Unlike most prior work on topic modeling, we apply the method to codes rather than to natural language. Moreover, we quantitatively evaluate the topics, assessing their tightness and distinctiveness, and also assess the medical validity of our results. Our experiments show that each topic is succinctly characterized by a few highly probable and unique disease codes, indicating that the topics are tight. Furthermore, inter-topic distance between each pair of topics is typically high, illustrating distinctiveness. Last, most coded conditions grouped together within a topic, are indeed reported to co-occur in the medical literature. Notably, our results uncover a few indirect associations among conditions that have hitherto not been reported as correlated in the medical literature. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Flomoxef sodium and levofloxacin concentrations in aqueous humor.

Science.gov (United States)

Mizuki, Nobuhisa; Watanabe, Yoichiro; Miyamoto, Mariko; Iijima, Yasuhito; Takiyama, Naoaki; Ito, Yoshiki; Ito, Norihiko; Nishida, Tomomi; Iwata, Shinko; Endo, Yoko; Ito, Daizo

2005-01-01

We intravenously administered flomoxef sodium (FMOX) 120 minutes before cataract surgery, topically administered levofloxacin (LVFX) into the eyes four times at 30-minute intervals before surgery, and measured the aqueous humor concentrations of these agents to investigate their penetration into the aqueous humor and their efficacy in the prevention of postoperative endophthalmitis. Sixty-eight patients who underwent cataract surgery at the Department of Ophthalmology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, or its affiliate, Kanazawa Hospital, Yokohama, were enrolled in this study. They received one or both of the following: 1.0 g FMOX via a 20-minute intravenous drip and LVFX ophthalmic solution applied four times at 30-minute intervals, both beginning two hours before the operation. Aqueous humor was aspirated from the anterior chamber and assayed for FMOX and LVFX concentrations using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The mean intraoperative FMOX and LVFX concentrations in the patients' aqueous humor were 1.21 +/- 0.63 microg/ml and 0.69 +/- 0.47 microg/ml, respectively. These concentrations sufficiently exceeded the MIC90 values against Staphylococcus epidermidis, S. aureus, and Propionibacterium acnes. The FMOX and LVFX concentrations in the aqueous humor sampling were adequate to kill bacteria in vitro. These drugs may have efficacy in the prevention of postoperative endophthalmitis in patients undergoing cataract surgery.

Storage in high-barrier pouches increases the sulforaphane concentration in broccoli florets.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoshio Makino

Full Text Available Sulforaphane is a phytochemical that is usually found in cruciferous vegetables and is known to have a depressive effect on gastric cancer. Preliminary investigations showed that the sulforaphane concentration in broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica florets increased under anoxia. Therefore, in the present study, we examined the effect of different atmospheric conditions on the sulforaphane concentration in broccoli and also tested whether there are concurrent effects on the concentration of ethanol, which is an unfavorable byproduct of fermentation. The sulforaphane concentration in broccoli florets was significantly elevated by 1.9- to 2.8-fold after 2 d of storage under hypoxia at ca. 0% O2 and ca. 24% CO2 at 20°C, whereas no such increase was observed following storage under normoxia at ca. 0% O2 without CO2 at 20°C. Furthermore, after 2 d, the sulforaphane concentration under hypoxia was 1.6- to 2.3-fold higher than that under normoxia. These results suggest that storage under hypoxia with high CO2 levels can elevate the sulforaphane concentration in broccoli florets. However, the elevated sulforaphane concentration could not be maintained beyond 2 d. There was no significant difference in the concentration of ethanol between florets that were stored under hypoxia with/without CO2 or normoxia at 2 d. However, the ethanol concentrations inside the pouches significantly increased between 2 d and 7 d. These findings indicate that the quality of broccoli florets can be improved through storage under hypoxia with high CO2 levels at 20°C for 2 d.

Storage in high-barrier pouches increases the sulforaphane concentration in broccoli florets.

Science.gov (United States)

Makino, Yoshio; Nishimura, Yuto; Oshita, Seiichi; Mizosoe, Takaharu; Akihiro, Takashi

2018-01-01

Sulforaphane is a phytochemical that is usually found in cruciferous vegetables and is known to have a depressive effect on gastric cancer. Preliminary investigations showed that the sulforaphane concentration in broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) florets increased under anoxia. Therefore, in the present study, we examined the effect of different atmospheric conditions on the sulforaphane concentration in broccoli and also tested whether there are concurrent effects on the concentration of ethanol, which is an unfavorable byproduct of fermentation. The sulforaphane concentration in broccoli florets was significantly elevated by 1.9- to 2.8-fold after 2 d of storage under hypoxia at ca. 0% O2 and ca. 24% CO2 at 20°C, whereas no such increase was observed following storage under normoxia at ca. 0% O2 without CO2 at 20°C. Furthermore, after 2 d, the sulforaphane concentration under hypoxia was 1.6- to 2.3-fold higher than that under normoxia. These results suggest that storage under hypoxia with high CO2 levels can elevate the sulforaphane concentration in broccoli florets. However, the elevated sulforaphane concentration could not be maintained beyond 2 d. There was no significant difference in the concentration of ethanol between florets that were stored under hypoxia with/without CO2 or normoxia at 2 d. However, the ethanol concentrations inside the pouches significantly increased between 2 d and 7 d. These findings indicate that the quality of broccoli florets can be improved through storage under hypoxia with high CO2 levels at 20°C for 2 d.

Plasma PCSK9 concentrations during an oral fat load and after short term high-fat, high-fat high-protein and high-fructose diets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cariou Bertrand

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background PCSK9 (Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin Kexin type 9 is a circulating protein that promotes hypercholesterolemia by decreasing hepatic LDL receptor protein. Under non interventional conditions, its expression is driven by sterol response element binding protein 2 (SREBP2 and follows a diurnal rhythm synchronous with cholesterol synthesis. Plasma PCSK9 is associated to LDL-C and to a lesser extent plasma triglycerides and insulin resistance. We aimed to verify the effect on plasma PCSK9 concentrations of dietary interventions that affect these parameters. Methods We performed nutritional interventions in young healthy male volunteers and offspring of type 2 diabetic (OffT2D patients that are more prone to develop insulin resistance, including: i acute post-prandial hyperlipidemic challenge (n=10, ii 4 days of high-fat (HF or high-fat/high-protein (HFHP (n=10, iii 7 (HFruc1, n=16 or 6 (HFruc2, n=9 days of hypercaloric high-fructose diets. An acute oral fat load was also performed in two patients bearing the R104C-V114A loss-of-function (LOF PCSK9 mutation. Plasma PCSK9 concentrations were measured by ELISA. For the HFruc1 study, intrahepatocellular (IHCL and intramyocellular lipids were measured by 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Hepatic and whole-body insulin sensitivity was assessed with a two-step hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp (0.3 and 1.0 mU.kg-1.min-1. Findings HF and HFHP short-term diets, as well as an acute hyperlipidemic oral load, did not significantly change PCSK9 concentrations. In addition, post-prandial plasma triglyceride excursion was not altered in two carriers of PCSK9 LOF mutation compared with non carriers. In contrast, hypercaloric 7-day HFruc1 diet increased plasma PCSK9 concentrations by 28% (p=0.05 in healthy volunteers and by 34% (p=0.001 in OffT2D patients. In another independent study, 6-day HFruc2 diet increased plasma PCSK9 levels by 93% (p Conclusions Plasma PCSK9 concentrations vary

Doctoral Dissertation Topics in Education: Do They Align with Critical Issues?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ethan J Allen

2016-11-01

Full Text Available American society faces complex educational issues which impact many facets of its national interests. Institutions of higher education are granting doctoral degrees to educational leaders, but it is not known to what extent their dissertation topics are aligned with both longstanding and critical issues in education. Using a theoretical framework synthesizing Paul and Elder’s critical thinking model and Kuhlthau’s information seeking process, this study examines a set of education doctoral dissertation topical selections and categorizes them by general themes in relationship to many of the recognized educational issues in the United States. Investigators categorized dissertations from four departments within the College of Education of their home institution. The dataset, retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global, consisted of 231 documents published between 2005 and 2014. Through an inter-rater process examining dissertation titles, abstracts, and keywords, the dissertations were assigned critical issue themes culled from nine editions of a college text, and then categorized under a broader topical scheme situated within a well-used educational research website. Findings indicated that most dissertations concentrated in studies that researched problems and issues within schools. Further, some of the issues considered longstanding were not studied by dissertation authors within the sample. For example, privatization of schools and classroom discipline and justice were not selected for study. Findings also suggest new directions for those responsible for dissertation supervision and topic selection. The study adds to the literature on dissertation topic selection that addresses existing educational issues.

Current status of topical antiretroviral chemoprophylaxis.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Damme, Lut; Szpir, Michael

2012-11-01

Recent studies suggest that the vaginal delivery of antiretroviral (ARV) agents - such as tenofovir, dapivirine and UC781 - may be a promising way to reduce the high rates of HIV infection among women in developing countries. This review examines these developments. The Microbicide Trials Network 003 study, a large phase IIb trial, was unable to show that daily dosing with 1% tenofovir vaginal gel was effective for HIV prevention. Nevertheless, preclinical and early-phase clinical trials suggest that ARV drugs - formulated in vaginal gels, rings, films, tablets and diaphragms - could be effective for HIV chemoprophylaxis. Investigations of topical chemoprophylaxis methods have seen mixed results in the past 12-18 months. Product adherence may prove to be one of the field's greatest challenges. Phase II and III trials continue to explore different dosing strategies for topical products that contain one or more ARV agents.

Topical botulinum toxin.

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, Ashley; Nasir, Adnan

2010-03-01

Nanotechnology is a rapidly growing discipline that capitalizes on the unique properties of matter engineered on the nanoscale. Vehicles incorporating nanotechnology have led to great strides in drug delivery, allowing for increased active ingredient stability, bioavailability, and site-specific targeting. Botulinum toxin has historically been used for the correction of neurological and neuromuscular disorders, such as torticollis, blepharospasm, and strabismus. Recent dermatological indications have been for the management of axillary hyperhydrosis and facial rhytides. Traditional methods of botulinum toxin delivery have been needle-based. These have been associated with increased pain and cost. Newer methods of botulinum toxin formulation have yielded topical preparations that are bioactive in small pilot clinical studies. While there are some risks associated with topical delivery, the refinement and standardization of delivery systems and techniques for the topical administration of botulinum toxin using nanotechnology is anticipated in the near future.

Pharmacokinetic Comparison of Once-Daily Topical Minocycline Foam 4% vs Oral Minocycline for Moderate-to-Severe Acne.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Terry M; Ellman, Herman; deVries, Tina

2017-10-01

To characterize minocycline pharmacokinetics and relative bioavailability following multiple-dose topical administration of minocycline hydrochloride (HCl) foam 4% (FMX101 4%) as compared with single-dose oral administration of minocycline HCl extended-release tablets (Solodyn®) in subjects with moderate-to-severe acne. A Phase 1, single-center, nonrandomized, open-label, active-controlled, 2-period, 2-treatment crossover clinical study. The study included 30 healthy adults (mean age, 22.6 years; 90% white, and 60% females) who had moderate-to-severe acne. Subjects were assigned to first receive a single oral dose of a minocycline HCl extended-release tablet (approximately 1 mg/kg). At 10 days after the oral minocycline dose, topical minocycline foam 4% was applied, once daily for 21 days. Serial blood samples were obtained before and after administration of oral minocycline and each topical application of minocycline foam 4% on days 1, 12, and 21. Following oral administration of minocycline (approximately 1 mg/kg), plasma minocycline concentration increased until 3 hours, followed by a log-linear decrease over the remainder of the 96-hour sampling period. Following topical application of a 4-g maximal-use dose of minocycline foam 4% for 21 days, plasma minocycline concentration was very low, with geometric mean Cmax values ranging from 1.1 ng/mL to 1.5 ng/mL. Steady state was achieved by day 6. Overall, minocycline exposure with topical minocycline foam 4% was 730 to 765 times lower than that with oral minocycline. There was no evidence of minocycline accumulation over the 21 days of topical application of minocycline foam 4%. Topical minocycline foam 4% appeared to be safe and well tolerated, with no serious treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs), treatment-related TEAEs, or TEAEs that led to treatment discontinuation. Once-daily topical application of minocycline foam 4% did not lead to significant systemic exposure to minocycline. It appears to be a well

Topical methotrexate pretreatment enhances the therapeutic effect of topical 5-aminolevulinic acid-mediated photodynamic therapy on hamster buccal pouch precancers.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Deng-Fu; Lee, Jeng-Woei; Chen, Hsin-Ming; Hsu, Yih-Chih

2014-09-01

Topical 5-aminolevulinic acid-mediated photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT) is effective for treatment of human oral precancerous lesions. This animal study aimed to assess whether topical methotrexate (MTX) pretreatment could enhance the therapeutic effect of topical ALA-PDT on hamster buccal pouch precancerous lesions. Twenty hamster buccal pouch precancerous lesions were treated with either topical ALA-PDT with topical MTX pretreatment (topical MTX-ALA-PDT group, n = 10) or topical ALA-PDT alone (topical ALA-PDT group, n = 10). The intracellular protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) level in another 12 precancerous lesions (n = 6 for either the topical MTX-ALA or topical ALA group) was monitored by fluorescence spectroscopy. The intracellular PpIX reached its peak level in precancerous lesions 6.5 hours and 2.5 hours after topical ALA application for the topical MTX-ALA group (5.63-fold higher in the lesion than in the normal mucosa) and topical ALA group (2.42-fold higher in the lesion than in the normal mucosa), respectively. The complete response rate of precancerous lesions was 80% for the topical MTX-ALA-PDT group and 70% for the topical ALA-PDT group. In addition, the topical MTX-ALA-PDT group required a significantly lower mean treatment number (2.1 ± 0.6) to achieve complete response than the topical ALA-PDT group (4.4 ± 1.3, p topical MTX-ALA-PDT group had a lower recurrence rate (12.5%) than the topical ALA-PDT group (28.6%). We conclude that topical MTX-pretreatment can increase intracellular PpIX production in hamster buccal pouch precancerous lesions and significantly improves the outcomes of the precancerous lesions treated with topical ALA-PDT. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Hydrogen-bonded structure in highly concentrated aqueous LiBr solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Imano, Masahiro; Kameda, Yasuo; Usuki, Takeshi; Uemura, Osamu

2001-01-01

Neutron diffraction measurements were carried out for H/D isotopically substituted aqueous 10, 25 and 33 mol% LiBr solutions in order to obtain structural information on the intermolecular hydrogen bonds among water molecules in highly concentrated aqueous solutions. Observed scattering cross sections for D 2 O (99.9 % D), 0 H 2 O(35.9 % D) and 0-2 H 2 O(68.0 % D) solutions were combined to deduce partial structure factors, a HH (Q), a XH (Q) and a XX (Q) (X: O, Br and Li). The least squares fitting analysis was applied to the observed partial structure factors to determine the nearest neighbor interatomic distance, root-mean-square amplitude and coordination number. Intermolecular distances, r OH =1.91(1) A, r HH =2.38(1) A and r OO =3.02(1) A, between the nearest neighbor water molecules, were obtained for the 10 mol% LiBr solution. On the other hand, the intermolecular O···H interaction was found to almost disappear in concentrated 25 and 33 mol% LiBr solutions. The result implies that the hydrogen-bonded network is completely broken in highly concentrated aqueous LiBr solutions. (author)

The protective role of low-concentration alcohol in high-fructose induced adverse cardiovascular events in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Xiaoqi; Pan, Bo; Wang, Ying; Liu, Lingjuan; Huang, Xupei; Tian, Jie

2018-01-01

Cardiovascular disease remains a worldwide public health issue. As fructose consumption is dramatically increasing, it has been demonstrated that a fructose-rich intake would increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. In addition, emerging evidences suggest that low concentration alcohol intake may exert a protective effect on cardiovascular system. This study aimed to investigate whether low-concentration alcohol consumption would prevent the adverse effects on cardiovascular events induced by high fructose in mice. From the results of hematoxylin-eosin staining, echocardiography, heart weight/body weight ratio and the expression of hypertrophic marker ANP, we found high-fructose result in myocardial hypertrophy and the low-concentration alcohol consumption would prevent the cardiomyocyte hypertrophy from happening. In addition, we observed low-concentration alcohol consumption could inhibit mitochondria swollen induced by high-fructose. The elevated levels of glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol in high-fructose group were reduced by low concentration alcohol. Low expression levels of SIRT1 and PPAR-γ induced by high-fructose were significantly elevated when fed with low-concentration alcohol. The histone lysine 9 acetylation (acH3K9) level was decreased in PPAR-γ promoter in high-fructose group but elevated when intake with low concentration alcohol. The binding levels of histone deacetylase SIRT1 were increased in the same region in high-fructose group, while the low concentration alcohol can prevent the increased binding levels. Overall, our study indicates that low-concentration alcohol consumption could inhibit high-fructose related myocardial hypertrophy, cardiac mitochondria damaged and disorders of glucose-lipid metabolism. Furthermore, these findings also provide new insights into histone acetylation-deacetylation mechanisms of low-concentration alcohol treatment that may contribute to the prevention of cardiovascular disease induced by high

Fabrication procedures for manufacturing high uranium concentration dispersion fuel elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souza, J.A.B.; Durazzo, M.

2010-01-01

IPEN developed and made available for routine production the technology for manufacturing dispersion type fuel elements for use in research reactors. However, the fuel produced at IPEN is limited to the uranium concentration of 3.0 gU/cm 3 by using the U 3 Si 2 -Al dispersion. Increasing the uranium concentration of the fuel is interesting by the possibility of increasing the reactor core reactivity and lifetime of the fuel. It is possible to increase the concentration of uranium in the fuel up to the technological limit of 4.8 gU/cm 3 for the U 3 Si 2 -Al dispersion, which is well placed around the world. This new fuel will be applicable in the new Brazilian-Multipurpose Reactor RMB. This study aimed to develop the manufacturing process of high uranium concentration fuel, redefining the procedures currently used in the manufacture of IPEN. This paper describes the main procedures adjustments that will be necessary. (author)

Fabrication procedures for manufacturing high uranium concentration dispersion fuel elements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Souza, Jose Antonio Batista de; Durazzo, Michelangelo, E-mail: jasouza@ipen.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2011-07-01

IPEN developed and made available for routine production the technology for manufacturing dispersion type fuel elements for use in research reactors. However, the fuel produced at IPEN is limited to the uranium concentration of 3.0 g U/c m3 by using the U{sub 3}Si{sub 2}-Al dispersion. Increasing the uranium concentration of the fuel is interesting by the possibility of increasing the reactor core reactivity and lifetime of the fuel. It is possible to increase the concentration of uranium in the fuel up to the technological limit of 4.8 g U/c m3 for the U{sub 3}Si{sub 2}-Al dispersion, which is well placed around the world. This new fuel will be applicable in the new Brazilian- Multipurpose Reactor RMB. This study aimed to develop the manufacturing process of high uranium concentration fuel, redefining the procedures currently used in the manufacture of IPEN. This paper describes the main procedures adjustments that will be necessary. (author)

Ocular penetration and pharmacokinetics of topical gatifloxacin 0.3% and moxifloxacin 0.5% ophthalmic solutions after keratoplasty.

Science.gov (United States)

Holland, Edward J; Lane, Stephen S; Kim, Terry; Raizman, Michael; Dunn, Steven

2008-04-01

To compare the corneal and aqueous penetration and pharmacokinetics of gatifloxacin 0.3% and moxifloxacin 0.5% ophthalmic solutions and their effect on corneal reepithelialization after penetrating keratoplasty. In this randomized, open-label, parallel-controlled study, corneal and aqueous penetration and the pharmacokinetic parameters of topically applied gatifloxacin 0.3% and moxifloxacin 0.5% (2 preoperative doses of 1 drop given 5 minutes apart) were estimated by using a sparse sampling method. Corneal and aqueous samples were collected 0.25, 0.5, 1, or 2 hours after the final dose. The concentration was determined by a high-performance liquid chromatography method. Stromal Cmax:MBC50 (maximum drug concentration in serum to 50% minimum bactericidal concentration) ratios for selected ocular pathogens were also assessed. Postoperative corneal reepithelialization at days 1, 3, and 7 was evaluated and compared between groups. The calculated pharmacokinetic parameters were higher with moxifloxacin 0.5% than with gatifloxacin 0.3%. The stromal Cmax was 48.5 versus 15.7 microg/g (P = 0.04), and the stromal AUC0-2 (area under the concentration-time curve from 0 to 2 hours) was 30.9 versus 13.6 mug.h/g (P 0.05), and the endothelial AUC0-2 was 43.9 versus 9.8 microg.h/g (P 0.05), and the aqueous AUC0-2 was 1.2 versus 0.4 microg.h/mL (P < 0.05). Stromal Cmax:MBC50 ratios were higher in the moxifloxacin 0.5% group for each pathogen tested. The corneal reepithelialization rates were comparable between groups. Topical preoperative moxifloxacin 0.5% achieved greater corneal and aqueous penetration than did gatifloxacin 0.3%. The clinical significance of this difference is not known. Postoperative use of these agents had similar effects on corneal reepithelialization.

Characterizing interdisciplinarity of researchers and research topics using web search engines.

Science.gov (United States)

Sayama, Hiroki; Akaishi, Jin

2012-01-01

Researchers' networks have been subject to active modeling and analysis. Earlier literature mostly focused on citation or co-authorship networks reconstructed from annotated scientific publication databases, which have several limitations. Recently, general-purpose web search engines have also been utilized to collect information about social networks. Here we reconstructed, using web search engines, a network representing the relatedness of researchers to their peers as well as to various research topics. Relatedness between researchers and research topics was characterized by visibility boost-increase of a researcher's visibility by focusing on a particular topic. It was observed that researchers who had high visibility boosts by the same research topic tended to be close to each other in their network. We calculated correlations between visibility boosts by research topics and researchers' interdisciplinarity at the individual level (diversity of topics related to the researcher) and at the social level (his/her centrality in the researchers' network). We found that visibility boosts by certain research topics were positively correlated with researchers' individual-level interdisciplinarity despite their negative correlations with the general popularity of researchers. It was also found that visibility boosts by network-related topics had positive correlations with researchers' social-level interdisciplinarity. Research topics' correlations with researchers' individual- and social-level interdisciplinarities were found to be nearly independent from each other. These findings suggest that the notion of "interdisciplinarity" of a researcher should be understood as a multi-dimensional concept that should be evaluated using multiple assessment means.

Spectral and Concentration Sensitivity of Multijunction Solar Cells at High Temperature: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Friedman, Daniel J.; Steiner, Myles A.; Perl, Emmett E.; Simon, John

2017-06-14

We model the performance of two-junction solar cells at very high temperatures of ~400 degrees C and beyond for applications such as hybrid PV/solar-thermal power production, and identify areas in which the design and performance characteristics behave significantly differently than at more conventional near-room-temperature operating conditions. We show that high-temperature operation reduces the sensitivity of the cell efficiency to spectral content, but increases the sensitivity to concentration, both of which have implications for energy yield in terrestrial PV applications. For other high-temperature applications such as near-sun space missions, our findings indicate that concentration may be a useful tool to enhance cell efficiency.

Recent advances in topical anesthesia

Science.gov (United States)

2016-01-01

Topical anesthetics act on the peripheral nerves and reduce the sensation of pain at the site of application. In dentistry, they are used to control local pain caused by needling, placement of orthodontic bands, the vomiting reflex, oral mucositis, and rubber-dam clamp placement. Traditional topical anesthetics contain lidocaine or benzocaine as active ingredients and are used in the form of solutions, creams, gels, and sprays. Eutectic mixtures of local anesthesia cream, a mixture of various topical anesthetics, has been reported to be more potent than other anesthetics. Recently, new products with modified ingredients and application methods have been introduced into the market. These products may be used for mild pain during periodontal treatment, such as scaling. Dentists should be aware that topical anesthetics, although rare, might induce allergic reactions or side effects as a result of an overdose. Topical anesthetics are useful aids during dental treatment, as they reduce dental phobia, especially in children, by mitigating discomfort and pain. PMID:28879311

Dose-dependent pharmacokinetics and teratogenic activity of topical retinoids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, R.P.; Willhite, C.C.; Berry, D.L.; Allen, P.V.

1990-01-01

Oral retinoid treatment can be teratogenic and topical applications are used to treat acne and smooth wrinkles. A single topical trace (2.5 μg; 191 μCi/kg) or high (1.3 mg; 195 μCi/kg) dose of all-trans-[10, 11- 3 H 2 ] retinoic acid (RA) dissolved in acetone was applied to 4 cm 2 shaved dorsal hamster skin. Peak plasma radioactivity (C max ) occurred at 12 and 36 hr and mean t1/2 values for parent PA absorption were 48 min and 2.8 hr, for trace and high dose, respectively. The dermal RA C max values were only 2% of that after an equivalent oral dose, but plasma AUC after dermal treatment was 63% of the oral value. The mean t1/2 for rapid elimination was shorter for the high (57 min) than for the trace (6.9 hr) dose, but t1/2 values for slow elimination were comparable (t1/2 high = 51.2 hr; t1/2 trace = 36.8 hr). Single topical application of 10-30 mg/kg RA or 5 mg/kg etretinate (Ro 10-9359) to pregnant hamsters (day 8) caused local hyperkeratosis, but failed to induce terata. Similar application of 10-1000 μg/kg arotinoid Ro 13-6298 caused dose-dependent terata, being twice as embryolethal by parenteral as enteric dosing. Skin toxicity and attenuated maternal blood levels limit the amount of retinoids that can reach the embryo

Influence of vibration on structure rheological properties of a highly concentrated suspension

Science.gov (United States)

Ouriev Uriev, Boris N.; Uriev, Naum B.

2005-08-01

The influence of mechanical vibration on the flow properties of a highly concentrated multiphase food system is explored in this work. An experimental set-up was designed and adapted to a conventional rotational rheometer with precise rheological characterization capability. A number of calibration tests were performed prior to fundamental experiments with a highly concentrated chocolate suspension. Also, the prediction of wall slippage in shear flow under vibration was evaluated. Analysis of the boundary conditions shows that no side effects such as wall slippage or the Taylor effect were present during the shear experiment under vibration. It was found that superposition of mechanical vibration and shear flow radically decreases the shear viscosity. Comparison between reference shear viscosities at specified shear rates and those measured under vibration shows considerable differences in flow properties. Conversion of the behaviour of the concentrated suspension from strongly shear-thinning to Newtonian flow is reported. Also, the appearance of vibration-induced dilatancy as a new phenomenon is described. It is suggested to relate such phenomena to the non-equilibrium between structure formation and disintegration under vibration and hydrodynamic forces of shear flow. The influence of vibration on structure formation can be well observed during measurement of the yield value of the chocolate suspension under vibration. Comparison with reference data shows how sensitive the structure of the concentrated suspension is to vibration in general. The effects and observations revealed provide a solid basis for further fundamental investigations of structure formation regularities in the flow of any highly concentrated system. The results also show the technological potential for non-conventional treatment of concentrated, multiphase systems.

Discriminative Relational Topic Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Ning; Zhu, Jun; Xia, Fei; Zhang, Bo

2015-05-01

Relational topic models (RTMs) provide a probabilistic generative process to describe both the link structure and document contents for document networks, and they have shown promise on predicting network structures and discovering latent topic representations. However, existing RTMs have limitations in both the restricted model expressiveness and incapability of dealing with imbalanced network data. To expand the scope and improve the inference accuracy of RTMs, this paper presents three extensions: 1) unlike the common link likelihood with a diagonal weight matrix that allows the-same-topic interactions only, we generalize it to use a full weight matrix that captures all pairwise topic interactions and is applicable to asymmetric networks; 2) instead of doing standard Bayesian inference, we perform regularized Bayesian inference (RegBayes) with a regularization parameter to deal with the imbalanced link structure issue in real networks and improve the discriminative ability of learned latent representations; and 3) instead of doing variational approximation with strict mean-field assumptions, we present collapsed Gibbs sampling algorithms for the generalized relational topic models by exploring data augmentation without making restricting assumptions. Under the generic RegBayes framework, we carefully investigate two popular discriminative loss functions, namely, the logistic log-loss and the max-margin hinge loss. Experimental results on several real network datasets demonstrate the significance of these extensions on improving prediction performance.

The preparation and ethanol fermentation of high-concentration sugars from steam-explosion corn stover.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Hui; Wang, Fengqin; Yin, Shuangyao; Ren, Tianbao; Song, Andong

2015-05-01

In the field of biofuel ethanol, high-concentration- reducing sugars made from cellulosic materials lay the foundation for high-concentration ethanol fermentation. In this study, corn stover was pre-treated in a process combining chemical methods and steam explosion; the cellulosic hydrolyzed sugars obtained by fed-batch saccharification were then used as the carbon source for high-concentration ethanol fermentation. Saccharomyces cerevisiae 1308, Angel yeast, and Issatchenkia orientalis were shake-cultured with Pachysolen tannophilus P-01 for fermentation. Results implied that the ethanol yields from the three types of mixed strains were 4.85 g/100 mL, 4.57 g/100 mL, and 5.02 g/100 mL (separately) at yield rates of 91.6, 89.3, and 92.2%, respectively. Therefore, it was inferred that shock-fermentation using mixed strains achieved a higher ethanol yield at a greater rate in a shorter fermentation period. This study provided a theoretical basis and technical guidance for the fermentation of industrial high-concentrated cellulosic ethanol.

Innovative encapsulated oxygen-releasing beads for bioremediation of BTEX at high concentration in groundwater.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Chi-Wen; Wu, Chih-Hung; Guo, Pei-Yu; Chang, Shih-Hsien

2017-12-15

Both a low concentration of dissolved oxygen and the toxicity of a high concentration of BTEX inhibit the bioremediation of BTEX in groundwater. A novel method of preparing encapsulated oxygen-releasing beads (encap-ORBs) for the biodegradation of BTEX in groundwater was developed. Experimental results show that the integrality and oxygen-releasing capacity of encap-ORBs exceeded those of ORBs. The use of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) with high M.W. to prepare encap-ORBs improved their integrality. The encap-ORBs effectively released oxygen for 128 days. High concentration of BTEX (480 mg L -1 ) inhibited the biodegradation by the free cells. Immobilization of degraders in the encap-ORB alleviated the inhibition. Scanning electron microscope analysis reveals that the BTEX degraders grew on the surface of encap-ORB after bioremediation. The above results indicate that the encap-ORBs were effective in the bioremediation of BTEX at high concentration in groundwater. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Problematic topic transitions in dysarthric conversation.

Science.gov (United States)

Bloch, Steven; Saldert, Charlotta; Ferm, Ulrika

2015-01-01

This study examined the nature of topic transition problems associated with acquired progressive dysarthric speech in the everyday conversation of people with motor neurone disease. Using conversation analytic methods, a video collection of five naturally occurring problematic topic transitions was identified, transcribed and analysed. These were extracted from a main collection of over 200 other-initiated repair sequences and a sub-set of 15 problematic topic transition sequences. The sequences were analysed with reference to how the participants both identified and resolved the problems. Analysis revealed that topic transition by people with dysarthria can prove problematic. Conversation partners may find transitions problematic not only because of speech intelligibility but also because of a sequential disjuncture between the dysarthric speech turn and whatever topic has come prior. In addition the treatment of problematic topic transition as a complaint reveals the potential vulnerability of people with dysarthria to judgements of competence. These findings have implications for how dysarthria is conceptualized and how specific actions in conversation, such as topic transition, might be suitable targets for clinical intervention.

76 FR 81806 - Ophthalmic and Topical Dosage Form New Animal Drugs; Ivermectin Topical Solution

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-29

.... FDA-2011-N-0003] Ophthalmic and Topical Dosage Form New Animal Drugs; Ivermectin Topical Solution... solution of ivermectin. DATES: This rule is effective December 29, 2011. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT... ANADA 200-318 for [[Page 81807

Beryllium-10 concentrations in water samples of high northern latitudes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Strobl, C.; Eisenhauer, A.; Schulz, V.; Baumann, S.; Mangini, A. [Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften, Heildelberg (Germany); Kubik, P.W. [Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland)

1997-09-01

{sup 10}Be concentrations in the water column of high northern latitudes were not available so far. We present different {sup 10}Be profiles from the Norwegian-Greenland Sea, the Arctic Ocean, and the Laptev Sea. (author) 3 fig., 3 refs.

Modern topics in electron scattering

CERN Document Server

Frois, Bernard

1991-01-01

This book summarizes the considerable progress recently achieved in the understanding of nucleon and nuclear structure by using high energy electrons as a probe. A collection of papers discusses in detail the new frontiers of this field. Experimental and theoretical articles cover topics such as the structure of the nucleon, nucleon distributions, many-body correlations, non-nucleonic degrees of freedom and few-body systems. This book is an up-to-date introduction to the research planned with continuous beam electron accelerators.

Developing topic-specific search filters for PubMed with click-through data.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, J; Lu, Z

2013-01-01

Search filters have been developed and demonstrated for better information access to the immense and ever-growing body of publications in the biomedical domain. However, to date the number of filters remains quite limited because the current filter development methods require significant human efforts in manual document review and filter term selection. In this regard, we aim to investigate automatic methods for generating search filters. We present an automated method to develop topic-specific filters on the basis of users' search logs in PubMed. Specifically, for a given topic, we first detect its relevant user queries and then include their corresponding clicked articles to serve as the topic-relevant document set accordingly. Next, we statistically identify informative terms that best represent the topic-relevant document set using a background set composed of topic irrelevant articles. Lastly, the selected representative terms are combined with Boolean operators and evaluated on benchmark datasets to derive the final filter with the best performance. We applied our method to develop filters for four clinical topics: nephrology, diabetes, pregnancy, and depression. For the nephrology filter, our method obtained performance comparable to the state of the art (sensitivity of 91.3%, specificity of 98.7%, precision of 94.6%, and accuracy of 97.2%). Similarly, high-performing results (over 90% in all measures) were obtained for the other three search filters. Based on PubMed click-through data, we successfully developed a high-performance method for generating topic-specific search filters that is significantly more efficient than existing manual methods. All data sets (topic-relevant and irrelevant document sets) used in this study and a demonstration system are publicly available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/CBBresearch/Lu/downloads/CQ_filter/

Topical methotrexate pretreatment enhances the therapeutic effect of topical 5-aminolevulinic acid-mediated photodynamic therapy on hamster buccal pouch precancers

OpenAIRE

Deng-Fu Yang; Jeng-Woei Lee; Hsin-Ming Chen; Yih-Chih Hsu

2014-01-01

Topical 5-aminolevulinic acid-mediated photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT) is effective for treatment of human oral precancerous lesions. This animal study aimed to assess whether topical methotrexate (MTX) pretreatment could enhance the therapeutic effect of topical ALA-PDT on hamster buccal pouch precancerous lesions. Methods: Twenty hamster buccal pouch precancerous lesions were treated with either topical ALA-PDT with topical MTX pretreatment (topical MTX-ALA-PDT group, n = 10) or topical A...

Topical immunomodulators in dermatology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khandpur Sujay

2004-04-01

Full Text Available Topical immunomodulators are agents that regulate the local immune response of the skin. They are now emerging as the therapy of choice for several immune-mediated dermatoses such as atopic dermatitis, contact allergic dermatitis, alopecia areata, psoriasis, vitiligo, connective tissue disorders such as morphea and lupus erythematosus, disorders of keratinization and several benign and malignant skin tumours, because of their comparable efficacy, ease of application and greater safety than their systemic counterparts. They can be used on a domiciliary basis for longer periods without aggressive monitoring. In this article, we have discussed the mechanism of action, common indications and side-effects of the commonly used topical immunomodulators, excluding topical steroids. Moreover, newer agents, which are still in the experimental stages, have also been described. A MEDLINE search was undertaken using the key words "topical immunomodulators, dermatology" and related articles were also searched. In addition, a manual search for many Indian articles, which are not indexed, was also carried out. Wherever possible, the full article was reviewed. If the full article could not be traced, the abstract was used.

Recent Advances In Topical Therapy In Dermatology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohan Thappa Devinder

2003-01-01

Full Text Available With changing times various newer topical agents are introduced in the field of dermatology. Tacrolimus and pimecrolimus are immunisuppressants, which are effective topically and are tried in the management of atopic dermatitis as well as other disorders including allergic contact dermatitis, atrophic lichen planus, pyoderma gangrenosum. Imiquimod, an immune response modifier, is presently in use for genital warts but has potentials as anti- tumour agent and in various other dermatological conditions when used topically. Tazarotene is a newer addition to the list of topical reginoids, which is effective in psoriasis and has better effect in combination with calcipotriene, phototherapy and topical costicosteroids. Tazarotene and adapelene are also effective in inflammatory acne. Calcipotriol, a vitamin D analogue has been introduced as a topical agent in the treatment of psoriasis. Steroid components are also developed recently which will be devoid of the side effects but having adequate anti-inflammatory effect. Topical photodynamic therapy has also a wide range of use in dermatology. Newer topical agents including cidofovir, capsaicin, topical sensitizers, topical antifungal agents for onychomycosis are also of use in clinical practice. Other promising developments include skin substitutes and growth factors for wound care.

The study of human organs by phosphorus-31 topical magnetic resonance spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oberhaensli, R.D.; Galloway, G.J.; Hilton-Jones, David; Bore, P.J.; Styles, Peter; Rajagopalan, Bheeshma; Taylor, D.J.; Radda, G.K.

1987-01-01

The potential clinical use of topical magnetic resonance spectroscopy (volume selection by static magnetic field gradients) was tested in 50 studies in volunteers. Topical magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) was shown to be a straightforward method for localising 31 P spectra of brain and liver. However, the spherical shape and fixed position of the selected volume posed serious limitations to the study of heart and transplanted kidney by topical MRS. Phosphorus-31 spectra of approx. 30 cm -3 of brain or liver could be obtained in 8 min. Ratios of metabolite concentrations could be determined with a coefficient of variation ranging from 10% to 30%. The ratios of phosphocreatine/ATP and inorganic phosphate/ATP in brain were 1.8 and 0.3, respectively. The ratio of inorganic phosphate/ATP in liver was 0.9. Intracellular pH was 7.03 in brain and 7.24 in liver. The T 1 relaxation times of phosphocreatine, inorganic phosphate and γ-ATP in brain were 4.8 s, 2.5 s and 1.0 s, respectively. (author)

Selected Topics in MicroNano-robotics for Biomedical Applications

CERN Document Server

2013-01-01

Selected Topics in Micro/Nano-robotics for Biomedical Applications features a system approach and incorporates modern methodologies in autonomous mobile robots for programmable and controllable micro/nano-robots aiming at biomedical applications. The book provides chapters of instructional materials and cutting-edge research results in micro/nanorobotics for biomedical applications. The book presents new sensing technology on nanofibers, new power supply techniques including miniature fuel cells and energy harvesting devices, and manipulation techniques including AFM-based nano-robotic manipulation, robot-aided optical tweezers, and robot-assisted catheter surgery systems. It also contains case studies on using micro/nano-robots in biomedical environments and in biomedicine, as well as a design example to conceptually develop a Vitamin-pill sized robot to enter human’s gastrointestinal tract. Each chapter covers a different topic of the highly interdisciplinary area. Bring together the selected topics into ...

Topic Modeling of Hierarchical Corpora /

OpenAIRE

Kim, Do-kyum

2014-01-01

The sizes of modern digital libraries have grown beyond our capacity to comprehend manually. Thus we need new tools to help us in organizing and browsing large corpora of text that do not require manually examining each document. To this end, machine learning researchers have developed topic models, statistical learning algorithms for automatic comprehension of large collections of text. Topic models provide both global and local views of a corpus; they discover topics that run through the co...

Practical design constraints for using secondary concentrators at high temperatures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O' Gallagher, J.J.; Winston, R.

1999-07-01

The optical advantages of using nonimaging secondary concentrators in two-stage solar thermal dish systems are well understood. However, practical questions having to do with the thermal behavior of any secondary and its possible effects on the performance of cavity type receivers have only recently begun to be investigated. A few years ago an experimental demonstration of a trumpet type nonimaging secondary concentrator was carried out with a cavity receiver operating 660 C in combination with the Cummins Power Generation CPG-460 7.5 kWe concentrator system. Lessons learned from this and previous experiments are reviewed. The tests alleviated any operational concerns about the effectiveness of active water cooling and have shown that secondaries can be operated successfully at high temperatures without significant problems. There was no evidence of direct heat loss from the hot receiver to the cooled trumpet. The optical quality of any primary can be expected to fall well below design goals and to deteriorate further with time. This expectation should be taken into account in planning future experiments and developing new concentrating systems.

Testosterone Topical

Science.gov (United States)

... not apply any testosterone topical products to your penis or scrotum or to skin that has sores, ... are severe or do not go away: breast enlargement and/or pain decreased sexual desire acne depression ...

Credibility improves topical blog post retrieval

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Weerkamp, W.; de Rijke, M.

2008-01-01

Topical blog post retrieval is the task of ranking blog posts with respect to their relevance for a given topic. To improve topical blog post retrieval we incorporate textual credibility indicators in the retrieval process. We consider two groups of indicators: post level (determined using

Tracking Multiple Topics for Finding Interesting Articles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pon, R K; Cardenas, A F; Buttler, D J; Critchlow, T J

2008-01-03

We introduce multiple topic tracking (MTT) for iScore to better recommend news articles for users with multiple interests and to address changes in user interests over time. As an extension of the basic Rocchio algorithm, traditional topic detection and tracking, and single-pass clustering, MTT maintains multiple interest profiles to identify interesting articles for a specific user given user-feedback. Focusing on only interesting topics enables iScore to discard useless profiles to address changes in user interests and to achieve a balance between resource consumption and classification accuracy. iScore is able to achieve higher quality results than traditional methods such as the Rocchio algorithm. We identify several operating parameters that work well for MTT. Using the same parameters, we show that MTT alone yields high quality results for recommending interesting articles from several corpora. The inclusion of MTT improves iScore's performance by 25% in recommending news articles from the Yahoo! News RSS feeds and the TREC11 adaptive filter article collection. And through a small user study, we show that iScore can still perform well when only provided with little user feedback.

Topic prominence in Chinese EFL learners’ interlanguage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shaopeng Li

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The present study aims to investigate the general characteristics of topicprominent typological interlanguage development of Chinese learners of English in terms of acquiring subject-prominent English structures from a discourse perspective. Topic structures mainly appear in Chinese discourse in the form of topic chains (Wang, 2002; 2004. The research target are the topic chain, which is the main topic-prominent structure in Chinese discourse, and zero anaphora, which is the most common topic anaphora in the topic chain. Two important findings emerged from the present study. First, the characteristics of Chinese topic chains are transferrable to the interlanguage of Chinese EFL learners, thus resulting in overgeneralization of the zero anaphora. Second, the interlanguage discourse of Chinese EFL learners reflects a change of the second language acquisition process from topic-prominence to subject-prominence, thus lending support to the discourse transfer hypothesis.

Structural changes induced by high-pressure processing in micellar casein and milk protein concentrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Cadesky, Lee; Walkling-Ribeiro, Markus; Kriner, Kyle T; Karwe, Mukund V; Moraru, Carmen I

2017-09-01

Reconstituted micellar casein concentrates and milk protein concentrates of 2.5 and 10% (wt/vol) protein concentration were subjected to high-pressure processing at pressures from 150 to 450 MPa, for 15 min, at ambient temperature. The structural changes induced in milk proteins by high-pressure processing were investigated using a range of physical, physicochemical, and chemical methods, including dynamic light scattering, rheology, mid-infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, proteomics, and soluble mineral analyses. The experimental data clearly indicate pressure-induced changes of casein micelles, as well as denaturation of serum proteins. Calcium-binding α S1 - and α S2 -casein levels increased in the soluble phase after all pressure treatments. Pressurization up to 350 MPa also increased levels of soluble calcium and phosphorus, in all samples and concentrations, whereas treatment at 450 MPa reduced the levels of soluble Ca and P. Experimental data suggest dissociation of calcium phosphate and subsequent casein micelle destabilization as a result of pressure treatment. Treatment of 10% micellar casein concentrate and 10% milk protein concentrate samples at 450 MPa resulted in weak, physical gels, which featured aggregates of uniformly distributed, casein substructures of 15 to 20 nm in diameter. Serum proteins were significantly denatured by pressures above 250 MPa. These results provide information on pressure-induced changes in high-concentration protein systems, and may inform the development on new milk protein-based foods with novel textures and potentially high nutritional quality, of particular interest being the soft gel structures formed at high pressure levels. The Authors. Published by the Federation of Animal Science Societies and Elsevier Inc. on behalf of the American Dairy Science Association®. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/).

Integrative Approach to Facilitate Fracture Healing: Topical Chinese Herbal Paste with Oral Strontium Ranelate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wing-Sum Siu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Strontium ranelate (SrR is one of the pharmaceutical agents reported to be effective on the promotion of fracture healing. This study aimed to evaluate the integrative effect of the oral SrR with a topical Chinese herbal paste, namely, CDR, on facilitation of bone healing. The in vivo efficacy was evaluated using rats with tibial fracture. They were treated with either CDR topically, or SrR orally, or their combined treatments. The in vivo results illustrated a significant additive effect of CDR on SrR in increasing the yield load of the fractured tibia. The in vitro results showed that neither SrR nor CDR exhibited a cytotoxic effect on UMR106 and bone-marrow stem cell (BMSC, but both of them increased the proliferation of BMSC at low concentrations. The combination of CDR at 200 μg/mL with SrR at 200 or 400 μg/ml also showed an additive effect on increasing the ALP activity of BMSC. Both SrR and CDR alone reduced osteoclast formation, and the effective concentration of SrR to inhibit osteoclastogenesis was reduced in the presence of CDR. This integrative approach by combining oral SrR and topical CDR is effective in promoting fracture healing properly due to their additive effects on proosteogenic and antiosteoclastogenic properties.

Extremely high hole concentrations in c-plane GaN

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Trybus, Elaissa; Moseley, Michael; Henderson, Walter; Billingsley, Daniel [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States); Namkoong, Gon [Old Dominion University, Applied Research Center, Newport News, VA (United States); Look, David C. [Wright State University, Semiconductor Research Center, Dayton, OH (United States); Doolittle, W.A.

2009-06-15

Metal Modulated Epitaxy (S. D. Burnham et al., J. Appl. Phys. 104, 024902 (2008)[1]) is extended to include modulation of both the shutters of Ga and Mg, the Mg being delivered from a Veeco corrosive series valved cracker (S. D. Burnham et al., Mater. Res. Soc. Proc. 798, Y8.11 (2003)[2]). The Ga fluxes used are sufficiently large that droplets rapidly form when the Ga shutter opens and are subsequently depleted when the Ga shutter closes. The result is the ability to limit surface faceting while predominantly growing under average N-rich growth conditions and thus, possibly reduce N-vacancy defects. N-vacancy defects are known to result in compensation. This ability to grow higher quality materials under N-rich conditions results in very high hole concentrations and low resistivity p-type materials. Hole concentrations as high as 2 x 10{sup 19} cm{sup -3} have been achieved on c-plane GaN resulting in resistivities as low as 0.38 ohm-cm. The dependence on Ga flux, shutter timing, the corresponding RHEED images for each condition is detailed and clearly show minimization of faceting and crystal quality variations as determined by X-ray diffraction. Quantification of the Mg incorporation and residual impurities such as hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon by SIMS, eliminates co-doping, while temperature dependent hall measurements show reduced activation energies. X-ray diffraction data compares crystalline quality with hole concentration. (copyright 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Phenomenon of energy concentration in super-high energy γ-hadron families

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dai Zhiqiang; Xue Liang; Li Jinyu; Zhang Xueyao; Feng Cunfeng; Fu Yu; Li Jie; Cao Peiyuan; Zhang Naijian; He Mao; Wang Chengrui; Ren Jingru; Lu Suiling

2000-01-01

The family events observed with iron emulsion chambers at Mt. Kanbala are analyzed and compared with the simulations by the COSMOS code and CORSIKA code respectively. A detailed study on the production of super-high energy γ-hadron families with energy concentration behavior is carried out. The preliminary conclusions are: 1) the energy concentration behavior of super-high energy γ-hadron families is the external embodiment of high energy central shower clusters contained in the families. 2) the mean lateral spread of these clusters is about 0.37 cm. 3) the frequency of this phenomenon appeared under the conditions of R≤10 mm and X 10 ≥90% is (20.5 +- 3.1)%. 4) compared to the COSMOS code based on the phenomenological multi-cluster model, the simulation by the CORSIKA code that adopts SIBYLL model is closer to the analytical results of experiment

High-dimensional orbital angular momentum entanglement concentration based on Laguerre–Gaussian mode selection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Wuhong; Su, Ming; Wu, Ziwen; Lu, Meng; Huang, Bingwei; Chen, Lixiang

2013-01-01

Twisted photons enable the definition of a Hilbert space beyond two dimensions by orbital angular momentum (OAM) eigenstates. Here we propose a feasible entanglement concentration experiment, to enhance the quality of high-dimensional entanglement shared by twisted photon pairs. Our approach is started from the full characterization of entangled spiral bandwidth, and is then based on the careful selection of the Laguerre–Gaussian (LG) modes with specific radial and azimuthal indices p and ℓ. In particular, we demonstrate the possibility of high-dimensional entanglement concentration residing in the OAM subspace of up to 21 dimensions. By means of LabVIEW simulations with spatial light modulators, we show that the Shannon dimensionality could be employed to quantify the quality of the present concentration. Our scheme holds promise in quantum information applications defined in high-dimensional Hilbert space. (letter)

Development of automatic high-concentration boron measurement technique; Konodo hoso jido sokutei gijutsu no kaihatsu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maeda, T.; Honda, S.; Ito, A. [Kyushu Electric Power Co. Inc., Fukuoka (Japan)

1997-03-01

The technology that can automatically measure the boron concentration in boric acid water was developed. A high-concentration boric acid solution must be held at a high temperature to prevent the deposition. Skill and precision ({plus_minus}0.2 to 0.3% for 10 to 2500 ppm as boron concentration, and {plus_minus}2 to 3% for 2500 to 25,000 ppm) are required to analyze the boric acid solution manually. In theory, the boron concentration in a wide range can be measured, and boron has a constant-temperature function. A density hydrometer method that facilitates the treatment and calibration in high precision and at low cost was chosen. The vibration period generated when vibration is given to the solution specimen put in a U-tube is higher as the density is lower. On the basis of this theory, the density of a specimen can be obtained according to the relation with the same data of the known-concentration boric acid water. The high-concentration boric acid water that cannot be measured by the existing boron densitometer can be measured directly. It can also be measured in a low-concentration area. The technique can be used in a laboratory as the simplified method that is replaced by the current manual analysis. The reduction effect of analytical chemical`s waste liquid can also be expected. In the electric power industry, automated equipment is required for high efficiency and labor saving. 13 figs., 3 tabs.

Etodolac Containing Topical Niosomal Gel: Formulation Development and Evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gyati Shilakari Asthana

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The present study aimed to investigate the delivery potential of Etodolac (ETD containing topical niosomal gel. Niosomal formulations were prepared by thin film hydration method at various ratios of cholesterol and Span 60 and were evaluated with respect to particle size, shape, entrapment efficiency, and in vitro characteristics. Dicetyl phosphate (DCP was also added in the niosomal formulation. Mean particle size of niosomal formulation was found to be in the range of 2 μm to 4 μm. Niosomal formulation N2 (1 : 1 ratio of cholesterol and surfactant displayed good entrapment efficiency (96.72%. TEM analyses showed that niosomal formulation was spherical in shape. Niosomal formulation (N2 displayed high percentage of drug release after 24 h (94.91 at (1 : 1 ratio of cholesterol : surfactant. Further selected niosomal formulation was used to formulate topical gel and was characterized with respect to its various parameters such as pH, viscosity, spreadability, ex vivo study, and in vivo potential permeation. Ex vivo study showed that niosomal gel possessed better skin permeation study than the plain topical gel. Further in vivo study revealed good inhibition of inflammation in case of topical niosomal gel than plain gel and niosomal formulation. The present study suggested that topical niosomal gel formulations provide sustained and prolonged delivery of drug.

Chemistry {ampersand} Materials Science progress report summary of selected research and development topics, FY97

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Newkirk, L.

1997-12-01

This report contains summaries of research performed in the Chemistry and Materials Science division. Topics include Metals and Ceramics, High Explosives, Organic Synthesis, Instrument Development, and other topics.

Application of Hydrothermal Treatment to High Concentrated Sewage Sludge for Anaerobic Digestion Process

OpenAIRE

M. Orikawa; H. Kamahara; Y. Atsuta; H. Daimon

2013-01-01

Tomato and seaweed were produced by utilizing CO2 and heat discharged from power generation using biogas in Toyogawa biomass park, Japan. The biogas was obtained by anaerobic digestion with hydrothermal treatment. The hydrothermal treatment was applied to the high concentrated sewage sludge (22 % total solids (TS) dewatered sludge). The purpose of this study is to clarify the effect of hydrothermal treatment on the qualities of high concentrated sewage sludge, by analyzing particulate organic...

Topical report review status: Volume 10

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-03-01

This report provides industry with procedures for submitting topical reports, guidance on how the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) processes and responds to topical report submittals, and an accounting, with review schedules, of all topical reports currently accepted for review by the NRC. This report is published annually

Comparison of Systemic and Topical Hypericum Perforatum on Diabetic Surgical Wounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Altıparmak, Mehmet; Eskitaşçıoğlu, Teoman

2018-02-01

Surgical wounds in diabetic patients still remain a problem till the present day. As a common plant found around the world, Hypericum perforatum L. (Hypericaceae) is traditionally prepared as an oily extract and used as a folk remedy for various diseases such as wounds, burns, cuts, etc. This study aims to evaluate the effect of St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) on problematic wounds while comparing oral and topical applications. Incisional and excisional wound models were made on the dorsal regions of 54 diabetic Spraque-Dawley rats. The rats were divided into the following six groups (n = 9): Group 1: control, Group 2: diabetic, Group 3: diabetic oral Hypericum perforatum, Group 4: diabetic topical Hypericum perforatum, Group 5: diabetic oral olive oil, and Group 6: diabetic topical olive oil. Groups 3 and 4 had significantly higher tensile strength, tissue hydroxyproline concentration, and collagen density compared with Group 2. Inflammatory cell density and collagen density on day 3 were significantly higher in Groups 3 and 6 compared with Group 2. On day 21, Groups 3 and 6 had significantly higher fibroblastic activity compared with Group 2. This study has proved that oral St. John's wort has more positive effects on problematic wounds compared with topical St. John's wort and olive oil, which is a vehicle. Hypericum perforatum results with faster inflammatory response and better healing. These results could be an addition to literature about the clinical usage of Hypericum perforatum on diabetic wounds.

Chiropractic: MedlinePlus Health Topic

Science.gov (United States)

... for back pain (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish Topic Image MedlinePlus Email Updates Get Chiropractic updates by ... ENCYCLOPEDIA Chiropractic care for back pain Related Health Topics Back Pain Complementary and Integrative Medicine National Institutes ...

Diets: MedlinePlus Health Topic

Science.gov (United States)

... Spanish Mediterranean diet (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish Topic Image MedlinePlus Email Updates Get Diets updates by ... foods Diet-busting foods Mediterranean diet Related Health Topics Child Nutrition DASH Eating Plan Diabetic Diet Nutrition ...

Colonoscopy: MedlinePlus Health Topic

Science.gov (United States)

... Spanish Virtual colonoscopy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish Topic Image MedlinePlus Email Updates Get Colonoscopy updates by ... Colonoscopy Colonoscopy discharge Sigmoidoscopy Virtual colonoscopy Related Health Topics Colonic Diseases Colonic Polyps Colorectal Cancer National Institutes ...

Dialysis: MedlinePlus Health Topic

Science.gov (United States)

... access for hemodialysis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish Topic Image MedlinePlus Email Updates Get Dialysis updates by ... for hemodialysis Show More Show Less Related Health Topics Creatinine Kidney Cysts Kidney Failure Peritoneal Disorders National ...

Menopause: MedlinePlus Health Topic

Science.gov (United States)

... Spanish What is Menopause? (National Institute on Aging) Topic Image MedlinePlus Email Updates Get Menopause updates by ... test Menopause Types of hormone therapy Related Health Topics Hormone Replacement Therapy Menstruation Premature Ovarian Failure National ...

Vaginitis: MedlinePlus Health Topic

Science.gov (United States)

... Spanish Vulvovaginitis - overview (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish Topic Image MedlinePlus Email Updates Get Vaginitis updates by ... Vaginitis test - wet mount Vulvovaginitis - overview Related Health Topics Trichomoniasis Vaginal Diseases Yeast Infections Other Languages Find ...

Topical treatment of malignant and premalignant skin lesions by very low concentrations of a standard mixture (BEC) of solasodine glycosides.

Science.gov (United States)

Cham, B E; Daunter, B; Evans, R A

1991-09-01

A cream formulation containing high concentrations (10%) of a standard mixture of solasodine glycosides (BEC) has been shown to be effective in the treatment of malignant and benign human skin tumours. We now report that a preparation (Curaderm) which contains very low concentrations of BEC (0.005%) is effective in the treatment of keratoses, basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) and squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) of the skin of humans. In an open study, clinical and histological observations indicated that all lesions (56 keratoses, 39 BCCs and 29 SCCs) treated with Curaderm had regressed. A placebo formulation had no effect on a smaller number of treated lesions. Curaderm had no adverse effect on the liver, kidneys or haematopoietic system.

Dose dependent sun protective effect of topical melatonin

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Scheuer, Cecilie; Pommergaard, Hans-Christian; Rosenberg, Jacob

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) by sunlight results in an increasing number of skin conditions. Earlier studies have suggested a protective effect of topical treatment with the pineal hormone melatonin. However, this protective effect has never been evaluated in natural sunlight......-blind study in healthy volunteers. Twenty-three healthy volunteers, 8 male and 15 female, were enrolled. The protective effect of three different doses of melatonin cream (0.5%, 2.5%, 12.5%) against erythema induced by natural sunlight was tested. All participants had their backs exposed to sun from 1:22 PM.......5% concentrations. CONCLUSION: Application of melatonin cream 12.5% protects against natural sunlight induced erythema....

Topical Acne Treatments and Pregnancy

Science.gov (United States)

Topical Acne Treatments In every pregnancy, a woman starts out with a 3-5% chance of having a baby ... This sheet talks about whether exposure to topical acne treatments may increase the risk for birth defects ...

Symbiosis: Rich, Exciting, Neglected Topic

Science.gov (United States)

Rowland, Jane Thomas

1974-01-01

Argues that the topic of symbiosis has been greatly neglected and underemphasized in general-biology textbooks. Discusses many types and examples of symbiosis, and provides an extensive bibliography of the literature related to this topic. (JR)

Fabrication procedures for manufacturing high uranium concentration dispersion fuel elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souza, Jose Antonio Batista de

2011-01-01

IPEN-CNEN/SP developed the technology to produce the dispersion type fuel elements for research reactors and made it available for routine production. Today, the fuel produced in IPEN-CNEN/SP is limited to the uranium concentration of 3.0 gU/cm 3 for U 3 Si 2 -Al dispersion-based and 2.3 gU/cm 3 for U 3 O 8 -Al dispersion. The increase of uranium concentration in fuel plates enables the reactivity of the reactor core reactivity to be higher and extends the fuel life. Concerning technology, it is possible to increase the uranium concentration in the fuel meat up to the limit of 4.8 gU/cm 3 in U 3 Si 2 -Al dispersion and 3.2 gU/cm 3 U 3 O 8 -Al dispersion. These dispersions are well qualified worldwide. This work aims to develop the manufacturing process of both fuel meats with high uranium concentrations, by redefining the manufacturing procedures currently adopted in the Nuclear Fuel Center of IPEN-CNEN/SP. Based on the results, it was concluded that to achieve the desired concentration, it is necessary to make some changes in the established procedures, such as in the particle size of the fuel powder and in the feeding process inside the matrix, before briquette pressing. These studies have also shown that the fuel plates, with a high concentration of U 3 Si 2 -Al, met the used specifications. On the other hand, the appearance of the microstructure obtained from U 3 O 8 -Al dispersion fuel plates with 3.2 gU/cm 3 showed to be unsatisfactory, due to the considerably significant porosity observed. The developed fabrication procedure was applied to U 3 Si 2 production at 4.8 gU/cm 3 , with enriched uranium. The produced plates were used to assemble the fuel element IEA-228, which was irradiated in order to check its performance in the IEA-R1 reactor at IPEN-CNEN/SP. These new fuels have potential to be used in the new Brazilian Multipurpose Reactor - RMB. (author)

Prediabetes:MedlinePlus Health Topic

Science.gov (United States)

... in Spanish Prediabetes (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish Topic Image MedlinePlus Email Updates Get Prediabetes updates by ... Glucose tolerance test - non-pregnant Prediabetes Related Health Topics A1C Diabetes Diabetes in Children and Teens Diabetes ...

4. topical workshop on proton-antiproton collider physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haenni, H.; Schacher, J.

1984-01-01

The most exciting topic at this Workshop was clearly the experimental hint for new unexpected phenomena, reported by the UA1 and UA2 Collaborations: At the CERN SPS Collider (vs = 540 GeV), a few events were observed with high missing transverse energy in association with an isolated electromagnetic cluster or one or more hard jets (UA1) or an isolated electron and one or two hard jets (UA2). Due to the enhanced data sample, the discovery of the intermediate vector bosons W and Z in 1983 was undoubtedly confirmed, and the nice agreement of their properties with the predictions of the electroweak theory was shown. In addition, many new results on experimental and theoretical jet physics were presented. The Tevatron Collider project and its planned experiments at Fermilab were discussed, and there were contributions about the possible future developments in theory (compositeness, supersymmetry) as well as in experimental high energy physics (Supercollider, Juratron). See hints under the relevant topics. (orig./HSI)

Particulate Matter Concentrations in East Oakland's High Street Corridor

Science.gov (United States)

Lei, P.; Jackson, J.; Lewis, R.; Marigny, A.; Mitchell, J. D.; Nguyen, R.; Philips, B.; Randle, D.; Romero, D.; Spears, D.; Telles, C.; Weissman, D.

2012-12-01

Particulate matter (PM) is a complex mixture of small solid pieces and/or liquid droplets in the air. High concentrations of PM can pose a serious health hazard because inhalation can result in breathing problems and/or aggravate asthma. Long term exposure can increase the likelihood of respiratory problems like asthma and emphysema as well as cancer. The smaller the particles, the deeper they can get into the respiratory system. For this reason, the smallest particles, those smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (PM2.5), are the most dangerous. PM2.5 is largely emitted from motor vehicles burning fuels that don't break down fully. Our research team investigated the levels of PM2.5 as well as particles smaller than 10 micrometers (PM10) and total suspended particulate (TSP) along the northeast-southwest trending High Street Corridor, near Fremont High School in East Oakland, California. Using the Aerocet 531 mass particle counter, team members walked through neighborhoods and along major roads within a 1 mile radius of Fremont High School. The Aerocet 531 recorded two minute average measurements of all the relevant PM sizes, which are reported in mg/m3. Measurements were consistently taken in the morning, between 8:30 and 11:30 am. Preliminary results indicate maximum readings of all PM sizes at sites that are in close proximity to a major freeway (Interstate-880). These results support our initial hypothesis that proximity to major roads and freeways, especially those with high diesel-fuel burning truck traffic, would be the primary factor affecting PM concentration levels. Preliminary median and maximum readings all suggest particulate matter levels below what the EPA would consider unhealthy or risky.

Utilisatiion of topical honey In Burns wounds contaminated with ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

personal

suitable for bacterial infection as a result of low tissue perfusion and high protein content. ... Conclusion:The topical use of honey in deep burn wounds contaminated with pseudomonas ... voiced to Honey bee to lodge in mountains and.

Clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of patients with low- and high-concentration isoniazid-monoresistant tuberculosis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tsai-Yu Wang

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Isoniazid (INH resistance is now the most common type of tuberculosis (TB infection resistance worldwide. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of patients with low- and high-concentration INH-monoresistant TB. METHODS: One hundred and thirty-four patients with culture-confirmed INH-monoresistant TB during 2006 January to 2007 December were retrospectively enrolled. INH resistance was classified as either low-concentration or high-concentration resistance according to the critical concentrations of 0.2 µg/mL or 1 µg/mL of INH, respectively. The patients' clinical outcomes, treatment regimens, and treatment duration were analyzed. RESULTS: The treatment success rates between low- and high-concentration INH-resistant TB were similar (81.8% vs. 86.7%. The treatment regimens and treatment duration were similar between both groups. Only a minor percentage of the patients in both groups received 6-month treatment regimens (low vs. high concentration resistance, 9.1% vs. 13.3%; respectively, p = 0.447 The most common reason for treatment duration longer than 6 months was pyrazinamide given for less than 6 months, followed by a delay in clinical response to treatment. Multivariable analysis showed that prior tuberculosis treatment (Odds ratio, 2.82, 95% C.I., 1.02-7.77, p = 0.045 was the only independent risk factor for unsuccessful treatment outcome. CONCLUSION: Different levels of INH resistance did not affect the treatment outcomes of patients with INH-monoresistant tuberculosis. Prolonged Rifampin-containing regimens may achieve those good outcomes in patients with low- and high-concentration INH-monoresistant TB.

Separation and Concentration without Clogging Using a High-Throughput Tunable Filter

Science.gov (United States)

Mossige, E. J.; Jensen, A.; Mielnik, M. M.

2018-05-01

We present a detailed experimental study of a hydrodynamic filtration microchip and show how chip performance can be tuned and clogging avoided by adjusting the flow rates. We demonstrate concentration and separation of microspheres at throughputs as high as 29 ml /min and with 96% pureness. Results of streakline visualizations show that the thickness of a tunable filtration layer dictates the cutoff size and that two different concentration mechanisms exist. Particles larger than pores are concentrated by low-velocity rolling over the filtration pillars, while particles smaller than pores are concentrated by lateral drift across the filtration layer. Results of microscopic particle image velocimetry and particle-tracking velocimetry show that the degree of lateral migration can be quantified by the slip velocity between the particle and the surrounding fluid. Finally, by utilizing differences in inertia and separation mode, we demonstrate size-based separation of particles in a mixture.

High-performance laboratories and cleanrooms; TOPICAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tschudi, William; Sartor, Dale; Mills, Evan; Xu, Tengfang

2002-01-01

The California Energy Commission sponsored this roadmap to guide energy efficiency research and deployment for high performance cleanrooms and laboratories. Industries and institutions utilizing these building types (termed high-tech buildings) have played an important part in the vitality of the California economy. This roadmap's key objective to present a multi-year agenda to prioritize and coordinate research efforts. It also addresses delivery mechanisms to get the research products into the market. Because of the importance to the California economy, it is appropriate and important for California to take the lead in assessing the energy efficiency research needs, opportunities, and priorities for this market. In addition to the importance to California's economy, energy demand for this market segment is large and growing (estimated at 9400 GWH for 1996, Mills et al. 1996). With their 24hr. continuous operation, high tech facilities are a major contributor to the peak electrical demand. Laboratories and cleanrooms constitute the high tech building market, and although each building type has its unique features, they are similar in that they are extremely energy intensive, involve special environmental considerations, have very high ventilation requirements, and are subject to regulations-primarily safety driven-that tend to have adverse energy implications. High-tech buildings have largely been overlooked in past energy efficiency research. Many industries and institutions utilize laboratories and cleanrooms. As illustrated, there are many industries operating cleanrooms in California. These include semiconductor manufacturing, semiconductor suppliers, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, disk drive manufacturing, flat panel displays, automotive, aerospace, food, hospitals, medical devices, universities, and federal research facilities

Tracking topic birth and death in LDA.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wilson, Andrew T.; Robinson, David Gerald

2011-09-01

Most topic modeling algorithms that address the evolution of documents over time use the same number of topics at all times. This obscures the common occurrence in the data where new subjects arise and old ones diminish or disappear entirely. We propose an algorithm to model the birth and death of topics within an LDA-like framework. The user selects an initial number of topics, after which new topics are created and retired without further supervision. Our approach also accommodates many of the acceleration and parallelization schemes developed in recent years for standard LDA. In recent years, topic modeling algorithms such as latent semantic analysis (LSA)[17], latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA)[10] and their descendants have offered a powerful way to explore and interrogate corpora far too large for any human to grasp without assistance. Using such algorithms we are able to search for similar documents, model and track the volume of topics over time, search for correlated topics or model them with a hierarchy. Most of these algorithms are intended for use with static corpora where the number of documents and the size of the vocabulary are known in advance. Moreover, almost all current topic modeling algorithms fix the number of topics as one of the input parameters and keep it fixed across the entire corpus. While this is appropriate for static corpora, it becomes a serious handicap when analyzing time-varying data sets where topics come and go as a matter of course. This is doubly true for online algorithms that may not have the option of revising earlier results in light of new data. To be sure, these algorithms will account for changing data one way or another, but without the ability to adapt to structural changes such as entirely new topics they may do so in counterintuitive ways.

Systemic absorption and adverse ocular and systemic effects after topical ophthalmic administration of 0.1% diclofenac to healthy cats.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Kimberly K; Pinard, Chantale L; Johnson, Ron J; Allen, Dana G; KuKanich, Butch K; Nykamp, Stephanie G

2015-03-01

To quantify plasma concentrations and determine adverse ocular, renal, or hepatic effects associated with repeated topical ophthalmic application of 0.1% diclofenac to healthy cats. 8 healthy sexually intact male cats. A randomized, placebo-controlled crossover study was conducted. A topical formulation of 0.1% diclofenac was administered 4 times/d for 7 days to 4 cats, and artificial tear (control) solution was administered to the other 4 cats. After a 12-day washout period, cats received the other treatment. Ophthalmic examinations were performed daily. Plasma samples were obtained on days 1 and 7 for pharmacokinetic analysis. A CBC, serum biochemical analysis, urinalysis, determination of urine protein-to-creatinine ratio, and determination of glomerular filtration rate were performed before the start of the study and after each 7-day treatment period. Mild conjunctival hyperemia was the only adverse ocular effect detected. Maximal drug concentration and area under the curve were significantly higher on day 7 than on day 1. Diclofenac-treated cats had a significantly lower glomerular filtration rate than did control-treated cats after the second but not after the first treatment period, presumably associated with iatrogenic hypovolemia. Topical ophthalmic administration of 0.1% diclofenac was well tolerated in healthy cats, with only mild signs of ocular irritation. Detectable systemic concentrations of diclofenac were achieved with accumulation over 7 days. Systemic absorption of diclofenac may be associated with reduced glomerular filtration rate, particularly in volume-contracted animals. Topical ophthalmic 0.1% diclofenac should be used with caution in volume-contracted or systemically ill cats.

Topics in lightwave transmission systems

CERN Document Server

Li, Tingye

1991-01-01

Topics in Lightwave Transmission Systems is a second volume of a treatise on optical fiber communications that is devoted to the science, engineering, and application of information transmission via optical fibers. The first volume, published in 1985, dealt exclusively with fiber fabrication. The present volume contains topics that pertain to subsystems and systems. The book contains five chapters and begins with discussions of transmitters and receivers, which are basic to systems now operating in the field. Subsequent chapters cover topics relating to coherent systems: frequency and phase m

Google Search Queries About Neurosurgical Topics: Are They a Suitable Guide for Neurosurgeons?

Science.gov (United States)

Lawson McLean, Anna C; Lawson McLean, Aaron; Kalff, Rolf; Walter, Jan

2016-06-01

Google is the most popular search engine, with about 100 billion searches per month. Google Trends is an integrated tool that allows users to obtain Google's search popularity statistics from the last decade. Our aim was to evaluate whether Google Trends is a useful tool to assess the public's interest in specific neurosurgical topics. We evaluated Google Trends statistics for the neurosurgical search topic areas "hydrocephalus," "spinal stenosis," "concussion," "vestibular schwannoma," and "cerebral arteriovenous malformation." We compared these with bibliometric data from PubMed and epidemiologic data from the German Federal Monitoring Agency. In addition, we assessed Google users' search behavior for the search terms "glioblastoma" and "meningioma." Over the last 10 years, there has been an increasing interest in the topic "concussion" from Internet users in general and scientists. "Spinal stenosis," "concussion," and "vestibular schwannoma" are topics that are of special interest in high-income countries (eg, Germany), whereas "hydrocephalus" is a popular topic in low- and middle-income countries. The Google-defined top searches within these topic areas revealed more detail about people's interests (eg, "normal pressure hydrocephalus" or "football concussion" ranked among the most popular search queries within the corresponding topics). There was a similar volume of queries for "glioblastoma" and "meningioma." Google Trends is a useful source to elicit information about general trends in peoples' health interests and the role of different diseases across the world. The Internet presence of neurosurgical units and surgeons can be guided by online users' interests to achieve high-quality, professional-endorsed patient education. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Eigenspace-based fuzzy c-means for sensing trending topics in Twitter

Science.gov (United States)

Muliawati, T.; Murfi, H.

2017-07-01

As the information and communication technology are developed, the fulfillment of information can be obtained through social media, like Twitter. The enormous number of internet users has triggered fast and large data flow, thus making the manual analysis is difficult or even impossible. An automated methods for data analysis is needed, one of which is the topic detection and tracking. An alternative method other than latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) is a soft clustering approach using Fuzzy C-Means (FCM). FCM meets the assumption that a document may consist of several topics. However, FCM works well in low-dimensional data but fails in high-dimensional data. Therefore, we propose an approach where FCM works on low-dimensional data by reducing the data using singular value decomposition (SVD). Our simulations show that this approach gives better accuracies in term of topic recall than LDA for sensing trending topic in Twitter about an event.

Compact high-flux two-stage solar collectors based on tailored edge-ray concentrators

Science.gov (United States)

Friedman, Robert P.; Gordon, Jeffrey M.; Ries, Harald

1995-08-01

Using the recently-invented tailored edge-ray concentrator (TERC) approach for the design of compact two-stage high-flux solar collectors--a focusing primary reflector and a nonimaging TERC secondary reflector--we present: 1) a new primary reflector shape based on the TERC approach and a secondary TERC tailored to its particular flux map, such that more compact concentrators emerge at flux concentration levels in excess of 90% of the thermodynamic limit; and 2) calculations and raytrace simulations result which demonstrate the V-cone approximations to a wide variety of TERCs attain the concentration of the TERC to within a few percent, and hence represent practical secondary concentrators that may be superior to corresponding compound parabolic concentrator or trumpet secondaries.

Biodegradation studies of oil sludge containing high hydrocarbons concentration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olguin-Lora, P.; Munoz-Colunga, A.; Castorena-Cortes, G.; Roldan-Carrillo, T.; Quej Ake, L.; Reyes-Avila, J.; Zapata-Penasco, I.; Marin-Cruz, J.

2009-01-01

Oil industry has a significant impact on environment due to the emission of, dust, gases, waste water and solids generated during oil production all the way to basic petrochemical product manufacturing stages. the aim of this work was to evaluate the biodegradation of sludge containing high hydrocarbon concentration originated by a petroleum facility. A sludge sampling was done at the oil residuals pool (ORP) on a gas processing center. (Author)

High Concentrations of Measles Neutralizing Antibodies and High-Avidity Measles IgG Accurately Identify Measles Reinfection Cases

Science.gov (United States)

Rota, Jennifer S.; Hickman, Carole J.; Mercader, Sara; Redd, Susan; McNall, Rebecca J.; Williams, Nobia; McGrew, Marcia; Walls, M. Laura; Rota, Paul A.; Bellini, William J.

2016-01-01

In the United States, approximately 9% of the measles cases reported from 2012 to 2014 occurred in vaccinated individuals. Laboratory confirmation of measles in vaccinated individuals is challenging since IgM assays can give inconclusive results. Although a positive reverse transcription (RT)-PCR assay result from an appropriately timed specimen can provide confirmation, negative results may not rule out a highly suspicious case. Detection of high-avidity measles IgG in serum samples provides laboratory evidence of a past immunologic response to measles from natural infection or immunization. High concentrations of measles neutralizing antibody have been observed by plaque reduction neutralization (PRN) assays among confirmed measles cases with high-avidity IgG, referred to here as reinfection cases (RICs). In this study, we evaluated the utility of measuring levels of measles neutralizing antibody to distinguish RICs from noncases by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Single and paired serum samples with high-avidity measles IgG from suspected measles cases submitted to the CDC for routine surveillance were used for the analysis. The RICs were confirmed by a 4-fold rise in PRN titer or by RT-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) assay, while the noncases were negative by both assays. Discrimination accuracy was high with serum samples collected ≥3 days after rash onset (area under the curve, 0.953; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.854 to 0.993). Measles neutralizing antibody concentrations of ≥40,000 mIU/ml identified RICs with 90% sensitivity (95% CI, 74 to 98%) and 100% specificity (95% CI, 82 to 100%). Therefore, when serological or RT-qPCR results are unavailable or inconclusive, suspected measles cases with high-avidity measles IgG can be confirmed as RICs by measles neutralizing antibody concentrations of ≥40,000 mIU/ml. PMID:27335386

Novel bioevaporation process for the zero-discharge treatment of highly concentrated organic wastewater.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Benqin; Zhang, Lei; Lee, Yongwoo; Jahng, Deokjin

2013-10-01

A novel process termed as bioevaporation was established to completely evaporate wastewater by metabolic heat released from the aerobic microbial degradation of the organic matters contained in the highly concentrated organic wastewater itself. By adding the glucose solution and ground food waste (FW) into the biodried sludge bed, the activity of the microorganisms in the biodried sludge was stimulated and the water in the glucose solution and FW was evaporated. As the biodegradable volatile solids (BVS) concentration in wastewater increased, more heat was produced and the water removal ratio increased. When the volatile solids (VS) concentrations of both glucose and ground FW were 120 g L(-1), 101.7% and 104.3% of the added water was removed, respectively, by completely consuming the glucose and FW BVS. Therefore, the complete removal of water and biodegradable organic contents was achieved simultaneously in the bioevaporation process, which accomplished zero-discharge treatment of highly concentrated organic wastewater. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Successful topical dissolution of cholesterol gallbladder stones using ethyl propionate.

Science.gov (United States)

Hofmann, A F; Amelsberg, A; Esch, O; Schteingart, C D; Lyche, K; Jinich, H; Vansonnenberg, E; D'Agostino, H B

1997-06-01

Topical dissolution of cholesterol gallbladder stones using methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) is useful in symptomatic patients judged too ill for surgery. Previous studies showed that ethyl propionate (EP), a C5 ester, dissolves cholesterol gallstones rapidly in vitro, but differs from MTBE in being eliminated so rapidly by the liver that blood levels remain undetectable. Our aim was to test EP as a topical dissolution agent for cholesterol gallbladder stones. Five high-risk patients underwent topical dissolution of gallbladder stones by EP. In three patients, the solvent was instilled via a cholecystostomy tube placed previously to treat acute cholecystitis; in two patients, a percutaneous transhepatic catheter was placed in the gallbladder electively. Gallstone dissolution was assessed by chromatography, by gravimetry, and by catheter cholecystography. Total dissolution of gallstones was obtained in four patients after 6-10 hr of lavage; in the fifth patient, partial gallstone dissolution facilitated basketing of the stones. In two patients, cholesterol dissolution was measured and averaged 30 mg/min. Side effects were limited to one episode of transient hypotension and pain at the infusion site; no patient developed somnolence or nausea. Gallstone elimination was associated with relief of symptoms. EP is an acceptable alternative to MTBE for topical dissolution of cholesterol gallbladder stones in high-risk patients. The lower volatility and rapid hepatic extraction of EP suggest that it may be preferable to MTBE in this investigational procedure.

Non-adherence to topical treatments for actinic keratosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shergill B

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Bav Shergill,1 Simon Zokaie,2 Alison J Carr3 1Department of Dermatology, Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals, Elm Grove, Brighton, UK; 2Leo Pharma, Princes Risborough, 3Hamell, London, UK Background: There is limited information on the patterns of use, adherence rates, and factors that impact adherence with topical treatments for actinic keratosis (AK. Objectives: To establish patterns of use and adherence with topical treatments for AK and to identify treatment-related factors that impact on adherence. Methods: A community-based, cross-sectional study was performed using a standardized questionnaire completed online or via telephone interview. Patients were stratified according to the presence of AK lesions on the scalp and/or other extremities; and presence of scarring resulting from treatment. Results: This study included 305 patients with AK who were currently using a patient-applied topical therapy for AK or had used one within the previous 12 months. In total, 88% (n = 268/305 of patients were either non-adherent, non-persistent or both non-adherent and non-persistent to topical therapy. Duration of treatment was associated with increasing rates of non-adherence (adjusted odds ratio [OR]; for treatment durations greater than 4 weeks, 2.2, P < 0.01: 52% of patients were non-adherent with 3–4 week treatment duration; 69% of patients with 4–8 week treatment duration; and 71% of patients with 6–12 week treatment duration. There were similar increases in non-persistence with increasing treatment duration (adjusted OR; for treatment durations greater than 4 weeks, 2.1, P < 0.05. Conclusion: This study found high rates of non-adherence and non-persistence in patients with AK. Duration of treatment was a significant factor contributing to non-adherence and non-persistence to topical treatments. Patient-applied topical therapies that require less frequent application and have shorter treatment duration may be associated with improved

Deep Unfolding for Topic Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Chien, Jen-Tzung; Lee, Chao-Hsi

2018-02-01

Deep unfolding provides an approach to integrate the probabilistic generative models and the deterministic neural networks. Such an approach is benefited by deep representation, easy interpretation, flexible learning and stochastic modeling. This study develops the unsupervised and supervised learning of deep unfolded topic models for document representation and classification. Conventionally, the unsupervised and supervised topic models are inferred via the variational inference algorithm where the model parameters are estimated by maximizing the lower bound of logarithm of marginal likelihood using input documents without and with class labels, respectively. The representation capability or classification accuracy is constrained by the variational lower bound and the tied model parameters across inference procedure. This paper aims to relax these constraints by directly maximizing the end performance criterion and continuously untying the parameters in learning process via deep unfolding inference (DUI). The inference procedure is treated as the layer-wise learning in a deep neural network. The end performance is iteratively improved by using the estimated topic parameters according to the exponentiated updates. Deep learning of topic models is therefore implemented through a back-propagation procedure. Experimental results show the merits of DUI with increasing number of layers compared with variational inference in unsupervised as well as supervised topic models.

Bimatoprost Topical

Science.gov (United States)

... not use a cotton swab or any other brush or applicator to apply topical bimatoprost.To use the solution, follow these steps: Wash your hands and face thoroughly with soap and water. Be sure that all makeup is removed. Do not let the tip of ...

Preparation of ultra-light magnetic nanocomposites using highly concentrated emulsions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ghosh, Goutam; Vilchez, Alejandro; Esquena, Jordi; Solans, Conxita [Instituto de Quimica Avanzada de Cataluna, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (IQAC-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona (Spain); Rodriguez-Abreu, Carlos, E-mail: carlos.rodriguez@inl.int [Instituto de Quimica Avanzada de Cataluna, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (IQAC-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona (Spain); International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL), Av. Mestre Jose Veiga, 4715-330 Braga (Portugal)

2011-10-17

Highlights: {yields} Polystyrene-divinylbenzene-iron oxide nanocomposites. {yields} Porous magnetic nanocomposites from highly concentrated emulsions. {yields} Ultralight materials with relatively high magnetic moment. - Abstract: Hybrid inorganic-organic ultra-light magnetic solid foams with iron oxide nanoparticles embedded in a divinylbenzene-polystyrene matrix were prepared using a highly concentrated emulsion polymerization method. Iron oxide nanoparticles with diameters of 3 and 10 nm were synthesized using two different methods. For comparison purposes, nanocomposites with magnetite nanoparticles dispersed in a non-porous polymeric matrix obtained by bulk polymerization were also investigated. Materials were characterized using several techniques such as dynamic light scattering (DLS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and magnetization measurements. SEM and TEM images showed that solid foams are made of well-defined macro pores with nanoparticles embedded in the walls. The density of the solid foams was ca. 50-70 kg m{sup -3}, which is about 20 times lighter than the non-porous monoliths. The magnetic measurements show that both nanocomposites are superparamagnetic, and that there are differences regarding the interparticle interactions depending on matrix porosity. The synthesized materials may find applications in adsorbents, tissue reparation, enzyme supports, microreactors, or in water decontamination.

Preparation of ultra-light magnetic nanocomposites using highly concentrated emulsions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghosh, Goutam; Vilchez, Alejandro; Esquena, Jordi; Solans, Conxita; Rodriguez-Abreu, Carlos

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Polystyrene-divinylbenzene-iron oxide nanocomposites. → Porous magnetic nanocomposites from highly concentrated emulsions. → Ultralight materials with relatively high magnetic moment. - Abstract: Hybrid inorganic-organic ultra-light magnetic solid foams with iron oxide nanoparticles embedded in a divinylbenzene-polystyrene matrix were prepared using a highly concentrated emulsion polymerization method. Iron oxide nanoparticles with diameters of 3 and 10 nm were synthesized using two different methods. For comparison purposes, nanocomposites with magnetite nanoparticles dispersed in a non-porous polymeric matrix obtained by bulk polymerization were also investigated. Materials were characterized using several techniques such as dynamic light scattering (DLS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and magnetization measurements. SEM and TEM images showed that solid foams are made of well-defined macro pores with nanoparticles embedded in the walls. The density of the solid foams was ca. 50-70 kg m -3 , which is about 20 times lighter than the non-porous monoliths. The magnetic measurements show that both nanocomposites are superparamagnetic, and that there are differences regarding the interparticle interactions depending on matrix porosity. The synthesized materials may find applications in adsorbents, tissue reparation, enzyme supports, microreactors, or in water decontamination.

Topics in quantum field theory

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dams, C.J.F.

2006-01-01

In this PhD-thesis some topics in quantum field theory are considered. The first chapter gives a background to these topics. The second chapter discusses renormalization. In particular it is shown how loop calculations can be performed when using the axial gauge fixing. Fermion creation and

Enhanced Cycling Stability of Rechargeable Li-O2 Batteries Using High Concentration Electrolytes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Bin; Xu, Wu; Yan, Pengfei; Sun, Xiuliang; Bowden, Mark E.; Read, Jeffrey; Qian, Jiangfeng; Mei, Donghai; Wang, Chong M.; Zhang, Jiguang

2016-01-26

The electrolyte stability against reactive reduced-oxygen species is crucial for the development of rechargeable Li-O2 batteries. In this work, we systematically investigated the effect of lithium salt concentration in 1,2-dimethoxyethane (DME)-based electrolytes on the cycling stability of Li-O2 batteries. Cells with high concentration electrolyte illustrate largely enhanced cycling stability under both the full discharge/charge (2.0-4.5 V vs. Li/Li+) and the capacity limited (at 1,000 mAh g-1) conditions. These cells also exhibit much less reaction-residual on the charged air electrode surface, and much less corrosion to the Li metal anode. The density functional theory calculations are conducted on the molecular orbital energies of the electrolyte components and the Gibbs activation barriers for superoxide radical anion to attack DME solvent and Li+-(DME)n solvates. In a highly concentrated electrolyte, all DME molecules have been coordinated with salt and the C-H bond scission of a DME molecule becomes more difficult. Therefore, the decomposition of highly concentrated electrolyte in a Li-O2 battery can be mitigated and both air-cathodes and Li-metal anodes exhibits much better reversibility. As a results, the cyclability of Li-O2 can be largely improved.

Topical ganciclovir in the treatment of acute herpetic keratitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Tabbara, Khalid F; Al Balushi, Noorjehan

2010-08-19

Herpetic keratitis is caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV) and is a common cause of corneal blindness. Following a primary ocular herpetic infection, latency of the virus occurs, followed by subsequent recurrences of herpetic keratitis. Such recurrences may lead to structural damage of the cornea. Recurrent herpetic keratitis is a common indication for corneal transplantation. Recurrences of herpetic keratitis in the corneal graft may lead to corneal graft rejection. Several antiviral agents for HSV are available, including the thymidine analogs. Prolonged use of thymidine analogs may lead to toxicity of the ocular surface, including epithelial keratitis, corneal ulcers, follicular conjunctivitis, and punctal occlusions. Availability of topical antiviral agents that are safe and effective in the treatment and prophylaxis of herpetic keratitis is highly desirable. Ganciclovir is a potent inhibitor of members of the herpes virus family. The drug has been used systemically for the treatment of cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis. Its hematologic toxicity secondary to systemic administration led to its limited use in herpetic infections. On the other hand, topical ganciclovir has been shown to be as safe and effective as acyclovir in the treatment of herpetic epithelial keratitis. Furthermore, topical ganciclovir can reach therapeutic levels in the cornea and aqueous humor following topical application. Several clinical trials have shown that topical ganciclovir 0.15% ophthalmic gel is safe and effective in the treatment and prophylaxis of herpetic epithelial disease. Long-term use of ganciclovir ophthalmic gel in patients with penetrating keratoplasty following herpetic keratitis has prevented recurrences of the disease. Topical ganciclovir ophthalmic gel is well tolerated, does not cause toxic effects on the ocular surface, and does not cause hematologic abnormalities. Clinical studies have underscored the potential role of ganciclovir ophthalmic gel in the treatment and

Effects of high nitrogen concentrations on the growth of submersed macrophytes at moderate phosphorus concentrations.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Qing; Wang, Hong-Zhu; Li, Yan; Shao, Jian-Chun; Liang, Xiao-Min; Jeppesen, Erik; Wang, Hai-Jun

2015-10-15

Eutrophication of lakes leading to loss of submersed macrophytes and higher turbidity is a worldwide phenomenon, attributed to excessive loading of phosphorus (P). However, recently, the role of nitrogen (N) for macrophyte recession has received increasing attention. Due to the close relationship between N and P loading, disentanglement of the specific effects of these two nutrients is often difficult, and some controversy still exists as to the effects of N. We studied the effects of N on submersed macrophytes represented by Vallisneria natans (Lour.) Hara in pots positioned at three depths (0.4 m, 0.8 m, and 1.2 m to form a gradient of underwater light conditions) in 10 large ponds having moderate concentrations of P (TP 0.03 ± 0.04 mg L(-1)) and five targeted concentrations of total nitrogen (TN) (0.5, 2, 10, 20, and 100 mg L(-1)), there were two ponds for each treatment. To study the potential shading effects of other primary producers, we also measured the biomass of phytoplankton (ChlaPhyt) and periphyton (ChlaPeri) expressed as chlorophyll a. We found that leaf length, leaf mass, and root length of macrophytes declined with increasing concentrations of TN and ammonium, while shoot number and root mass did not. All the measured growth indices of macrophytes declined significantly with ChlaPhyt, while none were significantly related to ChlaPeri. Neither ChlaPhyt nor ChlaPeri were, however, significantly negatively related to the various N concentrations. Our results indicate that shading by phytoplankton unrelated to the variation in N loading and perhaps toxic stress exerted by high nitrogen were responsible for the decline in macrophyte growth. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vitamin E concentrations in adults with HIV/AIDS on highly active antiretroviral therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Itinoseki Kaio, Daniella J Itinoseki; Rondó, Patricia Helen C; Luzia, Liania Alves; Souza, José Maria P; Firmino, Aline Vale; Santos, Sigrid Sousa

2014-09-15

HIV/AIDS patients are probably more predisposed to vitamin E deficiency, considering that they are more exposed to oxidative stress. Additionally, there are an extensive number of drugs in the highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) regimens that may interfere with vitamin E concentrations. The objective of this study was to compare serum concentrations of alpha-tocopherol in 182 HIV/AIDS patients receiving different HAART regimens. The patients were divided into three groups according to regimen: nucleoside analog reverse-transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) + non-nucleoside analog reverse-transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs); NRTIs + protease inhibitors + ritonavir; NRTIs + other classes. Alpha-tocopherol was assessed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the effects of HAART regimen, time of use, and compliance with the regimen on alpha-tocopherol concentrations. Alpha-tocopherol concentrations were on average 4.12 μmol/L lower for the NRTIs + other classes regimen when compared to the NRTIs + NNRTIs regimen (p = 0.037). A positive association (p < 0.001) was observed between alpha-tocopherol and cholesterol concentrations, a finding due, in part, to the relationship between liposoluble vitamins and lipid profile. This study demonstrated differences in alpha-tocopherol concentrations between patients using different HAART regimens, especially regimens involving the use of new drugs. Long-term prospective cohort studies are needed to monitor vitamin E status in HIV/AIDS patients since the beginning of treatment.

Learning Supervised Topic Models for Classification and Regression from Crowds.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodrigues, Filipe; Lourenco, Mariana; Ribeiro, Bernardete; Pereira, Francisco C

2017-12-01

The growing need to analyze large collections of documents has led to great developments in topic modeling. Since documents are frequently associated with other related variables, such as labels or ratings, much interest has been placed on supervised topic models. However, the nature of most annotation tasks, prone to ambiguity and noise, often with high volumes of documents, deem learning under a single-annotator assumption unrealistic or unpractical for most real-world applications. In this article, we propose two supervised topic models, one for classification and another for regression problems, which account for the heterogeneity and biases among different annotators that are encountered in practice when learning from crowds. We develop an efficient stochastic variational inference algorithm that is able to scale to very large datasets, and we empirically demonstrate the advantages of the proposed model over state-of-the-art approaches.

Evaluation of systemic absorption and renal effects of topical ophthalmic flurbiprofen and diclofenac in healthy cats.

Science.gov (United States)

Lanuza, Rick; Rankin, Amy J; KuKanich, Butch; Meekins, Jessica M

2016-07-01

To investigate systemic absorption and renal effects of topically applied ophthalmic flurbiprofen and diclofenac in healthy cats. Twelve domestic shorthair cats. Cats were randomly assigned to two treatment groups (n = 6) and administered one drop (approximately 40 μL) of either flurbiprofen 0.03% or diclofenac 0.1% in both eyes four times daily (6 am, 12 pm, 6 pm, and 12 am) for 14 days. Blood samples were collected on days 0, 4, 8, 14, 16, and 17 and analyzed by liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry for flurbiprofen and diclofenac plasma concentrations. A complete blood count (CBC), serum chemistry, and urinalysis were analyzed at the beginning of the study (Day 0) and at the end of topical drug administration (Day 15). Both drugs demonstrated systemic absorption. Flurbiprofen was detected (mean ± SD) at day 4 (237 ± 65 ng/mL), day 8 (396 ± 91 ng/mL), day 14 (423 ± 56 ng/mL), day 16 (350 ± 66 ng/mL), and day 17 (270 ± 62 ng/mL), and diclofenac was detected (mean ± SD) at day 4 (130 ± 44 ng/mL), day 8 (131 ± 25 ng/mL), day 14 (150 ± 36 ng/mL), and sporadically on day 16 [corrected]. Flurbiprofen plasma concentration decreased slowly over 48 h after the last dose. No clinically significant abnormalities were noted in the serum blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, or urine specific gravity at the end of topical drug administration compared to the beginning of the study. Flurbiprofen and diclofenac were systemically absorbed after topical administration four times daily to both eyes of healthy cats. Flurbiprofen reached higher plasma concentrations compared to diclofenac. © 2015 American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.

Learning topic models by belief propagation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Jia; Cheung, William K; Liu, Jiming

2013-05-01

Latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) is an important hierarchical Bayesian model for probabilistic topic modeling, which attracts worldwide interest and touches on many important applications in text mining, computer vision and computational biology. This paper represents the collapsed LDA as a factor graph, which enables the classic loopy belief propagation (BP) algorithm for approximate inference and parameter estimation. Although two commonly used approximate inference methods, such as variational Bayes (VB) and collapsed Gibbs sampling (GS), have gained great success in learning LDA, the proposed BP is competitive in both speed and accuracy, as validated by encouraging experimental results on four large-scale document datasets. Furthermore, the BP algorithm has the potential to become a generic scheme for learning variants of LDA-based topic models in the collapsed space. To this end, we show how to learn two typical variants of LDA-based topic models, such as author-topic models (ATM) and relational topic models (RTM), using BP based on the factor graph representations.

PhenoLines: Phenotype Comparison Visualizations for Disease Subtyping via Topic Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Glueck, Michael; Naeini, Mahdi Pakdaman; Doshi-Velez, Finale; Chevalier, Fanny; Khan, Azam; Wigdor, Daniel; Brudno, Michael

2018-01-01

PhenoLines is a visual analysis tool for the interpretation of disease subtypes, derived from the application of topic models to clinical data. Topic models enable one to mine cross-sectional patient comorbidity data (e.g., electronic health records) and construct disease subtypes-each with its own temporally evolving prevalence and co-occurrence of phenotypes-without requiring aligned longitudinal phenotype data for all patients. However, the dimensionality of topic models makes interpretation challenging, and de facto analyses provide little intuition regarding phenotype relevance or phenotype interrelationships. PhenoLines enables one to compare phenotype prevalence within and across disease subtype topics, thus supporting subtype characterization, a task that involves identifying a proposed subtype's dominant phenotypes, ages of effect, and clinical validity. We contribute a data transformation workflow that employs the Human Phenotype Ontology to hierarchically organize phenotypes and aggregate the evolving probabilities produced by topic models. We introduce a novel measure of phenotype relevance that can be used to simplify the resulting topology. The design of PhenoLines was motivated by formative interviews with machine learning and clinical experts. We describe the collaborative design process, distill high-level tasks, and report on initial evaluations with machine learning experts and a medical domain expert. These results suggest that PhenoLines demonstrates promising approaches to support the characterization and optimization of topic models.

Implications of Industrial Processing Strategy on Cellulosic Ethanol Production at High Solids Concentrations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cannella, David

The production of cellulosic ethanol is a biochemical process of not edible biomasses which contain the cellulose. The process involves the use of enzymes to hydrolyze the cellulose in fermentable sugars to finally produce ethanol via fermentative microorganisms (i.e. yeasts). These biomasses...... are the leftover of agricultural productions (straws), not edible crops (giant reed) or wood, thus the ethanol so produced is also called second generation (or 2G ethanol), which differs from the first generation produced from starch (sugar beets mostly). In the industrial production of cellulosic ethanol high...... solids strategy resulted critical for its cost effectiveness: high concentration of initial biomass it will lead to high concentration of the final product (ethanol), thus more convenient to isolate. This thesis investigate the implementation of a high solids loading concept into cellulosic ethanol...

Basic pharmacology of topical imiquimod, 5-fluorouracil, and diclofenac for the dermatologic surgeon.

Science.gov (United States)

Desai, Tejas; Chen, Cynthia L; Desai, Alpesh; Kirby, William

2012-01-01

Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) contributes to the vast majority of nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC). As the incidence of NMSC continues to rise, topical therapies will be used with increasing frequency. Topical therapies may benefit high-risk surgical candidates as an alternative treatment modality and may improve overall cosmesis. The most commonly employed topical therapies are imiquimod, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), and diclofenac. To review the detailed mechanism of action and side-effect profiles of each topical therapy used to treat NMSC and to explore newly discovered actions. Uncommon adverse events are also presented. An extensive literature search was performed to describe the pharmacologic actions of imiquimod, 5-FU, and diclofenac. A keen understanding of the pharmacologic concepts of these topical therapies may aid the dermatologic surgeon in making sound choices before, during, and after surgery. © 2011 by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, Inc. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Resources for Topics in Architecture.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Noate, Judith, Comp.

This guide for conducting library research on topics in architecture or on the work of a particular architect presents suggestions for utilizing four categories of resources: books, dictionaries and encyclopedias, indexes, and a periodicals and series list (PASL). Two topics are researched as examples: the contemporary architect Richard Meier, and…

Web directories as topical context

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kaptein, R.; Kamps, J.; Aly, R.; Hauff, C.; den Hamer, I.; Hiemstra, D.; Huibers, T.; de Jong, F.

2009-01-01

In this paper we explore whether the Open Directory (or DMOZ) can be used to classify queries into topical categories on different levels and whether we can use this topical context to improve retrieval performance. We have set up a user study to let test persons explicitly classify queries into

Additional EIPC Study Analysis: Interim Report on High Priority Topics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hadley, Stanton W [ORNL

2013-11-01

Between 2010 and 2012 the Eastern Interconnection Planning Collaborative (EIPC) conducted a major long-term resource and transmission study of the Eastern Interconnection (EI). With guidance from a Stakeholder Steering Committee (SSC) that included representatives from the Eastern Interconnection States Planning Council (EISPC) among others, the project was conducted in two phases. Phase 1 involved a long-term capacity expansion analysis that involved creation of eight major futures plus 72 sensitivities. Three scenarios were selected for more extensive transmission- focused evaluation in Phase 2. Five power flow analyses, nine production cost model runs (including six sensitivities), and three capital cost estimations were developed during this second phase. The results from Phase 1 and 2 provided a wealth of data that could be examined further to address energy-related questions. A list of 13 topics was developed for further analysis; this paper discusses the first five.

Risk factors associated with high linezolid trough plasma concentrations.

Science.gov (United States)

Morata, L; De la Calle, C; Gómez-Cerquera, J M; Manzanedo, L; Casals, G; Brunet, M; Cobos-Trigueros, N; Martínez, J A; Mensa, J; Soriano, A

2016-06-01

The major concern of linezolid is the adverse events. High linezolid trough serum concentration (Cmin) has been associated with toxicity. The aim of this study was to analyze factors associated with high Cmin. Main clinical characteristics of 104 patients treated with 600 mg/12 hours of linezolid were retrospectively reviewed. Samples were obtained just before the next dose after at least three doses and within the first 8 days of treatment. High Cmin was considered when it was >8 mg/L. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed. 34.6% patients had a Cmin >8 mg/L, and they were older and had more frequently an estimated glomerular filtration by MDRD 8 was the renal function. Patients with an eGF 80 mL/min (OR: 4.273) and there was a trend towards a high Cmin in patients with eGF between 40-80 mL/min (OR: 2.109). High Cmin were frequent, especially in patients with MDRD <40 mL/min. Therapeutic drug monitoring could be useful to avoid toxicity in patients with renal dysfunction.

Distribution and binding of [14C]acrylamide to macromolecules in SENCAR and BALB/c mice following oral and topical administration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlson, G.P.; Weaver, P.M.

1985-01-01

To determine if differences in acrylamide distribution or its binding to DNA could be responsible for the reported higher incidence of skin papillomas observed after oral administration compared to topical application, [ 14 C]acrylamide was administered by topical application and oral intubation to male SENCAR and BALB/mice. Portions of lung, liver, stomach, testes, and skin were removed, and 14 C was measured at 15 min, 30 min, 1, 6, 12, 24, and 48 hr. Binding to DNA, RNA, and protein was measured at 6 and 48 hr. Following oral administration, few strain differences in distribution or binding were noted. After topical application, SENCAR mice generally showed higher tissue concentrations than did the BALB/c mice at the early time periods but not at the later ones. Comparing the two routes, comparable concentrations were observed in all tissues except the skin where the amount of [ 14 C]acrylamide after topical application was approximately 100 times that observed after oral administration. At 48 hr, binding to DNA was sevenfold higher after topical than after oral administration. The effect of route on papilloma formation cannot be explained, therefore, on the basis of either a difference in distribution or binding to DNA in the target organ. The binding of acrylamide to DNA in skin was similar in both SENCAR and BALB/c mice indicating that the much greater susceptibility of the SENCAR mice to tumorigenesis cannot be explained simply on the basis of distribution or macromolecular binding

A high-gain, compact, nonimaging concentrator: RXI.

Science.gov (United States)

Miñano, J C; Gonźlez, J C; Benítez, P

1995-12-01

The design procedure of a new nonimaging concentrator (called an RXI) is explained. Rays that impinge on the concentrator aperture, within the acceptance angle, are directed to the receiver by means of one refraction, one reflection, and one total internal reflection. The concentrator can be made as a single dielectric piece (in which the receiver is immersed) whose aspect ratio (thickness/aperture diameter) is close to 1/3. Ray-tracing analysis of a rotational symmetric RXI shows total transmissions of greater than 94.5% (no absorption or reflection losses are considered) when the acceptance angle of the incoming rays is small (<3°) and when the receiver area is the smallest possible (maximal concentration.).

Link-topic model for biomedical abbreviation disambiguation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Seonho; Yoon, Juntae

2015-02-01

The ambiguity of biomedical abbreviations is one of the challenges in biomedical text mining systems. In particular, the handling of term variants and abbreviations without nearby definitions is a critical issue. In this study, we adopt the concepts of topic of document and word link to disambiguate biomedical abbreviations. We newly suggest the link topic model inspired by the latent Dirichlet allocation model, in which each document is perceived as a random mixture of topics, where each topic is characterized by a distribution over words. Thus, the most probable expansions with respect to abbreviations of a given abstract are determined by word-topic, document-topic, and word-link distributions estimated from a document collection through the link topic model. The model allows two distinct modes of word generation to incorporate semantic dependencies among words, particularly long form words of abbreviations and their sentential co-occurring words; a word can be generated either dependently on the long form of the abbreviation or independently. The semantic dependency between two words is defined as a link and a new random parameter for the link is assigned to each word as well as a topic parameter. Because the link status indicates whether the word constitutes a link with a given specific long form, it has the effect of determining whether a word forms a unigram or a skipping/consecutive bigram with respect to the long form. Furthermore, we place a constraint on the model so that a word has the same topic as a specific long form if it is generated in reference to the long form. Consequently, documents are generated from the two hidden parameters, i.e. topic and link, and the most probable expansion of a specific abbreviation is estimated from the parameters. Our model relaxes the bag-of-words assumption of the standard topic model in which the word order is neglected, and it captures a richer structure of text than does the standard topic model by considering

Investigation on the improved radiation hardness of silicon detectors with high oxygen concentration

CERN Document Server

Moll, Michael; Lindström, G

2000-01-01

We present an investigation on the influence of the oxygen concentration on radiation-induced changes in the effective doping concentration of silicon detectors. Diodes fabricated from silicon with interstitial oxygen content ranging from below 2*10/sup 14/ to 9*10/sup 17/ cm/sup -3/ have been irradiated with fast neutrons up to a fluence of 2*10/sup 15/ cm/sup -2/. Our main interest focused on the so-called stable damage component in the change of the effective doping concentration being of prime importance for the application of silicon detectors in high-energy physics experiments. We demonstrate, that with a high oxygen enrichment the donor removal is appreciably reduced, reaching a value of only 10601130f the initial doping concentration for [O/sub i/]=9*10/sup 17/ cm/sup -3/, while for normal detector grade material with [O/sub i/] below 5*10/sup 16/ cm /sup -3/ that value is 60-90Furthermore, we show that the fluence proportional introduction of stable acceptors is independent of the oxygen concentratio...

Unsupervised topic discovery by anomaly detection

OpenAIRE

Cheng, Leon

2013-01-01

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited With the vast amount of information and public comment available online, it is of increasing interest to understand what is being said and what topics are trending online. Government agencies, for example, want to know what policies concern the public without having to look through thousands of comments manually. Topic detection provides automatic identification of topics in documents based on the information content and enhances many ...

Topical cyclosporine for atopic keratoconjunctivitis.

Science.gov (United States)

González-López, Julio J; López-Alcalde, Jesús; Morcillo Laiz, Rafael; Fernández Buenaga, Roberto; Rebolleda Fernández, Gema

2012-09-12

Atopic keratoconjunctivitis (AKC) is a chronic ocular surface non-infectious inflammatory condition that atopic dermatitis patients may suffer at any time point in the course of their dermatologic disease and is independent of its degree of severity. AKC is usually not self resolving and it poses a higher risk of corneal injuries and severe sequelae. Management of AKC should prevent or treat corneal damage. Although topical corticosteroids remain the standard treatment for patients with AKC, prolonged use may lead to complications. Topical cyclosporine A (CsA) may improve AKC signs and symptoms, and be used as a corticosteroid sparing agent. To determine the efficacy and gather evidence on safety from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of topical CsA in patients with AKC. We searched CENTRAL (which contains the Cochrane Eyes and Vision Group Trials Register) (The Cochrane Library 2012, Issue 6), MEDLINE (January 1946 to July 2012), EMBASE (January 1980 to July 2012), Latin American and Caribbean Literature on Health Sciences (LILACS) (January 1982 to July 2012), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) (January 1937 to July 2012), OpenGrey (System for Information on Grey Literature in Europe) (www.opengrey.eu/), the metaRegister of Controlled Trials (mRCT) (www.controlled-trials.com), ClinicalTrials.gov (www.clinicaltrials.gov), the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (www.who.int/ictrp/search/en), the IFPMA Clinical Trials Portal (http://clinicaltrials.ifpma.org/no_cache/en/myportal/index.htm) and Web of Science Conference Proceedings Citation Index- Science (CPCI-S). We did not use any date or language restrictions in the electronic searches for trials. The electronic databases were last searched on 9 July 2012. We also handsearched the following conference proceedings: American Academy of Ophthalmology, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, International Council of Opthalmology and Societas

21 CFR 868.5170 - Laryngotracheal topical anesthesia applicator.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Laryngotracheal topical anesthesia applicator. 868... topical anesthesia applicator. (a) Identification. A laryngotracheal topical anesthesia applicator is a device used to apply topical anesthetics to a patient's laryngotracheal area. (b) Classification. Class...

Research on high-temperature heat receiver in concentrated solar radiation system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Estera Przenzak

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The article presents the results of experimental and computer simulations studies of the high temperature heat receiver working in the concentrated solar radiation system. In order to study the radiation absorption process and heat exchange, the two types of computer simulations were carried out. The first one was used to find the best location for absorber in the concentrating installation. Ray Tracing Monte Carlo (RTMC method in Trace Pro software was used to perform the optical simulations. The results of these simulations were presented in the form of the solar radiation distribution map and chart. The data obtained in RTMC simulations were used as a second type boundary conditions for Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD simulations. These studies were used to optimize the internal geometry of the receiver and also to select the most effective flow parameters of the working medium. In order to validate the computer simulations, high temperature heat receiver was tested in experimental conditions. The article presents the results of experimental measurements in the form of temperature, radiation intensity and power graphs. The tests were performed for varied flow rate and receiver location. The experimental and computer simulation studies presented in this article allowed to optimize the configuration of concentrating and heat receiving system.

Generation of high-titer viral preparations by concentration using successive rounds of ultracentrifugation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ichim Christine V

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Viral vectors provide a method of stably introducing exogenous DNA into cells that are not easily transfectable allowing for the ectopic expression or silencing of genes for therapeutic or experimental purposes. However, some cell types, in particular bone marrow cells, dendritic cells and neurons are difficult to transduce with viral vectors. Successful transduction of such cells requires preparation of highly concentrated viral stocks, which permit a high virus concentration and multiplicity of infection (MOI during transduction. Pseudotyping with the vesicular stomatitis virus G (VSV-G envelope protein is common practice for both lentiviral and retroviral vectors. The VSV-G glycoprotein adds physical stability to retroviral particles, allowing concentration of virus by high-speed ultracentrifugation. Here we describe a method report for concentration of virus from large volumes of culture supernatant by means of successive rounds of ultracentrifugation into the same ultracentrifuge tube. Method Stable retrovirus producer cell lines were generated and large volumes of virus-containing supernatant were produced. We then tested the transduction ability of virus following varying rounds of concentration by ultra-centrifugation. In a second series of experiments lentivirus-containing supernatant was produced by transient transfection of 297T/17 cells and again we tested the transduction ability of virus following multiple rounds of ultra-centrifugation. Results We report being able to centrifuge VSV-G coated retrovirus for as many as four rounds of ultracentrifugation while observing an additive increase in viral titer. Even after four rounds of ultracentrifugation we did not reach a plateau in viral titer relative to viral supernatant concentrated to indicate that we had reached the maximum tolerated centrifugation time, implying that it may be possible to centrifuge VSV-G coated retrovirus even further should it be necessary

Topical glycerol monooleate/propylene glycol formulations enhance 5-aminolevulinic acid in vitro skin delivery and in vivo protophorphyrin IX accumulation in hairless mouse skin.

Science.gov (United States)

Steluti, Regilene; De Rosa, Fernanda Scarmato; Collett, John; Tedesco, Antônio Cláudio; Bentley, Maria Vitória Lopes Badra

2005-08-01

Photodynamic therapy (PDT), a potential therapy for cancer treatment, utilizes exogenously applied or endogenously formed photosensitizers, further activated by light in an appropriate wavelength and dose to induce cell death through free radical formation. 5-Aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) is a pro-drug which can be converted to the effective photosensitizer, protoporphyrin IX (PpIX). However, the use of 5-ALA in PDT is limited by the low penetration capacity of this highly hydrophilic molecule into appropriate skin layers. In the present study, we propose to increase 5-ALA penetration by using formulations containing glycerol monooleate (GMO), an interesting and useful component of pharmaceutical formulations. Propylene glycol solutions containing different concentrations of GMO significantly increased the in vitro skin permeation/retention of 5-ALA in comparison to control solutions. In vivo studies also showed increased PpIX accumulation in mouse hairless skin, after the use of topical 5-ALA formulations containing GMO in a concentration-dependent manner. The results show that skin 5-ALA penetration and PpIX accumulation, important factors for the success of topical 5-ALA-PDT in skin cancer, are optimized by GMO/propylene glycol formulations.

Topical therapy of atopic dermatitis: controversies from Hippocrates to topical immunomodulators.

Science.gov (United States)

Tilles, Gérard; Wallach, Daniel; Taïeb, Alain

2007-02-01

Although atopic dermatitis can be treated efficiently, there is still much controversy about the risk/benefit ratio of both topical corticosteroids and topical immunomodulators. Conflicting data may be found about the usefulness of bathing, diet regulation, and other therapeutic interventions. These controversies result in part from the persistence of Hippocratic doctrines in modern medical thinking. Humoralist and diathetic doctrines, as they pertain to eczema, are reviewed. The paradoxical worsening of oozing and the deadly hazards of hospitalization before the era of antibiotics are brought to mind. We hope that this historical review will improve the understanding of current controversies and help dermatologists to manage patients with atopic dermatitis and other chronic skin diseases.

Design and Optimization of Fresnel Lens for High Concentration Photovoltaic System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lei Jing

2014-01-01

Full Text Available A practical optimization design is proposed, in which the solar direct light spectrum and multijunction cell response range are taken into account in combination, particularly for the Fresnel concentrators with a high concentration and a small aspect ratio. In addition, the change of refractive index due to temperature variation in outdoor operation conditions is also considered in the design stage. The calculation results show that this novel Fresnel lens achieves an enhancement of energy efficiency of about 10% compared with conventional Fresnel lens for a given solar spectrum, solar cell response, and corrected sunshine hours of different ambient temperature intervals.

Leaching of copper concentrates with high arsenic content in chlorine-chloride media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herreros, O.; Fuentes, G.; Quiroz, R.; Vinals, J.

2003-01-01

This work reports the results of copper concentrates leaching which have high arsenic concepts (up to 2.5%). The treatments were carried out using chlorine that forms from sodium hypochlorite and sulphuric acid. The aim of this work is to obtain a solution having high copper content 4 to 6 g/l and 5 to 7 g/l free acid in order to submit it directly to a solvent extraction stage. In addition, this solution should have minimum content of arsenic and chloride ions. To carry out this investigation, an acrylic reactor was constructed where the leaching tests were made at constant temperature in a thermostatic bath under atmospheric pressure. The concentrate samples were obtained from mineral processing plants from Antofagasta, Chile. Typical variables were studied, such as leaching agent concentration, leaching time, pulp density and temperature among others. Some of the residues were analyzed by XRD and EPS. On the other hand, the solutions were analyzed by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. The results indicate solutions having the contents stated above can be obtained. (Author) 19 refs

Is a high serum copper concentration a risk factor for implantation failure?

Science.gov (United States)

Matsubayashi, Hidehiko; Kitaya, Kotaro; Yamaguchi, Kohei; Nishiyama, Rie; Takaya, Yukiko; Ishikawa, Tomomoto

2017-08-10

Copper-containing contraceptive devices may deposit copper ions in the endometrium, resulting in implantation failure. The deposition of copper ions in many organs has been reported in patients with untreated Wilson's disease. Since these patients sometimes exhibit subfertility and/or early pregnancy loss, copper ions were also considered to accumulate in the uterine endometrium. Wilson's disease patients treated with zinc successfully delivered babies because zinc interfered with the absorption of copper from the gastrointestinal tract. These findings led to the hypothesis that infertile patients with high serum copper concentrations may have implantation failure due to the excess accumulation of copper ions. The relationship between implantation (pregnancy) rates and serum copper concentrations has not yet been examined. The Japanese government recently stated that actual copper intake was higher among Japanese than needed. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate whether serum copper concentrations are related to the implantation (pregnancy) rates of human embryos in vivo. We included 269 patients (age copper, and zinc concentrations were measured 16 days after the first date of progesterone replacement. We compared 96 women who were pregnant without miscarriage at 10 weeks of gestation (group P) and 173 women who were not pregnant (group NP). No significant differences were observed in age or BMI between the groups. Copper concentrations were significantly higher in group NP (average 193.2 μg/dL) than in group P (average 178.1 μg/dL). According to the area under the curve (AUC) on the receiver operating characteristic curve for the prediction of clinical pregnancy rates, the Cu/Zn ratio (AUC 0.64, 95% CI 0.54-0.71) was a better predictor than copper or zinc. When we set the cut-off as 1.59/1.60 for the Cu/Zn ratio, sensitivity, specificity, the positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 0.98, 0.29, 0.71, and 0

Topic Time Series Analysis of Microblogs

Science.gov (United States)

2014-10-01

may be distributed more globally. Tweets on a specific topic that cluster spatially, temporally or both might be of interest to analysts, marketers ...of $ and @, with the latter only in the case that it is the only character in the token (the @ symbol is significant in its usage by Instagram in...is generated by Instagram . Topic 80, Distance: 143.2101 Top words: 1. rawr 2. ˆ0ˆ 3. kill 4. jurassic 5. dinosaur Analysis: This topic is quite

Topics in the generalized vector dominance model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chavin, S.

1976-01-01

Two topics are covered in the generalized vector dominance model. In the first topic a model is constructed for dilepton production in hadron-hadron interactions based on the idea of generalized vector-dominance. It is argued that in the high mass region the generalized vector-dominance model and the Drell-Yan parton model are alternative descriptions of the same underlying physics. In the low mass regions the models differ; the vector-dominance approach predicts a greater production of dileptons. It is found that the high mass vector mesons which are the hallmark of the generalized vector-dominance model make little contribution to the large yield of leptons observed in the transverse-momentum range 1 less than p/sub perpendicular/ less than 6 GeV. The recently measured hadronic parameters lead one to believe that detailed fits to the data are possible under the model. The possibility was expected, and illustrated with a simple model the extreme sensitivity of the large-p/sub perpendicular/ lepton yield to the large-transverse-momentum tail of vector-meson production. The second topic is an attempt to explain the mysterious phenomenon of photon shadowing in nuclei utilizing the contribution of the longitudinally polarized photon. It is argued that if the scalar photon anti-shadows, it could compensate for the transverse photon, which is presumed to shadow. It is found in a very simple model that the scalar photon could indeed anti-shadow. The principal feature of the model is a cancellation of amplitudes. The scheme is consistent with scalar photon-nucleon data as well. The idea is tested with two simple GVDM models and finds that the anti-shadowing contribution of the scalar photon is not sufficient to compensate for the contribution of the transverse photon. It is found doubtful that the scalar photon makes a significant contribution to the total photon-nuclear cross section

Topic modelling in the information warfare domain

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

De Waal, A

2013-11-01

Full Text Available for interesting and relevant topics. The objectives of this paper is to describe topic modelling, put it in context as a useful IW technique and illustrate its use with two examples. They discuss several applications of topic modelling in the safety and security...

Nitrogen concentration profiles in oxy-nitrited high-speed steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barcz, A.; Turos, A.; Wielunski, L.

1976-01-01

Nuclear microanalysis has been applied for the determination of in-depth concentration profiles of nitrogen in oxy-nitrided high-speed steel. The concentration profiles were deduced from measurements of the nitrogen content, determined by means of the 14 N(d,α) 12 C reaction for the set of initially identical samples after the removal of surface layers of sequentially increasing thicknesses. The 1.2 MeV deuterons were obtained from the Institute of Nuclear Research Van de Graaf accelerator LECH. The α-particles produced in the 14 N(d,α) 12 C reaction were detected by means of silicon surface barrier detector mounted at 150 deg C. Strong blocking of the nitrogen diffusion due to the presence of oxygen has been observed. The accuracy of nitrogen detection is of the order of 5% for nitrogen-rich regions and 10% for the matrix. However, the local non-uniformity of the steel may cause a spread of about 20% of the measured values. (T.G.)

Liver imaging with MDCT and high concentration contrast media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spielmann, Audrey L.

2003-01-01

Liver imaging has advanced greatly over the last 10 years with helical CT capability and more recently the addition of multidetector-row CT (MDCT). Multidetector CT technology facilitates imaging at faster speeds with improved image quality and less breathing artifact [Abdom. Imaging 25 (2000) 643]. Exquisite three-dimensional data sets can be obtained with thin collimation providing improved lesion detection, multiplanar imaging, and the ability to perform CT angiography of the liver and mesenteric vessels. New challenges arise with this advance in technology including safety considerations. The radiation dose to the patient has increased with MDCT and this is compounded by the ability to perform multi-phase liver imaging. Furthermore, issues of contrast media administration require reconsideration including optimal timing and rate of administration, the total volume of contrast needed and the ideal iodine concentration of the contrast media. Recently, the use of high concentration contrast media (HCCM) has been explored and study results to date will be reviewed

Topics in gravitation and gauge fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leen, T.K.

1982-01-01

The theoretical studies presented here address three distinct topics. The first deals with quantum-mechanical effects of classical gravitational radiation. Specifically, the use of the interstellar medium itself as a remote quantum-mechanical detector of gravitational waves is investigated. This study is motivated by the presumed existence of atomic hydrogen in the vicinity of astrophysical sources of gravitational radiation. Space-time curvature produces uniquely identifiable shifts in atomic hydrogen energy levels. The oscillating level shifts induced by a passing gravitational wave could conceivably be detected spectroscopically. Accordingly the level shifts for both low-lying and highly excited states of single electron atoms immersed in gravitational radiation have been studied. The second two topics deal with the theory of quantized fields on curved space-times. In the first of these studies, a naive model of cosmological baryon synthesis is examined. The model incorporates a hard CP violation as well as a baryon (and lepton) non-conserving interaction and is thus capable of generating an excess of matter over antimatter. The time dependent background geometry of the early universe drives the interaction producing net excess of baryon/lepton pairs. In the final topic, the question of renormalizability of non-Abelian gauge fields theories in a general curved space-time is addressed. All modern theories of elementary particle physics are gauge theories and one would like to know if their perturbative expansions continue to be well defined (i.e. renormalizable) on curved backgrounds. In general, one is interested in knowing if field theories renormalizable in Minkowski space remain so in a general curved space-time

Effect of Diabetes Condition on Topical Treatment of Binahong Leaf Fraction in Wound Healing Process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kintoko Kintoko

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Diabetes mellitus (DM is a metabolic disease which is becoming the first number of health problem in Indonesia, based on the results of the Basic Health Research of Ministry of Health in 2013. One of the diabetes complications affected by high levels of blood glucose is diabetic ulcers wich 85% the number of cases was overed by amputation as the result of improper handling. Herbal treatments could be an alternative treatment of diabetic ulcers, one of them is binahong plant. The results of previous studies have shown the ability of ethanolic extract of binahong leaf in accelerating wound healing in diabetic rats. This study would be a continued study to test five kinds of binahong leaf fractions (FDB with gradual solvent polarity in accelerating wound healing in diabetic ulcer. Wound healing parameters observed were percentage of wound healing from the wound diameter contraction. The test begins with ethanolic extract of binahong leaf fractionation to produce fractions of hexane (FHDB, chloroform (FKDB, ethyl acetate (FEADB, and ethanol (FEDB. Water fraction (FADB was obtained from ethanolic leaf extract residues of binahong leaf extraction. Each fraction activity was tested topically twice daily on dorsal of test animals that created wounds using a punch biopsy 5 mm diameters. Grouping of test animals were divided into 13 groups with normal control group (non diabetes, negative control (diabetes + topical application of biocream®, positive control (diabetes + topical application of madecassol, and 10 diabetes groups with topical application of 5 kinds of binahong leaf fractions with each fractions consist of a concentrations of 5% and 10% with biocream® as a vehicle. Diabetic parameters measured include blood glucose levels (KGD and weight lost percentage (PB% in day 1 and 10 during a 10-day treatment. The results showed the influence of KGD in the condition of diabetes on wound healing rats diabetic ulcers which topically treated with

An assessment of a spiral duct centrifuge using standard and high concentration aerosols

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, A.D.

1982-12-01

The Stoeber spiral duct centrifuge has been calibrated by means of polystyrene latex microspheres for the subsequent measurement of aerosol particle size distributions. Intermediate (1 g m -3 ) ad high (100 g m -3 ) sodium chloride aerosol concentrations have been sampled by the centrifuge to determine possible limitations in the equipment. Corrections have to be made for the effect of Coriolis forces, and aerosol concentrations above 1 g m -3 should be diluted before sampling. The spiral duct centrifuge is an extremely versatile instrument for aerosol analysis, and shows a high degree of reliability when operated under well-defined conditions. (author)

Task-Driven Comparison of Topic Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Alexander, Eric; Gleicher, Michael

2016-01-01

Topic modeling, a method of statistically extracting thematic content from a large collection of texts, is used for a wide variety of tasks within text analysis. Though there are a growing number of tools and techniques for exploring single models, comparisons between models are generally reduced to a small set of numerical metrics. These metrics may or may not reflect a model's performance on the analyst's intended task, and can therefore be insufficient to diagnose what causes differences between models. In this paper, we explore task-centric topic model comparison, considering how we can both provide detail for a more nuanced understanding of differences and address the wealth of tasks for which topic models are used. We derive comparison tasks from single-model uses of topic models, which predominantly fall into the categories of understanding topics, understanding similarity, and understanding change. Finally, we provide several visualization techniques that facilitate these tasks, including buddy plots, which combine color and position encodings to allow analysts to readily view changes in document similarity.

Topical Session on Materials Management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

At its second meeting, in Paris, 5-7 December 2001, the WPDD held two topical sessions on the D and D Safety Case and on the Management of Materials from D and D, respectively. This report documents the topical session on the management of materials. Presentations during the topical session covered key aspects of the management of materials and meant to provide an exchange of information and experience, including: Experience and lessons learnt from VLLW and non-radioactive material management in Spain and Germany with special attention to recycling (How specific solutions came about? Are there 'generic' examples for wider adoption?); Risk assessment of recycling and non-recycling: a CPD study; Waste acceptance issues within different national contexts (What constraints are there on the waste receiving body and what flexibility can the latter have? What constraints does this impose on D and D implementers? What about wastes are without current solution? What needs to be done? What about large items and 'difficult' waste in general?); Radiological characterisation of materials during decommissioning, particularly difficult situations - large volumes, large items,.. wastes, heterogeneous streams (What examples of established practice? What are the approaches or aspects that set the regulatory requirements? How can the flow rates be large but the answers acceptable? How much is needed to be known for later action, e. g., disposal, release, protection of worker, etc.); Radiological characterisation of buildings as they stand, in order to allow conventional demolition (What are strategies for optimisation of characterisation? How much needs to be known to take action later? e.g. for storage, disposal, release, cost estimation and ALARA? What needs to be done in advance and after decommissioning/dismantling?). At the end of each presentation time was allotted for discussion of the paper. Integral to the Topical Session was a facilitated plenary discussion on the topical

Topical steroid addiction in atopic dermatitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fukaya M

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Mototsugu Fukaya,1 Kenji Sato,2 Mitsuko Sato,3 Hajime Kimata,4 Shigeki Fujisawa,5 Haruhiko Dozono,6 Jun Yoshizawa,7 Satoko Minaguchi8 1Tsurumai Kouen Clinic, Nagoya, 2Department of Dermatology, Hannan Chuo Hospital, Osaka, 3Sato Pediatric Clinic, Osaka, 4Kimata Hajime Clinic, Osaka, 5Fujisawa Dermatology Clinic, Tokyo, 6Dozono Medical House, Kagoshima, 7Yoshizawa Dermatology Clinic, Yokohama, 8Department of Dermatology, Kounosu Kyousei Hospital, Saitama, Japan Abstract: The American Academy of Dermatology published a new guideline regarding topical therapy in atopic dermatitis in May 2014. Although topical steroid addiction or red burning skin syndrome had been mentioned as possible side effects of topical steroids in a 2006 review article in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, no statement was made regarding this illness in the new guidelines. This suggests that there are still controversies regarding this illness. Here, we describe the clinical features of topical steroid addiction or red burning skin syndrome, based on the treatment of many cases of the illness. Because there have been few articles in the medical literature regarding this illness, the description in this article will be of some benefit to better understand the illness and to spur discussion regarding topical steroid addiction or red burning skin syndrome. Keywords: topical steroid addiction, atopic dermatitis, red burning skin syndrome, rebound, corticosteroid, eczema

Penetration of topical, oral, and combined administered ofloxacin into the subretinal fluid

OpenAIRE

Cekic, O.; Batman, C.; Yasar, U.; Totan, Y.; Basci, N.; Bozkurt, A.; Zilelioglu, O.; Kayaalp, S

1999-01-01

AIMS—To assess the subretinal fluid (SRF) levels of ofloxacin following topical, oral or combined administration.
METHODS—31 patients undergoing conventional retinal reattachment surgery were randomly assigned to three groups. Nine patients received topical ofloxacin, 11 patients received oral ofloxacin, and the other 11 patients received combined administration. Collected SRF samples were analysed for drug level by using high performance liquid chromatography.
RESULTS—SRF drug levels after o...

Topical Botanical Agents for the Treatment of Psoriasis: A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Farahnik, Benjamin; Sharma, Divya; Alban, Joseph; Sivamani, Raja K

2017-08-01

Patients with psoriasis often enquire about the use of numerous botanical therapeutics. It is important for dermatologists to be aware of the current evidence regarding these agents. We conducted a systematic literature search using the PubMed, MEDLINE, and EMBASE databases for controlled and uncontrolled clinical trials that assessed the use of topical botanical therapeutics for psoriasis. The search included the following keywords: 'psoriasis' and 'plant' or 'herbal' or 'botanical'. We also reviewed citations within articles to identify additional relevant sources. We then further refined the results by route of administration and the topical botanical agents are reviewed herein. A total of 27 controlled and uncontrolled clinical trials addressing the use of topical botanical agents for psoriasis were assessed in this review. We found that the most highly studied and most efficacious topical botanical therapeutics were Mahonia aquifolium, indigo naturalis, aloe vera, and, to a lesser degree, capsaicin. The most commonly reported adverse effects were local skin irritation, erythema, pruritus, burning, and pain. However, the overall evidence for these therapeutics remains limited in quantity and quality. The literature addresses a large number of studies in regard to botanicals for the treatment of psoriasis. While most agents appear to be safe, further research is necessary before topical botanical agents can be consistently recommended to patients.

Eye Wear: MedlinePlus Health Topic

Science.gov (United States)

... When You Exercise (National Institute on Aging) - PDF Topic Image MedlinePlus Email Updates Get Eye Wear updates by email What's this? GO Related Health Topics Refractive Errors National Institutes of Health The primary ...

21 CFR 524.1193 - Ivermectin topical solution.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 6 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Ivermectin topical solution. 524.1193 Section 524...) ANIMAL DRUGS, FEEDS, AND RELATED PRODUCTS OPHTHALMIC AND TOPICAL DOSAGE FORM NEW ANIMAL DRUGS § 524.1193 Ivermectin topical solution. (a) Specifications. Each milliliter (mL) of solution contains 5 milligrams of...

eHealth Technologies as an Intervention to Improve Adherence to Topical Antipsoriatics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Svendsen, Mathias Tiedemann; Andersen, Flemming; Andersen, Klaus Ejner

2018-01-01

BACKGROUND: Topical antipsoriatics are recommended first-line treatment of psoriasis, but rates of adherence are low. Patient support by use of electronic health (eHealth) services is suggested to improve medical adherence. OBJECTIVE: To review randomised controlled trials (RCTs) testing eHealth...... interventions designed to improve adherence to topical antipsoriatics and to review applications for smartphones (apps) incorporating the word psoriasis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Literature review: Medline, Embase, Cochrane, PsycINFO, and Web of Science were searched using search terms for eHealth, psoriasis....... CONCLUSION: There is a critical need for high-quality RCTs testing if the ubiquitous eHealth technologies, e.g. some of the numerous apps, can improve psoriasis patients' rates of adherence to topical antipsoriatics....

High Temperature Chemistry at NASA: Hot Topics

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobson, Nathan S.

2014-01-01

High Temperature issues in aircraft engines Hot section: Ni and Co based Superalloys Oxidation and Corrosion (Durability) at high temperatures. Thermal protection system (TPS) and RCC (Reinforced Carbon-Carbon) on the Space Shuttle Orbiter. High temperatures in other worlds: Planets close to their stars.

Eosinophilic Esophagitis: MedlinePlus Health Topic

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... Esophagitis (EoE) (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology) Also in Spanish Latest News Eosinophilic Esophagitis May ... Pediatric and Adolescent Patients (American College of Gastroenterology) Topic Image Related Health Topics Eosinophilic Disorders Esophagus Disorders ...

Female Infertility: MedlinePlus Health Topic

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... Prolactin blood test (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish Topic Image MedlinePlus Email Updates Get Female Infertility updates ... Serum progesterone Show More Show Less Related Health Topics Assisted Reproductive Technology Infertility Male Infertility National Institutes ...

Mobility Aids: MedlinePlus Health Topic

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... Mobility Problems (AGS Foundation for Health in Aging) Topic Image MedlinePlus Email Updates Get Mobility Aids updates ... standing and walking Using a cane Related Health Topics Assistive Devices Other Languages Find health information in ...

Genetic Testing: MedlinePlus Health Topic

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... Your Family's Health (National Institutes of Health) - PDF Topic Image MedlinePlus Email Updates Get Genetic Testing updates ... testing and your cancer risk Karyotyping Related Health Topics Birth Defects Genetic Counseling Genetic Disorders Newborn Screening ...

Folic Acid: MedlinePlus Health Topic

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... acid in diet (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish Topic Image MedlinePlus Email Updates Get Folic Acid updates ... acid - test Folic acid in diet Related Health Topics Vitamins National Institutes of Health The primary NIH ...

Pneumococcal Infections: MedlinePlus Health Topic

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... Prevention, Immunization Action Coalition) - PDF Also in Spanish Topic Image MedlinePlus Email Updates Get Pneumococcal Infections updates ... ray Meningitis - pneumococcal Sputum gram stain Related Health Topics Meningitis Pneumonia Sepsis Sinusitis Streptococcal Infections National Institutes ...

Wilms' Tumor: MedlinePlus Health Topic

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... Spanish Wilms tumor (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish Topic Image MedlinePlus Email Updates Get Wilms Tumor updates ... ENCYCLOPEDIA After chemotherapy - discharge Wilms tumor Related Health Topics Kidney Cancer National Institutes of Health The primary ...

Child Safety: MedlinePlus Health Topic

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... injuries in children (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish Topic Image MedlinePlus Email Updates Get Child Safety updates ... safety Preventing head injuries in children Related Health Topics Infant and Newborn Care Internet Safety Motor Vehicle ...

Pneumocystis Infections: MedlinePlus Health Topic

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... Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish Topic Image MedlinePlus Email Updates Get Pneumocystis Infections updates ... GO MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia Related Health Topics HIV/AIDS HIV/AIDS and Infections Pneumonia National ...

Collapsed Lung: MedlinePlus Health Topic

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... Spanish Pneumothorax - infants (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish Topic Image MedlinePlus Email Updates Get Collapsed Lung updates ... Lung surgery Pneumothorax - slideshow Pneumothorax - infants Related Health Topics Chest Injuries and Disorders Lung Diseases Pleural Disorders ...

Male Infertility: MedlinePlus Health Topic

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... Spanish Testicular biopsy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish Topic Image MedlinePlus Email Updates Get Male Infertility updates ... analysis Sperm release pathway Testicular biopsy Related Health Topics Assisted Reproductive Technology Female Infertility Infertility National Institutes ...

Healthy Aging: MedlinePlus Health Topic

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... Aging National Institute on Aging Also in Spanish Topic Image MedlinePlus Email Updates Get Healthy Aging updates ... 65 Health screening - women - over 65 Related Health Topics Exercise for Seniors Nutrition for Seniors Seniors' Health ...

Psoriatic Arthritis: MedlinePlus Health Topic

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... Handouts Psoriatic arthritis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish Topic Image MedlinePlus Email Updates Get Psoriatic Arthritis updates ... this? GO MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA Psoriatic arthritis Related Health Topics Arthritis Psoriasis National Institutes of Health The primary ...

Hip Replacement: MedlinePlus Health Topic

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... invasive hip replacement (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish Topic Image MedlinePlus Email Updates Get Hip Replacement updates ... replacement - precautions Minimally invasive hip replacement Related Health Topics Hip Injuries and Disorders National Institutes of Health ...

Platelet Disorders: MedlinePlus Health Topic

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... Thromobocytopenia - drug-induced (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish Topic Image MedlinePlus Email Updates Get Platelet Disorders updates ... Willebrand disease Show More Show Less Related Health Topics Bleeding Disorders Blood Clots Blood Count Tests Blood ...

Cardiac Rehabilitation: MedlinePlus Health Topic

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... in Spanish Electrocardiogram (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish Topic Image MedlinePlus Email Updates Get Cardiac Rehabilitation updates ... How to take your pulse Pulse Related Health Topics Heart Attack Heart Diseases How to Prevent Heart ...

Cardiac Arrest: MedlinePlus Health Topic

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... Handouts Cardiac arrest (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish Topic Image MedlinePlus Email Updates Get Cardiac Arrest updates ... this? GO MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA Cardiac arrest Related Health Topics Arrhythmia CPR Pacemakers and Implantable Defibrillators National Institutes ...

Kawasaki Disease: MedlinePlus Health Topic

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... Spanish Kawasaki disease (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish Topic Image MedlinePlus Email Updates Get Kawasaki Disease updates ... GO MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA Electrocardiogram Kawasaki disease Related Health Topics Vasculitis National Institutes of Health The primary NIH ...

Diabetic Diet: MedlinePlus Health Topic

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... Sweeteners - sugar substitutes (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish Topic Image MedlinePlus Email Updates Get Diabetic Diet updates ... you have diabetes Sweeteners - sugar substitutes Related Health Topics Blood Sugar Diabetes Diabetes in Children and Teens ...

Infection Control: MedlinePlus Health Topic

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... Staph infections - hospital (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish Topic Image MedlinePlus Email Updates Get Infection Control updates ... infections when visiting Staph infections - hospital Related Health Topics Hepatitis HIV/AIDS MRSA National Institutes of Health ...

Hearing Aids: MedlinePlus Health Topic

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... for hearing loss (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish Topic Image MedlinePlus Email Updates Get Hearing Aids updates ... MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA Devices for hearing loss Related Health Topics Cochlear Implants Hearing Disorders and Deafness National Institutes ...

Kidney Tests: MedlinePlus Health Topic

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... Spanish Total protein (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish Topic Image MedlinePlus Email Updates Get Kidney Tests updates ... hour volume Show More Show Less Related Health Topics Kidney Cancer Kidney Diseases National Institutes of Health ...

Ischemic Stroke: MedlinePlus Health Topic

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... Spanish Thrombolytic therapy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish Topic Image MedlinePlus Email Updates Get Ischemic Stroke updates ... cardiogenic embolism Stroke - slideshow Thrombolytic therapy Related Health Topics Hemorrhagic Stroke Stroke Stroke Rehabilitation National Institutes of ...

Pulmonary Rehabilitation: MedlinePlus Health Topic

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... Handouts Postural drainage (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish Topic Image MedlinePlus Email Updates Get Pulmonary Rehabilitation updates ... this? GO MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA Postural drainage Related Health Topics Lung Diseases National Institutes of Health The primary ...

Concentrations: Recent Developments in Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudio Tesauro

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Recent Italian developments in antitrust concentrations was the topic I was assigned to address at the conference held on 23 April to celebrate the first anniversary of the Italian Antitrust Review. What is immediately clear is that far fewer concentrations have been notified over the last few years. This is probably due to the economic crisis, which caused a reduction in corporate transactions; but also the changes to the turnover thresholds for notification seem to have had a significant impact. Consequently, an interesting debate is underway regarding the need for further changes the threshold system. Moreover, the drastic market developments and the subsequent increased number of decisions to revise remedies should also be further examined. These two issues are the subject of this paper.

Efficacy of combination of glycolic acid peeling with topical regimen in treatment of melasma.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaudhary, Savita; Dayal, Surabhi

2013-10-01

Various treatment modalities are available for management of melasma, ranging from topical and oral to chemical peeling, but none is promising alone. Very few studies are available regarding efficacy of combination of topical treatment with chemical peeling. Combination of chemical peeling and topical regimen can be a good treatment modality in the management of this recalcitrant disorder. To assess the efficacy of combination of topical regimen (2% hydroquinone, 1% hydrocortisone and 0.05% tretinoin) with serial glycolic acid peeling in the treatment of melasma in Indian patients. Forty Indian patients of moderate to severe epidermal variety melasma were divided into two groups of 20 each. One Group i.e. peel group received topical regimen (2% hydroquinone, 1% hydrocortisone and 0.05% tretinoin) with serial glycolic acid peeling and other group i.e. control group received topical regimen (2% hydroquinone, 1% hydrocortisone, 0.05% tretinoin). There was an overall decrease in MASI from baseline in 24 weeks of therapy in both the groups (P value peel with topical regimen showed early and greater improvement than the group which was receiving topical regimen only. This study concluded that combining topical regimen (2% hydroquinone, 1% hydrocortisone and 0.05% tretinoin) with serial glycolic acid peeling significantly enhances the therapeutic efficacy of glycolic acid peeling. The combination of glycolic acid peeling with the topical regimen is a highly effective, safe and promising therapeutic option in treatment of melasma.

Antibiotic Resistance: MedlinePlus Health Topic

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... GO GO About MedlinePlus Site Map FAQs Customer Support Health Topics Drugs & Supplements Videos & Tools Español You Are Here: Home → Health Topics → Antibiotic Resistance URL of this page: https://medlineplus.gov/antibioticresistance. ...

Effect of combined topical heparin and steroid on corneal neovascularization in children.

Science.gov (United States)

Michels, Rike; Michels, Stephan; Kaminski, Stephan

2012-01-01

To demonstrate the effect of topical heparin combined with topical steroid on corneal neovascularization (CN) in children. Four children (5 eyes) with new-onset progressive CN in at least one eye received topical rimexolone or dexamethasone in combination with heparin until complete regression of CN was obtained. The regression of CN was documented by slit-lamp or anterior segment photography. All 5 eyes showed complete regression of CN within 5 months. An anti-angiogenic effect was found as early as 1 week after starting topical combination treatment. No ocular and systemic side effects were detected and treatment was well tolerated by all children. In the 3 eyes with involvement of the optical axis, symmetrical visual acuity was obtained by amblyopia treatment. Recurrence of the CN was detectable in 2 eyes at 1 and 6 months, respectively, after ending combination therapy. Both eyes responded favorably to re-treatment. Combination of topical heparin and steroid leads to rapid regression and complete inactivity of CN. This therapeutic approach is promising, especially in children with limited therapeutic alternatives and a high risk for amblyopia. Copyright 2012, SLACK Incorporated.

US Support Program Topical Meetings 1999 to 2008

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pepper,S.

2008-06-10

In 1999, the International Safeguards Project Office began organizing topical workshops to explore technical issues facing the International Atomic Energy Agency's Department of Safeguards. Representatives from IAEA member states including the United States, national laboratories and companies were invited to the workshops to discuss the technical issues. In some cases professional facilitators were hired to lead the discussions and in some cases business gaming techniques were employed. Since 1999, the following topics have been addressed Data Communication Technologies (1999), Information Security (2000), Design and Testing for High Reliability (2001), Standardization and Integration of Unattended and Remote Monitoring Systems (2002), Roadmapping: Surveillance (2003), IAEA Seals Technology Roadmapping Workshop (2004), Turning Information Into Knowledge (2004), Safeguards Tools of the Future (2005), and Advanced Sensors for Safeguards (2007). This paper will review the scope of the workshops and summarize their results.

Highly Concentrated Acetic Acid Poisoning: 400 Cases Reviewed

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Konstantin Brusin

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Caustic substance ingestion is known for causing a wide array of gastrointestinal and systemic complications. In Russia, ingestion of acetic acid is a major problem which annually affects 11.2 per 100,000 individuals. The objective of this study was to report and analyze main complications and outcomes of patients with 70% concentrated acetic acid poisoning. Methods: This was a retrospective study of patients with acetic acid ingestion who were treated at Sverdlovsk Regional Poisoning Treatment Center during 2006 to 2012. GI mucosal injury of each patient was assessed with endoscopy according to Zargar’s scale. Data analysis was performed to analyze the predictors of stricture formation and mortality. Results: A total of 400 patients with median age of 47 yr were included. GI injury grade I was found in 66 cases (16.5%, IIa in 117 (29.3%, IIb in 120 (30%, IIIa in 27 (16.7% and IIIb in 70 (17.5%. 11% of patients developed strictures and overall mortality rate was 21%. Main complications were hemolysis (55%, renal injury (35%, pneumonia (27% and bleeding during the first 3 days (27%. Predictors of mortality were age 60 to 79 years, grade IIIa and IIIb of GI injury, pneumonia, stages “I”, “F” and “L” of kidney damage according to the RIFLE scale and administration of prednisolone. Predictors of stricture formation were ingestion of over 100 mL of acetic acid and grade IIb and IIIa of GI injury. Conclusion: Highly concentrated acetic acid is still frequently ingested in Russia with a high mortality rate. Patients with higher grades of GI injury, pneumonia, renal injury and higher amount of acid ingested should be more carefully monitored as they are more susceptible to develop fatal consequences.          

Cation effect on small phosphonium based ionic liquid electrolytes with high concentrations of lithium salt

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Fangfang; Kerr, Robert; Forsyth, Maria

2018-05-01

Ionic liquid electrolytes with high alkali salt concentrations have displayed some excellent electrochemical properties, thus opening up the field for further improvements to liquid electrolytes for lithium or sodium batteries. Fundamental computational investigations into these high concentration systems are required in order to gain a better understanding of these systems, yet they remain lacking. Small phosphonium-based ionic liquids with high concentrations of alkali metal ions have recently shown many promising results in experimental studies, thereby prompting us to conduct further theoretical exploration of these materials. Here, we conducted a molecular dynamics simulation on four small phosphonium-based ionic liquids with 50 mol. % LiFSI salt, focusing on the effect of cation structure on local structuring and ion diffusional and rotational dynamics—which are closely related to the electrochemical properties of these materials.

Highly Stable Operation of Lithium Metal Batteries Enabled by the Formation of a Transient High Concentration Electrolyte Layer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zheng, Jianming; Yan, Pengfei; Mei, Donghai; Engelhard, Mark H.; Cartmell, Samuel S.; Polzin, Bryant; Wang, Chong M.; Zhang, Jiguang; Xu, Wu

2016-02-08

Lithium (Li) metal has been extensively investigated as an anode for rechargeable battery applications due to its ultrahigh specific capacity and the lowest redox potential. However, significant challenges including dendrite growth and low Coulombic efficiency are still hindering the practical applications of rechargeable Li metal batteries. Here, we demonstrate that long-term cycling of Li metal batteries can be realized by the formation of a transient high concentration electrolyte layer near the surface of Li metal anode during high rate discharge process. The highly concentrated Li+ ions in this transient layer will immediately solvate with the available solvent molecules and facilitate the formation of a stable and flexible SEI layer composed of a poly(ethylene carbonate) framework integrated with other organic/inorganic lithium salts. This SEI layer largely suppresses the corrosion of Li metal anode by free organic solvents and enables the long-term operation of Li metal batteries. The fundamental findings in this work provide a new direction for the development and operation of Li metal batteries that could be operated at high current densities for a wide range of applications.

Ocular penetration and pharmacokinetics of topical clarithromycin eye drops to rabbits.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Junjie; Wang, Liya; Zhou, Jing; Zhang, Li; Xia, Huiyun; Zhou, Tianyang; Zhang, Hongmin

2014-02-01

To evaluate the ocular pharmacokinetics of clarithromycin (CLA) eye drops topically applied to the corneas of rabbits. One 50-μL drop of CLA (0.25%) was administered to each New Zealand white rabbit in a single dose group, and one 50-μL drop of CLA was administered 6 times at 5-min intervals to each rabbit in a loading dose group. The effect of debridement on corneal penetration was also investigated in a de-epithelium group. The drug concentrations in the cornea and aqueous humor (AH) were assayed using high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) analysis. Maximum CLA levels were achieved in the corneas and AH at 15 and 60 min, respectively, in the intact epithelium eyes in the single dose group (24.54±10.64 μg/g and 0.78±0.22 μg/mL, respectively, mean±the standard error of the mean, n=8). In the loading dose group, 30 min after the last application, the CLA level in the corneas reached 92.26±17.62 μg/g. In the loading dose group, the drug levels in the corneas and AH were significantly increased compared with the drug levels in the corneas with the intact epithelium and de-epithelium eyes in the single dose group at the corresponding time points (Pcorneas and AH for the intact eyes were 103.28 and 132.61 min, respectively. Therapeutic CLA levels can be achieved in rabbit corneas after topically applying the drug with eye drops.

High fetal plasma adenosine concentration: a role for the fetus in preeclampsia?

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Espinoza, Jimmy

2012-02-01

OBJECTIVE: Clinical observations suggest a role for the fetus in the maternal manifestations of preeclampsia, but the possible signaling mechanisms remain unclear. This study compares the fetal plasma concentrations of adenosine from normal pregnancies with those from preeclampsia. STUDY DESIGN: This secondary data analysis included normal pregnancies (n = 27) and patients with preeclampsia (n = 39). Patients with preeclampsia were subclassified into patients with (n = 25) and without (n = 14) abnormal uterine artery Doppler velocimetry (UADV). RESULTS: Fetal plasma concentrations of adenosine were significantly higher in patients with preeclampsia (1.35 +\\/- 0.09 mumol\\/L) than in normal pregnancies (0.52 +\\/- 0.06 mumol\\/L; P < .0001). Fetal plasma concentrations of adenosine in patients with preeclampsia with abnormal UADV (1.78 +\\/- 0.15 mumol\\/L), but not with normal UADV (0.58 +\\/- 0.14 mumol\\/L), were significantly higher than in normal pregnancies (P < .0001). CONCLUSION: Patients with preeclampsia with sonographic evidence of chronic uteroplacental ischemia have high fetal plasma concentrations of adenosine.

The development of Cutina lipogels and gel microemulsion for topical administration of fluconazole

OpenAIRE

Ellaithy, H. M.; El-Shaboury, K. M. F.

2002-01-01

The influence of the vehicle on the release and permeation of fluconazole, a topical antifungal drug dissolved in Jojoba oil was evaluated. Series of Cutina lipogels (Cutina CPA [cetyl palmitate], CBS [mixture of glyceryl stearate, cetearyl alcohol, cetyl palmitate, and cocoglycerides], MD [glyceryl stearate], and GMS [glyceryl monostearate]) in different concentrations as well as gel microemulsion were prepared. In-vitro drug release in Sorensens citrate buffer (pH 5.5) and permeation throug...

Large-Scale Topic Detection and Language Model Adaptation

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Seymore, Kristie

1997-01-01

.... We have developed a language model adaptation scheme that takes apiece of text, chooses the most similar topic clusters from a set of over 5000 elemental topics, and uses topic specific language...

High Quality Topic Extraction from Business News Explains Abnormal Financial Market Volatility

Science.gov (United States)

Hisano, Ryohei; Sornette, Didier; Mizuno, Takayuki; Ohnishi, Takaaki; Watanabe, Tsutomu

2013-01-01

Understanding the mutual relationships between information flows and social activity in society today is one of the cornerstones of the social sciences. In financial economics, the key issue in this regard is understanding and quantifying how news of all possible types (geopolitical, environmental, social, financial, economic, etc.) affects trading and the pricing of firms in organized stock markets. In this article, we seek to address this issue by performing an analysis of more than 24 million news records provided by Thompson Reuters and of their relationship with trading activity for 206 major stocks in the S&P US stock index. We show that the whole landscape of news that affects stock price movements can be automatically summarized via simple regularized regressions between trading activity and news information pieces decomposed, with the help of simple topic modeling techniques, into their “thematic” features. Using these methods, we are able to estimate and quantify the impacts of news on trading. We introduce network-based visualization techniques to represent the whole landscape of news information associated with a basket of stocks. The examination of the words that are representative of the topic distributions confirms that our method is able to extract the significant pieces of information influencing the stock market. Our results show that one of the most puzzling stylized facts in financial economies, namely that at certain times trading volumes appear to be “abnormally large,” can be partially explained by the flow of news. In this sense, our results prove that there is no “excess trading,” when restricting to times when news is genuinely novel and provides relevant financial information. PMID:23762258

High quality topic extraction from business news explains abnormal financial market volatility.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ryohei Hisano

Full Text Available Understanding the mutual relationships between information flows and social activity in society today is one of the cornerstones of the social sciences. In financial economics, the key issue in this regard is understanding and quantifying how news of all possible types (geopolitical, environmental, social, financial, economic, etc. affects trading and the pricing of firms in organized stock markets. In this article, we seek to address this issue by performing an analysis of more than 24 million news records provided by Thompson Reuters and of their relationship with trading activity for 206 major stocks in the S&P US stock index. We show that the whole landscape of news that affects stock price movements can be automatically summarized via simple regularized regressions between trading activity and news information pieces decomposed, with the help of simple topic modeling techniques, into their "thematic" features. Using these methods, we are able to estimate and quantify the impacts of news on trading. We introduce network-based visualization techniques to represent the whole landscape of news information associated with a basket of stocks. The examination of the words that are representative of the topic distributions confirms that our method is able to extract the significant pieces of information influencing the stock market. Our results show that one of the most puzzling stylized facts in financial economies, namely that at certain times trading volumes appear to be "abnormally large," can be partially explained by the flow of news. In this sense, our results prove that there is no "excess trading," when restricting to times when news is genuinely novel and provides relevant financial information.

Quantum mechanics II advanced topics

CERN Document Server

Rajasekar, S

2015-01-01

Quantum Mechanics II: Advanced Topics uses more than a decade of research and the authors’ own teaching experience to expound on some of the more advanced topics and current research in quantum mechanics. A follow-up to the authors introductory book Quantum Mechanics I: The Fundamentals, this book begins with a chapter on quantum field theory, and goes on to present basic principles, key features, and applications. It outlines recent quantum technologies and phenomena, and introduces growing topics of interest in quantum mechanics. The authors describe promising applications that include ghost imaging, detection of weak amplitude objects, entangled two-photon microscopy, detection of small displacements, lithography, metrology, and teleportation of optical images. They also present worked-out examples and provide numerous problems at the end of each chapter.

Topical application of hemostatic paste

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Mizanur Rahman

2017-02-01

Full Text Available As a measure to control minor surgical bleeding, surgeons usually depend on a number of hemostatic aids. Topical use of bovine thrombin is a widely used procedure to arrest such minor bleeding. A 35 year old male sergeant of Bangladesh Air Force presented with repeated development of hematoma in his left thigh without any history of trauma or previous history of bleeding. Critical analysis of the patient’s history, routine and sophisticated hematological investigations revealed that the patient developed anti-thrombin antibody following the application of hemostatic paste in the tooth socket five years back during minor dental procedure to stop ignorable bleeding episodes. Therefore, topical use of hemostatic glue/paste or bovine thrombin should be avoided to desist minor bleeding as recombinant human thrombin is now available for topical use.

Comprehensive evaluation of carboxylated nanodiamond as a topical drug delivery system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lim DG

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Dae Gon Lim,1,* Ki Hyun Kim,1,* Eunah Kang,2 Sun Hee Lim,3 Jeremy Ricci,3 Si Kwon Sung,3 Myoung Taek Kwon,3 Seong Hoon Jeong1 1College of Pharmacy, Dongguk University-Seoul, Gyeonggi, 2School of Chemical Engineering and Material Science, Chung-Ang University, 3NanoResource Co. Ltd., Seoul, Republic of Korea *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: The best strategy in the development of topical drug delivery systems may be to facilitate the permeation of drugs without any harmful effects, while staying on the skin surface and maintaining stability of the system. Nanodiamonds (NDs play a key role with their excellent physicochemical properties, including high biocompatibility, physical adsorption, reactive oxygen species (ROS scavenging capability, and photostabilizing activity. Z-average sizes of carboxylated ND (ND–COOH agglutinate decreased significantly as the pH increased. Fluorescein-conjugated ND was observed only on the stratum corneum, and no sample diffused into the dermal layer even after 48 hours. Moreover, ND–COOH and ND–COOH/eugenol complex did not show significant toxic effects on murine macrophage cells. ND improved in vitro skin permeation >50% acting as a “drug reservoir” to maintain a high drug concentration in the donor chamber, which was supported by quartz crystal microbalance results. Moreover, ND–COOH could adsorb a drug amount equivalent to 80% of its own weight. A photostability study showed that ND–COOH increased the photostability ~47% with regard to rate constant of the eugenol itself. A significant decrease in ROS was observed in the ND–COOH and ND–COOH/eugenol complex compared with the negative control during intracellular ROS assay. Moreover, ROS and cupric reducing antioxidant capacity evaluation showed that ND–COOH had synergistic effects of antioxidation with eugenol. Therefore, ND–COOH could be used as an excellent topical drug delivery system with improved permeability

Topical Benefits of Two Fucoidan-Rich Extracts from Marine Macroalgae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Helen Fitton

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Two concentrated and well-characterized fucoidan-rich extracts were investigated to determine their benefits in topical applications. An Undaria pinnatifida extract, containing 85% fucoidan, and a Fucus vesiculosus co-extract, containing 60% fucoidan and 30% polyphenol, were assessed in a number of in vitro assays to measure the effect of the extracts on enzyme inhibition, glycation, antioxidant activity and Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1 protein expression. Double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical studies were also conducted to measure soothing, protection, wrinkle depth, brightness and skin spot intensity. Both extracts demonstrated marked inhibitory effects on processes linked to skin aging, including the increased expression of SIRT1 in vitro. Clinical testing established the efficacy of the extracts in a range of the tested applications, relative to placebo. The Fucus vesiculosus extract with high polyphenol content demonstrated additional in vitro antioxidant activity, as well as improved efficacy in skin brightening applications, relative to placebo. The major effects of the Undaria pinnatifida extract aided skin immunity, soothing and protection, while the Fucus vesiculosus extract most significantly affected age spot reduction and increased brightness, soothing and protection.

Complementary clinical effects of topical tightening treatment in conjunction with a radiofrequency procedure.

Science.gov (United States)

Goldberg, David J; Yatskayer, Margarita; Raab, Susana; Chen, Nannan; Krol, Yevgeniy; Oresajo, Christian

2014-10-01

Abstract Background: Skin laxity and cellulite on the buttocks and thighs are two common cosmetic concerns. Skin tightening with radiofrequency (RF) devices has become increasingly popular. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a topical skin laxity tightening agent when used in combination with an RF device. A double-blinded, randomized clinical trial enrolled twenty females with mild-to-moderate skin laxity on the posterior thighs/buttocks. Each subject underwent two monthly treatments with an RF source (Alma Accent) to both legs. Subjects were then randomized to apply a topical agent (Skinceuticals Body Tightening Concentrate) twice daily to only one designated thigh/buttock throughout the eight-week duration of the study. All subjects were evaluated for improvement in lifting, skin tone, radiance, firmness/tightness, skin texture, and overall appearance based on photographic evaluation by blinded investigators at 12 weeks following the final RF treatment. A statistically significant improvement was found in the overall appearance on both sides treated with the RF device when compared to baseline. However, the area treated with the topical agent showed a statistically significantly greater degree of improvement than the side where no topical agent was applied. No adverse effects were reported. The use of a novel skin tightening agent used after RF procedures is both safe and effective for treatment of skin laxity on the buttocks and thighs. Combined therapy leads to a better result.

Decadal and seasonal trends of nutrient concentration and export from highly managed coastal catchments.

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Yongshan; Wan, Lei; Li, Yuncong; Doering, Peter

2017-05-15

Understanding anthropogenic and hydro-climatic influences on nutrient concentrations and export from highly managed catchments often necessitates trend detection using long-term monitoring data. This study analyzed the temporal trend (1979-2014) of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations and export from four adjacent coastal basins in south Florida where land and water resources are highly managed through an intricate canal network. The method of integrated seasonal-trend decomposition using LOESS (LOcally weighted regrESSion) was employed for trend detection. The results indicated that long-term trends in TN and TP concentrations (increasing/decreasing) varied with basins and nutrient species, reflecting the influence of basin specific land and water management practices. These long-term trends were intervened by short-term highs driven by high rainfall and discharges and lows associated with regional droughts. Seasonal variations in TP were more apparent than for TN. Nutrient export exhibited a chemostatic behavior for TN from all the basins, largely due to the biogenic nature of organic N associated with the ubiquity of organic materials in the managed canal network. Varying degrees of chemodynamic export was present for TP, reflecting complex biogeochemical responses to the legacy of long-term fertilization, low soil P holding capacity, and intensive stormwater management. The anthropogenic and hydro-climatic influences on nutrient concentration and export behavior had great implications in nutrient loading abatement strategies for aquatic ecosystem restoration of the downstream receiving waterbody. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Topics in statistical mechanics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elser, V.

1984-05-01

This thesis deals with four independent topics in statistical mechanics: (1) the dimer problem is solved exactly for a hexagonal lattice with general boundary using a known generating function from the theory of partitions. It is shown that the leading term in the entropy depends on the shape of the boundary; (2) continuum models of percolation and self-avoiding walks are introduced with the property that their series expansions are sums over linear graphs with intrinsic combinatorial weights and explicit dimension dependence; (3) a constrained SOS model is used to describe the edge of a simple cubic crystal. Low and high temperature results are derived as well as the detailed behavior near the crystal facet; (4) the microscopic model of the lambda-transition involving atomic permutation cycles is reexamined. In particular, a new derivation of the two-component field theory model of the critical behavior is presented. Results for a lattice model originally proposed by Kikuchi are extended with a high temperature series expansion and Monte Carlo simulation. 30 references

Effects of meals rich in either monounsaturated or saturated fat on lipid concentrations and on insulin secretion and action in subjects with high fasting triglyceride concentrations.

Science.gov (United States)

Lopez, Sergio; Bermudez, Beatriz; Ortega, Almudena; Varela, Lourdes M; Pacheco, Yolanda M; Villar, Jose; Abia, Rocio; Muriana, Francisco J G

2011-03-01

The nature of dietary fats and fasting concentrations of triglycerides affect postprandial hypertriglyceridemia and glucose homeostasis. The objectives were to examine the effects of meals enriched in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) or saturated fatty acids (SFAs) on postprandial lipid, glucose, and insulin concentrations and to examine the extent of β cell function and insulin sensitivity in subjects with high fasting triglyceride concentrations. Fourteen men with fasting hypertriglyceridemia and normal glucose tolerance were given meals (≈10 kcal/kg body weight) containing MUFAs, SFAs, or no fat. Blood samples were collected at baseline and hourly over 8 h for analysis. The high-fat meals significantly increased postprandial concentrations of triglycerides, nonesterified fatty acids, and insulin and postprandial indexes of β cell function. However, postprandial indexes of insulin sensitivity decreased significantly. These effects were significantly attenuated with MUFAs relative to SFAs. MUFAs postprandially buffered β cell hyperactivity and insulin intolerance relative to SFAs in subjects with high fasting triglyceride concentrations. These data suggest that, in contrast with SFAs, MUFA-based strategies may provide cardiovascular benefits to persons at risk by limiting lipid and insulin excursions and may contribute to optimal glycemic control after meal challenges.

Aerodynamics of wind turbines emerging topics

CERN Document Server

Amano, R S

2014-01-01

Focusing on Aerodynamics of Wind Turbines with topics ranging from Fundamental to Application of horizontal axis wind turbines, this book presents advanced topics including: Basic Theory for Wind turbine Blade Aerodynamics, Computational Methods, and Special Structural Reinforcement Technique for Wind Turbine Blades.

SETI: A good introductory physics topic

Science.gov (United States)

Hobson, Art

1997-04-01

If America is to achieve the science literacy that is essential to industrialized democracy, all students must study such topics as scientific methodology, pseudoscience, ozone depletion, and global warming. My large-enrollment liberal-arts physics course covers the great principles of physics along with several such philosophical and societal topics. It is easy to include the interdisciplinary context of physics in courses for non-scientists, because these courses are flexible, conceptual, and taught to students whose interests span a broad range. Students find these topics relevant and fascinating, leading to large enrollments by non-scientists even in courses labeled ''physics.'' I will discuss my approach to teaching the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence (SETI), a topic with lots of good physics and with connections to scientific methodology and pseudoscience. A textbook for this kind of course has been published, Physics: Concepts and Connections (Prentice-Hall, 1995).

Affinity between information retrieval system and search topic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ebinuma, Yukio

1979-01-01

Ten search profiles are tested on the INIS system at the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute. The results are plotted on recall-precision chart ranging from 100% recall to 100% precision. The curves are not purely systems-dependent nor search-dependent, and are determined substantially by the ''affinity'' between the system and the search topic. The curves are named ''Affinity curves of search topics with information retrieval systems'', and hence retrieval affinity factors are derived. They are obtained not only for individual search topics but also for averages in the system. By such a quantitative examination, the difference of affinity among search topics in a given system, that of the same search topic among various systems, and that of systems to the same group of search topics can be compared reasonably. (author)

Analyzing the history of Cognition using Topic Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen Priva, Uriel; Austerweil, Joseph L

2015-02-01

Very few articles have analyzed how cognitive science as a field has changed over the last six decades. We explore how Cognition changed over the last four decades using Topic Models. Topic Models assume that every word in every document is generated by one of a limited number of topics. Words that are likely to co-occur are likely to be generated by a single topic. We find a number of significant historical trends: the rise of moral cognition, eyetracking methods, and action, the fall of sentence processing, and the stability of development. We introduce the notion of framing topics, which frame content, rather than present the content itself. These framing topics suggest that over time Cognition turned from abstract theorizing to more experimental approaches. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High-efficiency concentrator silicon solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sinton, R.A.; Cuevas, A.; King, R.R.; Swanson, R.M. (Stanford Univ., CA (USA). Solid-State Electronics Lab.)

1990-11-01

This report presents results from extensive process development in high-efficiency Si solar cells. An advanced design for a 1.56-cm{sup 2} cell with front grids achieved 26% efficiency at 90 suns. This is especially significant since this cell does not require a prismatic cover glass. New designs for simplified backside-contact solar cells were advanced from a status of near-nonfunctionality to demonstrated 21--22% for one-sun cells in sizes up to 37.5 cm{sup 2}. An efficiency of 26% was achieved for similar 0.64-cm{sup 2} concentrator cells at 150 suns. More fundamental work on dopant-diffused regions is also presented here. The recombination vs. various process and physical parameters was studied in detail for boron and phosphorous diffusions. Emitter-design studies based solidly upon these new data indicate the performance vs design parameters for a variety of the cases of most interest to solar cell designers. Extractions of p-type bandgap narrowing and the surface recombination for p- and n-type regions from these studies have a generality that extends beyond solar cells into basic device modeling. 68 refs., 50 figs.

A systematic review of the evidence for topical use of ginger.

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Mingshuang; Leach, Matthew J; Bradley, Helen

2013-01-01

The use of ginger as a topical intervention is widely advocated in the popular media. However, there has been no attempt to date to synthesize the evidence for topically administered ginger. To systematically review and synthesize the best available evidence of effectiveness for topical ginger in any condition. CAM on PubMed, CINAHL, Google Scholar, MEDLINE, National Library of Australia, The Cochrane Library, TRIP, pertinent texts, and bibliographies of relevant papers. Data sources were systematically searched for studies investigating the clinical effectiveness of topical ginger, in any form and for any condition, regardless of study design. Studies were limited to those published between 1980 and 2010, and published in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, or Taiwanese. Data were extracted by two authors, independently, using standardized templates. Four studies met the inclusion criteria, including three randomized controlled trials and one non-randomized controlled trial. All studies differed in terms of study population, outcome measures, comparative interventions, and dose and form of ginger used, and thus, were not amenable to meta-analysis. Findings from all trials favored usage of ginger for most outcomes. However, the small sample sizes and inadequate methodological reporting indicate a high risk of bias and the need for caution when interpreting these results. Few studies have investigated the effectiveness of topically administered ginger for any condition. Until the findings of these studies are corroborated by more robust research, and the safety of ginger is adequately established, clinicians should remain cautious about using topical ginger in clinical practice. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Treatment of mycosis fungoides with topical nitrosourea compounds: Further studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Zackheim, H S; Epstein, E H

1975-12-01

Twenty-six patients with mycosis fungoides were treated topically with three nitrosourea compounds: carmustine (BCNU), lomustine (CCNU), and 1-methyl-1-nitrosourea. A high percentage experienced good to excellent results. Remissions following treatment of individual lesions varied from one month to at least three years. Remissions following total body surface treatment varied from two weeks to at least four months. Two of 13 patients treated over the entire body suffered temporary bone marrow depression, indluding one with severe pancytopenia. This toxic effect was attributed to lomustine and was not seen in patients treated with carmustine alone. Thirteen patients highly allergic to mechlorethamine hydrochloride showed no cross-sensitivity to nitrosourea compounds. A primary irritant dermatitis occurred in about one half of the patients and telangiectasia in two. Two patients developed hypersensitivity to nitrosourea compounds. Carmustine is the preferred nitrosourea compound for topical therapy of mycosis fungoides.

Topic modeling for cluster analysis of large biological and medical datasets.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Weizhong; Zou, Wen; Chen, James J

2014-01-01

The big data moniker is nowhere better deserved than to describe the ever-increasing prodigiousness and complexity of biological and medical datasets. New methods are needed to generate and test hypotheses, foster biological interpretation, and build validated predictors. Although multivariate techniques such as cluster analysis may allow researchers to identify groups, or clusters, of related variables, the accuracies and effectiveness of traditional clustering methods diminish for large and hyper dimensional datasets. Topic modeling is an active research field in machine learning and has been mainly used as an analytical tool to structure large textual corpora for data mining. Its ability to reduce high dimensionality to a small number of latent variables makes it suitable as a means for clustering or overcoming clustering difficulties in large biological and medical datasets. In this study, three topic model-derived clustering methods, highest probable topic assignment, feature selection and feature extraction, are proposed and tested on the cluster analysis of three large datasets: Salmonella pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) dataset, lung cancer dataset, and breast cancer dataset, which represent various types of large biological or medical datasets. All three various methods are shown to improve the efficacy/effectiveness of clustering results on the three datasets in comparison to traditional methods. A preferable cluster analysis method emerged for each of the three datasets on the basis of replicating known biological truths. Topic modeling could be advantageously applied to the large datasets of biological or medical research. The three proposed topic model-derived clustering methods, highest probable topic assignment, feature selection and feature extraction, yield clustering improvements for the three different data types. Clusters more efficaciously represent truthful groupings and subgroupings in the data than traditional methods, suggesting

Topics of Bioengineering in Wikipedia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vassia Atanassova

2009-10-01

Full Text Available The present report aims to give a snapshot of how topics from the field of bioengineering (bioinformatics, bioprocess systems, biomedical engineering, biotechnology, etc. are currently covered in the free electronic encyclopedia Wikipedia. It also offers insights and information about what Wikipedia is, how it functions, how and when to cite Wikipedian articles, if necessary. Several external wikis, devoted to topics of bioengineering, are also listed and reviewed.

Topical application of recombinant activated factor VII during cesarean delivery for placenta previa.

Science.gov (United States)

Schjoldager, Birgit T B G; Mikkelsen, Emmeli; Lykke, Malene R; Præst, Jørgen; Hvas, Anne-Mette; Heslet, Lars; Secher, Niels J; Salvig, Jannie D; Uldbjerg, Niels

2017-06-01

During cesarean delivery in patients with placenta previa, hemorrhaging after removal of the placenta is often challenging. In this condition, the extraordinarily high concentration of tissue factor at the placenta site may constitute a principle of treatment as it activates coagulation very effectively. The presumption, however, is that tissue factor is bound to activated factor VII. We hypothesized that topical application of recombinant activated factor VII at the placenta site reduces bleeding without affecting intravascular coagulation. We included 5 cases with planned cesarean delivery for placenta previa. After removal of the placenta, the surgeon applied a swab soaked in recombinant activated factor VII containing saline (1 mg in 246 mL) to the placenta site for 2 minutes; this treatment was repeated once if the bleeding did not decrease sufficiently. We documented the treatment on video recordings and measured blood loss. Furthermore, we determined hemoglobin concentration, platelet count, international normalized ratio, activated partial thrombin time, fibrinogen (functional), factor VII:clot, and thrombin generation in peripheral blood prior to and 15 minutes after removal of the placenta. We also tested these blood coagulation variables in 5 women with cesarean delivery planned for other reasons. Mann-Whitney test was used for unpaired data. In all 5 cases, the uterotomy was closed under practically dry conditions and the median blood loss was 490 (range 300-800) mL. There were no adverse effects of recombinant activated factor VII and we did not measure factor VII to enter the circulation. Neither did we observe changes in thrombin generation, fibrinogen, activated partial thrombin time, international normalized ratio, and platelet count in the peripheral circulation (all P values >.20). This study indicates that in patients with placenta previa, topical recombinant activated factor VII may diminish bleeding from the placenta site without initiation

Potential pharmacokinetic role of organic cation transporters in modulating the transcorneal penetration of its substrates administered topically

Science.gov (United States)

Nirmal, J; Singh, S B; Biswas, N R; Thavaraj, V; Azad, R V; Velpandian, T

2013-01-01

Purpose We hypothesize organic cation transporters (OCT) may have a potential role in determining the pharmacokinetics and toxicity of organic cation drugs applied topically. Hence, in the present in vivo study, we attempted to evaluate the role of OCT in modulating the transport of its substrates after topical application. Methods New Zealand albino rabbits of either sex were used. Transcorneal penetration of OCT substrates tetraethylammonium and metformin after single instillation was evaluated in the absence and presence of OCT blockers (quinidine and atropine). Aqueous humor (AH) samples were collected through paracentesis amounting to 70–100 μl under topical anesthesia at various time intervals. The samples were subjected for estimation of both substrate as well as blocker concentrations using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Results Topical pre-treatment (30 min before substrate) of OCT blockers significantly decreased the transcorneal penetration of OCT substrates after single topical administration. The levels of blockers reaching AH in the presence of substrates were also modulated at 60 min after its administration as compared with its control. Conclusion OCT are functionally active in the uptake of their substrates from tear to AH. Therefore, OCT in the corneal epithelium may be positioned from apical to basolateral. When administering their substrates/blockers topically, both may be competing for OCT for their uptake across the cornea, thereby decreasing the corneal penetration. Hence OCT can have a potential pharmacokinetic role in modulating the ocular bioavailability of their substrates administered topically, which are used as ocular therapeutics. PMID:23846373

Updates of Topical and Local Anesthesia Agents.

Science.gov (United States)

Boyce, Ricardo A; Kirpalani, Tarun; Mohan, Naveen

2016-04-01

As described in this article, there are many advances in topical and local anesthesia. Topical and local anesthetics have played a great role in dentistry in alleviating the fears of patients, eliminating pain, and providing pain control. Many invasive procedures would not be performed without the use and advances of topical/local anesthetics. The modern-day dentist has the responsibility of knowing the variety of products on the market and should have at least references to access before, during, and after treatment. This practice ensures proper care with topical and local anesthetics for the masses of patients entering dental offices worldwide. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Anesthesia: A Topic for Interdisciplinary Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Labianca, Dominick A.; Reeves, William J.

1977-01-01

Describes an interdisciplinary approach for teaching the topic of anesthesia as one aspect of a chemistry-oriented course for nonscience majors which focuses on timely topics such as the energy crisis and drugs. Historical treatment with the examination of literature is emphasized in teaching. (HM)

A review of three stand-alone topical thrombins for surgical hemostasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Christine M; Meyer-Massetti, Carla; Kayser, Steven R

2009-01-01

Topical thrombins are active hemostatic agents that can be used to minimize blood loss during surgery. Before 2007, the only topical thrombins available were derived from bovine plasma. Antibody formation to bovine thrombin and/or factor V, with subsequent risk of cross-reactivity with human factor V, and hemorrhagic complications associated with human factor-V deficiencies have been described in case reports of surgeries in which bovine thrombins were used. This risk is now included in the boxed warning section of the bovine thrombin prescribing information. In 2007 and 2008, 2 new topical thrombins from nonbovine sources received approval for use from the US Food and Drug Administration. The 3 active topical thrombins that are currently marketed are bovine plasma-derived thrombin, human plasma-derived thrombin, and human recombinant thrombin. The purpose of this review was to evaluate the literature on the efficacy and safety of topical thrombins and discuss the pharmacoeconomic considerations associated with their use. PubMed, EMBASE, and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts were searched for relevant papers published in English through October 10,2008, using the terms thrombin, human recombinant thrombin, bovine thrombin, plasma derived thrombin, and topical thrombin. Manufacturer-provided materials were also reviewed. Abstracts and unpublished data, as well as evaluations of sealants, adhesives, glues, and other hemostats that contain thrombin mixed with fibrinogen and other clotting factors, were excluded. Four randomized, double-blind studies involving the active, stand-alone topical thrombins were found. The bovine thrombin involved in these studies was the predecessor to the currently marketed, highly purified bovine formulation. No studies comparing the human products, studies involving the highly purified bovine preparation, or placebo-controlled studies involving bovine thrombin were found. In a Phase III comparison of human recombinant thrombin and

Efficacy, tolerability and consumer acceptability of terbinafine topical spray versus terbinafine topical solution: a phase IIa, randomised, observer-blind, comparative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Marc; Evans, Charles; Muddle, Andrew; Turner, Rob; Lim, Sian; Reed, Jessica; Traynor, Matt

2013-10-01

Tinea pedis is one of the world's most prevalent dermatophyte infections. MedSpray™ tinea pedis 1 % w/w (topical spray) is a novel, easy-to-use propellant-based spray formulation containing 1 % w/w terbinafine, requiring no manipulation at the site of infection. This is in contrast to the only formulation currently approved in Europe for single application (none are approved in the USA for single use), which is Lamisil(®) Once 1 % w/w (topical solution), containing 1 % w/w terbinafine hydrochloride, which requires manipulation on the affected area. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy, tolerability and consumer acceptability of a topical spray versus a topical solution in the treatment of tinea pedis. This study is a phase IIa, randomised, observer-blind, non-inferiority comparative study of the topical spray compared with the topical solution over a 12-week study period. The study was conducted at Bioskin GmbH, Hamburg and Berlin. Patients (n = 120) who presented with the presence of interdigital tinea pedis caused by dermatophytes on one or both feet were enrolled in the study. Patients were randomly assigned between the two treatment groups. Either the topical spray or the topical solution was administered by the study nurse and consisted of a single application (equivalent to 20 mg of terbinafine per foot) on day 1 of the study. No further applications were made for the duration of the study. The hypothesis formulated before commencement of the study was that the topical spray would prove to be non-inferior to the topical solution. Efficacy assessments, including clinical signs and symptoms, mycology and microscopy were performed at baseline and 1, 6 and 12 weeks after treatment. The rate of mycological cure at week 1 was statistically equivalent for both treatments. There was a significant reduction in the overall clinical score as assessed by the Physician's Global Assessment of signs and symptoms for both treatment groups. The topical

Encapsulation of cosmetic active ingredients for topical application--a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Casanova, Francisca; Santos, Lúcia

2016-02-01

Microencapsulation is finding increasing applications in cosmetics and personal care markets. This article provides an overall discussion on encapsulation of cosmetically active ingredients and encapsulation techniques for cosmetic and personal care products for topical applications. Some of the challenges are identified and critical aspects and future perspectives are addressed. Many cosmetics and personal care products contain biologically active substances that require encapsulation for increased stability of the active materials. The topical and transdermal delivery of active cosmetic ingredients requires effective, controlled and safe means of reaching the target site within the skin. Preservation of the active ingredients is also essential during formulation, storage and application of the final cosmetic product. Microencapsulation offers an ideal and unique carrier system for cosmetic active ingredients, as it has the potential to respond to all these requirements. The encapsulated agent can be released by several mechanisms, such as mechanical action, heat, diffusion, pH, biodegradation and dissolution. The selection of the encapsulation technique and shell material depends on the final application of the product, considering physical and chemical stability, concentration, required particle size, release mechanism and manufacturing costs.

Tuberous Sclerosis Complex in 29 Children: Clinical and Genetic Analysis and Facial Angiofibroma Responses to Topical Sirolimus.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Senfen; Liu, Yuanxiang; Wei, Jinghai; Zhang, Jian; Wang, Zhaoyang; Xu, Zigang

2017-09-01

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a genetic disorder and facial angiofibromas are disfiguring facial lesions. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical and genetic features of TSC and to assess the treatment of facial angiofibromas using topical sirolimus in Chinese children. Information was collected on 29 patients with TSC. Genetic analyses were performed in 12 children and their parents. Children were treated with 0.1% sirolimus ointment for 36 weeks. Clinical efficacy and plasma sirolimus concentrations were evaluated at baseline and 12, 24, and 36 weeks. Twenty-seven (93%) of the 29 patients had hypomelanotic macules and 15 (52%) had shagreen patch; 11 of the 12 (92%) who underwent genetic analysis had gene mutations in the TSC1 or TSC2 gene. Twenty-four children completed 36 weeks of treatment with topical sirolimus; facial angiofibromas were clinically undetectable in four (17%). The mean decrease in the Facial Angiofibroma Severity Index (FASI) score at 36 weeks was 47.6 ± 30.4%. There was no significant difference in the FASI score between weeks 24 and 36 (F = 1.00, p = 0.33). There was no detectable systemic absorption of sirolimus. Hypomelanotic macules are often the first sign of TSC. Genetic testing has a high detection rate in patients with a clinical diagnosis of TSC. Topical sirolimus appears to be both effective and well-tolerated as a treatment of facial angiofibromas in children with TSC. The response typically plateaus after 12 to 24 weeks of treatment. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effects of topical ropivacaine on eicosanoids and neurotransmitters in the rectum of patients with distal ulcerative colitis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hillingsø, J G; Kjeldsen, J; Schmidt, P T

2002-01-01

BACKGROUND: Topical administration of lidocaine has been suggested to have beneficial clinical effects in patients with active ulcerative colitis, but the mechanism of action, if any, remains obscure. As local anaesthetics may exert anti-inflammatory actions through their inhibition of nervous...... B2 and prostaglandin E2 in rectal dialysates and concentrations of substance P, neurokinin A, somatostatin, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide and calcitonin gene-related peptide in rectal biopsies from 19 patients with active, distally located, ulcerative colitis were measured before and after......: These findings reveal no evidence of anti-inflammatory actions by ropivacaine in active ulcerative colitis and thus provide no rationale for topical treatment with local anaesthetics....

Topics in the Journal of Counseling Psychology, 1963-2015.

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, JungSu; Stewart, Alan E; Phelps, Rosemary E

2017-11-01

Historical trends in a scientific field should be apparent in the changing content of journal articles over time. Using a topic modeling approach, a statistical method for quantifying the thematic content of text, 70 topics were extracted from the abstracts of 3,603 articles published in the Journal of Counseling Psychology from 1963 to 2015. After examining interpretability of 70 topics derived from the model, 64 meaningful topics and their trends were named. In addition, the authors also classified some of the related topics into 4 categories-counseling process and outcome, multiculturalism, research methodology, and vocational psychology. Counseling process and outcome related topics have decreased recently, while topics relating to multiculturalism and diversity have shown increasing trends. The authors also discussed trends that were observed and tried to account for the changing frequencies of some important research topics within these categories. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Influence of number of topics, topic duration, and curricular focus on biology achievement of Population 3 TIMSS countries

Science.gov (United States)

Hodges, Eddie Louis

The purposes of this study were to determine if a relationship exists between biology achievement and (1) number of topics, (2) topic duration, (3) curricular focus, and (4) science achievement using TIMSS data from Population 3---the final year of secondary school. Students included in this study were subsets of the 55,675 students from 22 countries who participated in the science literacy portion of TIMSS at the Population 3 level (IEA, 1997). The sample included in this study for the four research questions were comprised of between (1) 17,769 and 37,794 students from 15 countries, (2) 17,769 and 37,794 students from 15 countries, (3) 21,715 and 46,458 students from 18 countries, and (4) 19,518 and 46,458 students from 18 countries, respectively. A Pearson's product moment correlation was used to determine whether a relationship exists between the number of biology topics addressed by intended national science curricula and mean student achievement on selected items by country. No statistically significant correlation was found by country between biology achievement and number of topics. To determine whether a relationship exists between the topic duration of biology topics addressed by released, biology-oriented, Population 3 Science Literacy items and student achievement on those items, a Pearson's product moment correlation was also used. A statistically significant correlation between biology achievement and topic duration for only one topic (Interdependence of Life) was found at the .05 level of significance. A possible relationship between the degree of curricular focus of Population 3 TIMSS countries and student achievement on selected items by country was evaluated using a Pearson's product moment correlation. No statistically significant correlation by country between biology achievement and degree of curricular focus was found. A Pearson's product moment correlation was used to determine whether a relationship exists between science literacy

Ozone concentrations at a selected high-elevation forest site downwind Mexico City

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Torres-JArdon, R.

2013-05-01

Torres-Jardón, R.*, Rosas-Pérez, I., Granada-Macías, L. M., Ruiz-Suárez, L. G. Centro de Ciencias de la Atmósfera, UNAM, México D. F. México * rtorres@unam.mx For many years, the vegetation of forest species such as Abies religiosa in natural parks located in the southwest mountains of Mexico City has attracted much attention since these parks have been experiencing a severe decline of unclear etiology. The high ozone levels in the area and the observed naked eye macroscopic, histological and cytological injuries on these species, strongly suggest an important contribution of tropospheric ozone to this deterioration process. Apart of historical short monitoring campaigns for measuring ozone levels in these mountains, it is known just a little is known about the present exposure levels at which the local vegetation is exposed. A continuous ozone analyzer has been in operation since 2011 at a high-elevation forest site (Parque Nacional Miguel Hidalgo, PNMH; 3110 m above mean sea level) located downwind of Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA), in order to characterize the local ozone diel amplitude and its seasonal trend, as well as the influence of MCMA on the local O3 concentrations. Hourly average ozone data in PNMH shows that in general, the diel of ozone concentrations in the forest site has a statistical significant correlation with the pattern of ozone levels observed in several monitoring sites (smog receptor sites) within the MCMA, although the high elevation O3 levels are relatively lower than those in the urban area (around 2200 m above mean sea level). It is possible that a part of the oxidants in the air masses are removed by sink deposition processes during the air mass transport across the hills. The diel amplitude of ozone concentrations is small in the cold season, increasing as the seasons advance to June. As in the city, the highest ozone concentrations occur in April or May and the lowest levels during the rainy season, which extends from

Effect of concentrate feeder design on performance, eating and animal behavior, welfare, ruminal health, and carcass quality in Holstein bulls fed high-concentrate diets.

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Verdú, M; Bach, A; Devant, M

2015-06-01

A total of 240 Holstein bulls (121 ± 2.0 kg initial BW; 99 ± 1.0 d of age), from 2 consecutive fattening cycles, were randomly allocated in 1 of 6 pens and assigned to 1 of the 3 treatments consisting of different concentrate feeder designs: a control feeder with 4 feeding spaces (CF), a feeder with less concentrate capacity (CFL), and a single-space feeder with lateral protections (SF). Each pen had a straw feeder and a drinker. All animals were fed a high-concentrate diet for ad libitum intake. Concentrate consumption was recorded daily using a computerized feeder, straw consumption was recorded weekly, and BW was recorded every 14 d. Animal behavior was registered on d 1, 3, 5, 8, and 14 and every 28 d by scan sampling. Eating behavior at concentrate feeders was filmed on d 12, 125, and 206. On d 7, 120, and 204, samples of rumen contents were collected for measurement of pH and VFA and blood samples were obtained to analyze NEFA, haptoglobin, glucose, and insulin. Animals were slaughtered after 223 d, and HCW and lesions of the rumen wall and liver were recorded. The accumulative concentrate consumption per animal tended (P = 0.09) to be greater with CF than with CFL and SF. Also, CV of concentrate consumption was greater (P carcass data. Also, no differences among treatments in rumen wall evaluation and liver abscesses were observed. At 7 and 204 d of study, SF bulls had greater (P animal welfare in Holstein bulls fed high-concentrate diets. However, at the beginning, there was evidence that animals fed using SF had problems with adaptation.

Topical ganciclovir in the treatment of acute herpetic keratitis

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Khalid F Tabbara

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Khalid F Tabbara1,2,3, Noorjehan Al Balushi11The Eye Center and The Eye Foundation for Research in Ophthalmology, Riyadh, 2Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 3The Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute of The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USAAbstract: Herpetic keratitis is caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV and is a common cause of corneal blindness. Following a primary ocular herpetic infection, latency of the virus occurs, followed by subsequent recurrences of herpetic keratitis. Such recurrences may lead to structural damage of the cornea. Recurrent herpetic keratitis is a common indication for corneal transplantation. Recurrences of herpetic keratitis in the corneal graft may lead to corneal graft rejection. Several antiviral agents for HSV are available, including the thymidine analogs. Prolonged use of thymidine analogs may lead to toxicity of the ocular surface, including epithelial keratitis, corneal ulcers, follicular conjunctivitis, and punctal occlusions. Availability of topical antiviral agents that are safe and effective in the treatment and prophylaxis of herpetic keratitis is highly desirable. Ganciclovir is a potent inhibitor of members of the herpes virus family. The drug has been used systemically for the treatment of cytomegalovirus (CMV retinitis. Its hematologic toxicity secondary to systemic administration led to its limited use in herpetic infections. On the other hand, topical ganciclovir has been shown to be as safe and effective as acyclovir in the treatment of herpetic epithelial keratitis. Furthermore, topical ganciclovir can reach therapeutic levels in the cornea and aqueous humor following topical application. Several clinical trials have shown that topical ganciclovir 0.15% ophthalmic gel is safe and effective in the treatment and prophylaxis of herpetic epithelial disease. Long-term use of ganciclovir ophthalmic

Human parvovirus B19 infection in hemophiliacs first infused with two high-purity, virally attenuated factor VIII concentrates.

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Azzi, A; Ciappi, S; Zakvrzewska, K; Morfini, M; Mariani, G; Mannucci, P M

1992-03-01

Human parvovirus B19 can be transmitted by coagulation factor concentrates and is highly resistant to virucidal methods. To evaluate whether the additional removal of virus by chromatographic methods during the manufacture of high-purity concentrates reduces the risk of B19 transmission, we have prospectively evaluated the rate of anti-B19 seroconversion in two groups of susceptible (anti-B19 negative) hemophiliacs infused with high-purity, heated (pasteurized) or solvent-detergent-treated factor VIII concentrates. Both products infected a relatively high proportion of patients (nine of 20).

Topical tacrolimus for atopic dermatitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Cury Martins, Jade; Martins, Ciro; Aoki, Valeria; Gois, Aecio F T; Ishii, Henrique A; da Silva, Edina M K

2015-07-01

SCORAD (SCORing Atopic Dermatitis), the EASI (Eczema Area and Severity Index), and BSA (Body Surface Area) scores. We included 20 studies, with 5885 participants. The variability of drug doses, outcomes, and follow-up periods made it difficult to carry out meta-analyses.A single trial showed that tacrolimus 0.1% was better than low-potency TCS by the physician's assessment (risk ratio (RR) 3.09, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.14 to 4.45, 1 study, n = 371, moderate-quality evidence). It was also marginally better than low-potency TCS on face and neck areas and moderate-potency TCS on the trunk and extremities by the physician's assessment (RR 1.32, 95% CI 1.17 to 1.49, 1 study, n = 972, moderate level of evidence) and for some of the secondary outcomes. Compared with pimecrolimus 1%, people treated with tacrolimus were almost twice as likely to improve by the physician's assessment (RR 1.80, 95% CI 1.34 to 2.42, 2 studies, n = 506, moderate quality of evidence). Compared with the lower concentration of 0.03%, the tacrolimus 0.1% formulation reduced the risk of not having an improvement by 18% as evaluated by the physician's assessment (RR 0.82, 95% CI 0.72 to 0.92, 6 studies, n = 1640, high-quality evidence). Tacrolimus 0.1% compared with moderate-to-potent TCS showed no difference by the physician's assessment, and 2 secondary outcomes (1 study, 377 participants) and a marginal benefit favouring tacrolimus 0.1% was found by the participant's assessment (RR 1.21, 95% CI 1.13 to 1.29, 1 study, n = 974, low quality of evidence) and SCORAD.Based on data from 2 trials, tacrolimus 0.03% was superior to mild TCS for the physician's assessment (RR 2.58, 95% CI 1.96 to 3.38, 2 studies, n = 790, moderate-quality evidence) and the participant's self-assessment (RR 1.64, 95% CI 1.41 to 1.90, 1 study, n = 416, moderate quality of evidence). One trial showed moderate benefit of tacrolimus 0.03% compared with pimecrolimus 1% on the physician's assessment (RR 1.42, 95% CI 1.02 to 1

Effect of high Xe-concentration in a plasma display panel with a SrCaO cold cathode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uchida, Giichiro; Kajiyama, Hiroshi; Shinoda, Tsutae; Uchida, Satoshi; Akiyama, Toshiyuki

2010-01-01

We present here measurements of high Xe-contents plasma display panel (PDP) with SrCaO cold cathode. Luminous efficacy (η) shows a two-step increase with Xe-concentration in Ne/Xe gas mixture: η drastically increases up to Xe-concentration of 30% (Xe: 30%), and then attains 5 lm/W at the highest Xe-concentration of Xe: 100%. The high performance PDP with Xe: 100% can be operated at low applied voltage between 230 and 377 V due to the high secondary electron emission from the SrCaO cathode. Emission measurements clearly show the change in discharge characteristics at Xe: 30%, where the discharge changes from a Ne/Xe mixture discharge to an almost pure Xe discharge, and the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation from the combination of resonance and excimer radiations to only excimer radiation. Theoretical analysis solving Boltzmann equation for electron demonstrates that increasing Xe-concentration enhances the collision frequency for electron impact excitation directly from ground state to lower levels concerned with the VUV radiation, resulting in a drastic increase in luminous efficacy up to Xe: 30%. Also, one-dimensional fluid simulation of a Ne/Xe dielectric barrier discharge clearly shows that a combination of high secondary electron emission cathode and high Xe-concentration is quite effective for high VUV radiation efficiency because it induces a drastic increase in electron-heating efficiency.

Topics in supergravity and string theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eastaugh, A.G.

1987-01-01

The first topic covered in this dissertation concerns the harmonic expansion technique and its application to the dimensional compactification of higher dimensional supergravity. A simple example is given to explain the method and then the method is applied to the problem of obtaining the mass spectrum of the squashed seven-sphere compactification of eleven dimensional supergravity. The second topic concerns the application of Fujikawa's method of anomaly calculation to the calculation of the critical dimension of various string models. The third topic is a study and explicit calculation of the Fock space representation of the vertex in Witten's formulation of the interacting open bosonic string field theory

PKU: high plasma phenylalanine concentrations are associated with increased prevalence of mood swings.

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Anjema, Karen; van Rijn, Margreet; Verkerk, Paul H; Burgerhof, Johannes G M; Heiner-Fokkema, M Rebecca; van Spronsen, Francjan J

2011-11-01

In phenylketonuria, knowledge about the relation between behavior and plasma phenylalanine is scarce. The aim of this study was to determine whether high phenylalanine is associated with disturbed behavior noticed by the patient and or close environment (parents or partners). 48 early treated PKU patients (median age 8.5, range 0-35 years) participated (median phenylalanine concentration in total sample 277 (range 89-1171) μmol/l; and in patients introvert or extravert behavior. The interviewer as well as the respondents were blinded with regard to the phenylalanine concentration. Patients reported less deviant behavior compared to close environment. Mood swings were positively associated with phenylalanine concentrations in the total group (P=0.039) and patients introvert and extravert behavior were not statistically significant. there is a positive association between phenylalanine concentrations and mood swings. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Investigation on the effect of thermal resistances on a highly concentrated photovoltaic-thermoelectric hybrid system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Jin; Xuan, Yimin

2016-01-01

Highlights: • The highly concentrated PV-TE hybrid system is studied. • The performances of different cooling systems are analyzed and compared. • Sandwiching a copper plate between the PV and TE can improve the efficiency. • Four thermal design principles of the system are proposed. - Abstract: A thermal analysis of a highly concentrated photovoltaic-thermoelectric (PV-TE) hybrid system is carried out in this paper. Both the output power and the temperature distribution in the hybrid system are calculated by means of a three-dimensional numerical model. Three possible approaches for designing the highly concentrated PV-TE hybrid system are presented by analyzing the thermal resistance of the whole system. First, the sensitivity analysis shows that the thermal resistance between the TE module and the environment has a more great effect on the output power than the thermal resistance between the PV and the TE. The influence of the natural convection and the radiation can be ignored for the highly concentrated PV-TE hybrid system. Second, it is necessary to sandwich a copper plate between the PV and the TE for decreasing the thermal resistance between the PV and the TE. The role of the copper plate is to improve the temperature uniformity. Third, decreasing the area of PV cells can improve the efficiency of the highly concentrated PV-TE hybrid system. It should be pointed out that decreasing the area of PV cells also increases the total thermal resistance, but the raise of the efficiency is caused by the reduction of the heat transfer rate of the system. Therefore, the principle of minimizing the total thermal resistance may not be suitable for optimizing the area of PV cells.