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Response Time (response + time)
Kinds of Response Time Terms modified by Response Time Selected AbstractsResponse Time of Wetland Biodiversity to Road Construction on Adjacent LandsCONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2000C. Scot T Findlay Species loss is unlikely to occur immediately, however. Rather, populations of susceptible species are expected to decline gradually after road construction, with local extinction occurring sometime later. We document lags in wetland biodiversity loss in response to road construction by fitting regression models that express species richness of different taxa ( birds, mammals, plants, and herptiles) as a function of both current and historical road densities on adjacent lands. The proportion of variation in herptile and bird richness explained by road densities increased significantly when past densities were substituted for more current densities in multiple regression models. Moreover, for vascular plants, birds, and herptiles, there were significant negative effects of historical road densities when the most current densities were controlled statistically. Our results provide evidence that the full effects of road construction on wetland biodiversity may be undetectable in some taxa for decades. Such lags in response to changes in anthropogenic stress have important implications for land-use planning and environmental impact assessment. Resumen: La construcción de caminos puede resultar en significativas pérdidas de biodiversidad tanto a escala local como regional debido a la restricción de movimiento entre poblaciones, incremento de la mortalidad, fragmentación de hábitat y efectos de borde, invasión de especies exóticas o mayor acceso de humanos a hábitats silvestres, con lo cual se espera que se incrementen las tasas locales de extinción o disminuyan las tasas locales de recolonización. Sin embargo, es improbable que la pérdida de especies ocurra inmediatamente. Más bien, se espera que las poblaciones de especies susceptibles declinen gradualmente después de la construcción del camino, extinguiéndose localmente poco tiempo después. Documentamos la pérdida de biodiversidad en humedales como respuesta a la construcción de caminos ajustando modelos de regresión que expresan la riqueza de especies de diferentes taxa (aves, mamíferos, plantas, reptiles y anfibios) como una función de las densidades actual e histórica de los caminos en tierras adyacentes. La proporción de variación en anfibios, reptiles y aves incrementó significativamente cuando las densidades históricas fueron sustituidas por densidades actuales en los modelos de regresión múltiple. Más aun, hubo efectos negativos significativos de las densidades de caminos históricas para plantas vasculares, aves, anfibios y reptiles cuando las densidades actuales fueron estadísticamente controladas. Nuestros resultados proporcionan evidencia de que los efectos de la construcción de caminos sobre la biodiversidad de humedales pueden se indetectables para algunos taxa por décadas. Tales rezagos en la respuesta a cambios en el estrés antropogénico tienen implicaciones importantes en la planificación de uso del suelo y la evaluación de impacto ambiental. [source] A scheme for solving Anycast scalability in IPv6INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NETWORK MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2008Wang Xiaonan The existing designs for providing Anycast services are either to confine Anycast groups to a preconfigured topological region or to distribute Anycast groups globally across the whole Internet. The latter causes routing tables to grow proportionally to the number of global Anycast groups in the entire Internet and both of the above designs restrict and hinder the application and development of Anycast services. A new kind of Anycast communication scheme is proposed in this paper. This scheme adopts a novel Anycast address structure which can achieve a dynamic Anycast group while allowing Anycast members to freely leave and join the Anycast group without geographical restriction and it effectively solves the expanding explosion of the Anycast routing table. In addition, this scheme can evenly disperse Anycast request messages from clients across the Anycast servers of one Anycast group, thus achieving load balance. This paper analyzes the communication scheme in depth and discusses its feasibility and validity. The experimental data in IPv6 simulation demonstrate that the TRT (Total Response Time) of one Anycast service (e.g., file downloading) acquired through this communication scheme is shorter by 15% than that through the existing Anycast communication scheme. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] An Application of Item Response Time: The Effort-Moderated IRT ModelJOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT, Issue 1 2006Steven L. Wise The validity of inferences based on achievement test scores is dependent on the amount of effort that examinees put forth while taking the test. With low-stakes tests, for which this problem is particularly prevalent, there is a consequent need for psychometric models that can take into account differing levels of examinee effort. This article introduces the effort-moderated IRT model, which incorporates item response time into proficiency estimation and item parameter estimation. In two studies of the effort-moderated model when rapid guessing (i.e., reflecting low examinee effort) was present, one based on real data and the other on simulated data, the effort-moderated model performed better than the standard 3PL model. Specifically, it was found that the effort-moderated model (a) showed better model fit, (b) yielded more accurate item parameter estimates, (c) more accurately estimated test information, and (d) yielded proficiency estimates with higher convergent validity. [source] Cognitive effects of a Ginkgo biloba/vinpocetine compound in normal adults: systematic assessment of perception, attention and memoryHUMAN PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY: CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL, Issue 5 2001John Polich Abstract A computerized test battery was used in a double-blind design to assess the cognitive effects of a nutrient compound containing Ginkgo biloba in 24 normal adults. Ten tasks (perceptual, attention and short-term memory) were presented in a standardized manner designed to maximize performance, with substantial pre-test practice employed to minimize response variability. Subjects were given either placebo or Ginkgo biloba extract capsules to consume for 14 days, after which they performed all tasks twice. They then received the other condition, and after 14 days completed the final test session. Response time and error rate stabilized after pre-test practice. A ,working memory capacity' paradigm demonstrated a reliable 50,ms response time decrease between the placebo and Ginkgo biloba testing, suggesting that Ginkgo biloba speeds short-term working memory processing in normal adults. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Visual working memory of jungle crows (Corvus macrorhynchos) in operant delayed matching-to-sample,JAPANESE PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH, Issue 3 2009KAZUHIRO GOTO Abstract We examined the capacity of visual working memory in three male jungle crows using an operant delayed matching-to-sample procedure. In the delayed matching-to-sample, each trial started with the presentation of a sample stimulus, followed by the presentation of comparison stimuli after a delay interval. The choice of the matching comparison was rewarded. Jungle crows showed a steady decline in proportion correct with increasing delay interval. The proportion correct was higher when the sample stimulus was the same in the preceding trial, suggesting that proactive interference prevented the birds from retrieving the memory successfully. The analysis of response time revealed that response time was faster in correct than incorrect trials when the matching performance was acquired. Furthermore, response time linearly increased as the delay interval increased. Response time may reflect the processing of scanning memory as well as the level of confidence in their choice when retrieving. [source] Altered representation of expected value in the orbitofrontal cortex in maniaHUMAN BRAIN MAPPING, Issue 7 2010Felix Bermpohl Abstract Objective: Increased responsiveness to appetitive and reduced responsiveness to aversive anticipatory cues may be associated with dysfunction of the brain reward system in mania. Here we studied neural correlates of gain and loss expectation in mania using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Method: Fifteen manic patients and 26 matched healthy control individuals performed a monetary incentive delay task, during which subjects anticipated to win or lose a varying amount of money. Varying both magnitude and valence (win, loss) of anticipatory cues allowed us to isolate the effects of magnitude, valence and expected value (magnitude-by-valence interaction). Results: Response times and total gain amount did not differ significantly between groups. FMRI data indicated that the ventral striatum responded according to cued incentive magnitude in both groups, and this effect did not significantly differ between groups. However, a significant group difference was observed for expected value representation in the left lateral orbitofrontal cortex (OFC; BA 11 and 47). In this region, patients showed increasing BOLD responses during expectation of increasing gain and decreasing responses during expectation of increasing loss, while healthy subjects tended to show the inverse effect. In seven patients retested after remission OFC responses adapted to the response pattern of healthy controls. Conclusions: The observed alterations are consistent with a state-related affective processing bias during the expectation of gains and losses which may contribute to clinical features of mania, such as the enhanced motivation for seeking rewards and the underestimation of risks and potential punishments. Hum Brain Mapp, 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Alcohol and Cognitive Function: Assessment in Everyday Life and Laboratory Settings Using Mobile PhonesALCOHOLISM, Issue 12 2009Brian Tiplady Background:, Mobile phone (cellphone) technology makes it practicable to assess cognitive function in a natural setting. We assessed this method and compared impairment of performance due to alcohol in everyday life with measurements made in the laboratory. Methods:, Thirty-eight volunteers (20 male, aged 18,54 years) took part in the everyday study, completing assessments twice a day for 14 days following requests sent by text messages to the mobile phone. Twenty-six of them (12 male, aged 19,54) took part in a subsequent two-period crossover lab study comparing alcohol with no alcohol (placebo). Results:, Everyday entries with 5 or more units of alcohol consumed in the past 6 hours (inferred mean blood alcohol concentration 95 ml/100 ml) showed higher scores for errors in tests of attention and working memory compared with entries with no alcohol consumed that day. Response times were impaired for only 1 test, sustained attention to response. The laboratory comparison of alcohol (mean blood alcohol concentration 124 mg/100 ml) with placebo showed impairment to both reaction time and error scores for all tests. A similar degree of subjective drunkenness was reported in both settings. Conclusions:, We found that mobile phones allowed practical research on cognitive performance in an everyday life setting. Alcohol impaired function in both laboratory and everyday life settings at relevant doses of alcohol. [source] Effect of ,-adrenoceptor antagonists on autonomic control of ciliary smooth muscleOPHTHALMIC AND PHYSIOLOGICAL OPTICS, Issue 5 2002Barry Winn Abstract Purpose: Pharmacological intervention with peripheral sympathetic transmission at ciliary smooth muscle neuro-receptor junctions has been used against a background of controlled parasympathetic activity to investigate the characteristics of autonomic control of ocular accommodation. Methods: A continuously recording infra-red optometer was used to measure accommodation on a group of five visually normal emmetropic subjects under open- and closed-loop conditions. A double-blind protocol between saline, timolol and betaxolol was used to differentiate between the localised action on ciliary smooth muscle and effects induced by changes in stimulus conditions. Data were collected before and 45 min following the instillation of saline, timolol or betaxolol. Open-loop post-task decay was investigated following 3 min sustained near fixation of a stimulus placed 3 D above the subject's pre-task tonic accommodation level. Closed-loop dynamic responses were recorded for each treatment condition while subjects viewed sinusoidally (0.05,0.6 Hz) or stepwise vergence-modulated targets over a 2 D range (2,4 D). Results: Open-loop data demonstrate a rapid post-task regression to pre-task tonic accommodation levels for saline and betaxolol control conditions. A slow positive post-task shift was induced by timolol indicating that sympathetic inhibition contributes to accommodative adaptation during sustained near vision. Closed-loop accommodation responses to temporally modulated sinusoidal stimuli showed characteristic features for both saline and betaxolol control conditions. Timolol induced a reduced gain for low- and mid-temporal frequencies (< 0.3 Hz) but did not affect the response at higher temporal frequencies. Response times to stepwise stimuli increased following the instillation of timolol for the near-to-far fixation condition compared with the controls and was related to the period of sustained prior fixation. Conclusions: Modulation of accommodation under open- and closed-loop conditions by a non-selective ,-blocker is consistent with the temporal and inhibitory features of sympathetic innervation to ciliary smooth muscle. Although parasympathetic innervation predominates there is evidence to support a role for sympathetic innervation in the control of ocular accommodation. [source] Cognitive effects of radiation emitted by cellular phones: The influence of exposure side and timeBIOELECTROMAGNETICS, Issue 3 2009Roy Luria Abstract This study examined the time dependence effects of exposure to radiofrequency radiation (RFR) emitted by standard GSM cellular phones on the cognitive functions of humans. A total of 48 healthy right-handed male subjects performed a spatial working memory task (that required either a left-hand or a right-hand response) while being exposed to one of two GSM phones placed at both sides of the head. The subjects were randomly divided into three groups. Each group was exposed to one of three exposure conditions: left-side of the head, right-side, or sham-exposure. The experiment consisted of 12 blocks of trials. Response times (RTs) and accuracy of the responses were recorded. It was found that the average RT of the right-hand responses under left-side exposure condition was significantly longer than those of the right-side and sham-exposure groups averaged together during the first two time blocks. These results confirmed the existence of an effect of exposure on RT, as well as the fact that exposure duration (together with the responding hand and the side of exposure) may play an important role in producing detectable RFR effects on performance. Differences in these parameters might be the reason for the failure of certain studies to detect or replicate RFR effects. Bioelectromagnetics 30:198,204, 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Decreased drug-cue-induced attentional bias in individuals with treated and untreated drug dependenceACTA NEUROPSYCHIATRICA, Issue 4 2009Simona Gardini Objective: The present study investigated the attentional bias induced by drug-related stimuli in active abusers; abstinent abusers on opioid substitution therapy; and abstinent drug-dependent patients in recovery on a community-based non-pharmacological therapy programme. Drug-dependent groups included both cocaine and heroin abusers. Methods: Classical and emotional Stroop tasks were used to test all drug-dependent patients and controls with no history of addiction. Response times were recorded. An interference effect was obtained by comparing the congruent and incongruent conditions in the classical Stroop version. An attentional bias towards drug cues was derived by comparing latencies in the neutral and emotional conditions of the emotional Stroop. Results: No between-group differences were found in the classical Stroop. In the emotional Stroop, active drug-dependent patients showed higher attentional bias (i.e. longer response times to drug-related words) than any of the other three groups. Conclusion: The attentional bias induced by drug cues in patients with addiction disorder might change depending on the patients' clinical status. All treated patients, whether on opioid substitution therapy or on community therapy, showed less attentional bias towards drug-related stimuli than active drug users, although the observed smaller bias was most likely induced by therapy acting through different mechanisms. Although drug-cues response is influenced by other multiple variables, e.g. motivation, craving, classical conditioning and substance availability, these data lend support to the hypothesis that treatment might contribute to decrease the attentional bias towards drug cues, which seems to play a critical role in achieving a positive outcome in the treatment of addiction. [source] A standards-based Grid resource brokering service supporting advance reservations, coallocation, and cross-Grid interoperabilityCONCURRENCY AND COMPUTATION: PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE, Issue 18 2009Erik Elmroth Abstract The problem of Grid-middleware interoperability is addressed by the design and analysis of a feature-rich, standards-based framework for all-to-all cross-middleware job submission. The architecture is designed with focus on generality and flexibility and builds on extensive use, internally and externally, of (proposed) Web and Grid services standards such as WSRF, JSDL, GLUE, and WS-Agreement. The external use provides the foundation for easy integration into specific middlewares, which is performed by the design of a small set of plugins for each middleware. Currently, plugins are provided for integration into Globus Toolkit 4 and NorduGrid/ARC. The internal use of standard formats facilitates customization of the job submission service by replacement of custom components for performing specific well-defined tasks. Most importantly, this enables the easy replacement of resource selection algorithms by algorithms that address the specific needs of a particular Grid environment and job submission scenario. By default, the service implements a decentralized brokering policy, striving to optimize the performance for the individual user by minimizing the response time for each job submitted. The algorithms in our implementation perform resource selection based on performance predictions, and provide support for advance reservations as well as coallocation of multiple resources for coordinated use. The performance of the system is analyzed with focus on overall service throughput (up to over 250 jobs per min) and individual job submission response time (down to under 1,s). Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Gossip-based search selection in hybrid peer-to-peer networksCONCURRENCY AND COMPUTATION: PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE, Issue 2 2008M. Zaharia Abstract We present GAB, a search algorithm for hybrid peer-to-peer networks, that is, networks that search using both flooding and a distributed hash table (DHT). GAB uses a gossip-style algorithm to collect global statistics about document popularity to allow each peer to make intelligent decisions about which search style to use for a given query. Moreover, GAB automatically adapts to changes in the operating environment. Synthetic and trace-driven simulations show that compared to a simple hybrid approach that always floods first, trying a DHT if too few results are found, GAB reduces the response time by 25,50% and the average query bandwidth cost by 45%, with no loss in recall. GAB scales well, with only a 7% degradation in performance despite a tripling in system size. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Resource reservations with fuzzy requestsCONCURRENCY AND COMPUTATION: PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE, Issue 13 2006T. Röblitz Abstract We present a scheme for reserving job resources with imprecise requests. Typical parameters such as the estimated runtime, the start time or the type or number of required CPUs need not be fixed at submission time but can be kept fuzzy in some aspects. Users may specify a list of preferences which guide the system in determining the best matching resources for the given job. Originally, the impetus for our work came from the need for efficient co-reservation mechanisms in the Grid where rigid constraints on multiple job components often make it difficult to find a feasible solution. Our method for handling fuzzy reservation requests gives the users more freedom to specify the requirements and it gives the Grid Reservation Service more flexibility to find optimal solutions. In the future, we will extend our methods to process co-reservations. We evaluated our algorithms with real workload traces from a large supercomputer site. The results indicate that our scheme greatly improves the flexibility of the solution process without having much affect on the overall workload of a site. From a user's perspective, only about 10% of the non-reservation jobs have a longer response time, and from a site administrator's view, the makespan of the original workload is extended by only 8% in the worst case. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Nitric oxide bioavailability modulates the dynamics of microvascular oxygen exchange during recovery from contractionsACTA PHYSIOLOGICA, Issue 2 2010D. M. Hirai Abstract Aim:, Lowered microvascular PO2 (PO2mv) during the exercise off-transient likely impairs muscle metabolic recovery and limits the capacity to perform repetitive tasks. The current investigation explored the impact of altered nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability on PO2mv during recovery from contractions in healthy skeletal muscle. We hypothesized that increased NO bioavailability (sodium nitroprusside: SNP) would enhance PO2mv and speed its recovery kinetics while decreased NO bioavailability (l -nitro arginine methyl ester: l -NAME) would reduce PO2mv and slow its recovery kinetics. Methods:,PO2mv was measured by phosphorescence quenching during transitions (rest,1 Hz twitch-contractions for 3 min,recovery) in the spinotrapezius muscle of Sprague,Dawley rats under SNP (300 ,m), Krebs-Henseleit (Control) and l -NAME (1.5 mm) superfusion conditions. Results:, Relative to recovery in Control, SNP resulted in greater overall microvascular oxygenation as assessed by the area under the PO2mv curve (PO2 AREA; Control: 3471 ± 292 mmHg s; SNP: 4307 ± 282 mmHg s; P < 0.05) and faster off-kinetics as evidenced by the mean response time (MRToff; Control: 60.2 ± 6.9 s; SNP: 34.8 ± 5.7 s; P < 0.05), whereas l -NAME produced lower PO2 AREA (2339 ± 444 mmHg s; P < 0.05) and slower MRToff (86.6 ± 14.5 s; P < 0.05). Conclusion:, NO bioavailability plays a key role in determining the matching of O2 delivery-to-O2 uptake and thus the upstream O2 pressure driving capillary-myocyte O2 flux (i.e. PO2mv) following cessation of contractions in healthy skeletal muscle. Additionally, these data support a mechanistic link between reduced NO bioavailability and prolonged muscle metabolic recovery commonly observed in ageing and diseased populations. [source] Effect of reduction/oxidation treatment on blue photorefraction in In:Fe:Cu:LiNbO3 crystalsCRYSTAL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 4 2010Suhua Luo Abstract In:Fe:Cu:LiNbO3 crystals with reduced/oxidized treatments were prepared by the Czochralski method. The defect structure was analyzed by the UV-Visible absorption spectra. The blue photorefractive properties, such as the refractive index change, response time, recording sensitivity, dynamic range as well as two-wave coupling gain coefficient, were also investigated at 488 nm wavelength using the two-wave coupling experiment. Comparing the as-grown and oxidized In:Fe:Cu:LiNbO3 crystals, the reduced sample has the highest recording sensitivity and largest dynamic range. Meanwhile, the high diffraction efficiency is still maintained. Experimental results definitely show that reduction treatment is an effective method to improve the blue photorefractive performance of In:Fe:Cu:LiNbO3 crystals. (© 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Preparation, physicochemical and third order nonlinear optical properties of bis(tetrabutylammonium)bis(2-thioxo-1,3-dithiole-4,5-dithiolato)mercurate(II)CRYSTAL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 6 2009X. Q. Wang Abstract Bis(tetrabutylammonium)bis(2-thioxo-1,3-dithiole-4,5-dithiolato)mercurate(II) was prepared and characterized by elemental analyses, electronic absorption, infrared and X-ray powder diffraction spectroscopy. The specific heat of the crystal was measured to be 1878.2 J.mol,1K,1 at 300 K. The thermal decomposition process was investigated by means of thermogravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis measurements in air together with infrared and X-ray powder diffraction spectra. The third-order nonlinear optical properties at 800 nm were measured by femtosecond optical Kerr gate technique by using CS2 as reference. The third-order optical susceptibility of its acetone solution at the concentration of 9.27 × 10,4 M was obtained to be 2.53 × 10,14 esu. The second-order hyperpolarizability was estimated to be 1.7 × 10,32 esu and the response time was about 226 fs. The third order nonlinear optical properties at 532 nm were investigated by using the Z-scan technique with 20 ps. It exhibited self-focusing effect and saturable absorption. The second molecular hyperpolarizability was estimated to be 8.4 × 10,32 esu. (© 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] The growth and photorefractive effect of co-doped Ce:Cu:BSO crystalsCRYSTAL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 12 2003Wei Zheng Abstract In the paper Ce:Cu:BSO crystal has been grown by Czochralski method for the first time with doping CeO2 and CuO into BSO(Bi12SiO20) crystal. The exponential gain coefficient and respond time of Ce:Cu:BSO crystal are measured by two-wave-coupling technology. The results indicate that exponential gain coefficient of Ce:Cu:BSO is more than two times as that of non-doped BSO and the response time exhibits in microsecond level. Furthermore its exponential gain coefficient improves greatly compared with Ce:BSO's at the same doping level of Ce, while its response time is less than Ce:BSO's. The improvement mechanism of photorefractive effect of Ce:Cu:BSO crystal is investigated systematically. (© 2003 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Modeling Network Latency and Parallel Processing in Distributed Database DesignDECISION SCIENCES, Issue 4 2003Jesper M. Johansson ABSTRACT The design of responsive distributed database systems is a key concern for information systems managers. In high bandwidth networks latency and local processing are the most significant factors in query and update response time. Parallel processing can be used to minimize their effects, particularly if it is considered at design time. It is the judicious replication and placement of data within a network that enable parallelism to be effectively used. However, latency and parallel processing have largely been ignored in previous distributed database design approaches. We present a comprehensive approach to distributed database design that develops efficient combinations of data allocation and query processing strategies that take full advantage of parallelism. We use a genetic algorithm to enable the simultaneous optimization of data allocation and query processing strategies. We demonstrate that ignoring the effects of latency and parallelism at design time can result in the selection of unresponsive distributed database designs. [source] Combined Excimer Laser and Topical Tacrolimus for the Treatment of Vitiligo: A Pilot StudyDERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 2 2004Adam Z. Kawalek BA Background. Vitiligo is an acquired skin disorder that is characterized by well-defined, often symmetric white patches. Although current therapeutic modalities are directed toward increasing melanocyte melanin production, few treatment modalities address the immunologic nature of the disease. Objective. To determine whether excimer laser, a known therapeutic modality, in combination with tacrolimus, a topical immunomodulator, accelerate response time and/or improve the degree of response in patients with this disorder. Methods. Eight subjects diagnosed with vitiligo were recruited to participate in this institutional review board,approved double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Twenty-four symmetric vitiliginous patches (elbows, knees) from eight subjects received excimer laser treatment three times per week for 24 treatments or 10 weeks. Additionally, topical tacrolimus 0.1% ointment (Protopic) and placebo (Aquaphor) were applied to randomized patches (left or right) twice daily throughout the length of the trial. Vitiliginous patches were monitored with photographs at baseline, every 2 weeks, and 6 months after treatment. Biopsies were performed on subjects with significant results. Results. Twenty vitiliginous patches from six subjects qualified for evaluation. Fifty percent of patches treated with combination excimer laser and tacrolimus achieved a successful response (75% repigmentation) compared with 20% for the placebo group. Subjects who responded successfully repigmented faster (19%) with combination therapy compared with excimer laser alone. Additionally, three subjects experienced transient hyperpigmentation in lesions treated with combination therapy. Conclusion. Combining topical immunomodulators with known phototherapeutic modalities may represent a key advancement in the treatment of disease. [source] Rescuer Fatigue: Standard versus Continuous Chest-Compression Cardiopulmonary ResuscitationACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 10 2006Joseph W. Heidenreich MD Abstract Objectives Continuous chest-compression cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CCC-CPR) has been advocated as an alternative to standard CPR (STD-CPR). Studies have shown that CCC-CPR delivers substantially more chest compressions per minute and is easier to remember and perform than STD-CPR. One concern regarding CCC-CPR is that the rescuer may fatigue and be unable to maintain adequate compression rate or depth throughout an average emergency medical services response time. The specific aim of this study was to compare the effects of fatigue on the performance of CCC-CPR and STD-CPR on a manikin model. Methods This was a prospective, randomized crossover study involving 53 medical students performing CCC-CPR and STD-CPR on a manikin model. Students were randomized to their initial CPR group and then performed the other type of CPR after a period of at least two days. Students were evaluated on their performance of 9 minutes of CPR for each method. The primary endpoint was the number of adequate chest compressions (at least 38 mm of compression depth) delivered per minute during each of the 9 minutes. The secondary endpoints were total compressions, compression rate, and the number of breaks taken for rest. The students' performance was evaluated on the basis of Skillreporter Resusci Anne (Laerdal, Wappingers Falls, NY) recordings. Primary and secondary endpoints were analyzed by using the generalized linear mixed model for counting data. Results In the first 2 minutes, participants delivered significantly more adequate compressions per minute with CCC-CPR than STD-CPR, (47 vs. 32, p = 0.004 in the 1st minute and 39 vs. 29, p = 0.04 in the 2nd minute). For minutes 3 through 9, the differences in number of adequate compressions between groups were not significant. Evaluating the 9 minutes of CPR as a whole, there were significantly more adequate compressions in CCC-CPR vs. STD-CPR (p = 0.0003). Although the number of adequate compressions per minute declined over time in both groups, the rate of decline was significantly greater in CCC-CPR compared with STD-CPR (p = 0.0003). The mean number of total compressions delivered in the first minute was significantly greater with CCC-CPR than STD-CPR (105 per minute vs. 58 per minute, p < 0.001) and did not change over 9 minutes in either group. There were no differences in compression rates or number of breaks between groups. Conclusions CCC-CPR resulted in more adequate compressions per minute than STD-CPR for the first 2 minutes of CPR. However, the difference diminished after 3 minutes, presumably as a result of greater rescuer fatigue with CCC-CPR. Overall, CCC-CPR resulted in more total compressions per minute than STD-CPR during the entire 9 minutes of resuscitation. [source] Randomized controlled trial comparing the effectiveness and safety of intranasal and intramuscular naloxone for the treatment of suspected heroin overdoseADDICTION, Issue 12 2009Debra Kerr ABSTRACT Aims Traditionally, the opiate antagonist naloxone has been administered parenterally; however, intranasal (i.n.) administration has the potential to reduce the risk of needlestick injury. This is important when working with populations known to have a high prevalence of blood-borne viruses. Preliminary research suggests that i.n. administration might be effective, but suboptimal naloxone solutions were used. This study compared the effectiveness of concentrated (2 mg/ml) i.n. naloxone to intramuscular (i.m.) naloxone for suspected opiate overdose. Methods This randomized controlled trial included patients treated for suspected opiate overdose in the pre-hospital setting. Patients received 2 mg of either i.n. or i.m. naloxone. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients who responded within 10 minutes of naloxone treatment. Secondary outcomes included time to adequate response and requirement for supplementary naloxone. Data were analysed using multivariate statistical techniques. Results A total of 172 patients were enrolled into the study. Median age was 29 years and 74% were male. Rates of response within 10 minutes were similar: i.n. naloxone (60/83, 72.3%) compared with i.m. naloxone (69/89, 77.5%) [difference: ,5.2%, 95% confidence interval (CI) ,18.2 to 7.7]. No difference was observed in mean response time (i.n.: 8.0, i.m.: 7.9 minutes; difference 0.1, 95% CI ,1.3 to 1.5). Supplementary naloxone was administered to fewer patients who received i.m. naloxone (i.n.: 18.1%; i.m.: 4.5%) (difference: 13.6%, 95% CI 4.2,22.9). Conclusions Concentrated intranasal naloxone reversed heroin overdose successfully in 82% of patients. Time to adequate response was the same for both routes, suggesting that the i.n. route of administration is of similar effectiveness to the i.m. route as a first-line treatment for heroin overdose. [source] Development of a high-speed electromagnetic repulsion mechanism for high-voltage vacuum circuit breakersELECTRICAL ENGINEERING IN JAPAN, Issue 1 2008Mitsuru Tsukima Abstract This paper presents a design and testing of a new high-speed electromagnetic driving mechanism for a high-voltage vacuum circuit breaker (VCB). This mechanism is based on a high-speed electromagnetic repulsion and a permanent magnet spring (PMS). This PMS is introduced instead of the conventional disk spring due to its low spring energy and more suitable force characteristics for VCB application. The PMS has been optimally designed by the 3D nonlinear finite-elements magnetic field analysis and investigated its internal friction and eddy-current effect. Furthermore, we calculated the dynamic of this mechanism coupling with the electromagnetic field and circuit analysis, in order to satisfy the operating characteristics,contact velocity, response time, and so on, required for the high-speed VCB. A prototype VCB, which was built based on the above analysis, shows sufficient operating performance. Finally, the short circuit interruption tests were carried out with this prototype breaker, and we have been able to verify its satisfying performance. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 163(1): 34,40, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.20398 [source] A New Amperometric Hydrazine Sensor Based on Prussian Blue/Single-walled Carbon Nanotube NanocompositesELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 16 2010Cong Wang Abstract A slow reaction process has been successfully used to synthesize Prussian blue/single-walled carbon nanotubes (PB/SWNTs) nanocomposites. Electrochemical and surface characterization by cyclic voltammetry (CV), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the presence of PB nanocrystallites on SWNTs. PB/SWNTs modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) exhibits efficient electron transfer ability and high electrochemical response towards hydrazine. The fabricated hydrazine sensor showed a wide linear range of 2.0×10,6,6.0×10,3,M with a response time less than 4,s and a detection limit of 0.5,,M. PB/SWNTs modified electrochemical sensors are promising candidates for cost-effective in the hydrazine assays. [source] Development of a Glucose Biosensor Using Advanced Electrode Modified by Nanohybrid Composing Chemically Modified Graphene and Ionic LiquidELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 11 2010Ho Yang Abstract Nanohybrids of chemically modified graphene (CMG) and ionic liquid (IL) were prepared by sonication to modify the electrode. The modified CMG-IL electrodes showed a higher current and smaller peak-to-peak potential separation than a bare electrode due to the promoted electron transfer rate. Furthermore, the glucose oxidase (GOx) immobilized on the modified electrode displayed direct electron transfer rate and symmetrical redox potentials with a linear relationship at different scan rates. The fabricated GOx/CMG-IL electrodes were developed selective glucose biosensor with respect to a sensitivity of 0.64,,A mM,1, detection limit of 0.376,mM, and response time of <5,s. [source] Fabrication of a Sensitive Cholesterol Biosensor Based on Cobalt-oxide Nanostructures Electrodeposited onto Glassy Carbon ElectrodeELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 24 2009Abdollah Salimi Abstract Electrodeposited cobalt oxide (CoOx) nanomaterials are not only used for immobilization of cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) but also as electron transfer mediator for oxidation of H2O2 generated in the enzymatic reaction. Voltammetry and flow injection analysis (FIA) were used for determination of cholesterol. FIA determination of cholesterol with biosensors yielded a calibration curve with the following characteristics: linear range up to 50,,M, sensitivity of 43.5,nA ,M,1 cm,2 and detection limit of 4.2,,M. The apparent Michaelis-Menten constant and the response time of the biosensor are 0.49,mM and 15,s, respectively. This biosensor also exhibits good stability, reproducibility and long life time. [source] Electrochemical Cholesterol Sensor Based on Tin Oxide-Chitosan Nanobiocomposite FilmELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 8 2009Anees Abstract A chitosan (CS)-tin oxide (SnO2) nanobiocomposite film has been deposited onto an indium-tin-oxide glass plate to immobilize cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) for cholesterol detection. The value of the Michaelis,Menten constant (Km) obtained as 3.8,mM for ChOx/CS-SnO2/ITO is lower (8,mM) than that of a ChOx/CS/ITO bioelectrode revealing enhancement in affinity and/or activity of ChOx towards cholesterol and also revealing strong binding of ChOx onto CS-SnO2/ITO electrode. This ChOx/CS-SnO2/ITO cholesterol sensor retains 95% of enzyme activity after 4,6 weeks at 4,°C with response time of 5,s, sensitivity of 34.7,,A/mg dL,1 cm2 and detection limit of 5,mg/dL. [source] A Biomimetic Potentiometric Sensor Using Molecularly Imprinted Polymer for the Cetirizine Assay in Tablets and Biological FluidsELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 18 2008Mehran Javanbakht Abstract Despite the increasing number of applications of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) in analytical chemistry, the construction of a biomimetic potentiometric sensor remains still challenging. In this work, a biomimetic potentiometric sensor, based on a non-covalent imprinted polymer was fabricated for the recognition and determination of cetirizine. The MIP was synthesized by precipitation polymerization, using cetirizine dihydrochloride as a template molecule, methacrylic acid (MAA) as a functional monomer and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as a cross linking agent. The sensor showed high selectivity and a sensitive response to the template in aqueous system. The MIP-modified electrode exhibited Nernstian response (28.0±0.9 mV/decade) in a wide concentration range of 1.0×10,6 to 1.0×10,2 M with a lower detection limit of 7.0×10,7 M. The electrode has response time of ca. 20,s, high performance, high sensitivity, and good long term stability (more than 5,months). The method was satisfactory and used to the cetirizine assay in tablets and biological fluids. [source] The NADH Electrochemical Detection Performed at Carbon Nanofibers Modified Glassy Carbon ElectrodeELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 14 2007Adina Arvinte Abstract In this work, the capability of carbon nanofibers to be used for the design of catalytic electrochemical biosensors is demonstrated. The direct electrochemistry of NADH was studied at a glassy carbon electrode modified using carbon nanofibers. A decrease of the oxidation potential of NADH by more than 300,mV is observed in the case of the assembled carbon nanofiber-glassy carbon electrode comparing with a bare glassy carbon electrode. The carbon nanofiber-modified electrode exhibited a wide linear response range of 3×10,5 to 2.1×10,3,mol L,1 with a correlation coefficient of 0.997 for the detection of NADH, a high specific sensitivity of 3637.65 (,A/M cm2), a low detection of limit (LOD=3,) of 11,,M, and a fast response time (3,s). These results have confirmed the fact that the carbon nanofibers represent a promising material to assemble electrochemical sensors and biosensors. [source] Comparative Studies of Tridentate Sulfur and Nitrogen-Containing Ligands as Ionophores for Construction of Cadmium Ion-Selective Membrane SensorsELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 11 2007Ashok, Kumar Singh Abstract New polymeric membrane cadmium-ion selective sensors have been prepared by incorporating nitrogen and sulfur containing tridentate ligands as the ionophores into the plasticized PVC membranes. Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) based membranes of potassium hydrotris[N -(2,6-xylyl)thioimdazolyl) borate] (KTt2,6-xylyl) and potassium hydrotris(3-phenyl-5-methylpyrazolyl) borate (KTpPh,Me) with sodium tetraphenyl borate (NaTPB) as an anionic excluder and dibutylphthalate (DBP), tributylphthalate (TBP), dioctylsebacate (DOS), and o -nitrophenyloctyl ether (o -NPOE) as plasticizing solvent mediators were investigated in different compositions. KTt2,6-xylyl was found to be a selective and sensitive ion carrier for Cd(II) membrane sensor. A membrane composed of KTt2,6-xylyl:NaTPB:PVC:DBP with the % mole ratio 2.3,:,1.1,:,34.8,:,61.8 (w/w) works well over a very wide concentration range (7.8×10,8,1.0×10,2,M) with a Nernstian slope of 29.4±0.2,mV/decades of activity between pH values of 3.5 to 9.0 with a detection limit of 4.37×10,8,M. The sensor displays very good discrimination toward Cd(II) ions with regard to most common cations. The proposed sensor shows a short response time for whole concentration range (ca. 8,s). The effects of the cationic (tetrabutylammonium chloride, TBC), anionic (sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS) and nonionic (Triton X-100) surfactants were investigated on the potentiometric properties of proposed cadmium-selective sensor. The proposed sensor based on KTt2,6-xylyl ionophore has also been used for the direct determination of cadmium ions in different water samples and human urine samples. [source] Biosensor Based on Self-Assembling Glucose Oxidase and Dendrimer-Encapsulated Pt Nanoparticles on Carbon Nanotubes for Glucose DetectionELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 6 2007Lihuan Xu Abstract A novel amperometric glucose biosensor based on layer-by-layer (LbL) electrostatic adsorption of glucose oxidase (GOx) and dendrimer-encapsulated Pt nanoparticles (Pt-DENs) on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was described. Anionic GOx was immobilized on the negatively charged CNTs surface by alternatively assembling a cationic Pt-DENs layer and an anionic GOx layer. Transmission electron microscopy images and ,-potentials proved the formation of layer-by-layer nanostructures on carboxyl-functionalized CNTs. LbL technique provided a favorable microenvironment to keep the bioactivity of GOx and prevent enzyme molecule leakage. The excellent electrocatalytic activity of CNTs and Pt-DENs toward H2O2 and special three-dimensional structure of the enzyme electrode resulted in good characteristics such as a low detection limit of 2.5,,M, a wide linear range of 5,,M,0.65,mM, a short response time (within 5,s), and high sensitivity (30.64,,A mM,1,cm,2) and stability (80% remains after 30 days). [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||