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Technologies Used (technology + used)
Selected AbstractsRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE COLORATION AND THE FIRING TECHNOLOGY USED TO PRODUCE SUSA GLAZED CERAMICS OF THE END OF THE NEOLITHIC PERIOD*ARCHAEOMETRY, Issue 5 2009S. LAHLIL Ancient decorated potteries from Susa (Mesopotamia) dating from 4200 to 3700 bc, were studied in order to determine the origin and the nature of the raw materials used, and to identify the technological processes applied to make the ceramic bodies and their decorations. Bulk compositions were determined by particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE), while the microstructure and the mineralogical phases were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analyses (EDX) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). The results showed that the raw materials used to elaborate these potteries were similar for all the ceramic bodies (carbonates and iron and magnesium-rich clays containing sand), and for all the decorations (iron oxides, silica, potassic and alumina sources). The variations of coloration of the ceramics and of their decorations were due to different firing temperatures. The ranges of firing temperatures used by potters were evaluated on the basis of mineral stability domains. [source] Molecular staging of gastric cancerJOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY, Issue 6 2008Yan Jie Zhang Abstract Gastric cancer has traditionally been staged using purely histological methods, but these methods provide little information about the biology of gastric cancer and have limited predictive power. Recent studies have shown that clinically relevant gastric cancer subtypes have distinct gene expression profiles. This approach, termed molecular staging, can lead to the discovery of novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of gastric cancers. This update reviews advances in molecular staging of gastric cancer and discusses their implications for the prognosis and diagnosis of this complex disease. Technologies used in molecular staging as well as future directions for the optimization of molecular staging of gastric cancer are also discussed. [source] Optimization and Control of Industrial Microbial Cultivation ProcessesENGINEERING IN LIFE SCIENCES (ELECTRONIC), Issue 2 2006M. Jenzsch Abstract Compared to the immense achievements in fundamental molecular biological sciences, the improvements in the fermentation and downstream processing technologies used in industry have been less spectacular over the last decade. Hence, there is a misbalance between new cellular systems and production technologies, resulting in a decreasing annual rate of approved production processes. In its PAT initiative the U.S. Food and Drug Administration identifies the potential for continuous improvement and makes concrete suggestions how this can be achieved. Here, some of these suggestions were applied to recombinant protein production with Escherichia coli and Pichia pastoris cultures. Concretely, the development of process operational procedures is discussed that allow a more tight supervision of the processes and the automatic control in cases where processes deviate from their set-point profiles. [source] The influence of economic incentives and regulatory factors on the adoption of treatment technologies: a case study of technologies used to treat heart attacksHEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue 10 2009Mickael Bech Abstract The Technological Change in Health Care Research Network collected unique patient-level data on three procedures for treatment of heart attack patients (catheterization, coronary artery bypass grafts and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty) for 17 countries over a 15-year period to examine the impact of economic and institutional factors on technology adoption. Specific institutional factors are shown to be important to the uptake of these technologies. Health-care systems characterized as public contract systems and reimbursement systems have higher adoption rates than public-integrated health-care systems. Central control of funding of investments is negatively associated with adoption rates and the impact is of the same magnitude as the overall health-care system classification. GDP per capita also has a strong role in initial adoption. The impact of income and institutional characteristics on the utilization rates of the three procedures diminishes over time. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Effective detection of corrected dystrophin loci in mdx mouse myogenic precursors,HUMAN MUTATION, Issue 8 2007Marian Todaro Abstract Targeted corrective gene conversion (TCGC) holds much promise as a future therapy for many hereditary diseases in humans. Mutation correction frequencies varying between 0.0001% and 40% have been reported using chimeraplasty, oligoplasty, triplex-forming oligonucleotides, and small corrective PCR amplicons (CPA). However, PCR technologies used to detect correction events risk either falsely indicating or greatly exaggerating the presence of corrected loci. This is a problem that is considerably exacerbated by attempted improvement of the TCGC system using high corrective nucleic acid (CNA) to nuclear ratios. Small fragment homologous replacement (SFHR)-mediated correction of the exon 23 dystrophin (DMD) gene mutation in the mdx mouse model of DMD has been used in this study to evaluate the effect of increasing CPA amounts. In these experiments, we detected extremely high levels of apparently corrected loci and determined that at higher CNA to nuclear ratios the extent of locus correction was highly exaggerated by residual CNA species in the nucleic acids extracted from the treated cells. This study describes a generic locus-specific detection protocol designed to eradicate residual CNA species and avoid the artifactual or exaggerated detection of gene correction. Hum Mutat 28(8), 816,823, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Injectable Biomaterials for Regenerating Complex Craniofacial Tissues,ADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 32-33 2009James D. Kretlow Abstract Engineering complex tissues requires a precisely formulated combination of cells, spatiotemporally released bioactive factors, and a specialized scaffold support system. Injectable materials, particularly those delivered in aqueous solution, are considered ideal delivery vehicles for cells and bioactive factors and can also be delivered through minimally invasive methods and fill complex 3D shapes. In this review, we examine injectable materials that form scaffolds or networks capable of both replacing tissue function early after delivery and supporting tissue regeneration over a time period of weeks to months. The use of these materials for tissue engineering within the craniofacial complex is challenging but ideal as many highly specialized and functional tissues reside within a small volume in the craniofacial structures and the need for minimally invasive interventions is desirable due to aesthetic considerations. Current biomaterials and strategies used to treat craniofacial defects are examined, followed by a review of craniofacial tissue engineering, and finally an examination of current technologies used for injectable scaffold development and drug and cell delivery using these materials. [source] Fusion of digital television, broadband Internet and mobile communications,Part I: Enabling technologiesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS AND NETWORKING, Issue 4 2007F. L. C. Ong Abstract The introduction of digital video broadcasting (DVB) satellite systems has become an important tool for future mobile communication and is currently a focus in several research areas such as the integration of DVB satellite systems with different wireless technologies. This tutorial consists of two parts, Enabling technologies and Future service scenarios, which aims to provide an introduction to the current state-of-the-art of DVB standards over satellite and its fusion with mobile and Internet technologies. This paper, Enabling technologies, focuses on providing an overview of the different technologies and issues that facilitates better understanding of the current and future operational scenarios, whereas the second paper, Future service scenarios will emphasize future research directions in this research area. In the first part, the paper will initially be focused on the introduction of different DVB satellite systems, i.e. DVB- via satellite (DVB-S), DVB return channel by satellite (DVB-RCS) and second-generation DVB system for broadband satellite services (DVB-S2). This is then followed by a description of the different Internet Protocol (IP) technologies used to support macro- and micro-mobility and the migration strategies from IP version 4 (IPv4) to IP version 6 (IPv6). Finally, the different security mechanisms for the DVB system and end-to-end satellite network are addressed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Satellite rural communications: telephony and narrowband networksINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS AND NETWORKING, Issue 5 2005Roberto Conte Abstract Rural communications are important for large and developing countries, and telecommunications systems have been implemented depending upon the available technology at the time. Rural users do not generate the same amount of revenue as urban users do, thus lowering incentives for rural telecommunications investment with service to those regions delayed as long as possible. Voice and data communications are essential to the economic development of a region, and it has been shown that traffic increases rapidly as soon as the service is available. Satellite-based digital networks provide efficient long-distance service to rural communities at lower cost than similar land-based wired networks with acceptable quality. Small earth stations along with Wireless Local Loops can provide both local and long-distance service efficiently and at low cost, offering digital multimedia services on a global scale. This paper focuses on the description of different narrowband technologies used to service rural communities, namely basic telephone and low-bit-rate data (<64 kbps) applications through the use of satellite and terrestrial wireless systems. A basic network economic planning description is presented, and important parameters such as satellite network size, topology and multiple access are identified in order to improve the process of effective and cost-efficient rural communications network design. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Hydrodynamic Cavitation to Improve Bulk Fluid to Surface Mass Transfer in a Nonimmersed Ultraviolet System for Minimal Processing of Opaque and Transparent Fluid FoodsJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 9 2007P.J. Milly ABSTRACT:, Ultraviolet (UV)-induced chemical reactions and inactivation of microorganisms in transparent and opaque fluids are strongly dependent upon the homogenous exposure of the target species to the UV irradiation. Current UV technologies used in water disinfection and food preservation applications have limited efficacy due to suspended particles shading target species. An Ultraviolet-Shockwave PowerŌ Reactor (UV-SPR) consisting of an inner rotating rotor and a stationary quartz housing and 2 end plates was used to induce ,controlled cavitation.' Eight UV low-pressure mercury lamps spaced uniformly were installed lengthwise around the quartz housing periphery. A KI to I3,chemical dosimeter for UV was used to quantify photons received by fluid in the annular space of the SPR. UV dose (J/m2) increased from 97 J/m2 at 0 rpm to over 700 J/m2 for SPR speeds above 2400 rpm. Inactivation of E. coli 25922 in apple juice and skim milk in the UV-SPR at exit temperatures below 45 °C was greater than 4.5 and 3 logs, respectively. The UV-SPR system proved successful in increasing the mass transfer of transparent and opaque fluid to the UV irradiated surface. [source] Perioperative myocardial infarction in noncardiac surgery: the diagnostic and prognostic role of cardiac troponinsJOURNAL OF INTERNAL MEDICINE, Issue 1 2002S. LUCREZIOTTI Abstract.,Lucreziotti S, Foroni C, Fiorentini C (Universitą degli Studi di Milano, Ospedale S. Pado, Milano, Italy). Perioperative myocardial infarction in noncardiac surgery: the diagnostic and prognostic role of cardiac troponins (Review). J Intern Med 2002; 252: 11,20. Despite the number of technologies used, the diagnosis of perioperative myocardial infarction is still a challenge. Studies conducted in surgical series have demonstrated that cardiac troponins (cTns) have both a superior diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, compared with other traditional techniques, and an independent power to predict short- and long-term prognosis. Nevertheless, some points need to be clarified. They include the usefulness of cTns in patients with end-stage renal failure; the standardization of the cTns cut-off for the diagnosis of myocardial injury; the timing of postoperative blood samplings; the cost-effectiveness of a screening in asymptomatic patients; and the possible therapeutic strategies. [source] Mass Producing Food Traditions for West Africans AbroadAMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST, Issue 4 2007ELISHA P. RENNE In this article, I examine West African foods sold mainly in specialty grocery stores, focusing on how technologies used in food production in West Africa are referenced in the brand names and packaging of processed African foods sold in the United States. Through their association with "timeless" West African food-processing techniques, such foods evoke memories of childhood and home. Yet the transformation of West African foods through new technologies of processing, packaging, and branding reflects different time and health concerns of West African immigrants living in the United States. Through their purchase of time-saving, mass-produced, and hygienically packaged foodstuffs, which are ideologically similar to but technologically very different from the production processes and cooking in Africa, West Africans in the United States use food to maintain social relations with their particular families, hometown associations, and religious groups, while also constituting national, regional, and global connections through the reinvention of food traditions. [source] Ovarian cancer proteomics: Many technologies one goalPROTEOMICS - CLINICAL APPLICATIONS, Issue 2 2008Kothandaraman Narasimhan Abstract The last decade has seen major changes in the technologies used to identify markers for diagnosing cancer. This review focuses on recent developments on the evolving field of biomarker discovery, and validation techniques using proteomics platforms for ovarian cancer. It is possible now to diagnose various disease conditions using microliter quantities of body fluids. Currently the major developments were made in three distinct areas: (i) protein profiling, (ii) high-throughput validation techniques, and (iii) solid and liquid phase protein microarray platforms for analyzing candidate markers across subclasses and stages of cancers. The recent addition to the long list of technologies is metabolomics using metabolite profiling and informatics-based filtering of information for biomarker discovery of ovarian cancer. Emerging technologies need to address ways to eliminate the limitations posed by the complex dynamic nature of body fluids as well as ways to enrich low-abundance tumor markers if they were to become a successful biomarker discovery tool. These new technologies hold significant promise in identifying more robust markers for ovarian cancer. Since the prevalence of this disease in the population is low, the test must have a high specificity. [source] TYPES OF PUBLIC CAPITAL AND THEIR PRODUCTIVITY IN JAPANESE PREFECTURES*THE JAPANESE ECONOMIC REVIEW, Issue 2 2008IZUMI MIYARA Several researchers have studied the productivity of public capital in Japan but most have not paid attention to the types of public infrastructure or differences in production technology between prefectures. We estimate prefectural production functions with differently aggregated public capital. Through the model selection process, we examine the types of productive public capital. The empirical results show the production technologies used and how types of productive public capital differ between prefectures. [source] Variations in the Application of Various Perfusion Technologies in Great Britain and Ireland,A National SurveyARTIFICIAL ORGANS, Issue 3 2010Oliver J. Warren Abstract In an attempt to reduce the negative sequelae of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), a variety of new technologies have been created. This study investigates variations in the application of these technologies throughout Great Britain and Ireland (GB & I). All perfusion departments within GB & I were surveyed about equipment and technologies used in CPB. Eighty-five percent of units use a standard arterial line filter in all cases. Forty percent of units occasionally use leukocyte-depleting filters in various sites within the circuit. Sixteen percent always use some element of heparin-bonded circuit, but 62% never use them. Twenty-five percent use solely rotary pumps, 18% use solely centrifugal pumps, and 56% use both. Finally, 20% are now using minimal extracorporeal circulation in certain clinical scenarios. These decisions are most frequently affected by clinician preference and cost. This survey has highlighted significant variation in the utilization of various technologies used in CPB. While some variation between centers is to be expected, as innovative technologies are adopted at varying rates, surveys such as this are useful for alerting clinicians to gaps between evidence-based knowledge and clinical practice. [source] Prospects in Lyophilization of Bovine PericardiumARTIFICIAL ORGANS, Issue 3 2009Adolfo A. Leirner Abstract Almost 30 years after the introduction of heart valve prostheses patients worldwide are benefiting from the implant of these devices. Among the various types of heart valves, the ones made of treated bovine pericardium have become a frequently used replacement of the heart's native valve. Lyophilization, also known as freeze-drying, is an extremely useful technique for tissue storage for surgical applications. This article gives a brief overview on the current bovine pericardium lyophilization development, including the chemical modification to improve physical,chemical characteristics and the advanced technologies used to guarantee a high-quality product. It was shown that lyophilization process can be successfully applied as a method of bovine pericardium preservation and also as a technological tool to prepare new materials obtained by chemical modification of native tissues. [source] Improving the Clinical Patency of Prosthetic Vascular and Coronary Bypass Grafts: The Role of Seeding and Tissue EngineeringARTIFICIAL ORGANS, Issue 4 2002Alexander M. Seifalian Abstract: In patients requiring coronary or peripheral vascular bypass procedures, autogenous vein is currently the conduit of choice. If this is unavailable, then a prosthetic material is used. Prosthetic graft is liable to fail due to occlusion of the graft. To prevent graft occlusion, seeding of the graft lumen with endothelial cells is undertaken. Recent advances have also looked at developing a completely artificial biological graft engineered from the patient's cells with properties similar to autogenous vessels. This review encompasses the developments in the two principal technologies used in developing hybrid coronary and peripheral vascular bypass grafts, that is, seeding and tissue engineering. [source] Design and correctness proof of a security protocol for mobile bankingBELL LABS TECHNICAL JOURNAL, Issue 1 2009Dalton Li A strong security protocol is the cornerstone for the implementation of mobile banking services and is used to determine the security properties of the system. This paper proposes an application layer security protocol for mobile banking services,the mobile banking (MB) protocol,based on requirements from mobile banking systems. Our research provides an in-depth analysis of the design technologies used in the MB protocol, as well as a correctness proof of its security properties based on the strand space model. © 2009 Alcatel-Lucent. [source] Technological progresses in monoclonal antibody production systemsBIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRESS, Issue 2 2010Maria Elisa Rodrigues Abstract Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have become vitally important to modern medicine and are currently one of the major biopharmaceutical products in development. However, the high clinical dose requirements of mAbs demand a greater biomanufacturing capacity, leading to the development of new technologies for their large-scale production, with mammalian cell culture dominating the scenario. Although some companies have tried to meet these demands by creating bioreactors of increased capacity, the optimization of cell culture productivity in normal bioreactors appears as a better strategy. This review describes the main technological progresses made with this intent, presenting the advantages and limitations of each production system, as well as suggestions for improvements. New and upgraded bioreactors have emerged both for adherent and suspension cell culture, with disposable reactors attracting increased interest in the last years. Furthermore, the strategies and technologies used to control culture parameters are in constant evolution, aiming at the on-line multiparameter monitoring and considering now parameters not seen as relevant for process optimization in the past. All progresses being made have as primary goal the development of highly productive and economic mAb manufacturing processes that will allow the rapid introduction of the product in the biopharmaceutical market at more accessible prices. © 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2010 [source] Interaction for lifelong learningBRITISH JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY, Issue 6 2004Norm Friesen The term ,lifelong', as applied to education or learning, has been in circulation for more than a quarter of a century. It has played an important role in policy discussions, as well as in studies of the sociology and economics of education. The relationship of this term to the rapidly changing world of information and educational technologies, and to the various conceptions of interaction that are central to these technologies, however, has been considered much less frequently. This paper seeks to shed light on the relationship between lifelong learning and the interactive technologies that have become associated specifically with the Semantic Web. It begins by presenting a fictional narrative to illustrate a lifelong learning scenario in the context of the services and resources that the Semantic Web will be capable of providing. It then proceeds to isolate a number of general characteristics of lifelong learning as they are manifest in this scenario and in recent literature on the subject. The paper then explores how emergent, interactive technologies of the Semantic Web have the general potential to address many of the characteristics of lifelong learning, and hold out the promise of satisfying a wide variety of lifelong learning needs. It will conclude by considering some of the outstanding challenges presented by lifelong learning contexts, and mention some of the limitations of advanced technologies used to address these needs. [source] Biofuels , Economic AspectsCHEMICAL ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY (CET), Issue 5 2008G. W. Festel Abstract Assuming an oil price of US$60 per barrel, both biodiesel and bioethanol produced from wheat are not profitable in Europe. The producers' high margins are only due to the current mineral oil tax concessions. At present, biomass-to-liquid (BTL) fuel also cannot be produced competitively. At the assumed oil price, only bioethanol and biobutanol produced on a large scale from lignocellulose-containing raw materials have the potential to be produced competitively. Analyses of the technologies used in this field show that in Europe there are interesting new technological developments for the hydrolysis, fermentation and purification step. [source] A multicriterion classification approach for assessing the impact of environmental policies on the competitiveness of firmsCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2007V. Hontou Abstract The key objective of the European Union's environmental policy is to successfully combine environmental protection with sustainable economic growth in the long term. Nowadays, it is increasingly recognized that environmental policies, besides increasing production cost, may at the same time give incentives to firms for undertaking innovative actions and/or developing and exploiting differentiation opportunities. Both differentiation capacity and cost increase are strongly dependent on a multiplicity of internal and external factors, such as energy intensity, type of technology used, characteristics of the competitive environment etc. The present paper presents a multicriterion approach for classifying firms into discrete categories of possible impact, according to their sensitivity to cost increases and their differentiation potential. The resulting environment,competitiveness matrix can be exploited for establishing sustainability strategies and designing effective policies in the industrial sector. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Visual ergonomics of head-mounted displaysJAPANESE PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH, Issue 4 2000Marino Menozzi Head-mounted displays (HMDs) are increasingly used in the field and in the laboratory. Prolonged use of HMDs requires their ergonomics to be optimized in order to reduce discomfort. Among factors causing visual load are the physical/optical properties of eyepieces used in HMDs. Many HMD eyepieces are adjusted manually to fit the individual requirements of the user. Proper adjustment of the eyepieces requires some knowledge of visual ergonomics. Additionally, in order to enable comfortable viewing, restrictions on the visual information presented in HMDs, such as the motion of objects in virtual depth, must be considered. Visual performance and therefore visual load depends on the display technology used in HMDs. [source] Zymomonas mobilis: an alternative ethanol producerJOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 4 2006Parmjit S Panesar Abstract Zymomonas mobilis is a unique bacterium in the microbial world, and offers a number of advantages over the existing ethanol-producing microorganisms. Being a prokaryote, it is more amenable to genetic manipulations. Thus, it has attracted great attention in the ethanol production world and efforts have been made to commercialize its application for the purpose. Despite the various efforts made worldwide, none of the processes using this microbe has been commercialized owing to certain bottlenecks. To circumvent the hindrances currently associated with a Zymomonas process, researchers have made various attempts to improve the technology using different techniques. This paper reviews the different substrates and the genetic improvement techniques with special emphasis on mutagenesis and recombinant DNA technology used for ethanol production by Zymomonas strains. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Vertical Foreclosure, Technological Choice, and Entry on the Intermediate MarketJOURNAL OF ECONOMICS & MANAGEMENT STRATEGY, Issue 3 2000Eric Avenel This paper analyzes the profitability of vertical integration for an upstream monopoly facing a potential competitor. We show that it depends on the technology used by the firm when it integrates. We distinguish two types of technologies: standard technologies, used by nonintegrated firms, and nonstandard technologies, reserved for integrated firms and implying the complete foreclosure of nonintegrated firms. Vertical integration with the adoption of a nonstandard technology dominates vertical integration with the adoption of a standard technology and is profitable, as long as the degree of competition in the downstream industry is sufficiently low. [source] Vertical Foreclosure, Technological Choice, and Entry on the Intermediate MarketJOURNAL OF ECONOMICS & MANAGEMENT STRATEGY, Issue 2 2000Eric Avenel This paper analyzes the profitability of vertical integration for an upstream monopoly facing a potential competitor. We show that it depends on the technology used by the firm when it integrates. We distinguish two types of technologies: standard technologies, used by nonintegrated firms, and nonstandard technologies, reserved for integrated firms and implying the complete foreclosure of nonintegrated firms. Vertical integration with the adoption of a nonstandard technology dominates vertical integration with the adoption of a standard technology and is profitable, as long as the degree of competition in the downstream industry is sufficiently low. [source] Forensic aspects of DNA-based human identity testingJOURNAL OF FORENSIC NURSING, Issue 4 2008Stephen M. Roper MS Abstract The forensic applications of DNA-based human identity laboratory testing are often underappreciated. Molecular biology has seen an exponential improvement in the accuracy and statistical power provided by identity testing in the past decade. This technology, dependent upon an individual's unique DNA sequence, has cemented the use of DNA technology in the forensic laboratory. This paper will discuss the state of modern DNA-based identity testing, describe the technology used to perform this testing, and describe its use as it relates to forensic applications. We will also compare individual technologies, including polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Southern Blotting, that are used to detect the molecular differences that make all individuals unique. An increasing reliance on DNA-based identity testing dictates that healthcare providers develop an understanding of the background, techniques, and guiding principles of this important forensic tool. [source] Use of parenteral nutrition in hospitals in the North of EnglandJOURNAL OF HUMAN NUTRITION & DIETETICS, Issue 1 2007S. A. Hearnshaw Abstract Background, Parenteral nutrition (PN) is a costly technology used widely to provide nutrition to patients who have an inaccessible or nonfunctioning intestine. A prospective survey was designed to collect data on PN for inpatients to study the current use of PN, its complications and outcomes in the north of England. The study objectives were to use the Northern Nutrition Network to collect data from all acute hospital inpatients prospectively receiving PN, for 3 months and to provide evidence for current PN practice, and to establish whether this is in line with recognized published clinical guidelines. Methods, Using a paper-based collection tool information was recorded on aspects of PN including: total inpatient episodes, patient demographics, indications, duration, venous access used, complications, number returning to enteral feeding and mortality. The presence of a nutrition support team was also recorded. Results, Data on 193 patient PN episodes were recorded totalling 1708 patient days. The median age of the patients was 67 years. Of these, 158 (82%) were deemed to have a clear indication for PN using the indications cited in the NICE guidelines (http://www.nice.org.uk). The median duration of PN was 7 days (range 1,93). Thirty (16%) patients developed complications due to PN, 23 (12%) had catheter infections which were most common on medical wards. Thirty-nine (20%) patients died within 28 days of PN starting; no deaths were attributable to PN. A total of 118 (61%) patients returned to full enteral feeding. Only three hospitals had nutrition support teams, which had no significant effect on outcomes. Conclusions, Parenteral nutrition practice in the north of England is generally in line with current guidelines, however, only three of 15 hospitals had nutrition support teams. Eighteen per cent of patients did not have a clearly documented indication for PN and 15% developed a complication, most often a catheter-related infection. [source] High-throughput screening technologies for drug glucuronidation profilingJOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACOLOGY: AN INTERNATI ONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE, Issue 8 2008Olga Trubetskoy A significant number of endogenous and exogenous compounds, including many therapeutic agents, are metabolized in humans via glucuronidation, catalysed by uridine diphosphoglucurono-syltransferases (UGTs). The study of the UGTs is a growing field of research, with constantly accumulated and updated information regarding UGT structure, purification, substrate specificity and inhibition, including clinically relevant drug interactions. Development of reliable UGT assays for the assessment of individual isoform substrate specificity and for the discovery of novel isoform-specific substrates and inhibitors is crucial for understanding the function and regulation of the UGT enzyme family and its clinical and pharmacological relevance. High-throughput screening (HTS) is a powerful technology used to search for novel substrates and inhibitors for a wide variety of targets. However, application of HTS in the context of UGTs is complicated because of the poor stability, low levels of expression, low affinity and broad substrate specificity of the enzymes, combined with difficulties in obtaining individual UGT isoforms in purified format, and insufficient information regarding isoform-specific substrates and inhibitors. This review examines the current status of HTS assays used in the search for novel UGT substrates and inhibitors, emphasizing advancements and challenges in HTS technologies for drug glucuronidation profiling, and discusses possible avenues for future advancement of the field. [source] BP NEURAL NETWORK FOR EVALUATING SENSORY TEXTURE PROPERTIES OF COOKED SAUSAGEJOURNAL OF SENSORY STUDIES, Issue 6 2009QING-LI DONG ABSTRACT In order to replace sensory evaluation by instrumental measurement with more accuracy for texture properties of cooked sausage, correlation analysis between sensory and instrumental texture was established by multiple regression and back propagation (BP) neural network, respectively. Effect of different fat, salt, moisture and starch addition on the texture of cooked sausage was also investigated in this paper. It indicated that the accuracy and goodness of fit of predicting sensory hardness, cohesiveness and juiciness by BP neural network were more significant than those by multiple regressions with lower root mean square error and standard error of prediction. Although both accuracy and bias factors of two models were in acceptable range, BP neural network provides an accurate and selective method for predicting sensory texture evaluation in similar meat products. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS The effect of different fat, salt, moisture and starch addition on textural properties of cooked sausage could be valuable to the meat industry in order to select the appropriate components for improving the texture of sausage. Artificial neural network technology used in this study can be useful for the fast, on-time and convenient detection of texture measurement by instrumental instead of sensory evaluation. [source] The ,-particle excited scintillation response of YAG:Ce thin films grown by liquid phase epitaxyPHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI (A) APPLICATIONS AND MATERIALS SCIENCE, Issue 7 2009Petr Prusa Abstract Y3Al5O12:Ce (YAG:Ce) thin films were grown from PbO-, BaO-, and MoO3 -based fluxes using the liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) method. Photoelectron yield, its time dependence within 0.5,10 ,s shaping time, and energy resolution of these samples were measured under ,-particle excitation. For comparison a sample of the Czochralski grown bulk YAG:Ce single crystal was measured as well. Photoelectron yield values of samples grown from the BaO-based flux were found superior to other LPE films and comparable with that of the bulk single crystal. The same is valid also for the time dependence of photoelectron yield. Obtained results are discussed taking into account the influence of the flux and technology used. Additionally, , particle energy deposition in very thin films is modelled and discussed. (© 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||